TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV - 32S327, 2019 Model

Update: I liked this tv so much better than my dedicated computer monitors that I purchased a second one in November 2021 for $199 and now have the two paired in my dual monitor setup. I tried four different monitors to match with the first one, but the TCL 32" 1080p was so superior to the one HP monitor and three Dells that I had previously tried along side the first one that I just bit the bullet and got another one even though the price went up significantly like so many other pandemic price increases. The display is so much brighter, colorful, and with better contrast than the dedicated monitors I had previously used that I had no idea just how bad my other monitors were until sitting side-by-side with this tv. Much less eyestrain with the two TCLs. So far the original one is working well about a year later. I hope they both last for years. You get good sound quality, a tv tuner, a great Roku streamer, and a very good 32" computer display for under $200. I did add two of these $18 WALI pedestal tv stands to make them fit better on my work table: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B071WN24YK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_detailsEven with the additional cost of the stands, these are a couple hundred dollars cheaper than dedicated pc monitors that do not have all of the other functionality. This is a no-brainer. Caveat: I do not do any gaming so I have no idea if it works well for that.Original review:I bought this from Amazon for $129 on December 1, 2020 to be used primarily as a second display in a two monitor configuration, to use for my work while providing elder care to a parent at their house. It exceeded my expectations, as no other TV I had attempted to use as a monitor prior to this one was able to display text well enough to not produce eye strain. This one works fine for text. The only real negative I can find worth mentioning is that if viewed from very close as computer monitor (about 18 inches as I do), the viewing angles do cause the image to be a bit darker near the sides. From three feet or more away, the viewing angles are sufficient to not have this effect.Occasionally I use it as tv as well, and it works very well as a tv. I am guessing that the people complaining about the controls and set up issues apparently are just unfamiliar with streaming devices and multi-source tv settings in general. While not the absolute sharpest picture, it works better than I expected and has good brightness and contrast, and colors are rendered much better than in my Dell or HP monitors. In fact, it is mostly superior to the 25 inch 1080p HP monitor it is paired with and my 27" monitor at work. While anything over 27 inches is a bit too big for my ideal monitor size (too much panning my head while using spreadsheets or email), it was so much less expensive than a dedicated 1080p monitor and has the dual function as a Roku smart tv that made it an easy choice. For the money and the purpose I bought this, I doubt that I could find a better deal.

UPDATE after 3.5 years. The video processor failed, the picture went bad, and it’s junk now. It was good while it lasted.——————————-Usually 720p is sufficient resolution for a small TV, which is often a secondary set used in a kitchen or such, rather than for primary, critical viewing. There is a 720p version of this model that is usually a few dollars cheaper.But you may need 1080p. If you want the TV to double as a computer monitor, for example. Or if you're feeding it a signal shared with other 1080p displays (because HDMI sources will select the lowest common resolution of all connected displays).So if you need a 32" 1080p TV, this is the least expensive choice commonly available. Fortunately, it forces few compromises. The picture quality is decent. The internal audio is surprisingly adequate for non-music programming. The brightness is sufficient for a fully lit room, such as a kitchen. It can accept any common signal source via HDMI or RF. It has a headphone jack and a serviceable remote control.Its only shortfall is its rudimentary calibration controls, so you'll have to accept one of the picture pre-sets, with just a few adjustments available. Fortunately, the presets include a range of options, one of which should suit most situations. Again, it's not a unit intended for critical viewing.I've used Roku streaming devices before, but this was my first experience with the Roku operating system. I'm fairly impressed with its ability to set up and control the TV in a number of useful ways: timers, default input, power-saving, etc. And of course the Roku streaming platform is arguably the best in the world. It was no problem to activate my old Roku account (unused for several years), set up the TV, and then add my current accounts for services like Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, HBOMax, and Hulu. (Yes, I spend too much on streaming services. So shoot me: it's a pandemic out there!) There are of course dozens of services available via Roku, many of them free.And it's very handy to have YouTube on the kitchen TV.My old eyes wanted a bigger screen to replace our 10-year old 22-inch Vizio that was our kitchen TV for the last decade. This was the biggest that would fit in the cubby. It had to be 1080p to take the split feed from our TiVo in the living room. This TV, for these and all the reasons outlined above, exceeded all my expectations and met all my needs at a very reasonable price.