Your choice of TVs may come down to how many external sources you need to attach.

Number of HDMI inputs: Many 32-inch TVs have just two HDMI inputs, but some offer three.

But manufacturers seldom use their best system processors and Wi-Fi tech in these small, cheap TVs, so the smart-TV experience is usually slower and less robust than what you’ll get from a good external streaming media player. If you have a strong preference for (or against) a certain smart-TV platform, that may factor heavily into your choice of 32-inch TVs.

Companies like Samsung, LG, and Vizio utilize their own proprietary smart-TV platforms, while brands like TCL, Hisense, and Toshiba rely on Roku TV, Android TV, or Fire TV. Smart-TV platform: As with TVs of all screen sizes, it has become impossible to find a new 32-inch TV that lacks a built-in streaming platform.However, for close-up viewing-such as for desktop, gaming, or kitchen use-the step up to 1080p provides a meaningful improvement, especially in text clarity. In our tests, the loss of detail between 720p and 1080p was evident at this screen size, but not significant. (As we write this, there is only one 32-inch TV we know of with a 4K resolution, from Samsung, and it costs more than twice as much as the TVs we tested.) If you’re sitting more than five feet away from your TV, we don’t think the lower 720p resolution is a major hindrance.

Resolution: The majority of 32-inch TVs have a 720p (1366×768) HD resolution, but we’re seeing more models that offer a 1080p (1920×1080) resolution for a slightly higher price.

Wirecutter tv reviews