Televisions nowadays can do a lot more than just playing some boring and old channels. Like you can now stream your favorite videos and movies directly from the internet on your television. Also, you can give voice commands to your TV with a voice remote control. You can do so much more with a smart TV compared to traditional television.
Now, most people think that all smart TVs are expensive and that is why they’ll not find any smart TV within their budget. But that isn’t the case, you can even get good 4K TVs at a lower cost and to prove that, we are going to talk about the best smart TVs under $400 in this article which includes 4K TVs as well.
As the smart television market is developing for quite a time, we have enough options for all types of screen sizes, picture quality, and operating systems. These budget television are equipped with all the essentials a cinephile or tech enthusiast will want on their TV. So, let’s get this quest to find the best smart TV under 400 dollars.
Best Smart TVs Under $400
1. Insignia NS-43DF710NA
Design: This Smart TV by Insignia with a built of plastic and metal is 8.86 x 38.19 x 24.25 inches in dimension and weighs 19.6 lbs. It comes with different screen sizes, but as we are talking about a TV under $400, so we would recommend the screen size of 43, 50, and 55 inches. The design is quite decent and it comes with a good plastic stand to support it on the table. However, you can also mount the TV on the wall by using the wall mounts or can get TV safety straps.
Picture Quality: This Smart TV comes with a 4K UHD resolution which provides you amazingly good video quality. Moreover, the TV provides deep black levels with an amazing native contrast which gives you a better viewing experience in a dark environment. You can also watch your favorite movies and shows in HDR as the TV is HDR compatible.
Viewing Experience: The picture quality does not look that great when you watch something on the TV from the sides. The TV has bad viewing angles, which means for a better experience you’ll have to watch the screen from the center. If you watch it from the sides, you can experience bad color and brightness levels. And as we are talking about the viewing experience, then how can we not talk about reflections. So the TV handles the reflections in a quite decent manner, which means you can watch TV in an averagely lit room without worrying about the glare on the screen. However, the reflection handling capacity is not that great in a room where there is a lot of external light.
Sound Quality: Now that was about the picture quality, but what about the sound quality? Well, the sound quality of the TV is also decent like the picture quality but it is not the best. And that is understandable given the cheap price of the TV. So if you want a theatre experience with a good amount of bass in sound, then you’ll have to spare some extra bucks to buy dedicated speakers for the TV.
Performance: The TV gives a blurred picture during fast motion, although, it has a decent response time and a refresh rate of 60Hz. And if you are thinking of using this TV to play video games, then you might get disappointed. The TV has a low input lag for low graphics games in the game mode, but the input lag can be intolerable for high graphics games.
Smart Features: This TV uses Amazon Fire TV operating system integrated with Alexa. So while having a smooth and easy-to-use interface, you can give voice commands to Alexa to change apps or to know the weather of a particular place. However, the advertisement for Amazon services can be a little frustrating as it is done quite often on TV.
Connectivity: And finally, with WiFi, 3 HDMI inputs, 1 USB, 1 Ethernet, 1 composite in, 1 digital optical audio out, 1 audio out 3.5mm, and 1 tuner, you won’t have any connectivity problems.
2. SAMSUNG 43-inch Class Crystal UHD TU-8000
Design: The design of this Samsung 4K TV is the best you can get in this range. In fact, its minimal, slim, and sleek-looking style can give competition to even premium TVs out there. With the dimensions of 37.9″ x 22″ x 2.4″, this attractive smart TV weighs 17.9 lbs. Its body is mostly plastic and you can put it on your table, desk, or shelve with the provided stand. The best thing about its design is that it has almost negligible bezels which are hard to find at this price range.
Picture Quality: With a 4K UHD resolution you get the sharp, clear, and most detailed pictures you can ask for. Though it gives a bright picture, you might need to change the settings for HDR content when you want to watch dark scenes in daylight. You can try different modes too and set it on the most suitable brightness for you. The colors and skin tones are adjusted beautifully which is always not possible with smart tv under $400 price like this one.
Viewing Experience: The viewing experience of this Samsung smart TV is unmatchable. But if you are looking to buy a TV for your lounge or a larger public place where the audience might be scattered across the room, people sitting at the corners might not get a better view like the person sitting in front of the TV. So, yes, the viewing angle is a little narrower than premium televisions.
Sound Quality: The built-in 20 Watts stereo speakers are pretty impressive but not out of the box. You get to choose from 3 audio settings including the adaptive one according to your living room. However, if you are a keen buyer and don’t want to miss on any detail when the sound range from high to low in the same scene, you can go for the soundbar.
