BenQ VA371 LCD TV

BenQ: a brand that's made up of some ten companies, of which AU Optronics (one of the biggest LCD panel makers) is one. They claim to "operate independently while sharing resources and leveraging synergies". Perhaps they work by synchronized macro functions in a huge robotic city within ten demarcated color-coded zones. I imagine industrial clanking, steel trusses looming overhead, purple silhouettes with automated machines… maybe a game should come out called ‘BenQ Force’ or something (are you listening, Valve?)

Before I get sidetracked further, let me get back to the task at hand . We received BenQ's already well-established LCD model called VA371, a 37-incher. It's been around for a while now; my bad for not reviewing it till date. Better late than never, right? And since it’s Diwali, you deserve to be spoilt for choice. I shan’t let the big boys with their marketing muscle push the others back. No siree, I’m the sheriff!

Design & Features
Attractive but predictable, the body is a blend of metallic silver and black. The lustrous silver frame cradles the dense black bezel and 37-inch frame, while the front panel, below the screen, has appropriate logos imprinted in contrasting silver fonts. Below this is situated a perforated metallic speaker grille. Yet another model that has the speaker panel below. I like it though; it looks nice.

The build quality is quite good; with tough plastic being the material of choice. The stand is quite sturdy too. This stand is permanently fixed (no swiveling around is possible), but the good thing is that setup is made drastically simple, unlike some brands that include Allen keys and screws. You can also opt to wall-mount the panel; the mounting accessories are not included though.

The VA371 is equipped for HD compatibility, with a 1366 x 768 pixel LCD panel, also known as WXGA. The contrast ratio is 1200:1, and the good part is that it's native contrast ratio and not dynamic values, unlike the big boys who talk about 10000 and 12000 ratios which really isn't a fair deal. Brightness is highly rated at 500cd/m2, while the response time of 8ms is fast enough.

I decided to plug in the PS3 to check it out. The TV has plenty of connectivity options: an HDMI terminal, plus three sets of component video input sockets. In addition there's a PC VGA cable input, and so are old-timers like S-video and Composite. One set of Composite connections is on the left side of the TV for quick and easy setup, though the main rack is at the back, facing downwards. This makes it a bit of a hassle to connect up an HD rig, especially for lazy bums like me.