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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 performance quality and this unit is a great opportunity for anyone to enjoy the benefits a high quality LCD TV has to offer minus the hefty cost that major brands usually carry. And on top of that, the TV also comes with a built-in DVD player.
Looking at the UMC L216/17B, you will find that it has a modern and attractive design that is both elegant and virtually slim considering that it includes a DVD player under the LCD screen. The TV comes with the standard stand and measures 534mm wide, 418mm high and 203mm deep. It can also be mounted on a wall with a separately sold wall bracket.
Impressively, the TV has a 21.6-inch 16:9 widescreen with a Full HD resolution of 1920×1080. 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, enabling it to deliver crisp, clear image detail and vibrant colours. And with an integrated digital tuner, digital channels are great to watch, 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 an excellent gaming monitor for game consoles like Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that throw out rich graphics. When used as such, you’ll easily notice that the video output is at its optimum and the graphics are truly amazing. You get the same high-quality images when watching digital programs 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 on the back of the unit that are easily accessible whether it’s mounted on a wall or placed on top of 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.
The installation is quite easy and it comes with a very user-friendly interface. One 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 are not really familiar with LCD TVs and their setup, which is a pretty good percentage of the population.
Sound quality is pretty average and doesn’t really impress. This is understandable though, as this is a small set that also comes with small speakers – two 3-watt speakers hidden in the front panel to be precise. 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 a normal viewing distance, it’s a bit hard 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 lowest priced LCD DVD combo TVs, this is certainly a fantastic buy, mainly for its sheer versatility and incredible picture performance.