Ultimate Windows 8 starter guide: Must-know tips, apps and utilities

The year is drawing to a close, so there's a very good chance that you now find yourself staring straight down the gaping maw of Windows 8.

Maybe someone gave you a new Windows tablet or PC as a gift. Or maybe you decided to use your holiday down time to upgrade an old PC. The details don't really matter. You're now using Windows 8 for the very first time, and you're searching for answers on how to make the OS an integral, productive part of your high-tech life.

Sound familiar? Then walk with me as we take a tour of recent PCWorld Windows 8 coverage. I trust we have answers to all your Windows 8 questions.

Right when the new OS launched, we published a number of essential how-to guides for first-time Windows 8 users. You can start your orientation process with this handy guide to maximizing your first 30 minutes with the new OS. But perhaps even more useful is our compendium of 20 must-know Windows 8 tips and tricks, which starts off with a thorough look at keyboard shortcuts—you should know them all if you don't have a touch screen.

But if you do have a touch screen device, then head straight to our guide to Windows 8 gesture commands. In this article (and in its accompany video) we describe how to navigate the initially confusing touch commands that leave many first-time users wondering what the heck just hit them.

You really can't get the most from the new Windows 8 modern interface unless you have a 10-point multitouch display.

And if you don't have a touch screen monitor for the new OS, you should definitely read our guide to picking the right upgrade display for full Windows 8 compatibility.

Once you've become somewhat acclimated to the new Windows 8 landscape, it's time to fine-tune the OS experience to your personal preferences. At the top of the list is driver management. It's very possible that your new Windows 8 device boots up fine, but unless all your device drivers are up-to-date, you won't get the most high-performance experience possible (and driver issues may stop some peripherals from working altogether).

See our exhaustive guide on the whys, hows and wheres of Windows 8 drivers to nip all these issues in the bud.

Utilities like Win8 Start Button will help restore a bit of normalcy in the new OS.

Some Windows 8 problems have nothing to do with drivers. Instead, the OS itself is just innately challenging. To alleviate some of the built-in pain points, you absolutely must read our guide to the 8 worst Windows 8 irritations and how to fix them. Microsoft's decision to omit the traditional Start Button is among a host of bizarre development decisions, but luckily three different third-party utilities—Win8 Start Button, StartMenuPlus8 and Start8—can return the erstwhile Windows mainstay to your desktop.

But, hey, Microsoft didn't kill all the good things from previous versions of Windows. It just relegated many of them to hidden, second-class status. For a bunch of great tools hiding beneath the surface of Windows 8, check out this collection of 6 awesome Windows 8 utilities that no one knows about.

In the weeks since the new OS launched, we've published a number of deep-dive tutorials that explore the system's more innovative, richer features. For example, BitLocker To Go is built directly into Windows 8, and helps you quickly encrypt external storage devices like USB flash drives and portable hard drives. If you're concerned about your data security, you should also read our how-to on activating Windows Defender, a basic anti-malware tool that's not immediately exposed in many default installations of the OS.

Another great built-in Windows 8 feature is Storage Spaces, a tool that lets you combine all your sundry storage hardware into a single, virtual data pool—which you can then allocate more efficiently, for data redundancy and general file management. Besides explaining Storage Spaces, we also posted a great article on using Client Hyper-V, a tool that lets you virtualize older versions of Windows from within Windows 8.

Portable drives can be tapped for use in both Storage Spaces and BitLocker To Go.

Finally, it's possible that you just installed Windows 8 on a machine from yesteryear, and your gear isn't up to the task of running the new system in all its glory. If you find yourself in this sorry lot, read our tutorial on optimizing Windows 8 for older hardware. It explains which features to turn off, or otherwise disable.

Windows 8 comes with a bunch of pre-installed "modern UI" apps, so you might as well familiarize yourself with the most high-profile entries. We have detailed primers on Music, Photos, Mail, Calendar, SkyDrive and People. None of these apps is perfect, though the SkyDrive cloud service is an integral part of the new Microsoft ecosystem, so you really should check out its implementation in Windows 8.

