We've not been too impressed by the efforts of PC manufacturers to muscle in on the LCD TV patch so far. Video's demands of a screen differ from computing's, and few PC brands have managed to make the necessary adjustments convincingly.

However, many of the TVs from PC brands have had a different ace up their sleeves: their price. And so it proves to be the case again with Acer's 37-inch LCD set. But will such an attractive price tag come allied to a genuine understanding of video picture performance for once?

First impressions don't bode well. The AT3720's bodywork feels rather flimsy and the matt black and grey finish is drab, if truth be told. Still, we're never ones to judge a book by its cover.

Acer certainly isn't the first PC focused company to try its luck in the AV world - and it certainly won't be the last - but you could be forgiven for having more than a few reservations about such a company's technological crossover.

However, things get off to a pretty impressive start in the case of the AT3720, thanks to this LCD screen's inclusion of not one, but two HDMI inputs, allowing connection to Sky's HD set-top box and either a Blu-ray, HD DVD or up scaling DVD player.

This useful pairing is backed up by the component video inputs that are necessary to earn the TV its HD Ready wings. Plus, there's a PC input (so you can play games or look at spreadsheets on the big screen), a pair of Scarts and an aerial input.

Sadly, though, this aerial input is analogue only, meaning Freeview reception is not an option. Also a touch annoying is Acer's decision not to furnish the AT3720 with a four-pin S-video input, although the Scarts are wired to handle this medium-quality signal.

Digital no-go

Perhaps inevitably, given its price, the AT3720's lack of digital tuner is just part of a general shortage of features. Undoubtedly the set's coolest trick is the component video input's ability to handle the new 1080p HD format now gathering impetus, thanks to its appearance on Blu-ray, HD DVD and Xbox 360/ PS3 consoles.