Almost everything you want except the looks

Hannspree Impact LCD

In the competitive market for television sets, it's rare that a new manufacturer emerges to take on established giants such as Philips, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony.

But Taiwan's Hannspree is exploiting its access to LCD (liquid crystal display) panels to launch a range of flat-screen TVs in 10-inch through to 23-inch formats.

Hannspree is the creation of Yu-chi Chiao, the chairman of HannStar, which supplies about 25 per cent of the world's LCD panels.

Early models suggest Hannspree is targeting the market for mid-priced electronics with quirky looking TV sets for children's bedrooms, rumpus rooms and second lounges. The 10-inch LCD range has the screens built into all sorts of objects, from a ladybird to an apple and a red fire engine.

I've never seen anything quite like them and couldn't understand the appeal in the fire engine until a 6-year-old visited my house. It was the first thing she latched on to.

But she wasn't interested in watching TV - she immediately tried to use the fire engine-cum-TV like a toy, which made me nervous. I placated her with the plastic TV remote, which is in the form of a cartoon fireman.

Among the fire engine TV's special features is a "fire department emblem style similar to that of the real one". Two blue lights even flash in true fire engine fashion.

Hannspree has quite cleverly stitched up a deal with Disney to brand many of its sets with the characters in Disney's movies.

The kids' range is accompanied by a line-up of sports-themed TVs that will have fans of golf or basketball chuckling.

Of more interest to me is Hannspree's range of 23-inch LCD screens, which are large enough to serve as a primary TV set.

The model that graced my lounge for a couple of weeks was also fire engine red, but that's as close to the kids' model as it got. The red was fairly distracting except when watching DVDs or TV in a dark room. The "style" range does come in other colours, so I'd be going for black or the fetching navy blue if buying.

The Hannspree 23-inch supports high-definition feeds and is future-proofed for the next generation of TV and DVD viewing and gaming.

Its 1280 by 768 pixel resolution screen is built in true widescreen format and fronted by a plastic coating that cuts down on reflection. It competes well with similarly priced screens.

The 23-inch Hannspree can display content at up to "1080i" format - a very high level of resolution that gives digital video encoded in the format a much nicer look. There's a great split-screen mode that can be set up to display a computer's monitor on one side and a TV channel on the other.

I'm less keen on the rubbery trim around the Hannspree. The TV sits on spindly legs coated in bulbous rubber. If I'm shelling out $2000 on a TV set, I want it to look understated and stylish. To me, the Hannspree 23-inch sets are a little gaudy.

A hinged, white panel at the rear of the TV hides a healthy cluster of connections. There are two composite inputs, component inputs that will please gamers and those plugging in DVD players. There are two S-Video ports for plugging in computers, though strangely no VGA port to accommodate older computers like mine. There is a DVI port, which is something that's starting to appear on newer computers to ensure a higher-quality feed to displays.

A Compact Flash slot can be used to plug in memory cards to view photos through the TV, but SD and Memory Stick cards aren't supported.

The Hannspree 23-inch has everything you'd want in a TV. The question is whether the aesthetics are to your taste. You'll certainly get the children's vote.


Hannspree LCD TV

* Pros: High-definition ready; good connectivity options.
* Cons: No SD or Memory Stick card slot; rubber trim a bit tacky.
* Price: $2099
* Herald Rating: 7/10.