With PCs being used more and more for entertainment and an abundance of digital video content available, you’re likely to find yourself watching a fair bit of video content on a PC.

Some manufacturers, such as Packard Bell with its new Maestro series, are blurring the line between LCD TV and LCD computer monitor.

The 22in Maestro we have on test is certainly large enough to cater for both uses, but in terms of connectivity it is more oriented towards your computer. A single DVI and twin VGA ports give the user the choice of computer connection, and there are built in 5W speakers to help cut down on extra clutter around the desktop.

Setting the monitor up is easy enough, fitting snugly into the stylish silver stand that allows it to be tilted a few degrees up and down, although, frustratingly, it's not possible to adjust its height or swivel left or right. We also noticed that while the viewing angle is quite wide, the viewability of the image starts to deteriorate pretty quickly once you move far to one side, which may affect groups of people watching video content or playing games.

We’re very impressed by the design, though, with a piano black finish on the casing and cool blue light above a row of five control buttons at the bottom. These are pretty easy to use but most users will have to fiddle around a bit to begin with to optimise the picture. For most users for whom video playback or gaming isn’t a priority, the large widescreen display, giving more room on the desktop, is pretty impressive.

The gloss coating on the screen means that colours are extremely vibrant and clear, and the high resolution gives plenty of room in which to work. When it came to video playback we started encountering some problems with light leakage at the top and bottom of the display in dark environments or dark scenes in films.

This can be improved a bit by tweaking the settings but we’d have liked some presets here to make it easier. Gamers won’t encounter as many of these issues, so while this is a perfectly competent desktop display for PC use, if your priorities lie more on the video side of things you might want to look elsewhere.

Vista compatible: N/A