Acer AT3705-DTV (37-inch LCD)

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By Philip Wong, CNET Asia
May 19, 2006

There is a distinctive trend in the flat-panel TV business when it comes to aesthetic design fashioned from different regions. Spearheading the pack are the Japanese and European electronics powerhouses with strong emphasis in form and appeal, followed closely by the increasingly design-oriented Korean chaebols. Playing catch up, are the Taiwanese and Chinese with an eye on affordability and functionality over visual cue.

Taiwanese PC monitor-turned-TV manufacturer Acer turns the tables around with an encouraging attempt at addressing this aesthetic deficiency in its latest AT3705-DTV LCD TV. Sporting new curves and a classy black piano finish, its design is on par with the big boys while extra icing such as a full-HD panel, digital tuner and rich connectivity add to its overall appeal.

Design
At first glance, the AT3705 has a near-identical front panel as its sibling reviewed last year. Both models are decked in two-tone shades, though a luscious black piano finish was elected this time round. A lot more curves are also deployed in the set with a subtle S-shaped profile extending from the top to its factory-installed pedestal stand--a double-edged sword as the stand neither swivels nor tilts, making fine adjustment a muscle-straining exercise.

For a 37-incher, the Acer is a mammoth among its class, overshadowing the award-winning Hitachi 37LD8800TA by over 245mm in length and 9kg in weight. The extra bulk is attributed to the beefy speakers and a chunky 50mm-thick stand which runs along the bottom of the panel.

	Controls and easy-access A/V sockets are concealed behind a flip-down cover. (Click for larger image)

If you are planning on tapping the onboard digital interfaces, do consider slim plug interconnects as the terminals have marginal tolerance for the thicker variety due to tight placement--our review unit refused to mate with a Monster Cable HDMI-to-DVI adapter due to its bulk.

While we appreciate the fine styling and contrasting colors of the black-and-silver remote, its stiff and tiny buttons could have been better. This is particularly true for the four-way navigation keys which are a little thin for comfortable operations. That said, owners with a huge collection of A/V boxes will appreciate Acers choice of dedicated video input buttons, making switching a breeze.

We had a better time fiddling with the sets graphical user interface. Nested within the well-structured menu is an assortment of audio-visual configurations including basic video parameters and customizable bass/treble fine-tuning. Our only gripes are the missing hue setting and a skin-deep user manual which tends to brush through technicalities without adequate elaboration.

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