Ever feel overwhelmed when you walk down the TV aisle? So many screens, so many features! Finding the perfect 43-inch Smart TV can feel like a giant puzzle. You want a great picture for movie night, but you also need it to fit nicely in your room. It’s tough to know which brand is reliable or which features you actually need.
Choosing a 43-inch model is popular because it fits many spaces well, from bedrooms to smaller living rooms. But the confusion starts when you look at apps, resolution, and refresh rates. Don’t let confusing tech terms stop you from getting the best entertainment hub for your home.
This guide cuts through the noise. We will break down exactly what you need to know about the best 43-inch Smart TVs available today. You will learn the secrets to finding quality without overspending.
Ready to stop guessing and start watching? Let’s dive into the details and find your ideal 43-inch Smart TV!
Top 43 In Smart Tv Recommendations
- A treat for the eyes: Sharp 4K brings out rich detail on our 43" flat screen TV, while colors pop off in lifelike clarity with HDR10. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Explore a world's worth of TV: Dive into all kinds of entertainment and easily find your favorites or soon-to-be favorites.
- A ton of entertainment at the best price—free: Your go-to streaming destination for free entertainment, Roku has 500 plus TV channels, with live in-season shows, hit movies, weather, local news, and award-winning Roku Originals.
- Home sweet home screen: Move apps around and make the Roku experience your own with a home screen that easily gets you to what you want to watch fast.
- Just keeps getting better: Get the newest apps, features, and more with automatic software updates.
- POWERS 3D COLOR MAPPING AND UPSCALING FOR A CLEAR PICTURE: Experience every shade of color as it was meant to be seen in dazzling 4K. Plus, make your movies, TV shows, games and sports look even better with powerful 4K upscaling.
- ELEGANT DESIGN THAT ENRICHES YOUR SPACE: Enhance your home décor with a TV crafted from a single metal sheet and featuring a slim bezel. Add a hint of sophistication with an aircraft-inspired design, and watch TV with minimal distractions.
- SECURES PERSONAL DATA* WITH TRIPLE-LAYER PROTECTION: Your TV experiences are secured. Samsung Knox Security defends against harmful apps and phishing sites while keeping sensitive data, such as PINs and passwords, secure. It also safeguards your IoT devices connected to your TV.
- A WORLD OF CONTENT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. NO SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED: Watch 2,700+ free channels including 400+ Samsung TV Plus premium channels and on free streaming apps. Enjoy national and local news, sports, movies and more. Explore new content being added regularly.
- UPGRADES WHAT YOU WATCH TO CRISP 4K CLARITY: Get up to 4K resolution in all the content you love. Watch details come to life in every scene of shows or that classic film you love, even if the source quality is lower-resolution.
- REGZA Engine ZR: REGZA Engine ZR is Toshiba's revolutionary Engine. With the power of precise analyzing technology, it drives the maximum potential of picture quality to reach the resolution of 4K for scenes, to deliver stunning picture quality for breath-tak-ing viewing experience.
- AI 4K Upscaler: Toshiba's unique Al upscaling technology provides the near-4K level picture quality for Full HD content. Instead of simply replicating every pixel, it intelligently detects the colors of neighboring pixels and decides the proper color of each pixel by considering the detailed texture of the real sight. No matter what the content is, you can enjoy every scene with the amazing clarity of near-4K quality.
- Dolby Vision*Atmos: Combine Dolby Vision HDR imaging with Dolby Atmos sound to get engaging audio-visual performance, transforming your TV into an entertainment powerhouse with detailed images and acoustics, so as to achieve amazing realism that you'll see, hear, and feel like never before. That is, your truly spectacular home entertainment.
- Ultimate Motion: Ultimate Motion reduces blur in fast moving scenes, offering crisp and clear images for fast action sequences. Its smooth viewing experience puts you into the scene.
- Game Mode: Game mode supports many gaming features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and eARC. With the combination of Ultimate Motion, breathtaking reality and excitement make your gaming experience unforgettable.
- With VIZIO Account, access VIZIO OS with apps built right in, manage your app subscriptions, watch free channels, and much more. A VIZIO Account is required for Smart TV functionality and product updates.
- Full HD delivers a step up in clarity from HD with richer contrast and true-to-life color achieved with Full Array LED Backlight and fine-tuned at a granular level with Active Pixel Tuning.
- See details your opponent won’t with HDR10 support on HDMI. Plus, when a console or PC is detected, FHD models automatically enable Auto Low Latency Mode.
