Modern TVs have long acquired a fairly wide functionality — today their capabilities are not limited to watching television programs. The Smart TV function appeared several years ago and literally from the first days it gained great popularity, which continues to grow from month to month.
Despite this, many people still have an indirect idea about such devices. If you decide to buy such a device for your home, then this article will be very useful for you. We have compiled a rating of the best 43-inch smart TVs, but before we start looking at specific models, let’s quickly figure out what Smart TV is and what you should pay attention to when choosing such devices. With this, perhaps, we will begin.
What are the most important points when buying a smart TV?
The developers of such units strive to bring their capabilities as close as possible to computer ones, adding here various multimedia and interactive features, as well as applications. For the first time, such an idea appeared back in 1997, but the technology has not evolved to implement it for a long time. The main distinguishing feature compared to ordinary TVs is the ability to connect to the Internet, which makes the designs independent of the received antenna signal.
TVs are equipped with a decent amount of built-in memory, they also have special connectors for connecting external media, which allows you not to be tied to the broadcast grid. The settings allow you to record your favorite series, movie or sports event to watch them at the most convenient time. If desired, you can install full-fledged computer and console games.
When choosing a TV, be sure to pay attention to the diagonal. 43 inches is a universal size, which allows it to be installed in rooms of any size. The resolution of the matrix is also very important — it is desirable that it be at least 1080p, which corresponds to the Full HD format. The viewing angle affects the distortion of the picture when viewed from an angle. The most modern models are characterized by a parameter close to 180 degrees, so the image will look quite realistic no matter what angle the viewer’s eyes are at.
The number of frames per second affects the clarity of the image, which is especially important when playing dynamic scenes. It is best if the sweep frequency is 200-400 Hz per second. The matrix type can be liquid crystal LCD or backlit type LED. Accordingly, the more different kinds of connectors there are, the more devices can be connected to the TV. There are also many additional features that we will definitely dwell on during the analysis of the characteristics of specific models.
When choosing TVs for inclusion in the review, we took into account all the points discussed above, and also did not ignore consumer reviews, as well as the ratio of price and quality of products. We tried to choose the most affordable models so that most of our readers can afford to buy the device they like.
The best smart TVs with a diagonal of 43 inches
10. Samsung UE43NU7170U
The resolution of this device corresponds to the 4K format — the highest image clarity that can only be found on sale today. The display here is liquid crystal, has an aspect ratio of 16:9, which is quite a standard indicator for TVs of this size. The refresh rate of the picture is 100 Hz. There is an LED backlight around the perimeter of the screen. The design is equipped with a pair of built-in stereo speakers, the power of each of which is 10 watts. It also provides surround sound, which can be achieved through special digital processing of the incoming signal. The TV can easily cope with browsing the Internet, due to it you can watch online videos and play. The interface is friendly, fully Russified and intuitive. The design operates on the basis of the Tizen operating system, developed on the basis of a very stable Linux platform.
The design has a light sensor that allows you to automatically adjust the brightness of the screen. This function will reduce power consumption while making the image more comfortable for viewing. The TV has three HDMI connectors, two USB connectors, an Ethernet input, and a Wi-Fi module. The stand is included, there is a wall mount. The case is painted in jet black, made of high-quality plastic, which has slots for ventilation.
Advantages:
- Excellent image quality even when viewing ordinary channels;
- Perfectly plays movies online;
- Attractive and stylish appearance;
- Extended viewing angles — about 170 degrees;
- Stable operation of the operating system;
- Automatically adjustable display brightness level.
Disadvantages:
- Not very user friendly control panel.
Samsung UE43NU7170U
9. LG 43UK6390
In terms of appearance, this model does not differ in any way from similar designs developed and released by this manufacturer. The case is produced using seamless technology, looks like a monolithic product, quite thin. The style is such that the TV will optimally fit into any interior of the room. The product comes with a crescent-shaped stand, which is located in the central part of the screen. The frame around the matrix is made as thin as possible so that the viewer is immersed in what is happening on the display as much as possible. This design is equipped with an artificial intelligence system, the remote control has voice control, which allows not only to switch to the most interesting channel, but also to adjust image parameters, request a weather forecast. The resolution here corresponds to the 4K Ultra HD format, which has a positive effect on image clarity.
