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Rock is a brand that’s usually associated notebook computers, but recently the company has decided to branch out into the LCD TV arena, with this 32in unit being the first model to hit the streets.

Design wise the Rock is a bit of a mixed bag. The actual TV is finished well with a glossy black bezel surrounding the screen. Unfortunately this sleek look is spoiled by the grey plastic speaker bar at the bottom. This issue is compounded when you look at the rear of the set and notice that bare wires connect the speaker bar the TV. Not only does this look cheap and unprofessional, but the very thin speaker wire speaks volumes about the quality of the speaker bar itself. That said, the sound on the Rock is far better than the ViewSonic, but the Evesham still blows it out of the water.

Where the Rock does excel is in the input department. Obviously you’ve got HDMI and component video inputs for high definition sources, but Rock has also thrown in a DVI port for good measure. There’s also a total of three SCART sockets on offer – that’s one more than both the ViewSonic and the Evesham. There’s also S-Video and composite inputs on offer, rounding off quite a selection. Bizarrely, the Rock also has S-Video and composite video outputs, but with only an analogue tuner inside the Rock, I really don’t understand why you’d want video outputs at all.

On the right hand side of the chassis are basic controls, but realistically you’ll be using the remote control. The Rock shipped with the best remote of the three, while the myriad of inputs were easily controlled with the source button that instantly brought up a list of inputs for you to choose from.

Although the Rock may leave all in its wake when it comes to connectivity, unfortunately the same can’t be said for picture quality. Top of the list of problems is the fact that the picture looks very washed out, and like the ViewSonic, if you try to make adjustments to bring some contrast back into the image you lose detail in darker areas. In fact the Rock never managed to come close to a good black level, with a hazy grey being the best it could manage. Making things worse was a truly poor viewing angle, which washed the picture out even more as the angle became more acute.

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