Avatec, a local distributor of LCD televisions, have impressed us before with their outstandingly cheap range of LCD TVs, and their 32" model is no exception to this. The standout feature of this display is definitely its price. Avatec has one of the lowest RRPs available on the market, and the display qualities of the screen are satisfactory. We could see this screen being a great introduction for consumers on a budget, and who are new to the big screen, high-definition flat panel market.

The TV's design is simple and effective. The black and silver frame does not distract from the display, and this is quite rare in a market full of overzealous and often gimmicky designs. Beside the screen are two 5 watt stereo speakers which provide enough audio support for casual TV viewing. If you are planning to create a full home theatre experience, we recommend a set of multi channel speakers such as LG's LH-W750TA . The inputs available on the Avatec LCD include high definition inputs, such as the component (Y-Pb-Pr) and DVI port. There is also an S-Video, composite and video out port available. This provides enough connectivity for most viewing, but it does not include the popular HDMI input, which is slowly becoming more common on high-definition capable display panels.

We set the 32" panel up with a variety of sources including the internal analogue TV tuner, HDTV, DVD and a computer, without any problems. We were thoroughly impressed using the panel with the computer source, enough so that we could see this being used permanently as a monitor. Viewing at resolutions of up to 1280*768 with clarity, we were able to have a completely filled screen with no apparent text scaling effects. The only other LCD panel we have reviewed which was capable of this was Sony's 32" Bravia, although there exists significant image quality between the two panels as outlined below.

Display qualities of the LCD were not outstanding but adequate., not showing any particular faults or visual artifacts. Colour response was clean over the spectrum and skin tones were exceptional. There was a slight colour shift in the vertical axis, which is an indicator of a low contrast ratio, but this was negligible across the horizontal viewing plane. Generally, there is not much variation of viewing in the vertical, so the vertical response is not as important horizontal viewing angle, which was stable for up to 165 degrees. Overall, this seems to be quite an exceptional performance for a brand without a reputation to back it up.

Optional extended warranties of 24 and 36 months are available. The cost of these extended warranties is $129 and $169 respectively, which does reduce the competitiveness in price of the display, but it's good to know that such extras are available.

The Avatec 32" LCDAC-W320F8 LCD isn't quite up to the performance of other well known brands such as Sony and Samsung, but it does produce quite a respectable image. We could find no significant degradation in the produced image and for the price, the Avatec 32" LCD is an affordable and suitable solution for consumers looking for a large, high definition capable LCD display.