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• The Good: Decent picture quality; excellent price point; features a pair of component ports and a VGA input in addition to standard composite and S-video jacks.
• The Bad: No HDMI port; occasional issues with lagging images in fast moving scenes; shallow picture and audio control functionality.
• The Verdict: It's missing a few frills, but is well suited for dual use as a large PC monitor and small LCD HDTV.
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REVIEW:

If you were to ask someone to list off a few popular television manufacturers, chances are LG wouldn't be among the brands mentioned. But if you were to ask that same person to name some computer monitor makers, there's a good chance LG would be near the top of the list.

And perhaps that's why LG's 23LX1R, a 23-inch flat panel liquid crystal display, works so well as a computer monitor/HDTV hybrid rather than just as a television.

I tested it in conjunction with an HP Media Centre m1160n PC, connecting through the VGA port and using it for daily computing activities, watching DVDs, playing games, and streaming HD cable TV. It handled all of these activities splendidly. And, at $1,399 (Cdn.), the 23LX1R is priced several hundred dollars lower than most first-tier LCDs of similar size.

Of course, it hasn't all the bells and whistles found on many first-tier televisions, which is why it's better suited as a PC monitor/television.

For example, there's no High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) input, which may discourage people who own newer DVD players that support HDMI. In the absence of HDMI, the 23LX1R sports a modest assortment of other video inputs, including a pair of component video ports, one S-video input, and one composite video jack, along with the VGA port mentioned earlier.

Also, the image adjustment controls are shallow. LG's engineers included a small selection of presets meant to simplify or eliminate the need for tinkering with audio and video settings. The default audio and video presets are fine under most viewing circumstances, and switching to the Cinema setting while watching movies makes for slightly more dramatic shadows and lighting.

Some manual control exists, but they're a bit clunky. A greater range of image adjustment functionality to help deal with the black level issues typically associated with LCDs would have been appreciated.

However, what it lacks in perks it makes up for in picture quality. With a resolution of 1,366-by-768, the 23LX1R can take advantage of 720p and 1080i input signals to render HD video in progressive scan format. And its 178-degree viewing angle meets or beats that of many more expensive sets.

I detected a few instances of lag in extremely fast moving movie and video game scenes, likely due to the 16 millisecond panel response time — a few milliseconds slower than more expensive panels. However, the people I was with didn't seem to notice anything, so it could just be a case of tech journalist nitpicking.

It also has a fairly weak 2D comb filter, which, though moderately useful in eliminating the so-called "dot crawl" associated with video images that have several parallel lines, isn't as effective as more advanced 3D filters, which are now fairly common.

But, overall, I can report few noticeable problems with the 23LX1R's picture quality.

The pair of seven-watt speakers located on the left and right side of the display aren't particularly powerful. I experimented with several of the sound presets, but I was never satisfied with the power or clarity of audio. In the end I simply lowered the volume on the set and relied on my own speakers, as I assume most consumers normally will as well.

In terms of style, the 23LX1R is a little chunky, but generally pleasant to look at. The set swivels, but doesn't tilt. The shiny, piano black frame surrounding the display is several centimetres wide, providing the illusion that the screen is much larger than it really is when it isn't turned on. The words "Liquid Crystal Display" glow in bright blue at the bottom of the screen, which I found a little distracting. However, the light can be switched off from the on-screen menu.

The 23LX1R's generic looking black remote isn't very complex. It sports a curved shape and felt nice to hold, but I was a bit disappointed with the limited instant access functionality provided by the 26 button layout. I was particularly frustrated by a lack of aspect ratio and zoom controls, both on the remote and within the on-screen menu.

In the end, the 23LX1R is worth checking out, particularly if you happen to be looking for a combined PC monitor and HDTV solution for your desk. It may be lacking a few frills, but its picture quality — the most important characteristic of any television or monitor — is better than average for its price range.