Affordable smart TV for smaller spaces

The Hisense A4Q 32″ HD Smart TV (32A4QTUK) is a compact, budget-friendly set aimed at bedrooms, kitchens and smaller living rooms where a huge screen isn’t necessary. With HD resolution, Direct Lit LED backlighting and Natural Colour Enhancer, it focuses on delivering a clean, watchable picture rather than chasing high-end specs.

Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X promise a step up from the thin, tinny sound you often get at this price, while the VIDAA smart platform gives you the streaming apps most households now rely on. The addition of Freely for live TV over the internet is a handy extra if you don’t want to run an aerial cable.

With a strong user rating of 4.8 out of 5 from nearly 300 reviews, it’s clearly a well-liked option for those after a simple, good-value second TV that still feels up to date.

Table of Contents

Key features

  • Full HD LED – Gives a sharp, bright picture
  • Direct Lit Viewing — Crisp contrast & vivid colours
  • Dolby Audio® — Fuller, more realistic sound
  • Freely — Watch live TV without the aerial
  • Natural Colour Enhancer — Tweaks images for true colour

Who this TV is best for

This 32-inch Hisense is ideal if you want a straightforward, affordable smart TV for a smaller room. The HD (1366 x 768) resolution is well matched to the screen size, so you still get a sharp, comfortable picture without paying a premium for 4K.

It suits households on a tighter budget who still want easy access to streaming apps, catch-up services and live TV. VIDAA is designed to be simple to navigate, and features like Apple AirPlay 2 and screen mirroring make it easy to throw content from your phone or tablet onto the screen.

It’s a strong choice for first-time buyers, students, or anyone kitting out a guest room, kitchen or caravan, where ease of use and compact dimensions matter more than top-tier cinematic performance.

If you’re a film buff who insists on 4K HDR with wide colour gamuts and advanced dimming, you’ll want to look higher up the range. But as a no-fuss everyday screen that does the basics well, the A4Q fits the bill.

What we like

The 32-inch HD LED panel is a sensible match of size and resolution, giving a crisp, clean picture without visible pixelation at normal viewing distances. Direct Lit Viewing keeps brightness consistent across the screen, reducing dull corners and helping contrast look more even.

Hisense’s Natural Colour Enhancer works behind the scenes to tidy up skin tones and everyday colours, so TV, sport and soaps look natural rather than overly saturated. It’s the kind of subtle processing that makes day-to-day viewing more pleasant.

Sound is better thought out than many budget sets, with 2 x 6W speakers, Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X on board. You get clearer dialogue and a more spacious soundstage, which really helps in smaller rooms where you may not want a separate soundbar.

On the smart side, VIDAA gives you the core streaming apps you’re likely to use, while Apple AirPlay 2, screen mirroring and Alexa compatibility make it easy to slot into a modern connected home. Freely is a standout extra, letting you watch live TV over your internet connection instead of relying on an aerial.

The compact footprint, 100 x 200mm VESA mount and included stand and cables mean it’s straightforward to set up on a unit or wall, and the 2-year manufacturer warranty is generous for a TV in this price bracket.

Where it could be better

The most obvious compromise is the HD resolution and relatively modest 200-nit typical brightness. For everyday TV it’s fine, but if you’re used to bright, punchy 4K HDR sets, this will feel less impactful, especially in very bright rooms.

With only two HDMI 1.4 ports, connectivity is on the basic side. It’s enough for a streaming box and a console or Blu-ray player, but anyone with multiple games consoles or set-top boxes may quickly run out of inputs. There’s also no Bluetooth, so you can’t pair wireless headphones or speakers directly.

The 12W total audio output is perfectly acceptable for a small room, but it still can’t match the depth and bass of a dedicated soundbar. Serious movie fans may want to make use of the digital optical output to upgrade the sound.

Energy efficiency is rated F, which isn’t unusual at this size but is worth noting if you’re trying to keep running costs as low as possible, even though its actual SDR consumption of 27 kWh per 1000 hours is fairly modest in real terms.

Everyday use

Day to day, the Hisense A4Q is designed to be fuss-free. At 32 inches across and with a slim 8.5cm depth, it’s compact enough for most TV stands or wall mounting via the 100 x 200mm VESA pattern. The narrow stand width (186mm) is handy if you’re placing it on a smaller unit or shelf.

The VIDAA operating system keeps menus straightforward, so switching between live TV, apps and inputs is quick and intuitive. With Wi-Fi 4 and an Ethernet port, you can connect however suits your home, and the included remote and quick start guide help you get up and running with minimal effort.

Wide 178° viewing angles both horizontally and vertically mean family members off to the side still get a decent view, which is particularly useful in tight spaces like kitchens or small lounges. The flat screen design also helps avoid strange reflections.

For audio, the built-in speakers are tuned with Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X to make speech clear and give a sense of width without extra boxes. It won’t shake the room, but it’s more than adequate for catch-up TV, soaps and casual viewing. If you do want a sound upgrade, the optical output and headphone jack give you simple options.