Color rendition is natural, closest to realistic. The TV is equipped with an IPS panel with Direct LED backlighting, which reproduces the widest possible range of colors. It works on the basis of a very powerful quad-core processor, which suppresses extraneous noise and has a positive effect on picture clarity. The total sound power is 20 W — not too much, but quite enough for comfortable listening to music or watching movies. The gaming quality is quite high here. The signal delay is only 11 ms — not every gaming monitor has such a parameter.
Advantages:
- Good image clarity;
- The latest operating system;
- A large number of modern functions;
- Nice looking and easy to use menu;
- Low signal delay;
- Acceptable cost.
Disadvantages:
- The contrast level could have been made higher.
LG 43UK6390
8. Samsung UE43NU7400U
One of the distinguishing points that characterize this model is the body made of aluminum alloy, which is additionally equipped with special stiffening ribs. It is flat in shape, has built-in cable channels, the frame around the perimeter of the display is made the thinnest. All these factors give this TV a rather stylish and elegant appearance. The kit comes with a Y-shaped stand, which is made of high-quality steel alloy, and it also has a built-in cable routing. This stand has excellent stability. The TV is manufactured using a large number of the most modern technologies. In addition to the Smart TV function, there is voice control, a Bluetooth module, a triple tuner, Wi-Fi is provided. The connection to the Internet is stable, all the necessary components are included in the operating system, access to them opens within a few seconds. To perform a search, there is a built-in browser.
If necessary, you can connect a wireless keyboard and mouse to the TV — this is done via Bluetooth. The user interface is very convenient and understandable, so it will be possible to understand the functionality within a couple of minutes. The triple tuner allows you to work with almost all types of signals — analog, digital, satellite. The sound here is two-channel three-way, its output is carried out using two speakers with a total power of 20 W, if necessary, you can connect a stereo system. The picture quality is consistently high, the TV has LED backlighting, and up to 1 billion colors are supported. The viewing angles are wide, there are no glare. The refresh rate of the picture is 60 Hz — not too much, but quite enough.
Advantages:
- Quite an acceptable cost for such a variety of functions;
- High image quality;
- Interesting appearance;
- There is voice control and a triple tuner.
Disadvantages:
- You cannot record a TV broadcast to external media.
Samsung UE43NU7400U
7. LG 43UK6710
This is another quite affordable model, which appeared in wide sale only towards the end of last year. It is designed based on the use of IPS matrix. The appearance is quite standard, but the back panel is made of metal, on the front side there are rather narrow plastic frames, which are also painted to look like metal. The stand has a moon shape, looks very elegant. The device fits into the interior elegantly, it does not stand out too much, so the viewer can fully concentrate on what is happening on the screen. The stand is plastic on the outside, but reinforced with an internal metal insert that prevents the TV from rocking. The matrix is characterized by a decent level of contrast, dark colors and shades of black are well displayed. The viewing angles are quite wide, the TV works with any image formats that allow you to play even very high definition movies. The output latency is as low as 10ms, which is great for PC and console gamers.
The device is based on the ThinQ AI operating system, which is based on the LM8A chip equipped with a quad-core processor. The TV interface functions almost instantly. There are a lot of pre-installed applications, and if necessary, you can install additional programs — they can be found in the LG Content Store. Both paid and free utilities are presented here. The TV has a voice assistant that provides easy navigation through the menu. The sound system is no different from the models discussed earlier — two stereo speakers with a power of 10 W each. The sound is quite clear, all frequencies are well audible.
Advantages:
- Good viewing angles;
- High-quality display of black color and dark gamma;
- If desired, you can install a huge number of additional applications;
- Acceptable sound.
Disadvantages:
- It is hung on the wall at an angle, so it will not be possible to place it parallel to it.
