For years, I put up with an outdated, small television in my secondary viewing space, often struggling to make out details and feeling that my favorite shows and movies weren’t getting the appreciation they deserved. The blurry picture and limited smart features made relaxing viewing a chore, leading to eye strain and a general dissatisfaction. Solving this problem wasn’t just about comfort; it was about truly enjoying the vast world of digital content available. An upgrade to something like the TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV – 32S327 would have certainly been a godsend at the time.
- Easy Voice Control: Works with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to help you find movie titles, launch or change channels, even switch inputs, using just your voice. Also available through the Roku...
- Smart Functionality offers access to over 5,000 streaming channels featuring more than 500,000 movies and TV episodes via Roku TV
- 1080p Full HD Resolution excellent detail, color, and contrast. Wireless Connection: 802.11 2x2 Dual Band
Key Considerations Before Purchasing a Smart TV
When you’re in the market for a new television, especially a smart TV, you’re likely looking to escape the limitations of traditional cable and gain access to a world of streaming content, all with improved picture quality. This category of products is perfect for anyone wanting a consolidated entertainment hub without the need for additional streaming sticks or boxes. The ideal customer for a 32-inch smart TV like the TCL 32S327 is typically someone seeking a secondary television for a bedroom, kitchen, or office, where space is a premium and the primary focus is ease of use and streaming capabilities. It’s also an excellent choice for budget-conscious individuals who prioritize a solid 1080p picture over cutting-edge 4K resolution in a smaller form factor.
However, this particular type of TV might not be for everyone. If you’re an audiophile looking for cinema-quality sound straight out of the box, or a dedicated gamer needing ultra-high refresh rates and advanced gaming features, you’ll likely need to spend more on a larger, more premium model. Similarly, if you’re outfitting a large living room as your main entertainment hub and crave the immersive experience of a big-screen 4K HDR display, this 32-inch model will feel inadequate. Before buying, consider the desired screen size, resolution (720p vs. 1080p vs. 4K), the smart TV platform (Roku, Fire TV, Google TV), connectivity options (number of HDMI ports, USB), and critically, your budget. Don’t forget to think about sound quality – while many smaller TVs have decent built-in speakers, a soundbar often elevates the experience significantly.
- The 32" screen size is suitable for a small-sized bedroom
- HIGH-DEFINITION: Our 32-inch flat screen TV offers 720p HD resolution with progressive scan, which reduces flicker and enhances fast-motion action for a seamless viewing experience.
Introducing the TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV – 32S327
The TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV – 32S327, 2019 Model, positions itself as a straightforward, affordable solution for accessible smart entertainment. It’s a 32-inch LED TV boasting a full 1080p resolution and integrated Roku TV operating system, promising excellent detail, color, and contrast for its size. When you purchase this unit, you’ll find the TCL 32S327 itself, along with a remote control, power cord, and batteries, everything you need for a quick setup. In a market often saturated with 720p 32-inch TVs, the 1080p resolution of this model stands out, offering a noticeably sharper picture than many competitors in its price bracket. While it doesn’t aim to compete with high-end 4K TVs or larger displays, it certainly offers a superior experience to older 720p sets or even entry-level Fire TVs in the same compact size. This specific TCL Roku Smart TV is ideal for those who value simplicity, a clear picture for a smaller room, and integrated streaming without breaking the bank. It’s not for those demanding cutting-edge features or premium audiovisual performance.
Here’s a quick rundown of its strong points and drawbacks:
Pros:
* Excellent 1080p Full HD resolution for a 32-inch screen, providing crisp visuals.
* Seamless and intuitive Roku TV operating system with vast streaming channel access.
* Surprisingly good sound quality for built-in speakers, offering decent loudness and some bass.
* Easy setup and user-friendly interface, even for tech novices.
* Great value for money, especially compared to other 1080p TVs of this size.
Cons:
* Backlight could be brighter, making it challenging to view in very sunny rooms.
* Remote control has fixed, unchangeable shortcut buttons that are easily pressed by accident.
* Wobbly legs even when fully screwed in, requiring careful placement or wall mounting.
* Some users have reported screen issues (thin dark lines) after several years of use.
* The power indicator light can be excessively bright, especially in a dark bedroom.
