Toshiba Regza 32HL833 review

For this review we tested the 32in model in the HL833 range, but it’s also available in a 42in screen size (KDL-42HL833). That model has identical specifications except for its dimensions and power usage. We’re confident that image quality will be practically identical across the range.

As the first of Toshiba’s 2011 TVs to go on sale, the 32HL833 is an inexpensive, unassuming budget model that doesn’t try too hard to stand out from the competition. It has a Full HD resolution and an edge-lit LED backlight, but the rest of the specification is otherwise basic, so we weren’t expecting it to blow us away.

Its appearance didn’t do a lot to change our initial opinion. The rather plain screen bezel is relatively thin for a budget TV, but the angular bottom edges look slightly out of place. The chunky plastic stand is also rather dull, but is at least rigid and sturdy. Thankfully, connectivity is slightly more impressive, with two HDMI ports, component, composite and VGA video as well as a single Scart socket. Audio outputs include a headphone socket and coaxial S/PDIF, and there’s also a Common Interface slot for adding subscription services.

One other input is the single USB port that lets you connect an external hard disk or memory stick to play multimedia files. We were impressed with the range of supported file formats, including AVCHD, MKV, Xvid and DivX HD video, although image playback was limited to JPEG files.