|
With plummeting LCD prices and the arrival in the UK of high definition broadcasting making people think bigger for their next LCD TV, you might think 26/27in LCD TVs - once the biggest selling LCD TV sizes - are no longer worth considering. But we beg to differ.
For starters, while the price drops we mentioned have indeed made bigger screen sizes more affordable, they've also made 26/27in TV as cheap as the proverbial chips. So much so that the four models we've rounded up here start from just £700.
Also, while you might fairly argue that a bigger screen size is needed to really do justice to the full joys of a high definition signal, HD can still look much better on a good 26in LCD than standard definition, meaning it's worth getting such an HD Ready TV even if you can't afford something bigger. If you're not interested in HD, of course, a smaller TV like this one can arguably do a better job of showing standard definition than a bigger one.
Finally, of course, there's the second TV market. For you have to admit that putting an all-singing, all-dancing but affordable 26in LCD TV in your bedroom, kitchen, study or kid's room is a heck of a lot sexier than just making do with some puny 15in portable…
|
JVC LT-26DX7
At £900 the 26DX7 is comfortably the most expensive TV in this group test. But then it does rest towards the top of JVC's current LCD range - a fact that will hopefully be reflected in its features and performance.
Compared with the high-gloss glamour of certain rivals in this group test, though, the 26DX7 doesn't look particularly opulent. The design's okay but rather scatty, while the finish feels lightweight. Connectivity is mostly satisfying, though - especially the provision of two HDMI inputs, and a PC input so the TV can double up as a computer monitor.
The 26DX7's biggest features are a built-in digital tuner and JVC's DynaPix HD picture processing. Among Dynapix's long line of claimed improvements are: detail boosting, contrast enhancement, colour management, better motion handling, and all sorts of noise reduction systems.
Although it sounds excellent on paper though, DynaPix proves inconsistent in action. When it's firing on all cylinders - with predominantly bright, static pictures - the results can be simply spectacular. For starters, colours explode off the screen in a feast of bright, rich pyrotechnics, and detail levels are sensational, especially with HD.
Video noise is generally well suppressed too, so long as you're careful with the TV's 'Super Digipure' option, and dark parts of the picture enjoy reasonably profound black levels.
However, these black levels are a touch hollow. And now we're moaning, fast-moving footage can look a touch smeary, and colours can become less natural during standard definition viewing.
The 26DX7's sound has no such inconsistencies. Its speakers may be cunningly hidden under the screen, but this doesn't stop them delivering levels of power and range that leave most rivals for dead.
All in all the 26DX7 is an accomplished, occasionally fantastic LCD TV. But for £900 we'd have liked the 'fantastic' moments to have cropped up slightly more often…
 | |
 | |
Plus points
Stunning image quality with bright, static sources; good features count and connectivity
Minus points
Not cheap, and problems occur in the image with dark and/or fast-moving footage
|  |
|
Sagem Axium HD-L26 T/2
Most people probably know French brand Sagem for its mobile phones and faxes. But it actually also does a mean line in DLP TVs, and has recently entered the LCD fray too. Cue the HD-L26 T/2 we're looking at today. Or rather gawping at, for the L26 is a very handsome beast indeed. The Piano-Black, mega-glossy screen frame looks sumptuous, and the build quality appears outstanding. The only negative is that the TV's unusually large.
Among the L26's extensive connections are two HDMIs, a PC input, a USB jack for watching digital stills from a photocard viewer/USB storage device, and a digital audio output for potential Freeview Dolby Digital 5.1 broadcasts. Note, though, that although the TV has a digital tuner, there's no slot for adding subscription services. Other features include Faroudja's DCDi system for improving picture scaling and edge contouring, and Sagem's Crystal Motion engine for souping up brightness and contrast.
A likeable if not outstanding performance kicks off its good points with a strikingly expansive contrast range, which finds deep black levels sitting opposite pristine, crisp whites. Colours are seriously vibrant too, but also seem more natural with dark scenes and standard definition feeds than the JVC. The Sagem's motion handling impresses too, and a final strength would be that video noise is for the most part supremely well suppressed.
In the negative column, although black levels are deep, dark picture areas look short of subtle shading and detail. Also, there's video noise present while watching the HDMI feed, and the screen's glassy finish makes room reflections quite severe. The L26's sound is pretty solid overall, bucking the usual LCD trend by actually coming into its own at higher volumes.
Sagem has done pretty well with the L26 considering it's the company's first 26in LCD TV. But there's definitely room for improvement next time round.
| |
| |
Plus points
Impressively built, reasonably priced, well connected, and colours are outstanding
Minus points
Black levels look hollow, there's no CAM slot for subscription digital services, HDMI feed looks noisy, and the screen is very reflective | |
|
Samsung LE26R74BDX
If you could judge a TV by looks alone, we could just give the Samsung LE26E74BDX a resounding two thumbs up and head home early. For it's quite possibly the single most attractive LCD TV ever, looking simply resplendent in its glossy dark finish and minimalist but curvy frame.