Precisely because Microsoft's built-in apps are so lacking, you'll want to hit up the Windows Store for Windows 8 apps to populate your new Start Screen. On the day Windows 8 launched, we published our top 10 list of the Windows 8 apps to download first, but just this week we updated the concept with a new article geared specifically to Windows 8 tablets.

New Windows 8 hardware owners should also read our suggestions of the best streaming media apps for cord cutters, the best Windows 8 casual games (our author tested a vast selection, and then chose the 15 most worthy), and best productivity apps.

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By: Dilusha On 7:19 PM

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Buying Guide: 6 best Smart TV platforms in the world today

Whether you're after BBC iPlayer, streaming movies, some on-demand 3D action or something else, smart TV in the UK is quickly maturing.

A range of apps are available on connected TV services offered by all the big manufacturers, bringing social networking to your living room screen alongside television series streaming, music, gaming and more.

But which is the best smart TV platform?

Here we separate the connected kings of television from those playing catch-up, and present them in descending order of greatness, to try to help you when choosing a new TV.

LG gets the nod largely because of its oh-so-simple design that puts seemingly disparate sources of video onto one home screen.

Our favourite part of LG's smarty-pants user interface hasn't got anything to do with apps, but rather with networking. SmartShare software displays any video, photo or MP3 file stored on a networked PC, Mac or NAS drive, USB flash drive or HDD, on the home screen - and as a thumbnail image.

It's beautifully simple, and file support is huge, though for those wanting an even more comprehensive treatment, LG also offers the Plex app.

Beloved of rampant downloaders and networkers it might be, but SmartShare is made complete by a thoroughly decent selection of apps - and that includes a useful 3D World.

The Premium page hosts BBC iPlayer, Lovefilm, Netflix, Acetrax and YouTube, with lesser-known apps comprising Absolute Radio, Red Bull TV, ITN, Autocar, YouTube, Blinkbox, CineTrailer, Cartoon Network, HiT, Picasa, iConcerts, AccuWeather and Box Office 365.

The SmartWorld app store, however, contains little of note aside from Skype, which requires adding LG's AN-VC400 smart TV camera/mic. It's not got the most extensive choice of apps, but LG's Smart TV platform succeeds on ease of use - and spectacularly so.

Sheer volume of apps wins the day here, though Samsung's Smart Hub has a polished look to it, too. It's strong on movie streaming services, counting new service KnowHow and niche film finder Curzon On Demand alongside PictureBox, Lovefilm and Netflix.

For once, BBC iPlayer isn't the sole source of catch-up TV, with the slick ITV Player app onboard, too. Common apps such as YouTube, Viewster, Dailymotion, Absolute Radio, TuneIn radio, Vimeo, HuffPostLive and FluxPlayer join in, but it's Smart Hub's exclusive apps that appeal most.

It's constantly evolving, but as it stands, Smart Hub's unique apps include Spotify, ITV Player, Curzon, Digital Theatre (live recordings of stage plays), Yabazam 3D, S[edition] (contemporary art) and myriad fitness apps and simple games.

Why doesn't Smart Hub grab top spot? It can't be customised enough, that's why, leaving all viewers forced to use an interface built with Samsung's own apps - Family Story, Fitness and Kids - at the centre. Some of those apps might be great for families, but must we all suffer them?

Meanwhile, some flagship TVs - such as the Samsung UE55ES8000 - go further, delivering voice control, gesture control, and even chucking in a second remote control with a touch-sensitive pad on it.

Sony has two types of smart TV - its own Bravia TVs with SEN and its add-on NSZ-GS7 Google TV box. The latter could well be included on a Bravia TV soon, but for now we'll concentrate on SEN.

SEN works unlike all other smart TV platforms, principally by combining it with Sony's own Music On Demand, Video On Demand and PlayMemories cloud storage services.

Still, the common apps - and more - are all present. The BBC trio of iPlayer, News and Sport are available, as is Demand 5 - a catch-up app from Five that's here exclusively.

These sit alongside YouTube, Lovefilm, Netflix, Sky News, Sony Entertainment Television Network (old TV episodes), Eurosport, Sony 3D, Skype, Facebook and Twitter (though the latter social media sites are separate).