LG 43UK6710
6. Samsung UE43NU7100U
Despite the cost that is quite affordable for a Smart TV, this device looks like it costs an order of magnitude more expensive. The TV is quite thin, which will give it extra style. The build quality is high — all elements of the case fit very tightly to each other. The stand is quite solid, providing good stability to the TV despite being made entirely of plastic. High contrast level, however, many users report a lack of image brightness, so it is best to watch programs in a room that is not too bright. The gray tones are uniform, there is no so-called dirty screen effect. This product is perfect for sports fans. The fact is that the TV has excellent image clarity even when playing very dynamic scenes.
Viewing angles are not very wide — only 95 degrees, so it is better to watch TV while sitting directly in front of the screen. The refresh rate of the picture is 60 Hz, and it is adjustable, you can make it higher. Input lag is minimal, making the TV perfect for console gamers. The sound characteristics are average, although the bass frequencies are not very well defined. There are quite a lot of applications, there is a built-in voice assistant. The interface is very easy to navigate. The menu does not have too many animations, so it works very quickly. The control panel is simple, not programmable, the buttons are responsible for almost all standard functions.
Advantages:
- Uniform image;
- High definition when showing dynamic scenes;
- Slight output delay.
Disadvantages:
- Small viewing angles.
Samsung UE43NU7100U
5. Sony KDL-43WF804
The model belongs to the middle price category, was released for general sale a little over a year ago. It features a Full HD resolution with a pixel count of 1920×1080, a device based on the Android TV operating system, although more expensive models were equipped with similar software before. The design is quite familiar for devices of this price. It has a minimalist concept. The frames around the display are quite thin, made of plastic, painted to look like metal, giving the product additional elegance and style. The stand has a special niche where you can put all the wires. In terms of brightness, the HDR range is provided here, which provides a good quality for displaying colors. Together with the X-Reality Pro digital signal processing system, this results in superb picture clarity. Noise effects along the contour of objects quickly moving across the screen are minimized.
In order to reduce trails from moving objects, the Motionflow XR system is involved here. When playing fast scenes, it will increase the refresh rate of the picture, respectively, the picture will turn out to be as smooth as possible. The viewing angle is not very large — in the region of 100-105 degrees. The processor here has significant performance, so it provides smooth and high-speed menu operation, there is also a voice assistant, all standard functions are available. the sound power is not very high — only 10 watts from two speakers, so this model will be heard optimally in small and medium-sized rooms.
Advantages:
- Juicy and contrast image;
- There is a zoom function;
- Stable and fast operating system.
Disadvantages:
- Local dimming doesn’t always work well.
Sony KDL-43WF804
4. LG 43UK6200
It has a plastic case, which is equipped with an aluminum thin frame on the front, located around the perimeter of the screen, LED backlight is hidden under it. The model itself does not weigh too much — it can be hung on the wall or mounted on a cabinet. To do this, there is a special plastic stand that reliably protects the structure from staggering and falling. The remote control is simple, but has an ergonomic shape, it fits comfortably in your hand and does not slip out of it. The model has a powerful built-in Wi-Fi module, a built-in browser, where all the main streaming services are already included — Amazon Video, Netflix, Youtube and some others. The operating system is webOS 3.5. The main element here is a quad-core processor, which ensures fast and smooth operation of the interface.
The built-in tuner allows you to work with all available types of signals — analog, satellite and digital. The signal can be received at any resolution, and it goes through special processing that improves its quality. Switching between channels takes only 1-2 seconds. Any broadcast can be recorded on external media, which must be formatted in NTFS. The sound power is 20 W, but it is amplified by a special signal processing technology called Ultra Surround.
Advantages:
- Good image quality;
- Decent enough sound;
- Fast work;
- High brightness levels;
- It can play even very heavy movies from an external drive.
Disadvantages:
- The buttons on the remote control are the same size — you have to get used to identifying them by touch.
