10 Best 40-inch TVs

Wally Nowinski
editor

When selecting the best 40-inch TV, it's essential to concentrate on picture quality and smart features. Look for a model with a high-resolution display, ideally 4K, to ensure crisp and detailed images. HDR (High Dynamic Range) support will enhance picture quality further by offering brighter whites and deeper blacks, enriching the color spectrum for a more immersive viewing experience. Smart connectivity is also crucial, allowing you access to a plethora of streaming services and apps directly from your TV. Additionally, consider the TV's refresh rate, aiming for one that offers smooth motion for fast-paced action scenes and sports. By focusing on these aspects, you can find a 40-inch TV that perfectly balances size, functionality, and exceptional visual performance.

Our experts used the PerfectRec decision engine to comb through our TV database and find the Best 40-inch TVs available in 2024. Here are the top 10 picks.

Our criteria for Best 40-inch TVs:

  • Size Many manufacturers produce slightly different sized TVs. We focused on ones that are between 40 and 49-inches.
  • Picture Quality We prioritized TVs with great picture quality
To consider others factors, try the PerfectRec decision engine to get your personalized TV recommendation
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10 Best 40-inch TVs

1
BEST RATING
Movies & TV shows:
4.8
Picture Quality: Excellent
Movies & TV: A, Gaming: A, Sports: A-
Bright Room: Very Good




Expert Summary
The LG C3 OLED offers excellent picture quality, especially in dark rooms, making it ideal for movie enthusiasts and nighttime viewing. It has a superb contrast ratio and handles reflections well, so it's also a good fit for rooms with some light control. For gamers, its response time and low input lag provide a strong gaming experience, though it may not be as bright as some LED or QLED TVs. Sports fans will enjoy very good performance, but keep in mind that in brightly lit rooms or during daytime viewing, an OLED's brightness might be less impactful than other screen types. It supports advanced audio formats like Dolby Atmos, which enhances the viewing experience with immersive sound if you have a compatible sound system. The TV comes at a premium price, reflecting its high-end features and performance.
Pros
  • Exceptional overall picture quality
  • Outstanding for gaming
  • Excellent in dark rooms
  • Great for movies and series
  • Wide viewing angles
Cons
  • Lower brightness in bright rooms
  • Potential risk of burn-in
  • Average sound quality
  • Reflection handling could be better
2
BEST RATING
Movies & TV shows:
4.8
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A, Gaming: A-, Sports: A
Bright Room: Fair




Expert Summary
The Sony A90K OLED TV is considered to be in the upper midrange price segment. It offers excellent overall picture quality, gaming and sports content viewing, exceptional dark room performance, and very good movie, news, and cartoon experiences. However, its performance in bright rooms is only fair, which means it may not be the best option for very well-lit environments. The TV provides great viewing angles and excellent motion processing, making it suitable for a variety of content. Additionally, it supports high dynamic range (HDR) content, including Dolby Vision and HLG, but does not support HDR10+. For gaming, it has a very good response time and input lag performance. The OLED screen ensures deep blacks and high contrast, but its SDR brightness is only fair, which could be a concern in brighter rooms. It comes with 4 HDMI ports, but does not have built-in speakers considered to be great. It is a versatile TV that works well as a monitor with a 4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4 support, and offers three positions for its pedestal stand, including one that can raise the TV to accommodate a soundbar.
Pros
  • Excellent sports content viewing
  • Perfect contrast with pure blacks
  • Wide viewing angle
  • Great motion processing
  • Accurate colors out of the box
Cons
  • Average bright room performance
  • Fair SDR and HDR brightness
  • Sound quality is only good, not excellent
  • Lack of HDR10+ support
3
BEST RATING
Movies & TV shows:
4.8
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A, Gaming: A-, Sports: A-
Bright Room: Good




Expert Summary
The LG C2 OLED TV is an upper midrange model favored for its excellent picture quality, particularly in dark rooms, and is also very good for gaming, sports, and movie watching. It excels in contrast and black uniformity, which is typical of OLED TVs, making it ideal for movies and gaming where dark scenes are common. However, if you plan on watching in bright rooms, the LG C2 is only rated as good, meaning it may not be as bright as some other TVs. It offers wide viewing angles and sports features like HDMI 2.1 ports, making it suitable for the latest gaming consoles. Sound quality is also very good, but if you're looking for the best audio experience, additional speakers may enhance your setup. The TV supports Dolby Vision and HLG, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of HDR content.
Pros
  • Excellent dark room performance
  • Very good overall picture quality
  • Great for gaming
  • Wide viewing angles
  • Supports Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10+
Cons
  • Only good, not excellent bright room performance
  • Motion processing could improve
  • Speakers are great but not outstanding
  • Upscaling quality is good, not best
4
BEST RATING
Bright Room:
5.0
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A-, Gaming: A-, Sports: B+
Bright Room: Best in Class