In terms of presentation, SEN is now much improved on 2011, with a live TV thumbnail and an altogether clearer, more confident design that's easy to navigate.

In terms of sheer at-a-glance simplicity, Panasonic's Viera Connect is hard to beat; press a shortcut on the remote to wake the smart stuff, and another to fire up BBC iPlayer. Now that's what we like, though there's arguably not enough going on elsewhere for true greatness to be achieved.

A highlight is Rovi TV, a web-powered EPG that's a huge advance on the dreadful EPG native to all Panasonic TVs.

But of wider appeal will be Skype, Netflix, Acetrax, YouTube, Picasa, Daily Motion, Vimeo, Viera 3D World, FetchTV, BBC News, BBC Sport, euronews, CNBC Real-Time, MLB.tv, the subs-based Eurosport Player, TuneIn Radio, SHOUTcast radio, Aupeo & iConcerts.

Squillions of games and more are available on the extensive Marketplace, which sells games downloads as well as 3D glasses and other TV accessories.

Arranged in a 3 x 3 grid with a large window for a live source (TV, Blu-ray, whatever), the need to navigate up and down through different pages is a pain, but Viera Connect is very simple to customise so frequently used apps can all appear on the front page.

The best looking, best behaving and most ambitious smart TV platform around, Viera Connect nevertheless feels like a separate service and isn't integrated into the TV quite as completely as it should be.

Toshiba Places is an attempt to put essential apps and 'social TV' in front of families, offering all members their own log-in if they want it.

That idea doesn't really make sense unless everyone watches TV alone; is a daughter really going to log in to her Twitter account on a TV with her brother sitting nearby? We doubt it, but there's more to Toshiba Places than personalised app arrangement.

The filing system - Video Place, Music Place and so on - is nicely thought through, but also serves to highlight the fact that there's not much in each folder. The only apps in TV Place are BBC iPlayer and a MediaGuide app, while Music Place is similarly bare, with just iConcerts and Aupeo! Radio inside.

We're not sure why it's home to a Skype app, but the Video Place folder is busiest - inside is Blinkbox, Acetrax, Cinetrailer.tv, Dailymotion, Viewster, YouTube and Womi. Social Place adds Flickr, Facebook and Twitter, though only clutter comes from News Place (Livesport, Euronews, France 24 and MeteoNews).

An overly fussy user interface and long winded navigation in and out of Toshiba Places leaves it languishing near the bottom, but for those merely wanting occasional access to BBC iPlayer, it ticks that particular box as well as any - and Toshiba TVs are famously affordable.

It's got a thumbnail that displays - with sound - either live TV or a live video source, a Tweet button and a fresh design that puts all apps along the bottom of the screen. In fact, Philips has created a roomy smart TV interface that borders on classy.

That, however, it where the good stuff ends. Sure, BBC iPlayer is included, and so is Acetrax (if you look for it), but beyond those two and YouTube there's little to get excited about.

Twitter and Facebook (combined in a Social TV app) besides, there's Picasa, iConcerts, and a link to an App Gallery that includes stuff such as CNBC Real Time, Napster, Absolute Radio, Aupeo, Viewster, Funspot, Euronews, ebay, MeteoConsult, Foreca weather, the saucy trio of Hustler, Private and Brazzers, and... Tom Tom HD Traffic. Say what?! Blinkbox, a streaming movies app, is promised to also arrive soon.

Basic and in need of some content, Philips' smart TV effort is nevertheless straightforward to use and decidedly uncluttered - though there is an uncomfortable reason for that.

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By: Dilusha On 4:18 PM

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Buying Guide: Best Windows Phone - which should you buy?

Page 1 of 3Best Windows Phone - which should you buy?Find the Windows Phone that's right for you

When it comes to Windows Phone there's a new player in the starting line up in the form of Windows Phone 8 – Microsoft's latest attempt to make a significant dent in the mobile market.

While Android and iOS lead the way when it comes to mobile operating systems, you can draw many similarities between the two which may leave you feeling like you want some new. A fresh start, a new perspective.

