The Vizio VW32L is a 32-inch LCD television, an entry-level model without much style or grace. The display is limited to 720p, but with a very reasonable price tag of approximately $389, it's easier to swallow the concessions.

Any television in this price range should be expected to offer minimum of niceties. The Vizio VW32L has just enough ports to meet your needs, but we could have stood a few more. For instance, there are only has 2 HDMI ports. If you have HD cable, a Blu-Ray player, and a gaming system, you're already one port short, and will have to choose another connectivity option, like component-in. Another issue with the ports is their sheer inaccessibility, located awkwardly under a shelf in the back of the TV. Don't plan on swapping out cables with any frequency. And at this price range, you certainly shouldn't expect the fancy features that you see on more expensive TVs: no USB ports, no media card slots, and certainly no internet capabilities.

Interfacing with the Vizio VW32L is a painless process, though not a pretty one. The menus are just plain ugly, but the information could not be laid out in a more simple manner. Everything is there in plain sight, with virtually no submenus or hidden information. Likewise, the remote control is bluntly simple. On many HDTVs, the remote controls will have two to three times the number of buttons that you get with the VW32L. It's ugly, but it couldn't be simpler.

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

The Vizio VW32L is has extremely lackluster black level performance, but the overall picture quality is buoyed by decent colors. Even for a TV in this price range, the Vizio could not produce a sufficiently dark black. Conversely, it also produced one of the dimmest white levels in its class. As a result, the contrast ratio is simply terrible – approximately 818:1 by our calculations.

The color performance, however, was rather good. We liked the color temperature consistency, and the RGB curves were relatively smooth. Don't expect much detail in the shadows, but mid-tones and highlights should appear without much color banding. The motion performance is satisfactory. We've seen better, but we've seen worse, even on more expensive TVs.

The viewing angle is average, for an LCD television, measuring about 25 degrees from center in either direction (about 49 degrees in total). If you're buying a TV for a very wide room, you may want to consider a plasma TV instead, which typically has a much wider viewing angle.

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

We focused on three TVs for comparisons. The Samsung LN32B460 is nearly twice the price, but it performs much better. The Insignia NA-LDVD32Q-10A is about $100 more, but comes equipped with a built-in DVD player. This is something you either need or you don't. The picture performance is about the same as the Vizio. The Memorex MLT3221 is a very poor television, and we liked the Vizio better.

Overall, the Vizio VW32L is a cheap TV. Know that before you buy it, and you probably won't be disappointed.