Best 40″ LCD TV

The Series 7 has CCFL backlighting and 240Hz refresh rate. It meets the Energy Star 3.0 requirements and uses Samsung’s Wide Color Enhancer 3 technology that maps source colors to the panel’s color space. It has an integrated Ethernet connection and 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking support is possible using a wireless USB dongle. It is the best LCD TV in the 40-42 inch size class, boasting very deep black levels and the accurate colors specific to Samsung HDTVs.

Aside from the extra 2 inches (this TV is 42 inch in diagonal) compared to the other models on this page, the LG 42LH90 offers a superb picture quality overall. Though LG is not known for having deep black levels, this set is an exception, managing to outperform in this department many other LCD models. Its color accuracy is fantastic, and you even get a huge set of picture controls, just in case you want to tweak everything. The screen performs very well in well lit environments (it has a matte screen), however the off-angle performance is not too great.

The 7000’s black levels are much deeper than many LCD TV models, but just as dark as Panasonic’s TC-40PG10 plasma TV and most Samsung LED backlit sets. Samsung’s UN40B7000 has a 120hz refresh rate, while its higher-end siblings’, the 9000 and 8000, have a 240Hz rate. Overall this HDTV is a great performer, being outperformed only by a few HDTVs. It also has a nice set of features, including Yahoo widgets and network connectivity.

With the ability to download widgets such as weather reports, financial news, Yahoo! Video, Flickr images, stock ticker updates, and additional content, Sony’s Z series gives users flexibility. Though Sony’s XBR9 has similar features to the Z series, the XBR9’s have a wider color gamut backlight. Its black levels are deep, however not quite as deep as the avove models from Samsung. The BRAVIA KDL-40Z5100 is a fluorescent backlit set with a 240Hz refresh rate. It is equipped with a matte screen that interacts better with ambient light than Samsung’s glossy screens.

The Series 6 has many of the same features as the lower end models in Samsung’s 2009 line. With a 178 degree view angle, and four HDMI 1.3 inputs, the Samsung B650 is a solid choice. It has Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus 120Hz frame-interpolation technology, designed to virtually eradicate motion haziness and judder. Its black levels are very deep and the colors are accurate, giving this set a very good overall picture quality.

The W Series has the same interactive functionality as the Z Series and XBR9 models, though a bit cheaper. Its interactivity gives users select Amazon Video on Demand, streaming Web video, Yahoo widgets, Shoutcast, YouTube, and, soon, Netflix. It has a 120Hz refresh rate. Though not a match for Samsung’s LED backlit LCDs, or the models in B750 and B650 series, the KDL-40W5100 can be considered to have deep black levels when compared to most TVs. However, just like the Samsung B650 the W5100 can tinge toward blue in darker scenes.