15 Best 40 Inch Smart TV 2023 – 4K, Ultra HD Top Picks

See also: Best 43 inch smart TV

Top 40 Inch Smart TVs Reviews

1. SONY X800H – Best Overall

Though not exactly a 40 inch smart TV, the Sony X800H is very close. It performs well and does so as many Sony TVs before it. A good contrast ratio coupled with a great handle on motion means for a great viewing experience no matter the content.

The biggest issue is the viewing angle, but besides that, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better future-proofed 40 inches smart TV.

2. SAMSUNG M5300 (UN40M5300AFXZA) – Top Choice for Smaller Spaces

On paper, the Samsung M5300 does not impress most people, and I can see why. I also notice they look at this TV in comparison to TVs that it cannot perform well against. When the M5300 is compared to TVs mean for a similar purpose it performs very well.

It offers a good range of sizes that are perfect for smaller spaces (such as an RV) all while maintaining a decent picture. The motion handling is alright and it is powered by the Tizen operating system which is quite nice. For the cost, it is a great TV and for the size, it is one of the best right now.

Samsung M5300 is an inexpensive TV with Full HD but the picture quality is very poor. It is a basic TV with smart features and functions. People who like to watch the TV in dark rooms don’t like the TV because the black color appears gray and blotchy in the darkroom.

The picture quality is not good and is below average so there is no feature that will help you to enhance the image quality. The main advantage of this TV is the image remains perfect and accurate when people watch movies or TV shows from a long distance and from different viewing angles.

Movie performance is bad due to poor black uniformity and low native contrast ratio. Decent for sports and TV shows in a bright room as reflection handling is fine and image remains quite accurate when viewed at an angle.

3. TCL S305 (40S305) TV model – Best Value for Money

The S305 1080p Series from TCL doesn’t impress on paper, but when compared to any other TV for the same price, you’ve just struck gold.

4. Samsung NU7100 4K Smart TV

While many TV manufacturers are no longer building a complete set of features into 40-inch versions, Samsung’s excellent picture performance and smart functionality also allow you to find options at an ideal size for smaller living spaces. Take the 4 K (or Ultra HD) display NU7100 of 3840 x 2160-pixel. The 39.5-inch diagonal screen may not provide 4 K with the same impact it would have on bigger TVs, but you will still have unmatched levels of detail and lightness.

The Samsung NU7100 is a great 4k LED TV. It has great picture quality with a good native contrast ratio. But needs more advanced features to improve the effectiveness of the darkroom such as local dimming. It has an extremely low input lag which is perfect for gamers.

But the response time is only average so that some blur is noticeable behind objects that move quickly. The picture lacks accuracy when viewed at an angle, so the perfect image is seen for those directly in front of the screen.

The NU7100 model from Samsung has the same interface as the Samsung NU8000, except for the voice assistant from Google assistant. The interface is easy to access and works well, although when accessing the interface from within an app, there are some problems with time delay. There are ads, like all Samsung TVs, so they can’t be removed.

5. Samsung UN40J5200 – Samsung Galaxy Compatibility

If you’re looking for the best 40-inch smart TV, finding one better than the Samsung UN40J5200 would be hard. This model is packed with everything you need right out of the box to start streaming your favorite shows, movies, and music.

You can download apps like Hulu, Prime Video, and Netflix right onto the TV for quick and easy access when you connect it to your home Wi-Fi. You can also connect your compatible Galaxy smartphone to share photos and videos with friends and family for easier screen mirroring.

Dolby DTS Premium Sound 5.1 audio technology is used by the dual 10 Watt speakers to create a virtual surround sound listening experience for more immersive music and film sounds. With up to 12 different compatible devices, the included Anynet+ remote control can be used, eliminating the need to fumble with multiple remote controls to run your home theatre.

The full-array LED screen is equipped with Eco Sensor technology which automatically detects the ambient light in the room and adjusts the brightness of the TVs so that you get the best possible picture in both bright and dark rooms.

6. VIZIO D40-D1 D-Series 40 Inch – Best Image Quality

For nearly 20 years Vizio has been a trusted name in television and their D40-D1 D-Series model is the best 40-inch smart TV in their collection. This TV features a full range backlit LED screen providing a full 1080p HD resolution for a crisp, clean image. Motion is smoothed out with a refresh rate of 60Hz so you never miss a detail when watching sports or your favorite shows and movies, even when the action gets intense.

The panel also includes five different active dimming zones that build a contrast ratio of two million to one for deep black colors and brighter whites, making specifics really show. The built-in tuner helps you to stream over-air channels without the need for a cable or satellite box so you can catch local broadcasts.

When you connect this TV to your home Wi-Fi network, you gain instant access to apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Pandora to stream thousands of shows, movies, and songs without any additional devices connecting.

Is a 40 inch smart TV Worth It?

This is an easier question to answer. Yes, 40 inch smart TVs are worth it. They often times offer a considerable amount of cost savings with some decent features. Though they are hard to find since they are not too popular. I’ve made a small chart below that you can look into to help decide the cost and potential caution you should have before purchasing a TV.

