Panasonic TX-26LXD60 review

Masterpiece of stylish design is not the way to describe the TH-26LXD60's appearance, so we won't. But beneath the plasticky surface of this 26in HD-ready TV is much to admire despite a very generous sounding price of £700.

Most noticeable is the array of socketry that covers two HDMI inputs, two Scarts (both RGB), and all the analogue old timers including component video. A CAM slot is a welcome sign that there's a digital tuner in there as well as an analogue one, and it comes with a 7-day timer.

Spec-wise, the TX-26LXD60 passes muster sufficiently with its 1,366 x 768 resolution and quoted contrast ratio of 1,200:1. But perhaps more important is the image processing engine, the poetically monikered V-Real Advanced LCD A1.

This covers the digital remastering of contrast and colour while Active Light Control adjusts the brightness of the backlight and Active Contrast Control the subtler details. An Overdrive system tames the image noise that trails moving objects.

Our first pictures made good use of the three billion colours now available under the TV's colour management system with accurate bright blends contributing fully to the Kingdom of Heaven palette. Black levels are unaffected by regular LCD failings with plenty of detail on offer and no observable greying.

Fine detail was pretty good too along with crisp motion and low noise level. A further bonus was the excellence of the SD pictures - something many of the finest HD performers are unable to match. A lone criticism is the mediocre audio with speakers sounding weak and tinny.