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Mar 19, 2008 Bobby     Love it, all around good tv and I didnt have to pay an arm and a leg for it. Bes...

Nov 28, 2007 Peter     I've had the TV for about eight months now and it has proved too be well worth t...

Jan 5, 2007 ST     Pros 10 Signal Inputs Including: 2 HDMI Inputs 2 Component Inputs Separate S...

My Experience: Pros
10 Signal Inputs Including:
2 HDMI Inputs
2 Component Inputs
Separate Standard and HD Broadcast Inputs
Customized Menu Settings for Each Input Mode
2 SPDIF Output Terminals
Excellent Picture Quality
Standard and High Def Tuner
Picture in a Picture (PIP)
Picture on a Picture (POP)
Intuitive Menus
Logically Designed Remote
Convenient Front and Side Controls/Inputs
Swivel Stand
Elegant Styling

Cons
Low Sound Output on Standard Audio Out
Remote Control Not Always Responsive
No Universal Remote

I spent many hours visiting local electronics stores and searching the internet for a 32” HDTV with specs that would last into the future. I had a price range of under $1000. As I looked for products and checked specs, I discovered that a number of the available sets were made by a company named Proview.
Proview turns out to be one of the Top 4 monitor manufacturers in the world. The company markets some products under its own name and many under other brand names, such as MAG, Polaroid, Xerox, KDS, EMC, etc. It does over 1 billion dollars in business each year in the US with such companies as Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot and Walmart.

I was very impressed with the brands that Proview makes, but I couldn’t find the Proview brand itself except on their website: http://www.proview.net/Product/Product_Feat.aspx?sn=433&pi=2013&ii=2726
After reading the specs, I concluded that they seem to reserve the best HDTV feature set for their own name. This set includes all the features of the other brands, plus a few more. I searched the internet, looking for reviews on this Model, but found very little. The Proview brand itself doesn’t seem to have a very wide distribution. After looking at a number of the 32” sets that they make for others, I took a chance and bought the PA-32JK1A sight unseen. I have not regretted it!

One of the features that stood out for me was the number of inputs. (With the new HD standards taking effect shortly, for a HDTV set to meet future needs, it will be necessary for it to have multiple HD inputs.) Not many other sets in this price range have this many useable inputs. It also includes the standard audio outputs, plus both optical, coaxial and earphone.

When I started shopping, I tried to compare specifications regarding such things as “contrast ratio” and “brightness”. These specs are apparently very subjective and seem quite inconsistent. I found comparing side by side hands on picture brightness, clarity, tone and depth seem to worked much better for me. The high definition picture quality on the Proview is absolutely superb! I just cannot believe the sharp, crisp, photo quality of the over the air HD and Satellite broadcasts. There are numerous picture adjustments that I really haven’t, as yet, felt a need to explore.

Both the standard and the ATSC HD tuners seem to be quite sensitive and pull in station better than my old CRT sets. I was able to pull in a number of HD stations over 70 miles distant even with my old antenna system. After I upgrade my antenna, I hope to do even better.

The intuitive menu system on the Proview is quite extensive. It operates according to what you have attached to the inputs. They are input specific and include feature sets that deal with the attributes of that particular input. They allow for extensive adjustments, especially on some inputs.

The Picture in a Picture(PIP) & Picture on a Picture(POP) feature has really come in handy in comparing the input signals of my various components and antenna signals. It’s also useful for watching one program and monitoring another at the same time. Both the “on” and “in” picture features are accessible from the remote.

The remote control is convenient to use. The buttons are logically located and easy to find. Various picture modes, sound modes, size/zoom modes, source, channel lists, favorite channels, hdtv guide, basic info, timer, picture freeze and the menus can be easily access with the remote. The remote only controls the television. It might be nice to have a universal remote.

The front controls include channel, volume, on/off, menu and source. At first I had a hard time getting them to work by pressing them. Actually, they are not “press” controls, but “touch” controls. All that is needed is a touch of the finger, and they work great! The side inputs are handy for a quick connect of a camcorder and headphone. (I have a Sony MiniDV and what a great image it produces on this set!)

The Proview PA-32JK1A and its well designed, uncluttered, glossy black finish is understated in such a way that it gives the impression of elegance.

The swivel stand turned out to be very handy during setup. Changing cables inside my entertainment center was made very convenient with the swivel feature. The set will also mount on a wall.
Overall, I am very pleased with the Proview. I would definitely recommend this set.

Problems: There were only a few issues that detracted from this product. First, I noticed that when I connected the standard sound output to an external amp the signal was somewhat low. It was just adequate for the amp, but I like booming sound when my wife is not at home. I corrected the problem by connecting directly from my DVD player to the amp. (I did not try the coax or optical output.) Second, the remote control signal does not always seem to get a response from the unit. It is not real often, but once in a while the pressing of a button does not get a reaction. I have contacted Proview Technical Support in this matter and they are sending out a new remote control. It also would be nice to have a universal remote included with the unit.