In our last blog post we reviewed what we think are the best 32 inch TVs around at the moment. They are popular as second room TVs or for smaller living rooms especially if you don’t want the entire room dominated by the box.
Now we move on the larger but still extremely popular 40 and 42 inch TVs. Again these TVs won’t take over the room and are still great for second rooms or bedrooms. Whilst the best of the 32 inch TVs range in price from £350 up to £550, the 40 and 42 inchers that we’ve chosen here range from £950 through to £1,100. That may seem like a lot of money – but all the TVs listed below have excellent picture quality, great styling and let you do much more than just watching live TV.
Whichever one you pick – you’re in for an amazing cinema experience – in your very own home.
So let’s get down to it.
Sony KDL42W805
We start with a TV that has set pulses racing since it was unveiled earlier this year at CES2013. We are talking of course and about the phenomenal Sony W8 range of TVs, all new for 2013. We’ve already reviewed the 47 inch Sony W8 LED TV in previous blogs so we’re already very slightly in love with these TVs from Sony.
The Sony KDL42W805 (to give it it’s full name) is the 42 inch version of the above and is a Full HD LED 3D TV and comes with all the same fantastic features of including Near Field Communication (NFC) to transfer the contents of your smart phone straight onto the big screen.
The design is lovely, with a great elliptical stand with soft baffle lightly to indicate what mode the TV is operating e.g. watching TV or playing Blu-Ray. Obviously you can surf the web, Skype and watch movies and programmes when you want via the Sony Entertainment Centre.
You get all that for £999.99.
Panasonic TXL42FT60B
Next up we have the Panasonic TXL42FT60B another new TV for 2013 and another Smart Full HD 3D TV with full internet access. This set has a really wide viewing angle which means you get a great picture from virtually anywhere in the room.
The portal screen and menus are really easy to navigate but what makes the Panasonic stand out is its use of voice recognition. Yes – just speak into the remote and the TV will act upon your commands, for example just speak a search term into the remote and results appear on the screen. Brilliant for those who are yet to master touch typing.
Slightly more expensive than the Sony at £1099.99, this is a great TV with great features and über modern design.
Every man (cave) should have a bit of the Panasonic TXL42FT60B in their life.
Samsung UE40ES7000KEY
If you’re really into your web browsing then our next pick of the best 40 – 42 inch TVs will satisfy even the most ardent of web surfers.
It’s the Samsung UE40Es7000KEY – a 40 inch screen TV that is the ultimate ease of use smart TV and may see your lap top relegated to the loft because it comes with a free wireless keyboard (while stocks last) making surfing the net an absolute breeze.
The UE40ES7000 comes with Smart Hub, a load of apps, Video on Demand and it now includes NetFlix.
For Skype – there is a built in webcam on the top of the screen.
The whole package is brilliant. Oh and the picture and sound quality are pretty excellent too. The Samsung UE40ES7000 retails at £999.99 making it a great value LED TV.
Sony KDL46HX853
Finally we’ve thrown a 46 inch TV into the ring for your consideration. The Sony KDL46HX853 was released last year and was the top of the range Sony TV. It’s still up there with the best of them in 2013. It’s a Full HD 3D TV with an extremely lovely and practical monolith stand that doubles up as a speaker array – the sound quality therefore is better than most other flatscreens.
As with most Sony’s, the build quality is excellent, set up is childsplay and to go with the exceptional sound quality you get a fantastic picture with an awesome range of colours and deep true blacks.
The other thing that makes this a great LED TV is that you can buy this 40 inch beauty (that normally retails for around £1,500) for just £1,099.99. Which is just a fraction more than some of the newer 46 inch TV models above.
So there you have it – our best 40 – 42 inch TV review. With a 46 inch LED TV thrown in for good measure.
Any of these will give great all round performance and with manufacturers like Sony, Samsung and Panasonic you really can’t go wrong.
If you’d like more information and help on which TV is best for you home and for your needs – then why not call into our showroom in Norwich, give us a call on 01603 621772 or send us an email. We’re always happy to help.
For more images of these TV – check out our Pinterest Board – “Best 42 inch TV. Our review.”
Happy viewing!