Performance: With the motion rate of 130, and the crystal 4K processor, performance is something you should not be worried about. If you are an average user, all the streaming apps run on this device pretty smoothly.
Smart Features: This Samsung smart TV is powered by TIZEN which is by far one of the best wholesome smart TV systems till date. You can access all the settings via your TV remote. But download the smartthings app on your phone to avoid using the onscreen keyboard or if you are too lazy to find the remote. There is Alexa and Bixby voice assistance too to make things easy for you. Almost all popular streaming services are available on the TV but in case you want to download any new app, there is also an app store for you.
Connectivity: You get 3 HDI ports in this TV for set-top boxes or other players but one of them will be hidden if you use the wall mount. Apart from that, there are 2 USB ports and also an option to connect to your home LAN (ethernet).
3. Hisense 40-Inch Class H4 Series Roku TV
Design: The design of this Hisense RokuTV is definitely not the thing to be happy about but it is not that bad either. There are bezels around the screen and the TV isn’t that slim. The dimensions are 35.60 x 3.20 x 20.40 inches with a screen size of 39.5 inches and 12.8 lbs weight. Though the affordability of this TV might make you go soft on judging its design. The design of its remote is awesome though. It has dedicated buttons for Netflix and Prime and has a very minimalistic design.
Picture Quality: Hisense H4 comes with a 1080p resolution. It is surely not the latest available in the market but there should not be any problem with it as the picture quality is quite good. There are users who complain of oversaturation but if you are not too sensitive about it, it is negligible. The black levels and brightness modes are also average.
Viewing Experience: Again, the viewing angle is narrow and you can watch it with few friends. Others not sitting within its angles will not be able to get a clear picture. Though it is one of the best you will find in the price range and the other available ones too have similar features.
Sound Quality: The sound quality of Hisense RokuTV has been applauded by the users. It is definitely not that great sound you get in premium TVs but because of the integrated DTS TruSurround sound, it gives a decent experience. It is definitely enough to not require a soundbar separately. The sound can go up to 100 levels without sounding harsh.
Performance: The majority of the content available online is played perfectly on this TV. But if it is 24fps Blue-ray content, the smoothness will definitely get deteriorated. The apps too work fine and if you are not a heavy user, you have no reasons to worry about the performance of its 60Hz panel.
Smart Features: You can control the TV with your smartphone and the easy-to-use remote control as well. Both iOS and Android devices can be used as remote. There are plenty of streaming apps available and the best thing I have already told is the remote that has dedicated buttons to directly open Netflix and Prime Videos. The Alexa and Google assistants are not built-in but you can connect from outside and the smart TV is very much compatible with them.
Connectivity: Apart from wireless connectivity it has 4 HDMI ports. For gamers, streamers, and other heavy gadget users, this is truly a blessing. You can choose different picture modes for different inputs. The option to use a USB and RF port for antenna or cable connections is also there.
4. Samsung UN32N5300AFXZA
Design: This 32 inch smart TV looks pretty decent and is 28.9 x 6.4 x 18.2 inches in dimension and weighs 9.5 pounds. The body is made up of plastic and metal, and it also comes with a plastic stand. The stand holds the TV on the table in a really stiff manner, which means the TV won’t shake if you accidentally hit the table. Like other TVs, this can also be mounted on the wall by using wall mounts.
Picture Quality: This smart TV gives you a full HD video quality with a maximum resolution of 1080p, and it gives out a decent and satisfying picture quality. It doesn’t support 4K video, which is a downside when compared to other smart TVs in this range. Also, it does not give a good performance in dark environments due to poor deep black levels.
Viewing Experience: This smart TV surely outstands other TVs in terms of the viewing experience. It has an amazing viewing angle, which means that you can watch the TV screen from different angles and the picture quality doesn’t get affected in any way. Also, the reflection handling of the TV is great, which means the TV screen doesn’t catch glare even when used in brighter rooms.
Sound Quality: The sound quality of the TV is good, but on the other hand, the sound isn’t very loud and lacks bass.
Performance: The motion handling capacity of this TV can be dissatisfying for some people. It works decently to provide smooth video during fast motion with a native refresh rate of 60Hz. But it still lacks in this regard when compared to its competitors. Also, this TV might not be good for heavy gamers. Because it gives out low input lag for small games, but when it comes to heavy games, the input lag is intolerable.
Smart Features: Now let’s talk about smart features. So this TV uses Tizen 2018 operating system, which has a user-friendly interface with easy navigation. The operating system provides us with the option to use multiple useful apps, which is really convenient and fun. The remote app lets you control the TV quite similarly to remote control. It does come with a standard remote control but sadly it doesn’t have voice control, which is a bit disappointing.
