Dell W2600: Dell-iciously good LCD

We've seen so many LCD TVs at Crave that we've begun using them as our PC displays. Having such a big screen on your desk brings certain -- benefits. For example, playing Half Life 2 on a 26-inch widescreen display is a dream for avid gamers, even if it is a bit obvious when the boss strolls by.

Now that the asking price for an all-singing, all-dancing high-definition display is as little as £825, the urge to go flat is even more difficult to resist. That's the price Dell has managed to achieve with its W2600, a hugely impressive LCD TV that really shows the traditional AV companies a thing or two about design. It has every connection under the sun -- 12 separate sockets that include a Sky HD-compatible DVI input -- and although we challenge anyone to actually have enough kit to use them all, it's very nice to have the choice.

There is a slight trade-off on picture quality, with the set clearly struggling to reproduce the deep blacks of our Fifth Element test disc. There's also something a bit too blingtastic about the shiny silver and black remote. However, a set like this from a PC vendor gives a clear message to the market and its competitors -- LCD is finally approaching affordability, and you don't have to make too many compromises to create a great low cost flat screen. -GC