5 best 40 and 42-inch TVs of 2016
It's a sign of the times now
that 40 and 42-inch televisions are now considered 'small' in TV circles. With
the increasing prevalence of 4K resolutions and the drive to upgrade to ever
more vast screen sizes this scale of TV has taken a bit of a backseat.
Those home cinema folk are
haring off towards 55-inch and above.
But unless your living room is
on a relatively grand scale having a monster 75-inch panel in pride of place,
looming over your sofa, is unfeasible. If you're living on a more modest scale
though the 40 and 42-inch TV market can offer some surprising gems.
And that doesn't mean you're going to have to avoid the latest smart TV systemsor even
the latest in Ultra HD resolutions
either.
We've picked out the best 40
and 42-inch TVs you can buy right now, whether you're on a tight budget or want
the latest in super high-resolutions without devoting a whole wall of your
living room to the television.
1. Panasonic TX-40CX680B
"The
TX-40CX680B could turn out to be one of the bargains of year"
Screen size: 40-inch
| Tuner: Freeview HD | Resolution: 3840 x
2160 | Panel technology: LED | Smart
TV: Firefox
OS | Curved: No | Dimensions: 560 x
904 x 202 mm
PROS
·
4K detail
·
Customisable Firefox OS
|
CONS
·
Soft standard def
·
Only 3 HDMI
|
Is the TX-40CX680B too small to
show-off its 4K panel at just 40-inches? Though the 4K resolution is the
headline-grabber, the emphasis from Panasonic on this 40-incher is on better
pixels rather than more pixels. This highly talented and great value TV swerves
that elephantIN THE ROOM with some pin-sharp pictures to add to its impressive
smart TV OS.
With Firefox OS it really makes
use of its eight million pixels by boosting black levels, colour and upscaling
prowess to make everything save for standard definition look sumptuous. With
Freeview Play incoming, it's an early front-runner for the best value 4K screen
around.
2. Samsung UE40F6400
"One
of the UK's best value smart TVs."
Screen size: 40-inch
| Tuner: Freeview HD and FreeSat HD | Resolution: 1920 x
1080 | Panel technology: LED | Smart
TV: Smart
Hub | Curved: No | Dimensions: 617 x
928 x 265
PROS
·
200Hz processing
·
Touchpad remote
|
CONS
·
Poor voice activation
·
Soft standard def
|
It may not have all the shinies
of Samsung's latest smart TVs, but it's still a quality full HD screen and now
available for almost half the price that it launched at, making it fantastic
value in 2015.
It's not the best upscaler, nor
the slimmest TV, but we're quite taken by the Samsung UE40F6400. Packed with
apps within a reasonably polished Smart Hub system, there's plenty of contrast,
colour and detail to compete with pricier options. We're also big fans of the
Smart Touch remote and of its integration with Samsung Galaxy gadgets, though
it does stutter occasionally.
3. Panasonic TX-40DX600
"Firefox
stars on this great value 4K TV"
Screen size: 40-inch
| Tuner: Freeview HD | Resolution: 3840 x
2160 | Panel technology: LED | Smart
TV: Firefox
OS | Curved: No | Dimensions: 49 x 904
x 518 mm
PROS
·
Clean, colourful 4K
·
4K digital file support
|
CONS
·
Too small for 4K
·
Tight viewing angle
|
A follow-up to last year's
excellent 40CX680B, the 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
and a Freeview Play catch-up TV app, as do all Panasonic TVs for 2016, which
lend it a smart, usable interface to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant
Video.
4. Samsung UE40H6400
"Crowd-pleasing
clarity keeps this set's images looking pristine."
Screen size: 40-inch
| Tuner: Freeview HD | Resolution: 1920 x
1080 | Panel technology: LED | Smart
TV: Smart
Hub | Curved: No | Dimensions: 598 x
918 x 267 mm
PROS
·
Crisp images
·
Classic design
|
CONS
·
Uncomfortable 3D
·
Doesn't deliver deep blacks
|
The UE40H6400LED has all the
right credentials to become a best-seller for Samsung. Set up right, its crispy
Full HD pictures, rich colours, and punchy contrast look great with most types
of content. The brand's Smart Hub proposition remains strong, although some of
the latest tweaks are less than compelling.
The Samsung UE40H6400 can be
considered an extremely well equipped internet-connected mid-range Full HD
flatscreen. From design to image quality, it barely puts a foot wrong. Although
not exactly fresh, the translucent-edged frame remains perennially popular and
Samsung's penchant for razor sharp, vibrant images is well represented here.
5. Toshiba 40L3453DB
"A
no-frills price that actually offers a few frills."
Screen size: 40-inch
| Tuner: Freeview HD | Resolution: 1920 x
1080 | Panel technology: LED | Smart
TV: Cloud TV
| Curved: No | Dimensions: 603 x
933 x 249mm
PROS
·
Good picture quality generally
·
Fairly low input lag
|
CONS
·
Unattractive design
·
Limited viewing angle
|
Those aforementioned frills
include a passable smart TV system complete with some video streaming thrills;
it's unusually rich in connected features for this end of the market. There's
also multimedia playback via USB and DLNA; and picture technology that includes
a pseudo 200Hz engine and a full HD resolution.
While it's certainly no classic
TV, Toshiba's 40L3453DB fulfils its brief. It provides cash-strapped buyers –
or people after a cheap screen for a second room – with more features, more
picture quality and, given the Toshiba name, more peace of mind than you'll
commonly find at the £300 price level.
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