The Best HDTVs Under 25k

Nothing ties together a space like a good TV set. But when you’re a new homeowner or renting an apartment on a tight budget, you might not have the moolah to splurge on a high-end LCD TV, or one of those swanky 3D sets that are all the rage right now. The good news is that, these days, you don’t have to break your budget for a decent television, and to help you on your way, we’ve compiled a list of the best HDTVs for under 25k.

But before that, let's take a moment to go over a few things you should consider before buying your new HDTV.

1. Size matters, but not in the way you think. Bigger doesn't always mean better. The size of your TV should depend on the size of the space you'll be putting it in, and the distance between your TV and where you'll be viewing it from. When picking out screen sizes, refer to these guidelines:

• Viewing Distance: .60-1.50 m/Screen Size: 21"-27" (53-68 cm)
• Viewing Distance: 1.8-2.4 m/Screen Size: 32"-37" (81-94 cm)
• Viewing Distance: 3.0-4.0 m/Screen Size: 42"-46" (106-117 cm)

2. Bring your own test material. The videos on loop at the store won't give you a sufficient idea of picture quality because, well let's face it, you won't be watching those videos on your brand new TV. Bring a Blu-Ray copy of a movie that will really test the TV's features and has a lot of dark scenes. The better it conveys black, the better a TV it is. We suggest testing it with Batman: The Dark Knight.

3. Account for cost of energy consumption. Backlit LEDs are more efficient than their CCFL counterparts, and LCDs consume less power than Plasmas.

4. It should have at lease 2 HDMI inputs.

5. Consider refresh rate. Refresh rate refers to the number of times the screen is refreshed per second. The standard refresh rate for HDTVs is 60Hz.

6. Check if the TV comes with features like PC connectivity and WiFi capability.

Now that we're all up to speed. On to the TVs! The TVs listed below are arranged by price from the most expensive to the cheapest, all under P25,000 of course.

(Check out this list of the major appliance stores in the metro)

LG 32LK450
P24,990.00

Key features:
- Invisible Speaker
- AV Mode
- Smart Energy Saving - Up to 76% energy efficiency
- Clear Voice II

- Picture Wizard

- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD resolution)

The low-down: This model's one of the most popular TVs on the market today, and with good reason. For an entry-level and inexpensive HDTV, it displays stunningly accurate color, uniform screen, and has good device connectivity. It's a breeze to set-up too. All LG HDTVs come built with Expert ISF settings so you can either have it calibrated professionally or just do it yourself. Although it struggles slightly with black, displaying a lighter shade of it, for the price, you get a great deal.

LG 32LK430
P24,490.00

Key features:
- EEFL Backlight
- Smart Energy Saving
- Clear Voice II
- HDMI and USB 2.0 capability

- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD resolution)

The low-down: Another LCD TV with great value for your money. It's EEFL (external electrode flourescent lamp) backlight means that it runs cooler and more efficiently than its CCFL (cold cathode flourescent lamp) counterparts. It comes equipped with Clear Voice II, which enhances and amplifies the sound of the human voice so you can keep up with dialogue even when the background noise swells.

Sony BRAVIA HD TV BX320 Series - KLV-32BX320
P22,999.00

Key features:
- 32 inch
- High-definition picture quality with CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) backlight
- Live Colour Technology with Advanced Contrast Enhancer
- BRAVIA Sync
- USB Play for video, music, and photo
- Intelligent Picture Plus
- FM Radio

- Resolution: 1366 x 768 (WXGA)

The low-down: While you may not get full HD resolution on this set, picture quality is still top notch. It comes with BRAVIA Sync so you’re able to sync all your devices with your BRAVIA TV so you can wirelessly stream videos and movies from your computer or recording device.

Sony BRAVIA HD TV BX311 Series - KLV-32BX311
P21,999.00

Key features:
- 32 inch
- BRAVIA Engine 3
- Intelligent Picture Plus
- Digital Noise Reduction
- FM Radio
- BRAVIA Sync
- USB

- Resolution: 1366 x 768 (WXGA)

The low-down: Pretty much the same TV as the one listed above, the difference being it only comes with 1 HDMI port as opposed to the BX320's 2 ports.

LG 32LK310
P21,990.00

Key features:
- Simplink
- Clear Voice II
- AV Mode

- Resolution: 1360 x 768

The low-down: Simplink is the answer to the "too-many-remotes" problem. It syncs all your digital video  devices, like your Blu-Ray player, DVD player, and home entertainment system into one remote, for ease of accessibility and function.

Panasonic VIERA THL32C3X
P19,900.00

Key features:
- IPS Alpha LCD Panel
- Wide Viewing Angle
- Dynamic Contrast 20,000:1
- VIERA Image Viewer (Photo and Video)
- USB Terminal
- Game Mode
- PC Input

- Resolution: 1366 x 768

The low-down: Optimized for perfect picture quality, the Viera line features stunning imagery and because of the power saver mode it runs a lot cooler and keeps energy costs low. Although the downside is it makes the TV less bright. It comes with two HDMI ports, and for the less than 20k, you get great value for your money with this set.

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