LG 43UK6200
3. LG 43LK5990
In third place in our review of smart TVs with a diagonal of 43 inches was another product of the South Korean company LG, which has a very reasonable cost and high image quality — it corresponds to the HD-Ready / Full HD format that is quite popular today. As with most of the models included in this rating, the construction has a sleek, seamless design. The case is made on the basis of high-quality plastic with a matte finish, on which dust is practically not noticeable. The work is based on Active HDR technology, which allows the use of dynamic metadata on each frame. The operating system used here is the latest version of webOS 4.0, which is quite surprising for budget products. It is stable, convenient and fast, and does not require additional skills from the user in setting up the TV.
The total power of the speakers is 10 W, so it is best to install such a model in a small area, otherwise you will not be able to do without connecting an external audio system. There is an additional function Virtual Surround Plus, which allows you to increase the sound quality, regardless of the content being played. Interfaces for connecting additional equipment are quite enough; if desired, the TV can even be used as a full-fledged computer monitor for work or games. The remote control is standard, push-button, made of reliable plastic, it does not provide a Bluetooth module.
Advantages:
- Very convenient menu;
- Applications work stably, do not slow down;
- High image quality;
- Acceptable cost;
- Reliability and attractive appearance.
Disadvantages:
- There may be some backlighting around the perimeter of the screen.
LG 43LK5990
2. Samsung UE49NU7100U
It is characterized by very high performance and attractive appearance, which would rather be more suitable for models belonging to a higher class. First of all, I would like to note the excellent quality of materials and assembly. The back panel and front frames are made of reliable plastic, no backlashes and extraneous squeaks were detected during the tests. The stand has a very wide leg arrangement, looks very modern and durable, it has several grooves for placing wires. It is quite stable, does not allow the TV to stagger or fall. All sockets and connectors for connecting third-party devices are located at the back — access to them is not very convenient, especially if the TV is hanging on the wall, but nothing will interfere with a good view of the display. The model is quite thin and weighs a little.
The picture quality is excellent due to the increased contrast ratio, but the brightness is a little let down, so it is best to place such a TV in shaded rooms. The menu is based on the proprietary interface of the manufacturer Eden. The menu bar is scrollable, so it will be very convenient to switch between different applications, and there are quite a lot of them installed here. You can’t remove them, but you can easily install new ones. There is no internal voice assistant, but navigation without it is very convenient. The image can be easily adjusted to your preferences, although most users stop at the standard universal settings. The sound is provided by a pair of speakers of 10 watts each. A distinctive point is that they are directed backwards, so low frequencies when reflected from surfaces will be heard most clearly.
Advantages:
- Low signal input delay;
- The image is fairly uniform;
- Long service life;
- Excellent build quality.
Disadvantages:
- Small viewing angles.
Samsung UE49NU7100U
1. LG 43UK6300
The undisputed leader in the ranking of the best smart TVs with a diagonal of 43 inches was this model, which has a matrix resolution of 3840×2160 pixels (corresponding to 4K UHD format). The image refresh rate is 50 Hz. This product has LED lighting, which makes the product quite thin (about 9 cm at the bottom) and light, so it can be hung on the wall. The matrix here is liquid crystal, characterized by significant viewing angles — almost 180 degrees. However, it should be noted that some flashes may be observed here. The highest sound power is 20 W, there is a surround sound function. The TV easily copes with browsing the Internet, has a built-in Wi-Fi module, it can be connected to various kinds of streaming services. The TV runs on the latest generation webOS operating system.
There is a picture-in-picture function, so if you want, you can watch two channels at once. The model is equipped with a convenient and reliable light sensor that will automatically adjust the brightness of the display depending on the amount of light in the room. This allows you to significantly improve the quality of image perception. There are quite a lot of connection interfaces, if you wish, you can connect this TV even with a personal computer, turning it into a full-fledged monitor.
Advantages:
- Quite responsive and very clear interface;
- In online mode, it works without glitches;
- All applications are stable;
- Very clear, though not very loud sound.
Disadvantages:
- Not detected.
LG 43UK6300
In conclusion, a useful video
Here our review has come to an end. I would like to express the hope that the information collected will be enough for you so that you can choose the best products for yourself that will serve you for more than one year. If you still have some questions about the met models — feel free to ask us in the comments. We will try to respond quickly and provide you with all the information you are interested in.