Akai LM-H30CJSA: low-cost display

In the face of a capitalist marketing regime that aims to turn us into brand-loyal consumer monkeys, it takes a brave person to buy from a relatively unproven name. Luckily, Crave is here to help point you in the direction of gadgets that might just be worth that risk. The Akai LM-H30CJSA, for example, is a 30-inch LCD available for just £799 -- in other words, only a couple of hundred pounds more than an equivalent CRT.

"Where's the catch?" we hear you ask. Well, the screen might not be up there with the Sharps and Sonys of the flatscreen world, and it's not high definition compatible (that would be a remarkable bargain). On paper, however, the screen's specs look pretty good, with a WXGA panel resolution and progressive scan component inputs. So if you're the sort of person that likes to fly in the face of convention and, for example, choose a Creative Zen MP3 player over an Apple iPod, the Akai LM-H30CJSA might just float your boat.

Our advice, though: wait until we've checked out the Akai LM-H30CJSA as part of our ongoing pursuit to find a decent LCD for under a grand, and we'll give you the low-down in a full review. -GC