The Samsung LN32B360 is a budget 32-inch LCD HDTV that offers the basics. In our tests of this $550 display, we found good performance, but none of the bells and whistles you might find on more expensive HDTVs. It also has a lower resolution than more expensive televisions, although it does still qualify as a high definition TV.

The LN32B360 is a 720p HDTV, which means that it doesn't support the highest of HDTV resolutions. The more expensive 1080p screens can display images at resolutions of up to 1920 x 1080 pixels, but the LN32B360 has a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. But that's fine for a screen of this size, and it worked flawlessly with the various high definition video sources that we tried it with. The screen itself is in a simple but elegant case, with a clear plastic bezel with dark backing surrounding the screen, and a minimalist stand. This doesn't distract from the screen itself, so the television doesn't get in the way of the images.

TheLN32B360 is bare bones in terms of the connections it offers as well; there are only two HDMI inputs and  handful of inputs for analog video in a panel on the rear of the display. There are no connections on the side or edge of the display, which could be a pain if you frequently want to connect devices such as a digital camera or camcorder. To do so, you'll have to rotate the entire display, and the stand only allows for about 15 degrees  of rotation, so you end up having to shift the entire screen to get access to the ports on the back. Also missing are the other media features that some more expensive models add: you can't view photos on the screen from memory cards, watch streaming video from the Internet or check stock prices. We doubt that most users will miss these features, though.

The remote of the LN32B360 is long and thin, but fits well into the hand, thanks to most of the weight being in the bottom. We found it a little hard to use, though; the volume and channel buttons were not easily placed for one-handed use, as we had to stretch to reach them with the thumb.

Performance (Read the full lab performance results at Televisioninfo.com)
We found that the LN32B360 had solid, if unspectacular performance. In our tests, we saw deep blacks and strong bright whites, although neither were amongst the best we've seen. Colors also looked good, although the gamut (the range of colors) was a little off, which might lead to some strong colors looking a little inaccurate. Greens might look a little over saturated, while reds have the opposite problem, and may look a little under saturated.

The LN32B360 is also missing the high-speed motion processing that many more expensive models include. Despite this we found that motion on the screen still looked good; we saw smooth movement and only minor issues with some forms of video. Fast-moving faces were one: we saw a tendency for faces to show flat, cartoonish color when they were moving quickly across the screen. The LN32B360 had no problem in handling the 24 frames per second video that some high-end Blu-ray players are capable of producing.

However, one issue that we did see with the LN32B360 was the viewing angle; we found that the image quality of the screen fell off rather quickly as the angle of view increased; at just 17 degrees away from straight on, the contrast ratio of the TV fell by half, and the reds took on a distinct yellowish cast at higher angles. This is a much smaller angle than many other HDTVs, and this might be a problem if you are part of a large family; the ones on the edge of the sofa are going to see a worse image than those in the middle.

Conclusion
The LN32B360 is a great pick for those who want a small high definition TV and don't want to pay for extras; it has deep blacks, bright white and good color. The only major drawback we found was the small viewing angle, but as long as you sit directly in front of it this shouldn't be a problem. The price of the LN32B360 is the big selling point, and at $550 for a 32-inch display, this HDTV represents good value.