The great first impressions aren't continued by the set's connections though, as we find just one HDMI when rivals in this group test manage two. On the upside, there's a PC connection, and a digital audio output for Freeview Dolby Digital 5.1 broadcasts.
Did we say Freeview back there? We certainly did. But a digital tuner isn't the LE26R74BDX's only claim to fame, as it also carries Samsung's Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) picture processing, designed to upgrade colour response, contrast levels, fine detailing and motion handling.
The LE26R74BDX's picture quality is very likeable. Particularly noteworthy are outstanding levels of detail and sharpness in high definition pictures, together with vibrant and unusually authentic colours. Moving objects are impressively free of LCD's smearing problems too, and there's more subtlety in dark areas than is common with LCD.
Minor problem areas include notable extra softness with standard definition pictures and slightly shallow black levels, which also result in colours looking slightly less vibrant relative to the competition than they have on previous Samsung offerings.
Like the JVC in this group, Samsung hides the LE26R74BDX's speakers out of sight along the underside of the screen. But unlike the JVC, here this design-led idea negatively impacts the sound quality, leaving it underpowered and short of bass.
Its stellar looks, equally attractive price and more than decent pictures will doubtless win the LE26R74BDX an enthusiastic fan base. Yet we can't quite shake the feeling that Samsung could have tried just a little bit harder.
| |
| |
Plus points
Stunning design, good pictures generally, great operating system, nice price
Minus points
Black levels could be better, the sound's a bit feeble, and there's only one HDMI
| |
|
Toshiba 27WLT56
With the vast majority of Toshiba's current LCD range playing a blinder, surely we can expect more of the same from this 27in model? As with most of Tosh's other LCDs though, the 27WLT56 doesn't set the world alight aesthetically. Its finish isn't the most robust, and its design lacks any sort of flare.
Connectivity is odd, in that instead of an HDMI digital input we find a DVI socket. This will work with HDMI sources via an adaptor, but it feels old fashioned. Far worse is the absence of any dedicated component video jacks. To get a component HD feed in you thus have to use an adaptor and a provided PC input - a fiddly approach that means you can't simultaneously connect PC and component HD sources.
The 27WLT56 has precious few interesting features beyond a digital tuner and picture in picture options. It doesn't even have the 'Active Vision' video processing system sported by Toshiba's larger WLT56 models. And boy, does it miss it. For while most WLT56 models' pictures are great, this one's are average at best. ,p>
The most depressing thing is how little sharpness its pictures have, even with high definition sources. This is down to a combination of poor fine detailing and severe smearing over moving objects.
Colours are also uninspiring, looking less natural and less vibrant than those of our other three sets. This may be down partly to the fact that the 27WLT56's black levels also leave much to be desired, as dark areas grey over much more readily than we'd like them to. Perhaps the set's sound can perk things up? Er, no. There's plenty of raw volume, but this is joined by precious little bass, and trebles sound harsh.
If the 27WLT56 was REALLY cheap, say £500-£550, we guess it might just be worth considering. But at £700 its rivals here make it look far too average for comfort.
| |
| |
Plus points
Not much noise in the picture, the cheapest TV in this group test
Minus points
Pictures and sound are resolutely uninspiring, component video input only possible by sharing PC input
| |
|
| |
| |
The best general bit of news to come out of this group test is just what great value there is in the 26in LCD market these days. The combination of build quality, performance standards and features that can be yours for substantially under a grand seems almost unfair on the manufacturers - though you won't hear us complaining, of course!
On the downside it must be said that none of the TVs proved quite a good enough all-rounder to earn from us a completely unreserved recommendation. A couple of them are very good, certainly, but even they have a flaw or two. Within that limitation, though, it's actually pretty easy to discern a clear order of merit.
Propping the others up at the foot of the table is Toshiba's 27WLT56. This decidedly average TV seems bizarrely out of place in Toshiba's otherwise exemplary range. But however out of character for Toshiba it might be, that doesn't alter the fact that it's just not very good.
In third place we've put Sagem's HD-L26 T/2. It's big and well-built enough to beat the hell out of the other three - but in raw performance terms its got one or two quite major weaknesses that make it less beautiful on the inside than it is on the outside.
The closest call is between the JVC and Samsung models for first and second. Both offer very enjoyable pictures and features galore, with the JVC winning comfortably on sound while the Samsung wins comfortably on looks and price. In the end we've let our wallets do the talking, and plumped for the Samsung over the JVC.
| |
|