Connectivity: The TV is designed with all the inputs that are available in your standard smart TV. The input options include 2 HDMI ports, 1 USB, 1 component In, 1 Composite In, 1 digital optical audio out, 1 tuner, and Ethernet inputs.
5. TCL 43S425
Design: This smart TV is 44.1 x 8 x 28 inches in dimension and weighs 23.6 pounds. The TV has a slim and sleek look with plastic and metallic body. The plastic stand holds the TV well on the table, but that doesn’t mean that you hit the table without wobbling the TV.
Picture Quality: The TV gives you a UHD video quality with a maximum resolution of 4K, and the picture quality is surprisingly great. The deeper black levels due to the high contrast ratio also contribute to its amazing picture quality. Although it doesn’t have local dimming which is important for a better viewing experience in dark environments. However, what’s amazing is that the TV supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR.
Viewing Experience: A TV with a good viewing angle is really important if you watch TV from the sides, and this TV lacks in that regard. If you watch TV from the center, the picture quality is no doubt amazing. But if you move to the sides, the color and brightness start distorting, which can be disappointing for some people. However, the TV tries to make up for its bad viewing angle by its amazing reflection handling. In short, you’ll not have to worry about reflections when the TV is placed in a bright room.
Sound Quality: So the TV gives out an average performance in terms of sound quality. But your experience will not be that great because the sound of the TV lacks bass.
Performance: The motion handling of this TV is pretty decent. It has a fast response time with a native refresh rate of 60Hz, which gives you a smooth picture with less blur during fast motion on the screen. Also, with very low input lag in its game mode, this TV is a blessing for gamers. You can play high graphics games at a frame rate of 60fps with very low input lag in this TV.
Smart Features: So the operating system this TV uses is Roku 9.0. The OS comes with a lot of streaming channels and a neat and easy-to-use interface, which is really important. But like with the first smart TV we discussed, this TV also bombard you with the advertisement. And the continuous advertisement can be irritating at times.
It comes with an easy-to-use remote having a voice control feature. Also, you can download the Roku mobile app and use your smartphone as your remote and that too with the voice control. But the voice control with the app provides only limited support, which means it can’t be used to search for specific content.
Connectivity: As of connectivity, it comes with three HDMI inputs, 1 USB, 1 headphone jack, 1 optical audio out, ethernet, composite in, and tuner.
6. Samsung UN50RU7100FXZA
Design: This Samsung smart TV is 10.3 x 44.3 x 28.7 inches and weighs 30.6 lbs. The screen sizes of 43 and 50 inches fall under $400, so you have 2 choices in screen sizes. It comes with a plastic stand for the table and it can also be mounted on the wall. Some of the inputs are on the side of the TV, which makes them easy to access especially when the TV is mounted on the wall.
Picture Quality: If we talk about the picture quality then this is the best 50 inches 4K TV you can get under 400 dollars. This HDR10 and HRD10+ compatible TV comes with a maximum resolution of 4K, which is pretty great. Also, the deeper black levels are good, all thanks to the high contrast ratio. So the picture quality isn’t compromised when you are watching your favorite movie or TV show in dark environments. However, having a local dimming feature would have been cherry on the top.
Viewing Experience: While having good picture quality, this TV does lack in the viewing experience. If you have a large room and you are sitting on the sides, then you’ll see that the picture quality is heavily affected. When watching from the sides, the colors and brightness will seem different. The reflection handling is also just decent, the screen can resist reflections in the averagely lit room, but not in a very bright environment.
Sound Quality: The sound quality of the TV is average. The loudness of the sound is enough to cover decently large rooms with clear and crisp sound quality. Although, you can always buy dedicated speakers in order to get a better sound experience.
Performance: The motion handling of this smart TV is average, but that has been common with almost every smart TV under $400. The thing that is really good is surprisingly low input lag. The input lag is low in “PC” and “Game” mode, so you can have a better gaming experience on this TV.
Smart Features: This smart TV uses the Tizen OS by Samsung and it uses the latest version of that operating system. The user interface is obviously easy to use and navigate, but it also has the problem of constant ads. There are a lot of options for Samsung apps and services, which is great. However, the voice feature is not available with this TV, which can be disappointing for some people. You can control your TV from the mobile app but only with limited features.
Connectivity: This TV comes with 2 USB ports along with 3 HDMI ports, 1 component In, 1 Composite In, 1 digital optical audio out, 1 tuner, and Ethernet.
