Syntax Olevia LT26HVE 26-Inch HD-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV
I'm pleased with it!
The purchase of the LT26HVE 26 represented our families first venture into the world of flat screen television.  We have, over the past few years, explored the flat screen market and always found the price of a nice sized television to be the biggest obstacle.  Well, when we found this television for below $700 we figured now was the time to take the plunge.  We were concerned about purchasing a television from a company we had never heard of until the sales rep explained to us why this set was as good as many name brand televisions.  The sales rep actually took the time to point out the pros and cons.  I usually don't pay much attention to greedy sales reps, but this guy really seemed more concerned with making sure we understood what we were purchasing than with making sure we purchased any old television.<br /><br />Anyway, here are a list of the pro's and cons.<br /><br />Pros<br />1. Light weight.  I usually get a good work out hauling around our 27 inch and 32 inch tube televisions, by comparison, the  LT26HVE 26 seemed as light as a feather.  My lower back loves the television more than the rest of my body.<br />2. Easy hook up.  Like many people I shun reading the manuals, at least with this television I didn't need it for the installation of the various cables.<br />3. The on screen menu options are fairly easy to understand and follow.<br />4. The DVD picture is good.  Our cable pictures are about the same as our tube pictures.  We don't have HDTV yet and so I can't blame the television for not improving our cable image.<br />5. I'm pleased with the sound.  I should mention that this television is in our bedroom and so we don't play it with the volume up that loud.<br />6. I don't want to beat a dead horse but the price is really good.  I guess I'm a little cheap, because it's going to take one heck of salesmen to get me to spend a Grand or more on a television.<br />7. The picture is still pretty clear when not viewing the screen while directly in front of it.<br />8. This television comes equipped to handle just about any kind of connection you may have.  I doubt I'll use the television for a computer monitor or to play games on but at least I have the option.  It's the first television I've been able to use with an S Cable connection for the DVD player.<br /><br />Cons<br />1. Screen burn out may be a problem.  I prefer to watch shows and movies that are shown in the 4:3 aspect ratio in that ratio.  I don't like stretching the image to accommodate a wider aspect ratio.  I've been warned that the reduced image may cause the cropping lines to be burned into the screen over time.  I guess some newer televisions come with a feature that slowly shifts the cropped screen from side to side so that screen burnout can be avoided.  I don't believe this television has that feature.<br />2. There is no \\"Sleep\\" function on the remote.  For me this is a big \\"con.\\"  I'm used to hopping into bed and tapping the sleep button to set the television to shut off within a half hour.  Now I have to flip through the menu options and set the television to shut off at a specific time.  I also have to adjust the time to 24 hour (military) time.  Seems kind of slow and outdated to me.  I haven't purchased a television within the last fifteen years that didn't have a \\"Sleep\\" button.<br />3. Call me crazy but I kind of like a tube picture.  I know LCD's are all the rage these days but I think my tube televisions are richer in color than LCD's?  Also, my eyes get a little sore after staring at this LCD.  It may just be me but I think LCD's are harder on the eyes.<br /><br />In the end this television has more pros than cons.  We are considering purchasing a 32 inch model for our downstairs family room.d to handle just about any kind of connection you may have.  I doubt I'll use the television for a computer monitor or to play games on but at least I have the option.  It's the first television I've been able to use with an S Cable connection for the DVD player.    Cons  1. Screen burn out may be a problem.  I prefer to watch shows and movies that are shown in the 4:3 aspect ratio in that ratio.  I don't like stretching the image to accommodate a wider aspect ratio.  I've been warned that the reduced image may cause the cropping lines to be burned into the screen over time.  I guess some newer televisions come with a feature that slowly shifts the cropped screen from side to side so that screen burnout can be avoided.  I don't believe this television has that feature.  2. There is no \\"Sleep\\" function on the remote.  For me this is a big \\"con.\\"  I'm used to hopping into bed and tapping the sleep button to set the television to shut off within a half hour.  Now I have to flip through the menu options and set the television to shut off at a specific time.  I also have to adjust the time to 24 hour (military) time.  Seems kind of slow and outdated to me.  I haven't purchased a television within the last fifteen years that didn't have a \\"Sleep\\" button.  3. Call me crazy but I kind of like a tube picture.  I know LCD's are all the rage these days but I think my tube televisions are richer in color than LCD's?  Also, my eyes get a little sore after staring at this LCD.  It may just be me but I think LCD's are harder on the eyes.    In the end this television has more pros than cons.  We are considering purchasing a 32 inch model for our downstairs family room.