A few years ago a 40-inch TV seemed massive.
Nowadays it's classed as a small screen.
What changed TVs are just made bigger, but when most of our homes haven't a 40-inch TV can still be a great idea.If you want an upgrade from a 32-inch set that won't suddenly have over your living room, a 40-inch TV is a great choice.You get a better experience for movies and games.
And you often don't have to pay all that much for a set this size.
The only stinger is you don't always get the latest tech with a 40-inch TV.
You won't find 40-inch OLEDs, or ones with the latest, greatest processors inside.That also means they are much, much more affordable, though.
Below you'll find our top 40-inch TV picks.As well as 40-inch sets from Samsung and Panasonic, we have other options from Vizio, Hisense, TCL.
There are good models outside the household names.Our TechRadar TV experts have tested these TVs to separate the duds from the hits.
What TVs does TechRadar recommendAhead of the main event, lets quickly go through what makes a good 40-inch screen.To begin with, do you want smart TV We would.
A TV with a smart interface and Wi-Fi will let you watch streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube.You'll want at least a Full HD panel, if not a 4K one, to keep movies and games looking sharp.
Also check out the connections on a set.
Make sure the number of HDMI ports at least matches the number of devices you want to plug in.Ultra HD vs.
Full HD: That you cant see a difference between Full HD and Ultra HD on a screen smaller than 55 inches is a common misconception.
Now, we're not saying those people are flat-out wrong, but we can promise that if you take your time and really look at a picture - especially if that picture is using High Dynamic Range - youll see a difference.We recommend picking a TV with 4K Ultra-HD and HDR if you can find one.
Theyre not the standard at this screen size because the cost might outweigh the benefits for someone shopping for an ultra-cheap TV, but if youre serious about video, 4K is vital.Operating system: 40-inch TVs didnt always come with a smart TV operating system in the past.
These dumb TVs were incredibly cheap to make, and therefore cheap to buy, too.
But there was a problem: As Netflix and YouTube became more and more popular, people wanted to stream those services on their TV without resorting to a streaming video device like a Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Chromecast.These days, its fairly easy to find good Smart TV on a 40-inch TV.
All but the most bare-bones of screens will have them.
But what youre looking for, ideally, is a well-maintained operating system like Roku TV, LGs webOS or Samsungs Tizen operating system.
If you go with a TV that uses a proprietary operating system (basically an operating system exclusive to that one TV) you might have some serious issues down the road.Inputs and outputs: Connections seem boring.
But trust us, this is something most folks dont think about until they bring the TV home and get it all connected, only to realize their great new TV only has one HDMI port.Having multiple HDMI ports (along with options for optical audio out and RCA connectors) allow you to connect most - if not all - of your devices.
This will save you time in the long-run as you wont have to get up and switch the cables around any time you want to change the input.Now you know what to look for in a TV, here are a few screens that we think might be a good addition to your burgeoning home entertainment center.Samsung MU7000 SeriesA winning combination of picture quality and valueBright, colorful HDR picturesAttractive space-saving designUK model's awkward legsSitting at the top of our list is Samsungs 40-inch MU7000.
In the UK, it goes by the designation UE40MU7000T.
In the US, its called UN40MU7000.
We love this TV.
It delivers bright 4K HDR images and the price in temptingly low.Its not without its flaws, but no other 40-inch TV weve tested around this price is even close to the MU7000.
What it is able to do with native 4K resolution and HDR content is simply amazing.If were being picky, high contrast scenes can look slightly grey, there arent as many color tones as you'd get with a more expensive 10-bit panel, and viewing angles are limited.
But these concerns arent going to be fixed on a 40-inch screen.
For the money, this is the best 40-inch screen money can buy.Read the full review:Samsung MU7000 SeriesSamsung MU6300/MU6400 SeriesA good runner-up if you cant find the MU70004K HDR picturesCosts less than the MU7000Not as good as the MU7000This might seem a bit confusing - another Samsung TV that comes right after our top pick - but hang in there with us: The MU6300/MU6400 is part of Samsungs 6-Series TVs - which, on the good, better, best scale, the MU6300 is "good".The UN40MU6300 (or UE40MU6400 for UK folks) offers good performance and value if you can't afford the upgrade to the MU7000.Between the two, theres not a major spec difference - they both offer 4K HDR, and a smart OS - but the MU7000 has Tizen, Samsungs licensed, well-upkept OS while the MU6300 has something a little less powerful.If streaming isnt high up on your list of must-have features and you dont mind a drop in performance, you can save a bit of cash by going with this instead.Panasonic TX-40EX600B A fantastic 40-inch TV with 4K and HDR for UK buyers4K HDR detailMy Home Screen 2.0Freeview HDAwkward feetUK residents dont know how good they have it when it comes to mid-size TVs.
Panasonic, one of the finest panel makers out there, makes high caliber 40-inch screens at an affordable price, like the Panasonic TX-40EX600B.The screen was released in 2017 and packs both 4K and HDR into its 40-inch panel.While long time Panasonic owners might be a bit concerned not to see the trusty Firefox OS at the helm of the screen, dont worry - the My Home Screen 2.0 interface is almost the same thing, but developed entirely in-house by Panasonic.Add to that three HDMI ports and you have a pretty fancy screen without a high price attached.Vizio D-Series D40f-E1Serious connectivity options in an affordable packageTons of connectivity optionsCrazy cheapFull HD onlyProprietary OSIf youre looking for the most bang for your buck, and you live Stateside, VIZIOs D-Series offers great FHD visuals for next-to-nothing.This years model to beat is the VIZIO D40f-E1.
The TV offers a 120Hz effective refresh rate, full-array backlighting and a 200,000:1 contrast ratio.
This ensures solid image quality.The VIZIO D40f-E1 looks good, has a great contrast ratio and can keep up with the action if youre watching a game of football on Sunday.
It doesnt look as good as our top picks, the Samsung MU7000 and MU6300, but considering that VIZIOs screen usually costs less than $300, we're more than happy.Panasonic TX-40DX600Panasonic's 2016 40-inch screen is still a starClean, colourful 4K4K digital file supportTight viewing angleThe 40DX600 is Panasonic's best value 4K TV.
Four pegs down from Panasonic's flagship DX900 range five, if you count its OLED the DX600 series claims a 4K Edge LED-backlit panel with adaptive backlight dimming, 800Hz scanning and Quad Core PRO processor for super-quick smart TV navigation.It also has both a Firefox OS (now called My Home Screen) and a Freeview Play catch-up TV app.
It's a smart, usable interface that lets you watch Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video.Read the full review:Panasonic TX-40DX600TCL S-Series 40S305Great Smart TV features on a budgetRoku TV is awesomeOnly $269Only Full HDLook, we have nothing against Full HD.
For some folks, Full HD is fine.
They dont want or need the spectacle of 4K HDR and can live without seeing shows and movies ooze color, flash light and be drenched in shadow.If youre not into that stuff, thats fine.If you're in the I dont need 4K camp, check out the TCL 40S305.
It makes up for its HD resolution with a killer operating system.Roku TV is the best smart TV platform weve used.
Samsung and LG might have done an exceptional job improving their UIs over the years, but Roku TV is fast, responsive and packed to the gills with content - thousands of channels are available.
Not only does it have a ton of content, that content is super easy to find thanks to its universal search feature.
It scans over 200 channels to find films and shows at their lowest possible price.BwArRWKBdQbXuLCPedbfZi.jpg#