Verdict: Glossy isn't always great

Looks are always a matter of taste but, with its shiny, high-gloss screen and bottom bezel enlarged to take in the speaker panel, the FP71V+ has all the style of a no-brand budget LCD TV. On a positive note, the speakers are the best of any of the 17in TFTs on test. This doesn't actually mean that they're any good - the sound lacks body and distorts at higher volumes - but they're adequate for occasional games and music, and there's a handy headphone socket at the front.

Ergonomically, things are reasonable. Even if the stand isn't height-adjustable, the screen sits at a comfortable level and shouldn't cause neckache during lengthy sessions of Battlefield 2. Sadly, the controls are awful, with awkward-to-find buttons hidden beneath the front bezel and an OSD that's just the opposite of intuitive. However, there's a handy mode switch that enables you to quickly select between four tailored colour settings: standard, movie 1, movie 2 and photo.

The FP71V+ boasts some impressive specs, including a 500:1 contrast ratio, a quoted 8ms response time and a 300 cd/m2 luminance rating. In practice, however, the image quality isn't so great. In standard mode, the image has a clear green/yellow cast, and while the two movie modes replace this with a more likable blue cast, it's still disappointing. In our technical tests, the FP71V+ struggled to reproduce dimmer reds and lighter greys, and there was visible banding in both greyscale and colour intensity ramps. As a result, the panel rarely hits the mark on colour across the spectrum. This isn't a display for the budding David Bailey.

In both Doom 3 and 'Bad Boys 2', the FP71V+ coped well with fast movement, deep blacks and a decent level of detail, but the reflectivity of the screen worked against it. To see the FP71V+ at its best, you must be in a darkened room; add ambient lighting and you get a reflection so clear you could shave in it.

Although the FP71V+ is the second-cheapest TFT on test, the other displays beat it soundly for quality or value for money.

• Cases - 21st November 2008
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