That's exactly what Windows Phone, both versions 7 and 8, offers with a completely new way of providing you with your smartphone fill.

What's better than a top Windows Phone 7 handset? A Windows Phone 8 one, and we've got no qualms about telling you this is the best Windows Phone out there.

Simplicity is the key here, the Lumia 920 does the basics well, from contact integration and calling, to web browsing and messaging – oh and it's 4G enabled

The 8MP camera on the back of the Lumia 920 is one of the best we've used and for anyone looking to get a top end cameraphone you need to seriously consider this Nokia.

The 4.5-inch display is also a good'un, crisp and clear it makes watching movies, surfing the web or Facebook stalking an enjoyable experience, thanks to the PureMotion HD technology on offer.

And you can even use it with gloves on... what more could you want? You're right: holograms. But they don't exist yet.

If you're pockets aren't so deep, or your hands are a little smaller you may want to take a look at the Lumia 820, which still provides you with the full Windows Phone 8 experience, albeit on a slightly smaller screen.

It still has the fancy tricks of Lumia 920, including wireless charging, 4G, NFC connectivity, but it also brings changeable covers so your phone can reflect your mood – exciting times.

Microsoft decided to shun Nokia when it came to championing Windows Phone 8, instead choose the HTC 8X to be the signature device for its new operating system.

While the 8X is by far the best looking of the Windows Phone 8 bunch it unfortunately doesn't have the prowess under the hood to match the powerhouse which is the Lumia 920.

You do get Beats Audio technology and a couple of amplifiers to enhance your tunes through the internal speaker as well as the headphone jack, plus the slender frame fits comfortably in the hand.

It's by no means a bad phone, it's just not the best Windows Phone 8 handset out there.

Page 1 of 3Best Windows Phone - which should you buy?

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By: Dilusha On 3:52 PM

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Track Santa Claus online on Christmas Eve 2012: A guide

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Ian is an independent writer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. His current focus is on all things tech including mobile devices, desktop and laptop computers, software, social networks, Web apps, tech-related legislation and corporate tech news.
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Children across the world are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus Monday evening; luckily, in 2013 we have numerous ways to track the Jolly Old Elf during Christmas Eve.

As usual, the North American Aerospace Defense Command is tracking Santa via radar this season and displaying Saint Nick's location online.

But this year, NORAD has partnered with Microsoft and Bing to show Santa's every moment instead of Google, the Can-American organization's online partner since 2004.

Not to be outdone by its search rival, Google is also tracking Santa's midnight ride on its own.

If you've got little ones focused on tracking Santa Monday morning into the evening, here's a basic guide to all the ways you can track Santa tonight.

Norad may have a new online partner, but the military-grade Santa Tracker is still available at NoradSanta.org. Here you will be greeted with a Bing Map similar to Google's version in previous years. You can see where Santa has been, thanks to the gift icons that dot the map, and the Tracker offers a breakdown of where Saint Nick was last spotted and his next scheduled location.

A running counter shows how many gifts Santa has delivered this year. If you click on a present on the map, a pop-up window will show a YouTube video, if available, about Santa's journey in that region and some facts about the location from Wikipedia.

Clicking on the “Watch Santa!” button will take you to the latest videos showing Santa's journey, posted to Google's YouTube—proving that even the military can't completely escape Google's online power. Norad's site also features a map of Santa's North Pole village that contains games, music, and other activities.

Google's Santa Tracker (click to enlarge)

Google may have been discharged from Norad, but the search giant is still tracking Santa at Google.com/santatracker. When you first land on the site, in true Google style, you are treated to a data dashboard showing Santa's previous location, next scheduled stop, time until arrival, total number of presents delivered, distance traveled, and his latest status update.

You can also click on the Santa icon to see his journey on the map without the dashboard cluttering up the display.

Google also offers on the site three Christmas themed video games called Jetpack, Present Drop, and Racer. And, as Google has offered in previous years, you can create a personalized phone call from Santa to any North American phone number between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time. All of these features are available by clicking the “Santa Tracker” box in the bottom left corner of the site.

