The UMC L216/17B is a 21.6-inch widescreen TV that comes at a rock-bottom price. For some, this is the first factor they would notice. Surprisingly though, the screen provides excellent quality of performance and this unit is a great opportunity for anyone to enjoy the benefits that a high quality LCD TV has to offer minus the hefty cost that usually comes with the major brands. And what’s more, the TV also comes with a built-in DVD player.

Looking at the UMC L216/17B, you’ll find that it has a modern and attractive design that is both elegant and practically slim considering it includes a DVD player below the LCD screen. The TV comes with the standard stand and measures 534mm wide, 418mm tall and 203mm deep. It can also be mounted on a wall with a wall bracket, sold separately.

Impressively, the TV has a 21.6-inch 16:9 widescreen display with Full HD 1920×1080 resolution. Considering its rather small size, a full HD screen is certainly a pleasant surprise. This makes it a good output unit for high-definition video, allowing it to deliver clear, sharp image details and vibrant colours. And with a built-in digital tuner, digital channels can be viewed superbly, especially with the UMC L216/17B which has Freeview. The TV also boasts a 1000:1 contrast ratio and 300 cd/m2 brightness, good enough for an LCD TV with a small screen.

Also, because this UMC TV is Full HD capable, it is also a great monitor for playing games for game consoles like Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that throw out rich graphics. When used as such, you will easily notice that the video output is at its optimum and the graphics are truly amazing. You get the same high-quality pictures when you watch digital shows and programs from Freeview and from high-definition video sources such as a Blu-ray player.

Allow these other electronic devices to connect to the TV through a series of ports found on the back of the unit that are easily accessible whether it is mounted on a wall or placed on a table or desk . What you’ll find are individual ports each for HDMI connection, a Scart, component and composite video, and PC input. Also, next to these connectivity options on the right side of the unit is an ON/OFF switch.

Installation is quite easy and it comes with a very user-friendly interface. Plugged in, connected to an aerial antenna or cable and turned on, the UMC L216/17B automatically updates and scans for channels and stations. This is a great feature for those who don’t really know much about LCD TVs and their settings, which is a pretty good percentage of the population.

Sound quality is pretty average and doesn’t really impress. However, this is understandable as this is a small package that also comes with small speakers, to be precise, two 3-watt speakers hidden in the front panel. However, the television comes with four sound presets to choose from. If you are using the TV in a small room, this is enough.

One drawback with the UMC L216/17B is the small text that appears on the menu screen. Even for a person with good eyesight at normal viewing distance, it is a bit difficult to read. This problem is also evident on the channel screen. If you change channels frequently, you may find it difficult to read which channel you are already on.

But if you can live with those minor hiccups, and might consider this one of the lower-priced LCD DVD combo TVs, this is certainly a fantastic buy, mainly because of its sheer versatility and incredible picture performance.