In the past Acer has been known more for its success in the notebook and LCD market than with LCD TVs, but a new range looks to offer a desirable combination of both value and quality.
Our quick take
With the AT4220 Acer has provided the perfect solution for those who want big performance from a big screen at a small price. For the money, the Acer is excellent value with an extremely impressive display, very usable controls and a great range of connectivity.
Acer AT4220 42 inch LCD television - 4.5 / 5
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The AT4220 is the largest in the series and undoubtedly the most impressive. At a positively slight 32kg it's fairly light for such a large screen, which is partly down to an extremely slim build. The grey and black design won’t win over any art critics but it certainly won’t look out of place in a high-end home cinema setup either.
You won't find the 4220 to be packed with extras, but a good range of connectivity includes two Scart, two HDMI, component, composite and VGA.
Everything you need to get started is here, and you'll forgive Acer for not providing you with more toys to play with when you see the price.
At £999 RRP (save around £100 online if you shop around) you won't find a 42 inch LCD for much less anywhere else. We were desperate for the screen to deliver then, proving that you don't always have to pay top dollar for a decent display. Thankfully we weren't disappointed.
You'll find an analogue TV tuner built-in but this is effectively redundant on such a large screen, with a display this size it would be a travesty to throw anything less than a digital signal its way. Predictably at this price point it'd be unreasonable to expect 1080p support, but 720p/1080i signals were extremely impressive.
The screen is vibrant, sharp and clear, and although you will find displays that do a better job you'll find yourself paying a hell of a lot more for the privilege. A slim and light remote that reflects the aesthetics of the TV makes it extremely easy to adjust settings to improve picture or audio. A selection of presets offers quick options to optimise for movies, sports, concerts or games. Of course you can fine tune your own user settings and the effective overlay makes it more painless than most to achieve the picture or audio you want.
A few handy controls such as recall to flick between recent settings and a sleep function are about the extent of the additional functionality on offer, so those on the look out for Freeview or a digital tuner might find the 4220 a little light on the ground. If you're the kind of person who values screen size over these sorts of features we're pleased to announce that the Acer won't disappoint.
The higher the quality of the signal you can put into the 4220 the better it performs, and at this price you're getting fantastic value for money. In addition to all this, those concerned about the durability of what is effectively a budget priced screen might be reassured to see a 2 year warranty come as standard, which should be enough to put the biggest cynic’s mind at rest.
To recap
A 42 inch LCD TV for under £1000 that actually performs, this is a great budget screen for those who want a lot for a little