7. TCL 32S327
Design: This smart TV is 28.8 x 7.1 x 19.1 inches in dimension and weighs 9.4 lbs. It is a decent-looking TV with screen sizes of 32, 43, and 49 inches falling under the range of $400. You can place it on the table using the plastic stand or you can mount it on the wall using the wall mounts.
Picture Quality: This TV doesn’t have a 4K resolution, but it does provide good quality for the resolutions it supports. You might also be disappointed after learning that it also doesn’t support HDR. Also, it doesn’t have local dimming, but a good high contrast ratio makes the picture quality tolerable in fairly dark rooms. All in all, the picture quality is not that great but still satisfying to some extent.
Viewing Experience: The reflection handling of the TV is good enough to handle the reflections in rooms that are bright. But even then, you can’t enjoy viewing pictures when TV is placed right in front of a bright source of light. The viewing angle is decent, which means although you won’t enjoy the same picture quality from the sides, still, the change will be tolerable.
Sound Quality: The sound quality of the TV is not that great. The sound will start distorting when the volume is too loud. Lack of bass also makes the sound dissatisfactory to some extent. But still, the sound is clear.
Performance: Now about the motion blur, at the refresh rate of 60Hz, the motion handling of the TV is average. The input lag, however, is impressively low when the TV is put on “PC” or “Game” mode. It further means that you can enjoy high graphics games at 1080p resolution with very little input lag.
Smart Features: The TV uses Roku TV Smart OS, which has a very easy-to-use interface with easy navigation. It has a large collection of apps that you can use, and that makes it hang a little bit. Also, the remote control is very basic, but considering this smart TV under $400 for all three sizes, it is quite understandable. You can also use the mobile as your basic remote to control your TV from your smartphone.
Connectivity: The inputs that are available on the TV include 3 HDMI ports, 1 USB, 1 component In, 1 Composite In, 1 digital optical audio out, 1 tuner, and 1 Ethernet.
8. Toshiba 43LF621U21 43-inch Smart
Design: The borders of the TV are a little thicker than the TVs available in this range. The back panel is made up of metal and somewhere plastic as well. Going through the dimension i.e 9.30 x 38.10 x 24.70 inches, you can easily figure out that the TV is not slim at all. It can look a little bulky when you mount it on the wall. They have improved the stand from the last Toshiba Fire edition model but still, you will need a bigger table as it is pretty wide.
Picture Quality: Toshiba 43LF621U21 gives an outstanding picture in 720p, 1080p as well as 4K. Contrast and pixels are definitely worth putting your money in. There is no local dimming so it will struggle in handling black levels but it should not affect your decision if you are not too much dedicated to details.
Viewing Experience: At this price range, the viewing experience could have been better but still, it is more than satisfactory. The viewing angle is not as narrow as the Televisions listed above. You won’t like it in large rooms as it gives washed-out images from farther angles. The reflection handling of the TV is quite commendable but you would definitely like to avoid big lights. If we talk about the watching experience, you might be irritated by the Amazon ads sometimes.
Sound Quality: It really depends on your choice of sound, how you like it (low/high). But Toshiba 43 inch fire edition gives a clear sound that is blasting for a small room and above average for medium and big rooms. It uses DTS Virtual X audio processor. The processor and the optical digital audio delivers an immersive and neat experience of the video you are watching on your Smart TV.
Performance: This TV comes with a 60 Hz panel without any option of ‘smoothing’ or ‘soap opera effect’. But its motion resolution of 300 is perhaps the best in the segment that means you will be able to watch fast-moving action scenes and sports without any lags or breakage of the picture. A quad-core CPU/Multi-core GPU gives it power for very quick responsiveness and a good accurate range of search results. For gamers too, this TV has the above-average performance to offer.
Smart Features: The operating system is obviously Fire TV OS which is smooth and not that difficult to use. There are plenty of apps you can stream/play but Amazon suggestions dominate the screen most of the time. The remote is awe-inspiring as it has dedicated buttons for Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, and HBO. You can go to the home screen of these apps with just one press. The recent button will be really useful in locating your half-watched shows and films. And lastly, the remote also supports Alexa voice assistance.
Connectivity: If you happen to be a very heavy user, this smart TV will most probably disappoint you here. It has 3 HDMI ports and 1 USB port which we suppose isn’t enough in trying to set up a gamer panel or some studio. Otherwise, for the average users, it seems pretty decent. Wi-Fi support and ethernet open more options for you in terms of connectivity.
