Dell W3207C 32 inch LCD HDTV Review

Jan 31 2007, 12:00am CST | by Shane McGlaun

I have reviewed several of Dell’s PC displays over the years and have found them all to be built with quality and to perform well. Today marks the first time I have had an opportunity to review one of Dell’s LCD TVs in their 32” LCD W3207C.

Does Dell’s LCD TV perform as well as their LCD PC displays? Read on to find out.

Gallery

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Benchmarks

If you like the look of Dell’s PC displays you will probably be very happy with the color and design of their TVs as well. The Dell W3207C 32” LCD TV looks fantastic in the familiar black and silver Dell color scheme. The 32” panel has a surround that is about 2” thick and the speakers are located to the left and right of the screen. The speakers have 15W per channel for 30W total and use a two way integrated design with bass reflex design.

Dell gave the W3207C 32” LCD TV a good amount of connectivity options for input with two coax, two composite, two HDTV component, two S-Video and one HDMI. I would rather see more HDMI myself and less coax and composite but that’s just me. Audio wise Dell gives six RCA L+R connectors and a headphone jack as well. An analog VGA 15-pin D-sub out is included to connect to a PC and you can connect to the Dell W3207C 32” LCD TV digitally from your PC via a DVI to HDMI adapter.

Dell W3207C connectivity

A jack for PC in also allows you to use the TVs speakers for your computer sound system. Output wise Dell gave the W3207C 32” LCD TV one composite out and RCA L+R out. The left side of the TV has inputs for consoles or camcorders that are component as well as an S-Video jack. The right side of the TV has the controls for the sound, power, input and other controls.

Side Inputs

Side Inputs for Console or Camcorders

The remote is very cool looking with shiny black and aluminum looking trim. It has all of the features you would expect in a remote. I did find the remote a little slow to respond to commands for my tastes but it worked well. Hit the input button and the TV will automatically search for inputs with live signal to allow you to choose the correct one for your needs.

Dell W3207C Remote

The TV itself is a TFT active matrix color LCD that weighs in at 44.93 pounds with the stand. The TV tuner is a single combo digital/analog (ATSC/NTSC) device. The screens native resolution is 1366 x 768 with a 16x9 aspect ratio. Digital TV resolutions are 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 576i and 576p. Brightness is 500 nits (typical) and the contrast ratio is 1200:1. Dell also gave the display a good gray-to-gray response time of 8 milliseconds. Viewing angles are decent at 88 degrees horizontal and vertical.

Typically LCD TV stands don’t really do anything special or have adjustability built in like you expect in our PC displays. However, Dell did include a swiveling stand so you can turn the TV left and right with ease. No height adjustment or tilt though, but I really don’t need that in a TV myself.

Dell W3207C Swivel

In use the Dell W3207C 32” LCD TV is very good; it has a very good picture on digital TV shows and HD channels. I would put the image quality the Dell W3207C 32” LCD TV provides up against anything else in its price range and a few ranges above it as well. You can use this TV as a display for your PC, though those used to high resolutions will find the native resolution lacking for gaming. HD programming looks fantastic on this TV as do DVDs on upconverting DVD players.

I notice no ghosting of images during testing with TV and movies and the contrast ratio makes for good transitions form dark to light colors. Skin tones were realistic and life like and colors were very vibrant. I can’t really say anything bad about the image quality on the Dell W3207C 32” LCD TV. If you plan on placing this TV inside an entertainment center be sure your cabinet gives you enough room to use the side mounted controls and input jacks on the TV. Get too tight a fit and they controls will be all but useless.

Side controls

Verdict

Conclusion

Pros

Great image quality
Good connectivity options
Good price for performance

Cons

Side mounted front controls my be unusable in some entertainment centers
Only one HDMI
Remote a bit slow to respond

Verdict
Overall the Dell W3207C 32” LCD TV is a great TV with good picture quality, good inputs and outputs that comes in at a very good price of $1099 on the Dell website. I have seen off brand TVs in Wal-Mart of this size selling for more than that. It’s hard to go wrong if you choose the Dell W3207C 32” LCD TV from HD TV to movies and console gaming this TV excels.

9.0

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Shane McGlaun
Leading our review center, Shane knows technology inside out. His extensive experience in testing computer hardware and consumer electronics enable him to effectively qualify new products and trends. If you want us review your product, please contact Shane.
Shane can be contacted directly at shane@i4u.com.