Google's Santa stats from Australia (click to enlarge)

Santa's major stops are signified with a gift-themed Google Maps marker. Clicking on a location shows you its name, Santa's time of arrival at that location, the current weather (courtesy of the Weather Channel), and the number of presents delivered there.

You can also access photos of the place pulled from Google Maps' partnership with Panoramio, and data from Wikipedia. Unfortunately, you can't enter your own location into the map to see when Santa is scheduled to arrive in your neck of the woods. But maybe Google will include that feature in next year's map.

Google's Santa Tracker on Android 4.2.1, Jelly Bean (click to enlarge)

If you want to track Santa while you're on the go, you can choose from Norad's app for Android and iOS by Visionbox or Google's Santa Tracker for Android.

Norad's app hasn't changed much and, similar to previous years, features a tracking map as well as a game. This year the game is called Thin Ice.

Google's Santa Tracker app for Android isn't really an app at all and only features links to opening Google Maps or Google Earth on your Android device to track Santa. Google offers no accessory games or other features.

For iOS users who prefer Google's Santa, you can still use Google.com/santatracker on your iPad or iPhone and it will work just fine. You can also place an icon for the site on your homescreen by tapping  the 'Action' key in Safari and selecting “Add to Home Screen.”

Santa on Chrome (click to enlarge)

Google has also created a Chrome extension you can add to your browser.

The Santa Tracker extension gives you a summary of how many miles Santa has traveled and clicking on the browser icon shows you the tracker dashboard with vital Santa stats.

Getting social with Santa this year is pretty similar to other years. You can get updates on Santa's location via Twitter with @NoradSanta. Norad's Santa is also on Facebook. Google+ users can get Santa-centric updates all day Monday from the Google Maps G+ page.

Santa tracking via Google Earth (click to enlarge)

You can track Santa using Google Earth on both PCs and mobile devices. This will show you an animated version of Santa flying across specific locations. You can find a link to the Santa Tracker in Google Earth's Tour Guide feature.

Android users can get a direct link to Santa's journey on Google Earth mobile using the Santa Tracker app for Android.

Technology offers many ways to follow Santa's journey around the globe Monday night, but here's a word of warning for parents with particularly observant children. The Microsoft/Norad Santa and Google's Santa are not flying on the same itinerary, so you may want to stick with one Santa in order to avoid any repeat Santa landings.

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By: Dilusha On 2:20 PM

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Buying Guide: Best gaming PC for £1,000: 9 reviewed and rated

There was a time when you could save a fortune by putting together the components yourself. Nowadays though, you wont be saving as much as you think. That's especially true if you start shopping around for the best prices; picking your components from a variety of online retailers is soon going to add a lot of shipping costs onto the final bill.

So putting your faith in a system integrator (SI) to build you a full-on gaming rig is no longer simply the route of the lazy PC gamer, and it will save you a lot of sleepless nights and frustrated days debugging a DIY build.

You still have a full range of customisation options, from CPU to GPU right through to chassis and other extra goodies like TV tuners.

We got nine of the top system integrators in the country to build us a gaming PC with a budget of £1,000 all-in. That includes the base unit itself, with Windows pre-installed so that you can pull it straight out of the box, plug in and play.

We've left peripherals out of our tests, so none of these machines come with monitors, or mouse and keyboard sets. We figured most people would already have their preferred devices from previous machines. We also really wanted to see what the different SIs deemed the most important parts to spend their £1,000 budget on.

Did they go for a flashy chassis? Did they spend as much as possible on the GPU hoping to hit the highest frame rates? Did they opt for an expensive SSD? In fact, what the SIs left out was sometimes as important as what they included. So, which SI nailed it, and which thought what every gamer really wanted was a Blu-Ray drive?

There are few things in geek life as satisfying as unwrapping a brand new component from its box. Opening a whole brand new PC then, with all those lovely new components sitting happily inside, eager to please you with silky-smooth frame rates and lightning-fast storage, is a total techgasm.

But why would you spend the money getting someone else to put your machine together when you've got all the know-how to create one yourself? Well, times have changed.

