The 32LH20 is an entry-level 32-inch LCD HDTV from LG. The television has a glossy black bezel, with a small protrudence at the bottom left that houses the indicator lights and adds a bit of style. The television retails for about $500.

The LG 32LH20 doesn't offer the most extensive selection of connectivity options. There are only two HDMI inputs, and one each for component and composite. It also lacks more advanced connectivity features you find on more expensive televisions like a USB port or Internet access. This set is also limited to 720p resolution and, although it is capable of displaying higher-resolution 1080p content, we saw some problems occur with this conversion.

The remote control is small and well laid out. It sits comfortably in your hand, although the slick plastic may make it easy to drop. Audio quality from the LG 32LH20 is a bit flat, but clear. The menu system is straightforward, with a simple tabbed interface. We did like the advanced picture controls that are offered for those who like to fine tune their television experience.

Performance (Read the full lab performance results at Televisioninfo.com)

The LG 32LH20 performed very well in our black and white testing. Black levels were not the lowest we've ever seen, but were much lower than we might expect from a $500 television. The brightness level was also good. These two produced a very respectable contrast ratio of 2160:1. We saw no problems with variance in blacks or whites; in fact we were very impressed with the uniformity of the display.  It's among the best we've ever seen.

Color performance on the LG 32LH20 was also very good. The color temperature was rock solid, which means you won't get any yellowish or bluish casts to your content. Color accuracy was also very good.

Where the LG 32LH20 had some trouble was with motion and viewing angle. As a lower-end television it does not sport the higher refresh rates that other LCDs use to reduce motion blur, abnd we found moving objects do display a discernable amount of blur. This wasn't as big a problem as motion artifacts, however. Artifacts are imperfections that appear on the screen that shouldn't be there. In the case of the LG 32LH20 we saw a very significant rolling shutter effect appear with moving objects. The viewing angle on the television was also very poor, so if you're sitting very far off center you will see a significant decrease in the contrast ratio.

Comparisons (Read more in-depth comparisons at Televisioninfo.com)

The LG 32LH20 compared very well to other 32-inch models in a similar price range. It's among the better televisions in this class, with very good black and white performance and excellent color accuracy. It also performed better than LG's higher-end 37LH55 in many areas, and at half the price we consider it a much better value. Overall the LG 32LH20 is a very good buy for someone looking at a small HDTV in the $500 price range.