Group test: 19in LCD TVs

Still at a loss as to what to buy a partner, child or parent for Christmas? Then how about getting them a TV? Cue a rant at your computer screen about how us stupid journalist types always seem to forget that there's a credit crunch going on and try to force our readers to part with cash they don't actually have.

But we honestly are only trying to help here. For while the credit crunch is clearly having a grim impact on all of our bank balances (journalists included!), it's also causing a really quite frenzied bout of price cutting in the TV industry, presenting us with bargains that are becomingly increasingly hard to pass up.

So it is that you can now find all-singing, all-dancing 19in LCD TVs being flogged for under £200. This really doesn't seem much at all to splurge out on a TV for the bedroom, kitchen, conservatory of kid's room, especially when you consider that some of these cashbusters can also double up as computer monitors.

To put our money where our mouths are, so to speak, we've assembled a collection of four 19in LCD TVs here today, with high hopes that among them will be the ideal Christmas stocking filler come December 25th…

Overview Price: £250 More info: Humax Size: 500(w) x 385(h) x 174(d)mm Weight (on stand): 6.2kg Resolution: 1440x900 Native aspect ratio: 1.6:1 Claimed max contrast ratio: 1000:1 Claimed max brightness: 300cd/m2 Connections: one HDMI input, one Scart (RGB), Component video input, Composite video input, S-Video input, stereo audio inputs, RF input, PC D-Sub input, CI slot, RS-232 Service port, PC audio in, headphone jack Humax LGB-19DTT Although it's busy getting noticed for its debut Freesat + PVR right now, Humax also makes TVs. And very attractive TVs too, if the surprisingly chic looks of its 19in LGB-19DTT are anything to go by. What's more, if the black finish of our test sample doesn't float your boat, you can also get it in white or pink. But only if you're a girl, obviously… Despite its small size and decent £250 price, the 19DTT offers a Freeview tuner, a PC input, and component and HDMI connectivity, with the latter two jacks joining a native resolution of 1440x900 pixels to secure the TV HD Ready status. While this native resolution is certainly HD, though, it's also potentially problematic. For if you do the maths on it, it doesn't equate to a true 16:9 ratio of the sort used by widescreen TV broadcasts. Here's hoping this doesn't result in pictures which look a funny shape! With other features including the option to adjust the TV's backlight output and fleshtones, alarm and snooze timers (ideal for bedroom users) and an SRS TruSurround XT audio processor, the 19DTT seems unusually well specified for this level of the market. Pity, then, that it doesn't perform particularly well. This is especially true of its audio, which sounds thin, feeble and generally underpowered, even - if not especially - when using the SRS TruSurround XT mode. Pictures are at least decent in comparison. For starters, there's some surprising sharpness and lack of noise with standard and high definition pictures alike. Black levels get deeper than is typical for 19in TVs too, and colours look unusually believable. However, widescreen pictures definitely look slightly stretched vertically, as we'd feared, thanks to the odd resolution. Also, the picture lacks brightness. So much so that we'd really only recommend you consider this set if you're going to use it in a predominantly darkened room. Conservatory use is definitely not an option…

Verdict Plus points Decent price, good feature count, nice design Minus points Pictures aren't very bright, sound is pretty feeble, and the native aspect ratio isn't quite right

Overview Price: £197 More info: LG Electronics Size: 69(d) x 344.5(h) x 458.8(w)mm Weight: 4.76kg Resolution: 1440x900 Native aspect ratio: 1.6:1 Claimed max contrast ratio: 15,000:1 Claimed max brightness: 380cd/m2 Connections: two v1.3 HDMI inputs; Two Scarts (one RGB); component video input; composite video input; S-Video input; D-Sub PC input; headphone jack; stereo audio inputs; CAM slot; RF input; optical audio output

It's also outstandingly well connected for its money, with two HDMIs and a PC input among the highlights.

There's a Freeview tuner, too, and the set achieves HD Ready status. Though there is one slightly concerning up-front specification issue as the set turns out to have the same 1440x900 native resolution as the Humax model, raising the same worries about how it will present 16:9-ratio widescreen programmes.

Other points of note include a dynamic backlight system that helps the TV produce a very high claimed contrast ratio of 15000:1, and an 'invisible' speaker design apparently tuned by industry audio guru, Mark Levinson.

One thing the set does not have, though, is LG's XD Engine video processing system. And unfortunately we found we rather missed it. For while the 19LG3000's pictures aren't bad by any stretch of the imagination, nor are they particularly good.

On the upside, it presents HD pictures with a startling degree of clarity and detail for such a small TV. But it also likes standard def too, producing Freeview shows without excessive noise or softness.

The 19LG3000 is very bright too, putting the Humax in the shade, and suffers surprisingly little with LCD's common motion blurring problem.

However, that 1440x900 resolution causes the same slight vertical stretching issue with widescreen broadcasts witnessed with the Humax screen. Also, black parts of the picture look distinctly grey and flat thanks to a lack of black level response, and colours generally just don't look completely natural, adopting a tone that seems more suited to PC than video use.