It used to be as much about saving money as it was about customising your own personal PC build, with maybe a little self-satisfaction at being able to say you did the whole job yourself, but the various system integrators out in the wild can offer you some compelling arguments as to why they should be the ones to make your rig for you.

Lets start by looking at the main argument that has always been brought to bear in the system integrator vs home build battle: price.

There used to be a serious premium added onto the bill of parts to cover the labour and bug-fixing that was a necessary part of any PC build. These days though, PC building is more or less like putting together an expensive and rather technical Lego set - and as any parent out there knows, modern Lego sets can get really technical. Okay, I guess it's pretty transparent that I'm talking about my own Star Wars Lego collection here.

Still, the fact remains that PC components are no longer the finicky parts they once were. There are no jumper switches any more, and you can generally boot fresh into a Windows install without going into the BIOS at all. Things just work now, and if they don't, most of the time it's a simple case of re-seating parts (we're looking at you, Mr GPU and Lady RAM) until they do. Otherwise it's just a relatively quick RMA away.

So system integrators can no longer claim exorbitant prices just for the pleasure of building your rig, and the sheer amount of competition out there in this space also means they can't afford to price themselves out of the market. And who wins in this competitive market? We do!

The price argument then is one we can pretty much discount (teehee). You will still be able to search around and find slightly cheaper components, which will total up to a little less than the price of a full build, but generally the savings will be negligible - especially up against the possibility of terrible frustration in trying to figure out why your build has gone wrong.

If you're shopping around you'll be ordering from different retailers and the extra shipping costs on top can start adding up. It also means that if something does go wrong you've actually got someone else to blame if you go down the SI route.

But what of customisation? We're not talking here of the custom case crowd with their Leela-from-Futurama inspired designs (look it up - it's truly disturbing). Those guys ain't ever going to a system integrator, except for a job.

What we're really talking about is being able to choose the exact components you want to go into your final machine. Again, we have to come back to the sheer number of competing system integrators out there - chances are you'll be able to find the exact specification you're after already on offer, pre-built and ready to go. If not, most SIs will offer a wide range of customisation options as you go through the process of ordering your machine.

If you're not the most technically-minded of buyers, this also takes any of the worry about picking components out of the equation. You don't have to be concerned about which components work with which others if you're pulling them from a system integrator's pre-picked drop down menu.

The one thing that the SIs can't hope to replicate though is the sense of achievement born of putting together your own PC from scratch. The first time it breezes through a stress test, or the first time you boot your favourite game, or even just the very first time you get a successful POST screen will give any of us happy geeks a thrill.

There's also the masochist in me, who relishes the prospect of finding a solution to any bugs he comes across. But if the thought of bug-fixing a machine you've spent mucho moolah putting together leaves you in a cold sweat, the SI will take much of that worry out of the equation too.

Most builders will include a burn-in period where they test the stability of the components, and any overclocking that has been undertaken on any of the parts. This will usually catch any errors before the rig even gets to your desk.

You don't have to drop a grand to pick up a decent machine from an SI, though. The first full PC I ever bought after joining PCF, all those years ago, was a £500 CyberPower machine. By tweaking the spec I was able to put together a machine that matched my modest means and was targeted at what I use my PC for the most: gaming.

Shop around and you can uncover some bargains - especially if you start looking at last generation parts. A lot of the system integrators are still offering Nvidia Fermi cards at decent prices.

So how do you choose a system integrator to go to? Well, we've set nine of the top system integrators in the UK a challenge to put together the best £1,000 gaming PC they can. Each of them has built something a little different and where they have spent the money, and how they have assembled their rigs, should give you a good idea which SI should get your cash.

Whether it's lightning-fast boot times, eye-popping gaming frame rates or the peace of mind of a long-lived warranty, one of these rigs could be for you.

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By: Dilusha On 8:49 PM

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Buying Guide: 10 best 32-inch TVs in the world today

Our constantly updated list of all the best 32-inch TVs in the world

Still going strong as we plunge headfirst into Christmas silly-season 2012, the 32-inch LCD TV is one of the most popular consumer electronics products in the UK.

It's always been the most popular TV size by far, mainly because many British living rooms can't physically take a TV much bigger than 32-inches in size. It's also a decent option for a 'big' bedroom or secondary TV.

