Mirai DTL-832E600 review

This HD TV from Mirai is the cheapest 32in model we've ever reviewed.

Fortunately, its simple design and matt black finish don't reflect the low price. The remote is well designed, with clearly labelled controls and big buttons. The only disappointment is that the base doesn't swivel to give you easy access to the inputs, all of which are positioned on the rear.

You can connect a PC using the VGA input or a DVI-to-HDMI converter. Both support a near-native resolution of 1,360x768, which results in tiny black bars at either side of the screen. The Windows desktop was bright and had good contrast, and our more demanding image tests didn't show up any serious issues. A minor problem was a lack of detail in dark areas, and straight edges of objects lacked sharpness.

There's only a single HDMI input, so you'll have to use the component input for a second HD source. Both support resolutions up to 1080p, which is downscaled by the TV to match its native resolution. This should produce a slightly more detailed picture than upscaled 720p video, and a more stable one than de-interlaced 1080i. Testing the Mirai with a Blu-ray movie showed crisper motion with 1080p than 1080i, though we couldn't discern any increase in sharpness over 720p. Text appeared jagged at 1080p, making 720p our preferred setting. There's no support for displaying Blu-ray movies at their native 24fps.

There are two RGB-capable SCART sockets for connecting standard-definition sources. No composite or S-video inputs are provided, but both can be fed through the SCART inputs using inexpensive adaptors.

The digital and analogue tuners have separate RF inputs; this shouldn't be inconvenient as you'll opt to use one or the other, not both. The digital tuner has only a now-and-next programme guide and picture quality is disappointing - we saw some MPEG2 compression artefacts.

The 10W stereo speakers are the most disappointing aspect of this TV. They sound rather flat and are poor at reproducing bass; lower frequencies distort when you turn up the volume. Fortunately, there are phono and optical S/PDIF outputs, so you can connect the TV to a hi-fi or surround-sound amplifier.

The DTL-832E600 used an acceptable 150W when watching digital broadcasts, but a less impressive 3W when on standby. Sadly, there's no way to turn it off completely without unplugging it. On the plus side, it comes with a lengthy three-year warranty.

The DTL-832E600 is competitively priced and has no major flaws, especially if you're pairing it with a Freeview hard disk recorder or Sky+ box, instead of using the built-in tuner. We'd prefer a second HDMI input, though. Because of this it receives top marks but just misses out on an award.