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Flat screens for Valentines

The origin of Valentine's Day has many possible explanations. Many assume that it honours St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. Others say that Valentine was a priest, jailed by Emperor Claudius and subsequently honoured on 14 February by Pope Gelasius. The real meaning of Valentine's Day has been diluted thanks to millions of red roses and heart-shaped balloons, so why not be original this year and treat that special someone to a huge flat-screen TV?

If you're something of a cheapskate and your Valentine's budget only stretches to a measly £1,000, you can still get change for a slap-up meal if you buy the Samsung LE32R41BD. At a pretty £916, the television is quite the bargain, and its stylish good looks and high-quality picture will trick your Valentine into thinking you've really pushed the boat out.

If you've been seeing your Valentine for a while and know that their technological preference is LCD, then you'll win some major brownie points with Toshiba's 37WLT58. It's bigger than the majority of LCDs at 37 inches, yet its £1,500 price tag won't break the bank of a young lethario. And when you've finished watching When Harry Met Sally, you can catch up on the day's events with Sky News, thanks to the integrated Freeview tuner.

If you're a hopeless romantic and know that nothing less than a 42-inch plasma will please your dearest, then you'd better go out and buy the LG 42PX5D. Anyone who doesn't tear off the wrapping paper and worship you for this TV's high-definition panel, memory card inputs and integrated digital TV tuner deserves to be dumped on the spot.

If your Valentine is a real techno-geek, then the words 'Loewe Concept L32' will be instantly translate into 'I love you more than life itself'. This £1,600 32-inch LCD looks so good that it should be hanging out with the catwalk models of Milan. Unlike those vacuous airheads though, this LCD has something to keep you interested once you've got past the good looks and curvy body, including a sexy little HDMI input, stunning picture quality and superior sound.

Editors:

3.5 stars out of 5

Users:

4.25 stars out of 5

Toshiba 37WLT58

On paper, the Toshiba 37WLT58 can claim market-leading connectivity, including two HDMI inputs and a future-proof specification for a reasonable price. In practice, only build quality and a slightly compromised picture separate it from more expensive class leaders Read more

£1,520

Reviewed on 3 February 2006

Editors:

3.5 stars out of 5

Users:

4 stars out of 5

LG 42PX5D

LG's 42PX5D is an attractive, affordable, large-screen plasma with a future-proof specification that includes high-definition compatibility, integrated digital TV and various memory-card applications. Its functionality could be less fussy and its image quality is occasionally compromised, but you'll struggle to find a better price-to-performance ratio Read more

£1,700

Reviewed on 16 December 2005

Editors:

4.0 stars out of 5

Users:

4.85 stars out of 5

Loewe Concept L32

Loewe's Concept L32 is a rarity -- a style-influenced product that performs as well as it looks. Its unique operational system might be frustrating, but picture and sound performance is ultimately outstanding. And a £300 fall in price means it's surprisingly affordable, too Read more

£1,600

Reviewed on 26 October 2005

Editors:

4.0 stars out of 5

Users:

4.5 stars out of 5

Samsung LE32R41BD

Everyone likes a bargain, and Samsung's LE32R41BD is perhaps the best of the year. It wraps a Freeview tuner, high-definition compatibility and a very solid picture in one gorgeously modern chassis, while not skimping on picture quality or features Read more

£950

Reviewed on 21 October 2005

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