Toshiba’s 22DV713B DVD/TV combi might not be a looker, but it’s got a great personality. It’s neither as curvy nor as elegant as Sharp’s 22DV200E, but it doubles its 22-inch rival’s HDMI count and is able to play back music and photo files from USB drives.
It can even play DivX video files courtesy of its DVD deck, as well, of course, as ‘normal’ CD and DVD discs.
The 22DV713B has an HD ready (1,366 x 768-pixel) screen fed by a standard-definition Freeview tuner and can also be used as a PC monitor, thanks to a D-Sub port.
Set-up and use of the TV is hindered by an almost illegibly small Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) that changes channel as you scroll through the listings, slowing the process down considerably.
These irritants are fairly swiftly forgotten, though, once you clock the 22DV713B’s performance, which is substantially better than expected for something so affordable.
For starters, pictures from the DVD deck and Freeview tuner are bright for such a small screen. Even more striking is the amount of contrast available, helping the display deliver richer and more natural colours than is common with cheap, small LCD TVs.
The 22DV713B continues to impress with relatively static HD footage, serving up plenty of sharpness and detail. However, this sharpness breaks down during action scenes due to obvious amounts of motion blur.
Less distracting – but still notable – is a rather grey look to dark scenes. This is surprising, given that black colours look fine within pictures containing a mix of dark and bright material.
The speakers are merely par for the course for a small LCD TV, sounding slight and distorted when asked to reproduce anything more taxing than a chat show.
For all its flaws, though, the 22DV713B remains a cut above most rivals in the value segment of the smallscreen market.
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