Features like the sleep timer and electronic programme guide add a bit of everyday convenience, letting you drift off to sleep without worrying about leaving the TV on, and plan an evening’s viewing with minimal faff.

Performance and features

For picture quality, the A4Q combines an HD 1366 x 768 LED panel with Direct Lit backlighting and a 60Hz refresh rate. Motion for standard TV and streaming content is handled competently, and the 8.5ms response time is perfectly adequate for casual console gaming without obvious smearing.

Natural Colour Enhancer helps keep colours believable, which matters more in real-world viewing than exaggerated vibrancy. While brightness at 200 nits and HD-only resolution place it firmly in the entry-level camp, on a 32-inch screen that’s usually viewed from a few metres away, the overall image is pleasantly sharp and well-balanced.

Smart performance is a strong point for the price. VIDAA provides access to popular streaming services, and support for HDR streaming means compatible content can still benefit from improved contrast handling, even if the panel itself isn’t a high-end HDR performer. Apple AirPlay 2 and screen mirroring widen your options further, letting you quickly share photos, videos or presentations from your phone or laptop.

Sound is better featured than you might expect at this level. With DTS Virtual:X and Dolby decoding (including Dolby MS12 and AC4), the TV can create a more immersive sound field from its two speakers, making films and sport feel fuller without complex setup. The built-in equaliser lets you tweak the tone to your liking.

On the connectivity side, you get two HDMI 1.4 ports, USB with broad format support (covering common video, audio and image file types), digital optical audio out, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and a headphone socket. The tuners support DVB-T2, DVB-S2 and DVB-C, and HbbTV 2.0.4 is on board for interactive broadcast services. Freely stands out as a modern touch, enabling live TV over broadband, which is ideal if you can’t or don’t want to fit an aerial.

Value for money

At around £129, the Hisense A4Q sits firmly in the budget end of the TV market, especially for a 32-inch smart model with integrated streaming, Freely and modern sound processing. You’re not paying for 4K or premium HDR, but you are getting a complete, up-to-date feature set tailored to smaller rooms.

Its strong 4.8/5 owner rating from nearly 300 reviews suggests that buyers feel they’ve had good value, particularly given the inclusion of Dolby Audio, DTS Virtual:X, Apple AirPlay 2 and Alexa compatibility, which are not always guaranteed on cheaper sets.

The energy rating of F and basic two-port HDMI setup are the main areas where costs have clearly been kept down, but for most households looking for an inexpensive secondary screen, those compromises are acceptable. Overall, it delivers a lot of everyday usefulness for the money, making it an easy model to recommend on a tight budget.

Our verdict

The Hisense A4Q 32″ HD Smart TV is a well-judged little all-rounder for homes that need a compact, inexpensive screen that still feels modern. Picture quality is perfectly suited to its size, colours look natural, and sound is a cut above the thin audio many small TVs offer.

Its biggest strengths lie in its smart features and connectivity: VIDAA, HDR streaming support, Apple AirPlay 2, screen mirroring, Alexa compatibility and Freely for aerial-free live TV all add up to a very capable package for the price. The generous 2-year warranty is another reassuring touch.

The trade-offs—HD rather than 4K, modest brightness, only two HDMI ports and no Bluetooth—are worth being aware of, but they’re reasonable given the target price and use cases. If you’re a film enthusiast building a main home cinema setup, you’ll want something more advanced. For everyone else needing a reliable, easy-to-use 32-inch smart TV on a budget, the A4Q is a strong and sensible choice.

FAQs

Is the Hisense A4Q 32A4QTUK a 4K TV?

No. The Hisense A4Q is an HD TV with a 1366 x 768 resolution, which is well suited to its 32-inch screen size for everyday viewing.
Not necessarily. Thanks to Freely, you can watch live TV over your internet connection. An aerial can still be used if you prefer traditional broadcast reception.
Yes. It runs the VIDAA smart TV system, which provides access to popular streaming and catch-up apps, plus HDR streaming support for compatible content.
Yes. The A4Q supports both screen mirroring and Apple AirPlay 2, so you can send videos, photos and other content from compatible phones, tablets and laptops.
It has two HDMI 1.4 ports, enough for a couple of devices such as a games console and a streaming box or Blu-ray player.
No. This model does not have Bluetooth. For external audio, you can use the digital optical output, headphone jack or connect devices through a separate audio system.
For casual gaming, yes. The 60Hz panel and 8.5ms response time handle console play reasonably well, though it lacks the advanced gaming features and 4K resolution of higher-end models.
It comes with a 2-year manufacturer warranty, offering good peace of mind for a budget-friendly TV.

Hisense A4Q 32" HD Smart TV Review

£129.00

Overall score

8.8/10

LOWEST PRICE FOUND:

LOWEST PRICE FOUND: