This HD LCD TV is offered by little known Element electronics. This is LCD TV is in the “budget” price range and comes with a few less bells and whistles then some of the other manufacturers offering displays of this size. In this review I’m going to tell you what you can expect to get from this 26″ Element LCD. I’ll also let you know where in your home it will be utilized best and if it is worth your hard earned cash.
First you’ll notice that the screen of this LCD is a little duller than the comparable models. This is going to reduce glare but it won’t look as sharp. This model is a 720p HD TV. It runs at a resolution of 1366×768 which is basically the minimum resolution needed to be classified as a high definition set. It is comparable to a laptop screen as far as resolution and clarity.
This HD LCD does not offer picture in picture as a result of it having only a single NTSC/STSC tuner integrated. The viewing angles are very good but probably adequate for the average LCD consumer. There is a minimal loss of picture on the parameter if you’re more than say.. 140 degrees from the sweet spot.
The speakers on this LCD are ok. They do tend to distort at high levels of bass, however that is the only problem with the speakers they aren’t overly tinny like some of the smaller elements tend to be.
The inputs are impressive for a budget model. It boasts 2 component inputs as well as 2 composite inputs. It has a single s-video input, a single VGA, RF and HDMI. I would like to see an additional HDMI at this display size, but I guess you can’t expect too much. The HDMI input is the wave of the future as far as HD broadcast delivery. You can expect just about any HD device to use the HDMI in the future, just look at the high definition media playing devices like blue ray players and HD DVD players.
This is an excellent television for a bedroom. This is also a great video game television. These sort of view environments tend to concentrate more people into the “sweet spot” of the television. Living rooms often distribute people around a larger area and may cause some people to have a reduced viewing experience due to poor viewing angles.
At around $450 it is a decent deal. I’ve seen it dip into the $300’s so I wouldn’t do anything too immediate if I were you. I would wait on a deal, and then I would pounce.
