Hannspree SV42LMNB review

Picture quality takes a major step down when you switch to Freeview; blocking and noise artefacts become much more noticeable and there’s a significant lack of detail on the lower-quality channels. At this price it’s no surprise that Freeview HD and Freesat tuners are missing; with only standard Freeview, you’ll have to buy an additional set-top box if you want free-to-air HD channels. A 7-day EPG is a welcome feature, but the interface looks blocky and very plain.

There are a few other aspects that give away the SV42LMNB’s budget leanings; two 10W speakers produce mediocre audio that can barely fill a medium-sized room and can’t hope to match a dedicated speaker system. The remote control might have a sensible layout, but all the buttons feel very spongy and it’s not always clear if you’ve pressed one or not because the on-screen display suffers from noticeable lag at times. Although neither issue can be considered a deal-breaker, they are irritating.

It’s clear that the SV42LMNB has its flaws, and at this low price many are forgivable. However, if you’re simply looking for a big screen at a low price then the LG 42LD490 is a better bet at £420. Alternatively, Sony and Samsung have yet to send us their budget LCD TV ranges for 2011, so hold out for those upcoming reviews.