The 5 Best Small TVs - Spring 2021 Reviews

The best small TV we've tested in a 43 inch size is the Samsung QN43Q60TAFXZA. It's a decent all-around TV and one of the best small TVs we've tested, especially at a price that most people should be happy with. It performs well in both dark and well-lit rooms, and despite lacking some extra features you might find on bigger models, it's a good option if you have a smaller space.

It has a fantastic contrast ratio, so it can produce deep, inky blacks that look especially good when watching in the dark. It also gets bright enough to overcome glare in bright rooms and diffuses reflections fairly well. It's not the most advanced in terms of gaming features, but it does have a low input lag and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Its response time is mediocre, so there may be noticeable motion artifacts, but it includes a Black Frame Insertion feature to help reduce motion blur.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to reduce screen tearing. It also has narrow viewing angles, so the image quickly loses accuracy from the side, meaning it's not great for wide seating arrangements. Still, for a TV that's on the smaller side, it has a lot to offer, which is why it's our pick for the best 43 inch TV.

The Samsung UN43TU8000FXZA is one of the best small TVs we've tested and it's good for gaming. It's an entry-level 4k model with decent overall performance, and it performs best in dark rooms. Although it's limited to a 60Hz panel and doesn't have gaming features like VRR support, most casual gamers should be happy with it.

In terms of gaming, it has a decent response time, but you still may notice some image duplication due to the backlight's flicker frequency. It has a Black Frame Insertion feature to help clear up motion blur, but once again, it results in image duplication because its timing looks off. Luckily, it has low input lag and remains low whether you're gaming in 4k or 1080p. If you want to use it as a monitor for PC gaming, it supports 1440p and displays proper chroma 4:4:4, which is important for reading text. It also upscales lower-resolution content without any issues, which is great for older games or those with a 1080p resolution.

Unfortunately, it doesn't deliver a good HDR experience. It has low HDR peak brightness, disappointing gradient handling, and it fails to display a wide color gamut. On the plus side, it's great for dark room gaming as it has an outstanding native contrast ratio that makes blacks look deep, and the black uniformity is remarkable. All things considered, this is one of the best small TVs we've tested, especially for gaming.

The best small smart TV that we've tested is the Hisense R6090G. It's a simple, budget-friendly TV that's available in a wide range of sizes. The 43 inch model may be harder to find than some of the bigger sizes, but there are a few retailers that sell it. Unlike most Hisense TVs, it has built-in Roku TV instead of Android TV. Roku is easy-to-use, the menu navigation is very smooth, and there's a ton of apps you can download through the app store.

It has a VA panel and performs best in dark environments. It has an amazing native contrast ratio and outstanding black uniformity, but there's no local dimming feature to further improve the picture quality in dark scenes. It has good out-of-the-box color accuracy, so you likely won't need to get it calibrated if you don't want to, but this varies between units. It upscales lower-resolution content without any issues, removes judder from native 24p sources, and has excellent low input lag for gaming.

Sadly, even though it supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, HDR content doesn't look all that different from SDR because it fails to display a wide color gamut and doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop. It also has dirty screen effect in the center, which could get distracting during sports, but this varies between units. Luckily, it has good reflection handling, so it's a good choice for most moderately-lit rooms. All in all, if you want the best small TV with good smart features, you should be pleased with this one.