You might not have heard of Linsar before. It’s a British concern, and is sold through John Lewis. Which means, of course, that you get all the perks of that shop's warranty, delivery and after-sales support – unlike some other less well-known brands you might find.
This smartly turned-out Linsar 22in LED set boasts an integrated DVD player, but it’s a slot-loader – which keeps the depth of the set down. Good news for wall-mounting, then.
Round the back you'll find a basic set of connections, including two HDMIs, PC and Scart inputs, and a digital coaxial audio out, while on one side there’s a headphone socket, an AV socket and a USB port. On the other is the DVD drive.
Linsar 22LED906T: Picture quality
After quick set-up courtesy of the THX Optimizer Blu-ray, first on the menu is a standard-definition broadcast of Come Dine with Me. Dismissing the slightly iffy picture quality that’s a given on pretty much any SD broadcast channel, you wouldn’t have this set pegged at £230 based on first impressions.
The picture is sharp, clear and clean. The whites might not be the brightest, but there’s plenty of detail to dark areas, even if the contrast on offer could be better. Skin (and food) tones, meanwhile, are realistic, and solid blocks of colour appear stable.
We slot Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope into the drive, and the good news continues. Say what you like about George Lucas’s CG additions to the film, there’s no doubting that they look crisp and slick on this screen.
Colours are occasionally on the vivid side, but only in extremis – they are, in fact, rather accurate on the whole. Motion has occasional hiccups, but it’s better here than with broadcast content.
Linsar 22LED906T: Blu-ray performance
Switch to Blu-ray and it’s more of the same. The ultra slow-mo sequences in TT: Closer To The Edge are a tough test for motion-handling, but here the Linsar brings its A-game. Yes, there's the odd stutter, but on the whole, it’s smooth and absorbing. As with DVD content, contrast and colour enjoy a boost in punch and accuracy over Freeview broadcasts.
The remote is on the large side, but it’s easy to use, well laid-out and has big, tactile buttons that are easy to find in the dark.
Linsar 22LED906T: VerdictOnly slightly ropey sound (and a lack of smart features) lets the side down slightly here, but those are minor points – for £230, we think this is a great buy.