9. Hisense 50-Inch Class H8 Quantum Series
Design: Hisense H8 Quantum series television has little bezels on the borders, some thickness at the back but comes with very above average build quality. This is one of the best smart TV under $400 that has a simple yet attractive style. It has dimensions of 43.8 x 9.5 x 28.3 inches but the same model is available in bigger sizes as well. Most half of the back is made up of metal and the input panel is plastic. As I said the back has little thickness but when you mount it on the wall, it doesn’t look out of place and blends with the wall.
Picture Quality: The contrast and brightness of the TV are very impressive. It also has local dimming which was absent in the Toshiba fire edition TV. It means that it handles deep black nicely. The picture quality is as good as it can be in a budget smart TV. The reflection handling and the BGR pixel layout are also enough to give good satisfaction to an average viewer.
Viewing Experience: Like any other smart TV in this range, this too has a narrow viewing angle. But it is not that bad for a small to medium room and audience. The thing that sets this apart from other smart TVs is the Dolby enabled Vision and Atmos for a classic cinematic experience.
Sound Quality: As said above, the Dolby Atmos sound technology makes the Hisense H8 series the best sound provider in its range. The volume is perfect and doesn’t require additional speakers for an average viewer or listener. Music can’t get better in this range with the admirable bass.
Performance: The Android processor on the Hisense H8 Quantum series television is fast with a reasonably good response rate. The refresh rate is 60Hz like any other TV on this list that gives the motion resolution of 240 motion rate and quantum dot color which is slightly less than the Toshiba TV we discussed above. Very fast-paced action scenes might give a blurred feeling.
Smart Features: The Android OS allows you to download a huge number of apps from Google Playstore and the apps that run quite smoothly. The best thing you would want to take this home for is that it shows no ads like few other smart TVs do. Its remote has dedicated buttons for Netflix, YouTube, Google Play (why?), and VUDU. Google Assistant can help you control the TV smartly with a built-in mic in the remote.
Connectivity: The connectivity is best even for high-end tech users. This Hisense smart TV has 4 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports enough to set a studio or use fast players. Apart from Wi-Fi and ethernet compatibility, the TV has various other audio and video inputs for easy usage.
10. Toshiba TF-55A810U21 55-inch 4K UHD Fire edition TV
Design: With dimensions of 28.7 x 49.1 x 3.7 inches, this is the biggest TV on this list but what about the design?. It is definitely considerable, as the bezels are small and the stands are well adjustable which gives it a pretty decent design. VESA 200 x 300 mounting holes for mounting on the wall properly. Because of the stand, you won’t require a wide table, so it is easy that way too without mounting on the wall.
Picture Quality: The quality of the picture provided by this 4K ultra HD beast is truly stunning. The 8 million pixels layout makes your picture breathtaking with awesome clarity. Deep contrast, vivid colors, and adaptive brightness are enough to catch your attention to consider buying this one. HDR movies will be worth watching because of the enhanced quality of pictures.
Viewing Experience: The viewing angle is favorable for a small or medium room with limited angle viewing. It has Dolby vision-enabled, but the sound is DTS Virtual X Studio sound. It is almost a cinematic experience at this pricing if you are not too choosy. The experience is enhanced with the Alexa voice assistant.
Sound Quality: You can’t expect a lot at this price range but the sound of this Toshiba TV is best for a normal requirement. The crisp sound is enough for listening low voiced dialogues.
Performance: The input lag is low but obviously not impressive and that should not be an issue at this price range. You may dislike the lack of local dimming that might diminish the dark scenes with black pictures.
Smart Features: As it has FireTV OS, you get a lot of apps specifically for audio and video streaming. Again, as this is a FireTV edition, the Amazon suggestions and ads might irritate you. There is nothing that makes it smarter than other smart TVs in this list apart from a built-in Alexa-enabled minimalist remote which has special buttons for Prime Videos, Netflix, HBO, and HULU app.
Connectivity: We really have no idea why Toshiba is reluctant in providing as many HDMI ports and USB inputs as other TV brands. But the 3 HDMI ports and 1 USB should be enough if you do not use high-end devices on regular basis. The dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity and a large number of audio-visual input options also make it a good contender in the mid-price range.
Buying a Television is a one-time expense for many years. With this inclusive list of best smart TVs under $400, we have tried our best to help you reach a productive conclusion. These TVs have different things to offer for different types of users. There are not an exemplary amount of things you can ask in this price range. But still, if you read carefully, you get to see many distinct features such as Ultra HD, built-in Alexa, hundreds of streaming apps, sound quality, etc. if you want to place your TV in a bright room, then go with a smart TV with good reflection handling. Or if you want to play heavy games, then look for the one with low input lag.