Expert Summary
The Samsung QN90C is a premium-priced LCD TV with a miniLED FALD ADS/IPS screen type, offering very good overall picture and gaming performance. It excels in bright rooms, making it an excellent choice if you have a lot of natural light or bright lighting. While its sports, dark room, and contrast performance are good, it may not be the best option if you're looking for perfect black levels or if you primarily watch content with many dark scenes. This TV provides solid performance across movies, news, and animation, with features such as a 120Hz refresh rate and low input lag benefiting gamers. It also supports HDR formats like HDR10+ and HLG, with Dolby Vision absent. For audio, it has great speakers with a 4.2.2 setup. The wide viewing angle makes it suited for larger groups. With four HDMI ports, it handles various inputs, including 4k at 120Hz at 4:4:4 chroma, ensuring compatibility with modern gaming consoles and PCs.
Pros
  • Excellent bright room performance
  • Very good overall picture quality
  • Good for gaming
  • High SDR brightness
  • Supports voice commands
Cons
  • Limited viewing angle
  • Average gray uniformity
5
BEST RATING
Bright Room:
5.0
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A-, Gaming: A-, Sports: B+
Bright Room: Best in Class




Expert Summary
The Samsung QN90C is a premium-priced LCD TV with a miniLED FALD ADS/IPS screen type, offering very good overall picture and gaming performance. It excels in bright rooms, making it an excellent choice if you have a lot of natural light or bright lighting. While its sports, dark room, and contrast performance are good, it may not be the best option if you're looking for perfect black levels or if you primarily watch content with many dark scenes. This TV provides solid performance across movies, news, and animation, with features such as a 120Hz refresh rate and low input lag benefiting gamers. It also supports HDR formats like HDR10+ and HLG, with Dolby Vision absent. For audio, it has great speakers with a 4.2.2 setup. The wide viewing angle makes it suited for larger groups. With four HDMI ports, it handles various inputs, including 4k at 120Hz at 4:4:4 chroma, ensuring compatibility with modern gaming consoles and PCs.
Pros
  • Excellent bright room performance
  • Very good overall picture quality
  • Good for gaming
  • High SDR brightness
  • Supports voice commands
Cons
  • Limited viewing angle
  • Average gray uniformity
6
BEST RATING
Movies & TV shows:
4.8
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A, Gaming: B+, Sports: A-
Bright Room: Good




Expert Summary
The LG A2 OLED TV is characterized by its excellent dark room performance, ideal for watching movies, due to its perfect black levels and contrast. It also performs very well for watching sports and animated content. However, its bright room performance is just good, so if your viewing space is very well-lit, the screen might not be as vivid as in darker rooms. For gamers, the response is very good with low input lag, though there are TVs with more tailored gaming features. Keep in mind, this TV is at a high-end price point, so it might be more expensive compared to other options. Sound quality is good, and with OLED technology, you get wide viewing angles and vibrant colors. It comes with three HDMI ports, which is standard, but if you have numerous devices, you might need more. The TV doesn't support certain advanced gaming features such as high refresh rate making it less suited for cutting-edge gaming.
Pros
  • Excellent for dark room viewing
  • Deep blacks with perfect black uniformity
  • Wide viewing angles
  • Very good reflection handling
  • Supports Dolby Vision and HLG
Cons
  • Fair HDR brightness level
  • Less effective in bright rooms
  • May struggle with fast motion
  • No HDR10+ support
7
BEST RATING
Bright Room:
5.0
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A-, Gaming: A-, Sports: B+
Bright Room: Best in Class




