Bargain on the Used Market
Written: Jan 23 '09 (Updated Jan 23 '09)
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Pros: Price to performance ratio. Quality.
Cons: No digital tuner or the latest in video technology.
The Bottom Line: An inexpensive alternative for users seeking a flat panel TV/monitor on the used market with decent video performance.
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| slbenz's Full Review: Olevia 332H 32 in. TV |
Over two years ago, my family was looking for one of those flat panel LCD TVs that we could use in our family room to replace an ancient 26" CRT TV that was showing signs of age. At the time, the Olevia 332H LCD TV was the least expensive TV available for its size. As others have posted, this TV doesn't come with a built-in tuner. Either you will have to purchase one of those set top digital tuner boxes that the government is subsidizing or you can subscribe to your local cable or satellite provider. My experience using this TV monitor comes from three sources: set top digital tuner, satellite provider and DVDs. Here is my experience using this TV monitor for the last two years:
Picture Quality:
This is probably the most subjective part of my review. At the time, when I compared the picture to similar TVs in the show room, the Olevia seemed to be a half notch to one notch below the best that Sony and Samsung had to offer. But the price at the time for the Olevia was hard to ignore to have the better picture from Sony and Samsung which was almost twice the price. Using a standard set top digital box, the overall picture quality is pleasant but if compared side-by-side with newer offerings by Sony, Samsung, and Philips, this Olevia is showing its age. Black backgrounds on the Olevia are more a dark charcoal gray than black. This is true even when using my satellite provider or using my upscaling DVD player to play movies. For those of you that have movies with the THX optimizer, you will understand that it is easier to calibrate this TV monitor looking at that seventh gray/black box vs. using the THX logo and the shadow. Looking at the opening scene to Star Wars and looking at the blackness of space when the opening words scroll, again the space background is more a dark charcoal gray than black. I would attribute this more due to the technology of dynamic contrast of 1600:1 that the Olevia has vs. the current dynamic contrast of LCD TVs of today that now can exceed 20000:1 and rival plasma TVs. The technology of LCD picture quality and color has progressed quite a bit just in the last two years. As far as colors go, the Olevia produces clear, rich and vibrant colors without any bleeding that I can see. Though the colors are not as rich as the latest LCD TV, the Olevia is still satisfying and are close enough to the THX standard to pass.
Now in regards to fast motion on this Olevia. As expected, most, if not all LCD TVs, have issues with fast motion on their screens. The Olevia is no exception. With an 8ms refresh rate, which by the way is still not bad even for today, fast motion still has that pixelated blurring normally associated with LCD panel TVs. A minor annoyance but liveable on the Olevia due to the size of the screen. Also, when it comes to glare, the screen on the Olevia doesn't produce any in the bright room that this sits in. In regards to viewing angle, it is very wide and doesn't change even when you are viewing it from the side. Only at an extreme viewing angle will you notice a change in the picture quality. Their brochure says up to 178 degree viewing angle but to maintain the same picture quality, realistically it is probably at 120-130 degrees. I also want to mention that this Olevia can only produce resolutions up to 720p or 1080i. Back when this TV was produced, 1080p was not the norm.
Lastly, when the Olevia is used as a PC or presentation monitor, you probably will be blown away by the initial size of the image seen. Very clear, easily seen, are probably some of the adjectives you will describe the Olevia when used as a PC monitor. It will take your laptop screen to a whole new level of comfort for your eyes. Color and contrast are very good in this mode but except for blacks. Again, think dark charcoal gray.
Using the different sources, graininess in the picture is another parameter to look at. The Olevia does a very good job with its built-in pixel engine to produce a smooth, almost grainless image. It's images have almost a film-like quality to them and the Olevia has many adjustments to brightness of the room, color, temperature, tint and sharpness settings you can customize to suit your needs.
Again, as a reminder, this is a TV monitor that has no built-in digital tuner and only plays up to 720p or 1080i.
Sound:
It is adequate but if you are a movie buff, you will probably want to have a home theater system doing the work. This Olevia had treble, bass, speaker on/off, and balance functions. No surround sound modes available but it does have a headphone jack for private listening. At least speech when listening to the news or even watching movies is clear and is easily heard and can be played quite loud, if needed.