Within the 32-inch division there's plenty of choice, too. A basic HD-ready TV can be found for well under £300 if you search hard, though it's just as easy to spend over £1,500.

Buying Guide

Best TV 2012
All the buying advice you need to choose a new HD TV in the modern era!

But there is one certainty at this size - your new TV will be an LCD TV.

If you're lucky it could have LED backlighting, but it won't be a plasma; LG used to make plasmas at this size, but there's not one on sale these days.

A typical £500 purchase will sport a Full HD screen, have at least three HDMI inputs, and some kind of 100Hz scanning, though the latter feature varies so much in effectiveness that you've simply got to see it in action in the shop before you shell out any extra cash.

Full HD, media streaming and even built-in Freesat HD or Freeview HD - it's all possible on these small TVs.

So what's the best 32-inch LCD TV for you? Read on to find out...

Carries a built-in DVD player despite its exceptionally low price.

£340: Despite being the cheapest 32-inch TV in our hot 10, the 32DL933 has a pleasant surprise tucked away down its side: a built-in DVD player. This means the 32DL933B isn't as slender as most of Toshiba's other TVs, but it's still reasonably easy on the eye. It also surprisingly offers multimedia playback via either DVD discs or USB devices - though there's no PC or Internet connectivity. Nor is there a Freeview HD tuner, sadly.

However, aside from a bit of motion blur and a slight general lack of fine detail it performs comfortably well enough for such an exceptionally cheap combi TV.

Read: Toshiba 32DL933B review | Compare the best prices

A minimal-frills but effective budget option

£349: Despite being widely available for less than £350, the L32X5B boasts a Freeview HD tuner and is capable of playing back of a good selection of video, photo and music files via both USB device or SD card.

it also boasts an IPS Alpha panel that can be watched from a wider angle than most LCD TVs without losing contrast, and its pictures are overall much more watchable than those of most similarly cheap 32in TVs.

There are inevitably compromises, such as a 1366x768 native resolution rather than a full HD one, a little motion blurring and some rather 'hollow'-looking dark scenes. But L32X50 is still by any stretch of the imagination a bargain.

Read:Panasonic TX-L32X5B review | Compare the best prices

Solid features and good pictures for peanuts

£350: The ultra-cheap 32RL953 looks much more expensive than it is, thanks to its skinny rear and barely-there bezel. It supports multimedia playback via USB and PC, and it even lets you go online - albeit not via Wi-Fi - with Toshiba's Places system. 'Places' lacks content versus most rival online systems, but getting any online features is a bonus for £350.

What really helps the 32RL953 make this list, though, is its picture quality. For while it's far from perfect (standard definition looks mushy and you can see backlight inconsistency in dark scenes), with its startlingly good contrast, impressive full HD sharpness, bold colours and crisp motion handling, it still leaves most similarly cheap TVs for dead. Check out our review of the 40-inch version here...

Read:Toshiba 40RL953 review

Few features, but exceptional pictures for its price

£399: The UE32EH5000 is unusual by budget 32-inch TV standards in that it sacrifices features to focus on delivering better picture quality. So while you do get a Freeview HD tuner and multimedia playback from USB sticks, you only get two HDMIs; you don't get 3D; you don't get Smart TV online features; and you don't get network streaming from DLNA PCs.

Nor do you get one of Samsung's famed skinny designs. In fact, the UE32EH5000 is one of the fattest TVs we've seen.

Its picture quality really is excellent for a sub-£400 TV, though, delivering better contrast, colour, sharpness and motion handling than you've any right to expect for so little money.

Samsung UE32EH5000 review - coming soon!

A solid mid-ranger with step-up 2D pictures but no 3D

£420: The L32E5 slots between the L32X5 and L32ET5, offering mid-level motion processing, multimedia playback from two USBs (versus the one and three of the L32X5 and L32ET5 respectively), and access to Panasonic's Viera Connect online service. It also supports streaming from DLNA PCs unlike the cheaper L32X5, though it doesn't carry Wi-Fi.

