Hannspree ST321 review

Cheap and cheerful – but its all-round performance isn’t up to scratch Tested at £330.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

If you’ll only be watching off-air, it’s cheap and cheerful – but all-round performance isn’t up to scratch

Pros

  • +

    Smart design

  • +

    Full HD spec

  • +

    good tuner

  • +

    cheap

Cons

  • -

    Video playback less impressive

  • -

    poor black levels

  • -

    sound is weak

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When news of a new Hannspree TV appears, we brace ourselves for something out of the ordinary.

But this isn't a 10in TV styled to look like a shiny apple, or a 26in TV with a 1920 x 1200 resolution. Hannspree seems to have played this 32in TV a little straighter. It's a 16:9, 1920 x 1080, Full HD screen.

Four HDMI inputs, with component, Scart, S-Video and composite connections, should serve all but the most action-packed living room, and there's a digital Freeview tuner built-in.

This is an ultra-competitively priced set and, up against some of the more expensive sets around, its tuner holds its own.

It's a little soft and lacks the last word in detail, but motion is smooth and colours full-bodied.

Black levels lack real solidity
Switch to video and things start to wobble. Bright scenes in the Blu-ray of the intimate Moon have plenty of life, but low-light scenes are a different matter. Black levels lack real solidity, texture and insight.

It's similar with DVD, with Star Trek proving tricky at times, while brighter colours lack the vitality and sense of depth that other sets manage.

Thin sound doesn't help to endear us further.

If you were largely concerned with watching this set's TV tuner, you could do a lot worse – it is after all very cheap. But even with the price in mind, video images and sound mean it struggles to be a viable all-rounder.

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What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.


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