There are three different things to note when looking at this graph. The three colors.

• Yellow is for a TV that is often too cheap to be true. You’ll often be lacking features or better performing basics that a normally priced TV would have.
• Green is for TVs that are often reasonably priced for the features they offer. You’re likely to get a deal when you find a TV size within the green prices.
• Red is for TVs that are often overpriced. They do not offer a considerable amount of advantages for the features they often charge for. This is also when oftentimes you are charged a price premium for a brand’s name. Such as Sony or Samsung.

TV Viewing Distance Size Chart

TV Viewing Distance Size Chart

There will be a chart in conjunction with this information to help you easily make sure you’re looking for the best size of TV for the living space you’re trying to fill. On the desktop, it will be to the right, and on mobile, it will be below, but why is the right viewing distance important?

Simply put, immersion. An immersive experience is a good one and everyone is looking for the best experience. So by making sure your viewing distance is correct, you can help maximize everything a TV has to offer that isn’t hardware or software. If you’re looking for the best 40 inch smart TVs, then your TV should be around 5.5 feet away or almost 1.68 meters for the best experience.

FAQ

Is OLED better than 4K?

OLED and 4K are not directly comparable, as they refer to different aspects of a TV’s display.

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) is a type of display technology that uses self-lit pixels to create a more vibrant, true-to-life image with deep blacks and bright colors. Each pixel is individually lit and can be turned on or off independently, resulting in excellent contrast and color accuracy.

4K, on the other hand, refers to the resolution of the TV’s display, specifically the number of pixels on the screen. A 4K TV has four times the number of pixels as a standard 1080p HD TV, resulting in a sharper, more detailed image.

While OLED and 4K are not directly comparable, many high-end TVs use both technologies together, offering 4K resolution on an OLED display. This combination can provide a stunningly detailed and vivid image, with excellent color accuracy, deep blacks, and bright highlights.

Ultimately, whether OLED or 4K is “better” will depend on your individual preferences and needs. OLED can provide a more true-to-life image, while 4K can offer a sharper, more detailed picture.

Which is better OLED or QLED?

OLED and QLED are both high-end display technologies, but they have some differences in how they create and display images.

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) uses self-lit pixels that can turn on and off individually to create deep blacks and vivid colors with excellent contrast. This technology does not require a backlight, resulting in a thinner, more flexible display that can provide wider viewing angles and more true-to-life images.

QLED (Quantum Light Emitting Diode), on the other hand, uses quantum dots, which are microscopic particles that emit colored light when exposed to a light source. QLED TVs typically use a backlight to illuminate the quantum dots, resulting in a bright, vivid image with good color accuracy and brightness.

Both technologies have their strengths and weaknesses. OLED is generally considered to have better contrast, deeper blacks, and wider viewing angles, while QLED can offer brighter images and better color accuracy in bright environments.

Which is better LG OLED or Samsung QLED?

Deciding whether LG OLED or Samsung QLED is better depends on your individual preferences and needs.

LG OLED TVs offer excellent contrast and black levels due to the individual self-lit pixels that can turn on and off independently. They also have a wide viewing angle and support for a range of advanced gaming features like G-Sync and FreeSync.

Samsung QLED TVs, on the other hand, offer brighter images and better color accuracy in bright environments due to their use of quantum dots and backlight technology. They also have a range of advanced gaming features like FreeSync and variable refresh rate (VRR).

Is LG better quality than Samsung?

If you prefer a brighter picture, Samsung’s QLED sets are the way to go. However, if you want a better contrast ratio (where blacks look black and not gray) and a wider viewing angle, we recommend an OLED TV from LG.

Conclusion

Our suggestions above are what we think are the best 40-inch smart TV available in the market. These are the best 40-inch smart TV to buy in every price range for you. We have analyzed the features and functions of each product and reviewed our best for the buyers.

Will a Smaller TV Offer Any Features?

The answer to this question is yes and no.

I’ve talked about the proper viewing distance before and how it will make for an immersive experience. You can find that information here. So as you can see from the chart above the larger a TV becomes, the more immersive of an experience it can offer to you.

This is very important as it can turn an alright movie into an amazing movie or whatever type of content you’re watching. Getting lost in the program is what this is all about. So a 40 inch smart TV will not offer the same immersion that a large 75 inch TV would.

Then also note the features that are offered for the larger sizes. Often times since a model will be offered in many sizes, with features alone, it is impossible to rationalize a legitimate price for larger sizes since smaller TVs will offer the same features.

This is a great thing to remember with smaller TVs because they will often times offer the same features a larger TV would if they are the same model. I do talk about this with my buying guide that is being updated very often these days. Many features a TV could have are including, but not limited to:

So combining knowledge from the top and bottom graphs is extremely important in deciding what is the best for either a price or a series of sizes. When coming to this conclusion I make sure to not only take all of this into consideration, but I also aim to have handled enough TVs to make a reasonable conclusion. This is just my way of effectively digging through the archives if you will.

Take a look at these products from the same price range, that are available right now on Amazon: