Technika 26-56D review

If there’s one thing Tesco-exclusive brand Technika is expert at, it’s eye-catching prices.

Here, your £230 buys a nicely made, properly finished TV with the same 1366 x 768 resolution as its pricier rivals, a pair of TV tuners, a third HDMI input where many offers just the two – and an integrated DVD player.

As bedroom/kitchen/kid’s room TV sets go, the convenience of the Technika is tempting in the extreme.

The on-screen menus and remote control are flattered by the term ‘rudimentary’, but nonetheless the Technika is straightforward to set up.

Makes sense with off-air content
Initially, it’s a bold watch. A downscaled Blu-ray of The Invention of Lying enjoys a brazenly vivid colour palette, strong contrasts and reasonable levels of detail.

Watch a little longer, though, and beneath that vivacity there are a number of problems. Picture noise settles in and refuses to be shifted; edge definition is little more than an aspiration; black tones lack any kind of gradation.

The broad strokes are all in place, but the Technika serves up unsubtle high-definition images.

Pictures from the onboard tuners are, of course, less detailed and more poorly defined – but the drop-off isn’t as marked as with some more expensive rivals.

Performance shortcomings
The 26-25D, consequently, makes a bit more sense as a pure TV. The convenience of that integrated DVD drive, though, is undermined somewhat by the noisy pictures that result. Motion of any kind is enough to bring the Technika out in a metaphorical cold sweat.

Sound is predictably thin and reedy, and follows the standard of the group by being cheerfully unsubtle.

Nevertheless, we can see a market for this set: its combination of price and convenience should be enough for some to forgive performance shortcomings.

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