Samsung UE32J6300 review

What are curved TVs for, exactly? They might be 'curved like your eyes', but lend a bend to a flat-panel TV and a more immersive image isn't the result.

In fact, it actually makes very little difference.

After a couple of years wondering if adding a curve to a TV was actually just a sly way of making all-new Ultra HD TVs irresistible though, along comes the tiny Full HD Samsung UE32J6300 to refute that argument.

Is anyone buying 32-inch TVs anymore? We're not so sure, but Samsung is hoping that by curving this Series 6 LED TV it becomes a no-brainer of a buy for anyone after something small.

I'm not convinced by the UE32J6300's high price at £349 – relatively speaking – and rather plasticky build quality, though there's no doubting its feature-packed spec.

Features

Although it stops short of having the Ultra HD resolution that most of Samsung's curved TVs wear, the UE32J6300's Full HD LED panel is about what I expected at this small size.

The rear includes plenty of ins and outs, with an impressive four HDMI inputs alongside three USB inputs, wired Ethernet (though the UE32J6300 also boasts WiFi), a headphones jack and a digital optical audio output.

You'll not see a more comprehensive roster of connections on a telly ten times the price, though I do wonder if anyone is going to make the UE32J6300 the entertainment hub it's clearly capable of being.

Bucking the trend for TV manufacturers to fit their smaller TVs with bare bones smart stuff, the UE32J6300 includes the very latest version of Samsung's Smart Hub (complete with Netflix and Amazon Instant Video apps), as well as a Freeview HD tuner.

But what about 3D? If the UE32J6300 really is meant to be a mini version of Samsung's latest and greatest TVs, 3D compatibility should come as standard.

What it does have is a detailed colour management system that allows tweaks a-plenty, even down to the level of 10-point white balance controls; yet more proof of the UE32J6300's high-end heritage.

Performance

The UE32J6300 might have possession of the slick Smart Hub, but it doesn't have the grunt to use it despite it being fitted with a Quad Core processor.

The way that apps and services are dynamically strung along a pop-up menu along the bottom of the screen is great, but there is a small, though irritating delay between issuing a command on the remote and the UE32J6300 responding.

Having said that, kudos to Samsung for providing the same large remote control it includes with its higher-end TVs; most small TVs get poor, palm-sized remotes.

When it comes to picture quality, the UE32J6300 hugely impresses.

Its curved screen is supposed to produce higher contrast, but does it? No, not particularly, but the panel boasts excellent black levels in any case.

During my test disc Gravity on Blu-ray the inky blackness of space juxtaposed with the brightness and lush colours of Earth was handled well by the UE32J6300 when in Movie mode and with few tweaks.

With the anti-blur Motion Plus mode engaged, the detail was high in both still and moving images, but while the UE32J6300 handles mixed brightness well, it doesn't slide between resolutions as effectively. A blast of Horizon on BBC4 appeared soft and blocky, suggesting that the UE32J6300 should probably be fed a hi-def only diet.