Soniq QSL262CT LCD television

A cheap, 26in LCD TV with an integrated DVD player

Good Gear Guide

  • Review
  • Specs
  • Images
  • User Reviews
  • Buy Online

Soniq's QSL262CT is a 26in TV that's part of the company's QASA range of high-end LCD televisions. It provides decent quality for its price. With a built-in DVD player and 720p playback capability, the QSL262CT LCD TV is suitable for small living rooms or as a secondary television in the bedroom.

Pros

  • Displays 720p content, integrated DVD player, clean and sharp image

Cons

  • Poor contrast ratio, disappointing sound quality, DVDs aren't upscaled

Bottom Line

Soniq's 26in LCD television provides a decent quality viewing experience on the cheap. While it doesn't deliver superlative performance, its integrated DVD player makes it a cheap option for the kids or in the bedroom.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 599.00 (AUD)

The Soniq QSL262CT LCD television offers a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels and is capable of displaying 720p high-definition content. Image quality is quite good, with a vibrant colour gamut and a sharp, clear image provided you alter some of the video settings. There are a host of advanced video settings, though we found only the Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) option had any noticeable effect on image quality.

Unfortunately, there are a few shortfalls. The panel uses CCFL backlighting instead of LEDs and has a contrast ratio of 800:1. Even on a display of this size, the low contrast ratio translates to poor black levels, which can make the television look washed out in a well-lit environment. Some backlight bleeding also occurs at the edges of the display.

Motion isn't quite as smooth as we would like. Soniq claims the QSL262CT LCD TV has a response time of 5 milliseconds which, while good for a 26in display, doesn't prevent clipping during fast action content in both movies and games. More expensive models often compensate for this with faster refresh rates, a feature the QSL262CT lacks.

You'll want to team the Soniq QSL262CT LCD television with a set of dedicated speakers for a better viewing experience. While the integrated soundbar is certainly loud enough, we found the audio muddy despite alterations to the sound profiles and turning off the Maxxbass option.

A DVD player on the back of the QSL262CT makes the TV simple to set up in a bedroom or kitchen. The DVD components look almost tacked onto the back of the television body, with the slot and controls at the very back. DVDs can't be inserted unless the TV is switched to the DVD source and, even then, they must be inserted back-to-front. Basic controls are available directly from TV, but you won't be able to properly navigate DVD menus without the remote control.

The Soniq QSL262CT 26in LCD TV displays DVDs at a 576p resolution so they don't take full advantage of the display's 720p capability. At the same time, however, the use of a native DVD resolution means there are no visual aberrations as a result of poor upscaling. Noise appeared to be a particular issue when watching DVDs, but the television's Digital Noise Reduction feature eradicated most of this.

There are numerous inputs on the Soniq QSL262CT 26in, including three HDMI ports, two component inputs, composite, S-Video and an RGB port with a 3.5mm line-in jack.

Naturally the Soniq QSL262CT LCD television doesn't match the standard of Samsung's Series 8 LED-backlit LCDs or Panasonic's high-end plasmas but, for its size and certainly for its price, the Soniq QSL262CT LCD television provides decent image quality.

Stay up to date with the latest reviews. Sign up to GoodGearGuide’s Gear Daily newsletters

Follow GoodGearGuide on Twitter: @Goodgearguide

Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the PC World newsletter.

Read more on these topics: Soniq, home entertainment

Be the first to comment.

Post new comment

Users posting comments agree to the Good Gear Guide comments policy.

Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.

Most Popular

Tethering tutorial: How to use your iPhone as a modem
Capacitive vs resistive touchscreens
LCD vs plasma vs LED TVs buying guide
The next Xbox reveal: What to expect from the Xbox 720
How to pick the right size TV for your living room

Best Deals on PCWorld

TVsView all »
Home EntertainmentView all »
ProjectorsView all »
MonitorsView all »
Digital VideoView all »

Resources

TVs Product Finder
Find the product you're looking for with our TVs search tool.