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The Toshiba 32HL66 earned the highest image-quality score among the 32-inch LCD TVs (as of 12/8/06) that we've reviewed to date. But it comes at a high $1600 street price, and its performance was only marginally better than that of several other lower-priced models.
The 32HL66 excelled at displaying high-definition programming. Colors were vivid and saturated. In a motion shot of the countryside, background trees and foreground grass looked rich and detailed. Our test unit easily passed muster in standard-definition viewings as well. Though one juror noted "turf pixilation" in a baseball scene, our group was generally impressed.
The 32HL66's design is clean and simple, but unexciting. The 32HL66 sports a black cabinet with silver accents. Speakers are integrated into the bottom of the TV, which itself rests on a black trapezoidal base, which doesn't swivel. Our test unit's set of connectors seemed skimpy for the price but adequate for most home-theater situations. They include one HDMI, two composite, and two component inputs. The 32HL66 comes with ATSC and NTSC tuners for receiving digital and analog over-the-air signals; it has no CableCard slot.
SRS surround-sound settings in the on-screen menus help fortify the audio, but the speakers on the TV are still capable only of average quality and loudness for the TV's size and category.
A black multifunction remote with a gray back cover controls the TV's on-screen display as well as other devices such as a DVD player and cable or satellite guides. The buttons on the remote and the on-screen menu are well organized and easy to use.
One quibble about the controls on the TV: Two labels named "power" sit next to each other. One label is for the power button, and the other is for the power indicator. I would have preferred having the power button itself be the power indicator.
The installation guide is a generic one, covering eight models, and the manual covers three TV models.
The Toshiba 32HL66 is a simply designed TV set with superior performance. However, TV shoppers on a budget can go elsewhere for a set that provides almost-as-good image quality and costs hundreds of dollars less.
