Description
LG 32LJ500B 32-Inch LED TV: what it is
The 32LJ500B is a 32-inch LED backlit LCD television from LG’s LJ500B line, first listed in March 2017. It is a 720p class panel, which is the crucial fact about it and the reason it still sells. This is a basic, small, inexpensive television with no pretensions to being anything else. The listing records a 32-inch standing screen display size, a 16:9 aspect ratio, an 11 pound weight, product dimensions of 28.7 by 7.2 by 18.7 inches, a flat panel design and a black finish.
Eleven pounds is the number that shapes how this set gets used. It is light enough to carry one handed, to mount on an inexpensive bracket, to hang in a garage or a workshop, to bolt into an RV or a boat cabin, or to move between rooms without a second person. Very few televisions of any size are that portable.
Resolution: what 720p class actually means here
A 720p class panel is a meaningful step down from Full HD and two steps down from 4K. On a 32-inch screen viewed from six feet or more, the resolution difference against a 1080p panel of the same size is noticeable on text and fine detail but much less obvious on ordinary video. On a screen this size, at the distances a small television is normally watched from, it is a reasonable compromise for the price.
Where it becomes a real limitation is computer use. Anyone planning to connect a laptop and use this as a monitor should expect small text to be difficult to read, because a 720p class panel does not have the pixel density for desktop work. For that job, a 1080p set like the Samsung 40-inch Full HD is a far better match, and a proper computer monitor is better still.
The listing does not publish a native refresh rate, a brightness figure or any HDR support. On a 2017 entry level panel, none of that should be expected, and none is claimed here.
A contradiction in the listing worth naming
The manufacturer description attached to this listing reads “Optional Smart TV (Will work as a NON-SMART TV if not connected to WIFI)”. That sentence does not describe how a television works. A set either has a smart platform built into its firmware or it does not, and no television becomes non smart because it lacks a network connection. The LJ500B is LG’s basic model line. Anyone who needs streaming apps should verify the exact configuration with the seller before ordering rather than relying on that description, and should plan on adding an external player either way. Options are gathered in the streaming media players category.
The listing also records “1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included)”. That refers to the remote control, not to the television, which runs on household power. It is a small example of how these product records get assembled from fields that do not always belong to the item they are attached to.
Ports, sound and installation
The listing does not publish the port count, which is a real gap on a set likely to be used with a cable box, a game console or a streaming stick. Assume the minimum and confirm before ordering if more than one HDMI input is required.
The wattage field records 10 watts, which on a television of this class is the audio output of the built in speakers rather than the power consumption of the set. Ten watts of built in audio in a 32-inch cabinet is adequate for a quiet bedroom and inadequate for a kitchen or a workshop. Anyone using this in a noisy space should plan on external speakers.
At 11 pounds and 28.7 inches wide, wall mounting is genuinely simple. A standard small bracket such as the Mounting Dream MD2296 covers this size range easily, and the low weight means the mounting hardware is not the limiting factor.
Highlights
- 32-inch 720p class LED backlit LCD panel in a flat cabinet.
- 11 pounds, one of the lightest televisions in any size class and easy to move or mount alone.
- Compact 28.7 by 18.7 inch face, which fits shelving and cabinets that a larger set will not.
- 402 customer ratings on record averaging 4.5 stars, a good score for a basic set.
- Listed since March 2017 and still shown as current by the manufacturer, so parts and remotes remain easy to find.
Things To Consider
The 720p resolution is the defining limitation. It is the right call at this size and price, but it is not a set to buy for picture quality, and any content shot in 4K will be substantially reduced to fit the panel.
The smart platform question is unresolved by the listing, as described above. Assume the set is basic and budget for an external streaming device.
The unpublished port count and the unpublished refresh rate both matter more on a small television than they might seem to, because small sets often end up doing awkward jobs: a second console, a security camera feed, a kitchen screen. Confirm inputs before committing.
The 2017 listing date means the design predates several changes in the broadcast and streaming landscape. Anyone relying on over the air reception should also check what is actually receivable at their address, since an antenna such as the Winegard FL5500A indoor antenna only picks up stations that reach the building.
Who should buy it, and who should not
This suits a garage, a workshop, a kitchen corner, a guest room, a dorm, an RV, a boat, a small business back office or any situation where the requirement is a working screen in a tight space at low cost and low weight. It is also a sensible choice as a secondary set for a household that already has a large television elsewhere.
Skip it for a main viewing room. Skip it as a computer monitor, where the resolution will be the daily frustration. And skip it if picture quality is the goal at all, in which case a 4K set such as the Vizio V4K43M-08 is a much better use of the money, and the wider LED and LCD TVs category covers the larger options.