- Built-in VIZIO OS lets you instantly access all your favorite apps and more. Enjoy hundreds of free channels and thousands of free On Demand titles with the built-in WatchFree+ app.
- The modern 3-sided VIZIO ThinFrame design fits beautifully in any room.
- FULL HD RESOLUTION: When a 1080p High-Definition LCD screen meets a Full Array LED backlight, it creates an even sharper, brighter picture, delivering crisp, clear content.
- DTS VIRTUAL:X: Dial up the impact of your entertainment with the enhanced sound of DTS Virtual:X. It delivers crystal clarity, easy-to-hear dialogue, great detail and realistic surround sound to make what you’re watching even better.
- GAME MODE: Say goodbye to game-ruining lag. Hisense’s Game Mode cuts the delay down to 16ms. Move with precision, react in real time, and clinch those victories. Every millisecond counts.
- NATURAL COLOR ENHANCER: Ever noticed how lifeless nature looks on TV? With Natural Color Enhancer, witness grass at the greenest and wildflowers in the vibrant bloom. Experience nature on screen as in real life.
- PRESS and ASK | ALEXA: Just press and ask Alexa to find, launch, and control your content. Go beyond streaming to check sports scores, set timers, reminders, and more.
- POWERS DRAMATICALLY CLEAR COLOR AND SOUND: Enjoy your movies and shows in stunning 4K, regardless of the source resolution. Plus, get the most out of what you're watching with AI-optimized color boosted picture and audio quality, enhanced accordingly to the type of content*
- OVER A BILLION COLORS THAT STAY TRUE EVEN IN THE BRIGHTEST SCENES**: Appreciate every beautiful shade of color with incredible precision. The nano-sized Quantum Dots can display the entire color spectrum,* so you can admire billions of shades at any brightness level.
- SECURES PERSONAL DATA*** WITH TRIPLE-LAYER PROTECTION: Your TV experiences are secured. Samsung Knox Security defends against harmful apps and phishing sites while keeping sensitive data, such as PINs and passwords, secure. It also safeguards your IoT devices connected to your TV.
- A WORLD OF CONTENT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, NO SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED: Watch 2,700+ free channels including 400+ Samsung TV Plus premium channels and on free streaming apps. Enjoy national and local news, sports, movies and more. Explore new content being added regularly.
- BRINGS OUT DETAILS AND CONTRAST WITH DEEP BLACKS AND BOLD CONTRAST: Reveal hidden details with deep blacks and vibrant brights. The dynamic tone mapping of HDR10+ enhances contrast, delivering vibrant imagery and ensuring all meaningful details stand out.
- Get more from your TV – With 4K Ultra HD, enhanced brightness, and clear audio, the Fire TV 4-Series upgrades your entertainment.
- Vivid views – 4K Ultra HD and HDR10+ deliver bright, crisp visuals with improved contrast, so details look beautiful even in dark scenes.
- Speed, redefined – Jump right into what you love with Wi-Fi 6 support and a new quad-core processor. Apps open and load fast and the picture stays smooth.
- The new Alexa on Fire TV – Getting to what you love has never been easier. Talk naturally to find what to watch fast, manage your smart home, or dive into virtually any topic.
- Instantly On - Introducing our custom Omnisense technology. Built-in sensors wake the display when you enter to show your favorite artwork or let you start watching in a snap.
- 4K UltraHD Resolution - Experience incredible detail with 4X the resolution of 1080p Full HDTVs.
- High Brightness LED Backlight - Enjoy a brilliant picture in any room.
- Enhanced Color - Enhanced color bringing rich, vibrant images to life.
- Motion Rate 240 with MEMC Frame Insertion - Combines multiple motion enhancement technologies for best-in-class motion clarity.
- Fire TV Experience – All your entertainment in one place. Fire TV gives you quick access to live TV, video games, music, and lets you stream over 1 million movies and TV episodes. Subscriptions may apply.
Your Smart Guide to Buying the Perfect 43-Inch Smart TV
Choosing a new 43-inch Smart TV can feel tricky. This size is great for bedrooms, smaller living rooms, or dorms. It offers a good balance between screen size and space. This guide helps you understand what matters most before you buy.
Key Features to Look For
Modern Smart TVs offer lots of bells and whistles. Focus on these core features first.
Picture Quality Matters Most
- Resolution (4K UHD): Aim for 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD). This means the picture is super clear. Most good 43-inch TVs today have this.
