The Sony KDL-32BX300 ($429 MSRP) is a budget, 32-inch LCD television. How can you tell it's budget? Well, first there's the price, which is cheap for a Sony HDTV. Secondly, the resolution is limited to 720p, as opposed to the higher 1080p you'll find on most 2010 TVs. At this screen size, you may not notice a whole lot of difference, and we were pleased to find that the KDL-32BX300 faired decently in our tests.

TVs in this price range tend to limit the frills. The Sony KDL-32BX300 has no USB port, and therefore no photo, audio, or video clip playback. With no ethernet or WiFi, there's no access to Sony's excellent selection of streaming video channels. The port selection is limited to the essentials, including just two HDMIs inputs and a two sets of component AV, one of which doubles as the composite AV input.

What Sony has included on the KDL-32BX300 is, by and large, of a high quality. Rather than hiding the fat, plastic bezel with translucent effects or cheesy silk screening patterns, this TV owns its size with hard edges and clean lines. The menu system is simple but effective and straightforward, with legible fonts and few unnecessary graphics. It's matched with a comfortable, simple remote that can be programmed to work with other Sony Bravia AV devices. The audio performance is wholly unremarkable, but it's not outright bad. It won't hurt your wallet in the long run either, with a modest power consumption that should only cost about $12 per year. 

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

The Sony KDL-32BX300 performed fairly well in our lab tests, at least for a TV in its price range. The black level was rather good, and combined with a bright white score it produced a strong contrast ratio of about 3051:1. There were definitely weaknesses, though. We saw a lack of detail in shadows. The color curves also peaked early, which means you have yet another loss of detail in the highlights.

As the Sony KDL-32BX300 has a 720p screen, it's up to the TV's internal processor to downconvert commonly used HD signals (1080i and 1080p, specifically) to fit the screen. Sadly, this task is handled poorly, and creates a number of artifacts and some loss of information due to overscan.

The viewing angle is also, shall we say... modest? It lost a significant portion of the contrast ratio at only 37 degrees (or 18 degrees from center in either direction). This performance was the worst of its peers, so you probably won't want the Sony KDL-32BX300 in a wide room. 

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

In order to put the Sony KDL-32BX300 in context, we compare it to three similar televisions. The Sony KDL-32EX700 ($899) is a much higher-end model in the same screen size. It offers more ports, including ethernet for access to its streaming content features. The performance was better in every lab test, as well. The Samsung LN32C350 ($499) also performed better than the KDL-32BX300, though the prices are closer. Are only significant fault with the Samsung was its motion performance score, which both Sonys handily beat. Finally, we compared it against the LG 32LH40, which was not a top performer. In fact, theSony KDL-32BX300 beat it in most areas. The LG does, however, have a wider selection of ports.

Overall, the Sony KDL-32BX300 is a good value for its money, especially if you can find it below MSRP. The TV's performance wasn't amazing, but it was certainly better than what you'd find on a lesser known brands in the 32-inch category. We suggest you also give consideration to the Samsung LN32C350 before you decide.