Expert Summary
The Samsung QN90B is a premium-priced LCD TV known for excellent performance in bright rooms and very good overall picture quality. It excels in delivering vibrant colors and has good viewing angles. This TV is suited for various types of content, offering very good experiences for gaming and watching movies or series, as well as excellent performance for news, talk, and reality TV. Sports enthusiasts will find it good for watching fast-moving content. It features a miniLED backlight with local dimming, enhancing contrast and brightness, making it a strong choice for rooms with lots of light. For audio, it boasts great speakers, contributing to an immersive experience. It's also equipped with multiple HDMI ports, supports high dynamic range (HDR) content, and is compatible with 4K resolution at high frame rates, which is wonderful for gaming. However, it does not support certain advanced video formats like Dolby Vision. With its features, the Samsung QN90B is a versatile TV that performs well across a range of uses, particularly shining in environments with plenty of ambient light.
Pros
  • Excellent bright room performance
  • Very low input lag for gaming
  • Good for mixed content like sports
  • High contrast with deep blacks
  • Great speakers built-in
Cons
  • Limited viewing angles
  • Gray uniformity could be better
  • No Dolby Vision support
8
BEST RATING
Movies & TV shows:
4.8
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A, Gaming: A-, Sports: A
Bright Room: Fair




Expert Summary
The Sony A90K OLED TV is considered to be in the upper midrange price segment. It offers excellent overall picture quality, gaming and sports content viewing, exceptional dark room performance, and very good movie, news, and cartoon experiences. However, its performance in bright rooms is only fair, which means it may not be the best option for very well-lit environments. The TV provides great viewing angles and excellent motion processing, making it suitable for a variety of content. Additionally, it supports high dynamic range (HDR) content, including Dolby Vision and HLG, but does not support HDR10+. For gaming, it has a very good response time and input lag performance. The OLED screen ensures deep blacks and high contrast, but its SDR brightness is only fair, which could be a concern in brighter rooms. It comes with 4 HDMI ports, but does not have built-in speakers considered to be great. It is a versatile TV that works well as a monitor with a 4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4 support, and offers three positions for its pedestal stand, including one that can raise the TV to accommodate a soundbar.
Pros
  • Excellent sports content viewing
  • Perfect contrast with pure blacks
  • Wide viewing angle
  • Great motion processing
  • Accurate colors out of the box
Cons
  • Average bright room performance
  • Fair SDR and HDR brightness
  • Sound quality is only good, not excellent
  • Lack of HDR10+ support
9
BEST RATING
Bright Room:
5.0
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A-, Gaming: A-, Sports: B+
Bright Room: Best in Class




Expert Summary
The Samsung QN90B is a premium-priced LCD TV known for excellent performance in bright rooms and very good overall picture quality. It excels in delivering vibrant colors and has good viewing angles. This TV is suited for various types of content, offering very good experiences for gaming and watching movies or series, as well as excellent performance for news, talk, and reality TV. Sports enthusiasts will find it good for watching fast-moving content. It features a miniLED backlight with local dimming, enhancing contrast and brightness, making it a strong choice for rooms with lots of light. For audio, it boasts great speakers, contributing to an immersive experience. It's also equipped with multiple HDMI ports, supports high dynamic range (HDR) content, and is compatible with 4K resolution at high frame rates, which is wonderful for gaming. However, it does not support certain advanced video formats like Dolby Vision. With its features, the Samsung QN90B is a versatile TV that performs well across a range of uses, particularly shining in environments with plenty of ambient light.
Pros
  • Excellent bright room performance
  • Very low input lag for gaming
  • Good for mixed content like sports
  • High contrast with deep blacks
  • Great speakers built-in
Cons
  • Limited viewing angles
  • Gray uniformity could be better
  • No Dolby Vision support
10
BEST RATING
Bright Room:
4.9
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A-, Gaming: A-, Sports: B
Bright Room: Best in Class




Expert Summary
The Hisense U8K LCD TV offers a very good overall picture quality, making it well-suited for watching movies and series. It has excellent performance in dark rooms, with high contrast and good local dimming abilities. The screen shines particularly well in bright rooms and sports content is handled decently. If you're into gaming, this TV also provides a very good experience due to its high response time and low input lag. However, when watching sports, you may notice it's not the best performer. Color reproduction is excellent and the speakers are great, but keep in mind that the viewing angle is limited, which could be a downside if you often watch TV from wide angles. With support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, it can display a wide range of HDR content effectively. It's also equipped with 4 HDMI ports and can be used as a monitor. Overall, the TV is positioned at a midrange price and offers a slew of features that could make it a good fit for various uses, especially in bright rooms and for viewers who appreciate high-quality image and audio for movies and gaming.
Pros
  • Excellent dark room performance
  • Very good overall picture quality
  • Low input lag for gaming
  • Strong reflection handling
  • Powerful built-in speakers
Cons
  • Limited viewing angle
  • Fair performance in bright rooms
  • Gray uniformity could be better
  • Only fair sports content quality