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Best 40-inch TVs

Which 40-inch TV is best?

Home theaters are great if you can afford one, but smaller spaces in your home, such as bedrooms, aren’t ideal for such setups. For those spaces, a 40-inch TV can be more than enough. With so many flat-screen and lightweight options available these days, you can undoubtedly get a solid-looking TV that won’t take up too much room.

If you’re looking for a high-quality 40-inch TV, the Samsung 43-Inch Class The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV is a top choice. It offers a stunning 4K display, sleek design and smart features.

What to know before you buy a 40-inch TV

Display technology

A few years ago, liquid crystal displays were the standard for flat-screen TVs. Light-emitting diode displays are standard now, but they’re actually a type of LCD screen. Instead of using cold-cathode fluorescent lights, LED displays use light-emitting diodes for the backlight.

LEDs can be further broken down into organic light-emitting diode and quantum light-emitting diode. QLED offers excellent color and brightness and isn’t prone to burn-in, but contrast is superior on an OLED display.

Resolution

A screen with a resolution display of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels is considered full high definition. Such TVs are marketed as having 1080p displays and are usually the most affordable. However, more and more TVs these days support 4K video playback, a resolution display of 3,840 by 2,140 pixels. Those are marketed as either ultra high definition or 4K TVs.

Full HD TVs look great, but 4K visuals are twice as detailed, and colors often look more vibrant. Naturally, 4K 40-inch TVs are more expensive than those that only support a resolution of up to 1080p.

Refresh rate

Refresh rate refers to how many frames per second are rendered. The standard for most TVs is 60 hertz, but many come with options for switching to 120 hertz. A TV screen running at 120 hertz will look more fluid and create a sort of “soap opera” effect on whatever you’re watching.

What to look for in a quality 40-inch TV

Smart TV

Smart TVs let you access subscription-based streaming services and other apps for viewing content without connecting an external device. Some remote controls even have dedicated buttons for the most popular apps, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu.

Hands-free controls

All TVs come with remote controls, but many high-end models support virtual voice assistants, including Alexa, Google Assistant and Bixby. Voice assistants can adjust settings like volume and picture mode and carry out tasks such as starting an app and controlling music.

Casting

Casting refers to content transferring from another device on the same network. It’s a neat feature that lets you effortlessly reflect what your smartphone or tablet screen shows to the larger TV screen. Apps such as YouTube and Netflix have built-in casting buttons, and if your TV supports it, you can control the app on your TV directly from your handheld device.

How much you can expect to spend on a 40-inch TV

You can find a full HD TV for $200-$600, but if you want a 4K TV from a top brand with premium features, expect to pay anywhere between $600-$1,000.

40-inch TV FAQ

How are TVs measured?

A. TVs are measured diagonally from one corner of the screen to the opposite corner. For example, a 43-inch TV measures that much diagonally, but horizontally from one end of the screen to the other, it will be around 35 1/2 inches.

Can smart TVs freeze or crash like computers?

A. Although it’s not common, smart TVs can encounter connectivity and processing issues. However, it’s an easy fix most of the time, requiring a simple power cycle.

What’s the best 40-inch TV to buy?

Top 40-inch TV

Samsung 43-Inch Class The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV

What you need to know: This TV is sleek and offers crisp visuals, making it ideal for small- and medium-sized spaces in your home.

What you’ll love: It has the essential smart TV features such as access to content streaming services and artificial-intelligence upscaling for converting video output into 4K. It also has a unique feature called Art Mode, where it displays a work of art whenever it’s not in use.

What you should consider: The ads on the home screen can be annoying, since they can’t be dismissed or disabled.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Top 40-inch TV for the money

Toshiba 43-Inch Class V35 Series LED Full HD Smart Fire TV

What you need to know: This is a stylish-looking, budget-friendly smart TV packed with features.

What you’ll love: You’ll have access to hundreds of apps, and since it’s a Fire TV, you can use Alexa to navigate screens and settings. It supports Apple AirPlay 2, and DTS Virtual X technology creates an immersive virtual surround sound experience.

What you should consider: Customers report that sometimes the screen goes blank when browsing titles in a streaming service and reverts to the log-in page.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

LG 43-Inch UP8000 4K Smart UHD TV

What you need to know: This TV uses a powerful quad-core processor to relay stunning 4K visuals, making it a worthy option.

What you’ll love: LG incorporates ThinQ AI into this TV and combines it with a Magic Remote to give users greater ease of access and control. It has a native refresh rate of 60 hertz, but TruMotion 120 can be activated to sharpen the image with a frame rate of 120 hertz for a smooth viewing experience.

What you should consider: The startup is slow, and although the picture quality is solid overall, most brightness levels look unnatural.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

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Kevin Luna writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
 

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