Actual Wattage Used:
In this day and age of going green, I thought this information would be of great use for all. Using a Kill-A-Watt meter that you can purchase at your local hardware store, I was curious how much energy the Olevia actually consumed. First, the Olevia is Energy-Star compliant and current TVs are Energy-Star 3 compliant. What does this mean? When the Olevia is plugged in and turned off, the Olevia consume approximately 1 watt of power, so it is actually never off unless you unplug it. When it is on, it is interesting how the different room settings change the energy use. In dark room setting, the Olevia consumes 80 watts of power while at the bright room setting, the Olevia consumes 110 watts of power. So changing the brightness room setting affects the amount of power used. To compare, I checked a relative's Samsung 42" plasma TV and my Mitsubishi 52" rear projection DLP TV from the same era as the Olevia and this is what I found. The Samsung consumed 375 watts of power when on and 3 watts when off while the Mitsubishi consumed 90 watts of power on and 26 watts when off. So it seems that LCD panels are mid-range when it comes to power consumption and efficiency. Then I checked my new Philips 42" LCD TV that is Energy-Star 3 compliant and when it is in power saver mode, it consumed 60 watts while in Standard mode it consumed 130 watts with peaks of 165 watts, when turned off, it didn't even register one watt used.
Quality:
To this day, I do not have any problems with the Olevia. No dead pixels, sound, remote or picture issues to report at this time.
Areas for Improvement:
Of course it would be nice if the Olevia had a higher contrast ratio and faster refresh time but these things can't be changed and must be accepted. What I was surprised to find out later was that the remote is not backlighted and even the button do not glow in the dark nor is it a learning remote. It is dedicated to the Olevia only. Plan on using a universal remote if you need backlighting. Another area that would have been nice to see is to have multiple inputs of everything, from the HDMI, component, composite, etc. available. This Olevia only has one of each so if you are like me and have multiple souces that use HDMI cables, you will need one of those HDMI switch boxes to accommodate your component sources. Another area to improve would be the thickness of this Olevia. It is close to 5" thick. Even my new Philips 42" LCD flat panel is thinner at 3.5". Technology has progressed just in the last two years. A couple of minor annoyances to keep in mind. When the Olevia is turned off, there is a single blue LED light that turns on. Counterintuative if you ask me. I wonder which engineer thought that when a TV is off, there should be a light on letting you know it is off. When I first saw this light, I initially thought the TV was on. Most other manufacturers have an LED on when the TV is on and off when the TV is off. It is only logical. Lastly, when the Olevia is in either Medium or Dark Room mode, there is a faint but noticeable hum emitted from the back of the LCD panel and not from the speakers.
Highlighted Features:
Big Picture technology to maximize the image size without distortion.
PixelWorks technology to give the image a film-like quality.
Single HDMI connection for maximum image quality.
Detachable power cord and stand (non-swivel type).
Fairly lightweight and easy to move around.
Energy-Star compliant.
Firmware upgrades via computer port.
Menu screens are easy to access and operate.
Manufacturers Specifications Taken From Their Website:
Screen Size 32" Aspect Ratio 16:9
HDTV
Native Resolution 1366 x 768
Response Time 8 ms
Video Processor PixelWorks DNX Technology
Viewing Angle 178°/178°
VIDEO 1080p No
2:2/3:2 Pull Down Yes
Color Temperature Adjust Yes
Digital 3D Comb Filter Yes
Progressive Scan Yes
Supported Resolutions 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
AUDIO
Audio Output N/A
Earphone Output 1 Stereo Mini Jack
Speakers 2 x 10W
I/O PORT
Component Input 2 + R/L
RCA Audio Composite Input 1 + R/L RCA Audio S-Video Input Digital Input
1 HDMI w/HDCP VGA Input 1 15-Pin D-sub + R/L RCA Audio Optical Audio Output No
Service Port Mini Din
TV System Support up to 1080i
FUNCTION
Channel Return Yes
Clock/Alarm Yes
Closed Caption Yes Favorite Channel Yes Language English, French, and Spanish
MTS No
PIP/Split Screen No
Sleep Timer Yes
V-Chip Parental Control Yes
WARRANTY
Warranty Type One year exchange, one year parts and labor warranty
OTHER
Dimensions 31.9" x 24.6" x 9.4"
Gross Weight 38.8 lbs Net Weight 33.1 lbs
PC Resolution Support Up to 1360 x 768 at 60 Hz
Power Consumption 180W
Regulatory Approval FCC-B, UL, cUL, ICES-003, CSA, Energy Star Shipping Dimensions 35.4" x 27.5" x 11"
Universal Remote No
Conclusions:
Overall, my family and I have been pleased with the performance of the Olevia. Though it has its minor flaws and doesn't have the latest technology, I would recommend this product to those where money is tight and they are not a videophile looking for the absolute best picture available with the latest technology but still want a flat panel. This Olevia would make a great second TV/monitor and if you can find one available on the used market (probably a couple hundred dollars), it would make you a fiscally responsible consumer since the Olevia is no longer available new.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 450
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Epinions.com ID:
slbenz
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Location: Fremont, CA, USA
Reviews written: 102
Trusted by: 43 members
About Me:
Business consultant and volunteer mountain bike patrol officer.
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