Deep Dive into the Features and Advantages
Crystal-Clear Full HD 1080p Resolution
One of the most compelling reasons I opted for the TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV – 32S327 was its Full HD 1080p resolution. In the 32-inch category, many manufacturers still offer 720p as the standard, so getting 1080p at such an affordable price point felt like a significant upgrade. And it absolutely is. The picture quality on this screen is remarkably crisp and clear. From a typical viewing distance of six feet or so, the 1080p resolution on a 32-inch screen truly shines; the pixels are practically indistinguishable, making the image appear incredibly sharp, almost akin to a 4K experience on a larger display.
This superior resolution means that movies, TV shows, and even casual browsing are rendered with excellent detail, vibrant color, and impressive contrast. The distinction between dark blacks and bright whites is well-managed, contributing to a rich, immersive picture. For anyone moving up from an older 720p set, the difference is night and day. It solves the problem of fuzzy, indistinct images, allowing you to appreciate the nuances in your content and reducing eye strain, which was a major issue for me previously. While some might wish for a brighter backlight, especially in sun-drenched rooms, the overall detail and clarity provided by the 1080p panel are outstanding for the price and screen size.
Seamless Integrated Roku TV Operating System
The heart of the TCL 32S327 is its integrated Roku TV operating system, and it’s a feature that truly elevates the user experience. If you’ve ever used a Roku streaming device, you’ll be right at home. The interface is incredibly intuitive, clean, and responsive, providing immediate access to over 5,000 streaming channels, featuring more than 500,000 movies and TV episodes. Setting up the TV was a breeze; once connected to Wi-Fi, the system guides you through a simple process to activate your Roku account, and even automatically restored all my previous channels from an older Roku device, saving a ton of time.
This smart functionality means there’s no need for additional external streaming sticks, simplifying your setup and reducing remote clutter. The “stock” Roku experience that TCL offers is fantastic, meaning you get all the benefits of the platform without any heavy-handed customizations or bloatware. You can even uninstall pre-installed channels you don’t use. For someone looking to cut the cord or simply enjoy a vast library of online content, the Roku OS is a significant benefit, effectively solving the problem of limited entertainment options.
Direct-Lit LED Display and Smooth Motion
The display technology employed in this TCL Roku Smart TV is Direct-lit LED. This design choice contributes to a more uniform picture quality across the entire screen, as opposed to edge-lit displays which can sometimes suffer from uneven brightness. The result is consistently great picture quality with solid color reproduction. Furthermore, the 60Hz refresh rate (with a Clear Motion Index of 120) ensures that fast-moving action scenes, whether in sports or movies, are rendered with virtually no motion blur.
While it won’t compete with the ultra-high refresh rates of dedicated gaming monitors or premium TVs, for everyday viewing, casual gaming, and streaming, the performance is perfectly adequate and smooth. The direct-lit backlight, combined with an excellent contrast ratio, helps create a picture that feels rich and vibrant, enhancing the overall viewing pleasure and allowing you to fully appreciate the visual aspects of your chosen content.
Robust Connectivity Options
A modern smart TV needs versatile connectivity, and the TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV – 32S327 delivers. It comes equipped with three HDMI inputs, which is generous for a TV of this size and price point. This allows you to connect multiple external devices simultaneously, such as a gaming console, a soundbar, a Blu-ray player, or even a laptop, without constantly swapping cables. Additionally, there’s one USB input (some descriptions mention both 2.0 and 3.0, but generally one is available for media playback), an RF input for an antenna, a composite input for older devices, a convenient headphone jack for private listening, and an optical audio out for connecting to external sound systems.
Wireless connectivity is handled by 802.11 2×2 Dual Band Wi-Fi, providing a stable and fast connection for streaming 1080p video without stuttering or buffering. While there’s no wired Ethernet port, which some power users might miss for extreme stability, the dual-band Wi-Fi performs admirably for the TV’s capabilities. These comprehensive inputs ensure that the TV can serve as a central hub for all your entertainment needs, preventing the frustration of lacking necessary ports for your devices.
Easy Voice Control and a Powerful Mobile App
Beyond the physical remote, the TCL 32S327 offers convenient control through voice commands. It works seamlessly with popular smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to find movie titles, launch or change channels, or even switch inputs using just your voice. This hands-free control is a fantastic convenience, especially when you can’t find the remote or are busy doing something else.