- HDR Support: Look for High Dynamic Range (HDR), like HDR10 or Dolby Vision. HDR makes colors brighter and blacks deeper. Your movies look much better with it.
- Refresh Rate: A 60Hz refresh rate is standard and fine for most shows. If you play fast video games, look for 120Hz if possible, though it’s less common on 43-inch models.
Smart Platform Power
The “Smart” part of the TV runs on an operating system. This platform controls your apps (Netflix, Hulu, etc.).
- Popular Systems: Roku TV, Google TV, webOS (LG), and Tizen (Samsung) are common. Pick one you find easy to use.
- Voice Control: Does it work with Alexa or Google Assistant? This lets you change channels using your voice.
Connectivity (Ports)
You need places to plug in your game consoles or soundbars.
- HDMI Ports: Make sure you have at least two HDMI ports. HDMI 2.1 is best for new gaming consoles, but HDMI 2.0 works fine for most people.
- Wi-Fi: Ensure it supports fast Wi-Fi standards (like Wi-Fi 5 or 6) for smooth streaming.
Important Materials and Build Quality
The materials used affect how long your TV lasts and how good it looks.
Panel Type
Most budget and mid-range 43-inch TVs use LED panels, often lit by an edge or direct-lit system. Higher-end models might use QLED (which adds a layer for better color). OLED is rare at this small size but offers the best blacks.
Stand vs. Wall Mount
Check the stand design. Does it look sturdy? If you plan to hang it on the wall, confirm it supports the standard VESA mounting pattern.
Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
Some things make the TV experience great, while others cause frustration.
What Improves Quality?
- Local Dimming: This feature lets the TV turn off small sections of the backlight. It improves contrast significantly.
- Good Processor: A fast internal chip makes the Smart interface move quickly. Slow processing makes the TV feel cheap.
What Reduces Quality?
- Viewing Angles: Some budget panels look washed out if you sit too far to the side. Test the viewing angle if you can in the store.
- Motion Blur: If the TV struggles with fast action scenes (like sports), the picture quality suffers greatly.
User Experience and Use Cases
Think about where you will use the TV most often.
For Casual Viewing (News, Sitcoms)
If you mostly watch daytime TV or news, resolution below 4K might be okay, but 4K is still recommended for future-proofing. Smart features need to be simple to navigate.
For Movie Buffs
Movie watchers must prioritize HDR support and good contrast. Dolby Vision is a bonus here.
For Gamers
Gamers need low input lag. This means the time between pressing a button and seeing the action on screen is very short. Look for “Game Mode” settings, which usually reduce input lag.
10 Frequently Asked Questions About 43-Inch Smart TVs
Q: Is 43 inches too small for a living room?
A: It depends on how far you sit. For a small apartment or if you sit about 5 to 7 feet away, 43 inches is a good size for immersive viewing.
Q: Do I need a 4K TV if I only watch cable?
A: While cable often isn’t 4K, a 4K TV will “upscale” the lower-resolution picture, making it look cleaner and sharper than on an older 1080p screen.
Q: What is the biggest difference between Google TV and Roku TV?
A: Google TV often has better content discovery (suggesting shows from all your apps). Roku is famous for being extremely simple and easy for beginners to use.
Q: Does a Smart TV need an internet connection all the time?
A: Yes, the TV needs Wi-Fi or an Ethernet connection to download apps, stream content, and receive software updates.
Q: Are 43-inch TVs cheaper than 50-inch models?
A: Usually, yes. Moving up in size often means a jump in price, so 43-inch models are great for budget shoppers.
Q: What does “Input Lag” mean for gaming?
A: Input lag measures the delay between your controller command and the TV reacting. Lower lag means better control in fast games.
Q: Should I buy a TV with built-in speakers or an external soundbar?
A: Built-in speakers are fine for casual viewing. For movies or music, a separate soundbar greatly improves the audio quality.
Q: How important is the refresh rate (60Hz vs 120Hz)?
A: 60Hz is standard and handles most TV shows well. 120Hz is better for very smooth sports action and high-end gaming.
Q: What is the best way to clean my new TV screen?
A: Always turn the TV off first. Use a soft, dry microfiber cloth. Never spray cleaner directly onto the screen; lightly dampen the cloth instead.
Q: Can I use my old streaming stick (like Fire Stick) on a new Smart TV?
A: Yes, you can. However, most new 43-inch Smart TVs have better built-in platforms than older streaming sticks.