Picture quality is good. Colours are bold, and HD sources look sharp and detailed. Motion is a big improvement over the L32X5 too, and the set's rich colours and high brightness create at least the impression of a strong contrast performance.

There's some backlight inconsistency during dark scenes, but overall the L32E5 comfortably outperforms its price point.

Read:Panasonic TX-L32E5 review | Compare the best prices

Attractive design meets punchy pictures and smart TV functionality at a tempting price

£500: Despite being very affordable for what it offers, the 32LM620T delivers LG's customary picture strengths, namely extremely dynamic colours, a well-balanced contrast performance that lets you see unusually high amounts of shadow detail in dark areas, and exemplary sharpness with HD. If you're into 3D, meanwhile, you'll also lap up its passive 3D playback, which is clean, natural and involving.

The 32LM620T's pictures show a little noise and motion blurring at times, but these are relatively minor problems.

In fact, once you've added to the 32LM620T's strong pictures some excellent online and USB/network multimedia capabilities, you've got one of LG's finest TV moments to date. Check out our review of the 55-inch model...

Read: LG 55LM620T review

Great value for a TV with online functions and active 3D playback

£520: In feature terms Samsung's UE32ES6300 exceeds the cheaper UE32EH5000 elsewhere on this list by offering active 3D playback (with two pairs of free glasses); streaming from networked PCs; and access to Samsung's content-rich and beautifully presented Smart TV online service.

The set also still offers multimedia playback from USB devices, but ditches the UE32EH5000's chunky design in favour of something much more svelte.

Pictures are mostly excellent in both 2D and 3D mode, thanks to exceptional backlight uniformity, rich but also subtle colour rendering, gorgeous HD detailing, minimal 3D crosstalk, and some of the best motion handling seen on a 32in TV.

The only significant problem with the UE32ES6300, in fact, is a rather limited viewing angle. Check out our review of the 46-inch version here...

Read: Samsung UE46ES6300 review

Panasonic turns to passive 3D with impressive results

£550: The L32ET5 gets off to a great start by sporting an unusual and attractive smoky grey colour and glass-like finish. It's also richly featured, including among its attractions passive 3D playback, a Freeview HD tuner, multimedia playback from USB or a networked PC, and access to Panasonic's Viera Connect online platform, with its solid selection of video, game and infotainment apps.

In many ways the L32ET5's pictures are good too. Its passive 3D pictures are clean, bright and untiring, while its 2D pictures are punchy, sharp and colour-rich.

Dark scenes reveal a lack of contrast, but this is only a big problem for serious film fans.

Read: Panasonic TX-L32ET5 review | Compare the best prices

Impressive mid-range performer with expansive multimedia features

£590: Although not as outstanding as Sony's brilliant HX853 models, the step-down 32HX753 is still a fine 32in option.

For starters it's very well featured, with a Freeview HD tuner, Sony's excellent new video-rich SEN online service, streaming from DLNA PCs and Macs, and even active 3D playback (though you don't get any free glasses).

Its pictures, meanwhile, look sharp and richly coloured, and handle motion well. The set also does excellently with 3D, largely ducking the dreaded crosstalk problem.

The only catch is that pictures aren't very bright after they've been calibrated to produce a good black colour. But provided you're not looking for a TV for a kitchen or conservatory, it should do you just fine.

Read:Sony KDL-32HX753 review | Compare the best prices

Great picture quality means this premium TV can be considered 'reassuringly expensive'

£750: The 32PFL6007T is expensive, but rewards your extra outlay handsomely. For starters it looks gorgeous with its exceptionally slender bezel and Philips' unique Ambilight system casting soothing and involving pools of light from the TV's edges.

It's also stuffed with features, including passive 3D playback, two-player full screen gaming, multimedia playback via USB, and connection to both networked PCs and Philips' Smart TV service via LAN or built-in Wi-Fi.

Best of all, its Pixel Precise HD processing and inherent panel quality help it produce the best all-round pictures of any TV on this list - so long as you're careful with its complicated picture settings, at any rate.

Philips 32PFL6007T review: Coming soon!

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By: Dilusha On 3:47 PM

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