The Hisense 32H3B1 32inch TV is a simple, LED-backlit 720p set that doesn’t promise anything other than being a simple 32inch TV. It doesn’t have Smart TV features, it doesn’t have 3D, it doesn’t have Web apps, and it doesn’t have any features that will make it usable without plugging in a cable, antenna, or Blu-ray player.
Still, it suffices for anyone in the market for a smaller screen that can perfectly fit in a guest bedroom, office, or kitchen, and doesn’t have many dollars on their hands to spend on a 32in TV set. Even so, you won’t get good picture quality as with our Editor’s Choice budget set, the 32in TCL 32S3800, that comes with Roku Smart TV features for roughly the same cost.
Design
The Hisense 32H3’s overall design is nice looking, thanks to a half-inch flat frame, a glossy black plastic bezel on the sides and top, and a wider, silver-colored bezel on the bottom edge. On the bottom bezel rests the Hisense logo in the center, while a small bump on the lower left hosts the remote sensor. The set rests on two silver-colored, shallow, U-shaped legs that give the screen the stability it needs. In fact, it bears the same design as its bigger sibling, the Hisense 50U6HF, safe for a larger screen, Smart TV features, and 4K support.
A navigation pad that doubles as Channel Up/Down and Volume Up/Down controls, along with Power and Source buttons, sit on the lower left corner of the back of the TV. On the set, you have a total of 3 HDMI ports, 1 USB port, 1RF, 1 component, 1 Composite, and 1 Optical connector. For a basic television, that’s the much we’d expect, but they’re slightly awkwardly placed if you want to mount the set on a wall.
The 7-inch remote is small, flat, and simple. The buttons aren’t backlit and are clustered together fairly closely, so entering numbers blindly takes some practice. On the other hand, the direction pad is large and distinct enough to find easily with your thumb. In fact, the remote on this set is the Hisense TV Remote EN-KA92, meaning you can buy a replacement separately in case you lose the one that comes bundled in the package.
Hisense 32H3B1 32inch TV Review: Performance
Let’s face it, the Hisense 32H3B1 is a basic, entry-level TV set; and, it remains that. No dimming output that is out of the ordinary. No fancy 3D. No fancy Smart Features either. This is only a 720p screen, so you really don’t expect full 1080p HD resolution, but for its small size that’s not a major flaw. The only issue you might have with the picture output on the 32H3 is washed-out shadows and sometimes muddled greens, otherwise, everything is appreciable on this set.
I watched The Amazing Spider-Man, and the output was quite OK; with an overall sharp, bright picture combined with well-balanced colors. The black levels are slightly behind the TCL 32S3800’s which revealed decent shadow detail, although in the darkest parts the alley scenes were blotted out.
Input Lag
Input lag (time between display receiving signal and updating screen) isn’t bad at 52.7 milliseconds, which is quite good for a television set; though the TCL 32S3800 has its input lag at 29.3 milliseconds. Changing the mode, for instance into Game mode, will give you a reduced input lag but it eats on the general picture quality. Not a worthy trade-off.
Power Consumption
Viewed under normal conditions, the Hisense 32H3B1 32inch TV will consume anything close to 29-30 watts of power. Adjusted for viewing in Low Power mode, it shaves the consumption down to a mere 24 watts, but the screen gets slightly dimmed in the process. This is quite good for an HDTV, but factoring in its size and low-resolution panel, it isn’t surprising. The 40-inch TCL 40FS3800 with a 1080p panel consumes 63 watts under normal conditions, but in Eco Save mode the consumption is scaled to 51 watts.
Hisense 32H3B1 32inch TV Review | Verdict
The Hisense 32H3B1 is a capable, budget 32inch TV that comes with the same rough edges you get with many other budget TVs: a lack of features and not-so-good picture quality. The colors, despite looking undersaturated, are relatively accurate and acceptable, especially, compared with some other budget models we’ve seen in the market. The design gives it a premium look, and can be easily confused to a more expensive set; in your guest room it won’t unnecessarily scream ‘cheap’.
However, you can get an overall better picture and Roku TV Smart Features for around the same cost with the 32-inch TCL 32S3800. And the 32-inch VIZIO E32-C1 remains our best bet for the budget television category. It maintains the same Roku TV features, but gets smarter in way of a 1080p resolution, and offers better contrast and surprisingly good color accuracy.
