Many people don’t want a large TV and instead are searching for a smaller option that’s ideal for a kitchen, dorm room, or bedroom. If you’re one of them or just looking for an affordable TV, we recommend the Roku Select Series HD.
While none of the 32-inch TVs we tested matched the performance of premium or budget 4K TVs, the Roku Select Series HD stands out due to its improved visuals, user-friendly interface, and suitability for video games.
Our recommendation
This TV offers better picture quality than other 32-inch TVs and is a preferable choice for gaming.
The 32-inch Roku Select Series HD (32R2A5R) is a well-rounded option. It features good picture quality, the familiar and easy-to-use Roku smart-TV platform, and sufficient features for most settings. In our comparison tests, this TV outperformed others in terms of offering the best black levels (which is great for movie enthusiasts) and the lowest input lag (ideal for gamers).
While we generally prefer the Google TV platform for media streaming, the 32R2A5R’s built-in Roku platform has a clean, simple interface and supports all major streaming services. The included Roku remote is also straightforward in design, yet still includes all necessary buttons and a microphone for voice search.
The screen is limited to 720p resolution, which is suitable for most content at this size. While the 32R2A5R supports HDR video playback, it lacks the brightness to fully support that format—our runner-up does a little better in that regard.
The Roku Select Series is also available in a smaller, 24-inch size and a larger, 40-inch size which offers a 1080p resolution.
Runner-up
This TV’s higher, 1080p resolution makes it a better choice for close-up viewing, and it comes in Fire TV, Google TV, and Roku variants. However, its picture quality is inferior to our top pick.
If you specifically seek higher resolution, either because you plan to sit closer than usual or want to play data-centric video games, the TCL S3 is the best 1080p option we tested in this size. Our review unit, the 32S350G, came with our favorite smart-TV platform, Google TV, but it’s also available with the Fire TV or Roku operating system.
In our testing, the 32S350G was slightly brighter than our top pick, and it handled HDR video brightness better for a correct visual display. However, its overall picture quality had lower image contrast and color accuracy, resulting in less richness for movies and TV shows compared to the Roku Select Series HD. This TCL TV also has fewer HDMI inputs and higher input lag.
The S3 is also available in larger sizes, specifically 40 or 43 inches depending on the chosen smart platform.
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