Furthermore, the Roku mobile app is a game-changer. It transforms your smartphone or tablet into a full-function Roku remote, complete with voice control. The app also lets you browse and add new channels, and, my personal favorite feature, listen to TV audio through headphones connected to your mobile device. This “private listening” feature is invaluable for late-night viewing sessions without disturbing others in the house. These smart control options significantly enhance the user experience, providing flexibility and convenience.
User-Friendly Design & Remote (with a notable drawback)
The design philosophy of the TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV – 32S327 emphasizes simplicity. The physical Roku TV remote, for instance, is refreshingly simple with only 20 buttons – about half the number of a traditional TV remote. This minimalist design makes navigation incredibly straightforward, reducing clutter and confusion. The on-screen menus are equally easy to understand, guiding even a novice through setup and daily use.
However, the remote isn’t without its quirks, which for me, are genuine disadvantages. The volume control is awkwardly placed on the side of the remote, making it incredibly easy to hit by accident, especially if you’re right-handed. Even more frustrating are the four dedicated shortcut buttons (typically for Netflix, Hulu, Roku Channel, and ESPN). These buttons are always active and cannot be reprogrammed or disabled. Accidentally pressing one of these will immediately take you away from your current viewing, which can be quite disruptive, especially if you don’t even have accounts for those services. Many users, myself included, find this design choice very annoying, with some even resorting to physically modifying their remotes to prevent accidental presses. Additionally, the bright power indicator light on the TV itself can be quite distracting in a dark room, akin to having a small nightlight.
Adequate Audio Quality for Its Class
Let’s be realistic: built-in TV speakers are rarely a selling point. However, the audio quality from the TCL 32S327 is surprisingly good for its class. The speakers get quite loud and actually manage to produce a noticeable amount of bass, providing a fuller sound than many other small TVs I’ve encountered. With Dolby Digital Plus support, the audio processing is decent for casual viewing.
That being said, if you’re an audiophile or desire an immersive cinematic experience, you’ll still want to invest in a dedicated soundbar or external speaker system. For a bedroom or kitchen TV, however, the built-in sound is more than adequate, solving the problem of tinny or weak audio that plagues many compact TVs. It truly provides a satisfactory listening experience for everyday content without needing an immediate upgrade.
Exceptional Overall Value
Considering its features, performance, and price point, the TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV – 32S327 represents exceptional value. It offers a premium feature (1080p resolution) in a segment where it’s often overlooked, combined with the industry-leading Roku smart platform, all wrapped in an accessible package. It’s hard to find a better combination of picture quality and smart functionality for the money in this size category.
Voices from Other Users: Real-World Experiences
After scouring the internet and chatting with other owners, it’s clear that the positive sentiment around the TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV – 32S327 is widespread. Many users rave about the crystal-clear 1080p picture quality, especially for a 32-inch screen, noting how sharp and vibrant images appear. The integrated Roku system consistently receives praise for its ease of use, extensive channel selection, and seamless setup experience. Owners often highlight the surprisingly robust sound for a TV of this size, with some even getting good bass response. While the remote’s fixed shortcut buttons and side-mounted volume are common complaints, most agree these are minor annoyances given the overall value. There are occasional reports of screen longevity issues after a few years, but for a budget-friendly smart TV, the overwhelming consensus points to it being a fantastic purchase that punches above its weight.
Final Verdict: Is This Smart TV Right For You?
If you’re still putting up with an old, dim, or “dumb” television, you’re missing out on the vast, vibrant world of streaming content and crisp picture quality. The complications of not upgrading mean you’re stuck with subpar visuals, limited entertainment options, and a cumbersome user experience. The TCL 32-inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV – 32S327 is an outstanding solution for this predicament. Its exceptional 1080p Full HD resolution for a 32-inch screen provides stunning clarity that truly enhances your viewing. With the integrated, user-friendly Roku OS, you gain instant access to a universe of streaming channels and content, all managed through an intuitive interface. Moreover, it offers incredible value and a strong feature set for anyone needing a reliable secondary television. If you’re ready to transform your viewing experience without breaking the bank, this TCL Roku Smart TV is an excellent choice. To learn more and check it out, click here!
Last update on 2025-09-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API