Finlux 40F8073-T review

The search for a 40-inch LED TV for under £400 that doesn't come from a no-name supermarket brand is over. The Finlux 40F8073-T won't make the end-of-year 'best of 2014' ceremonies judged on image quality, but you won't find a better value smart LED TV.

We liked

The low, low price is the star turn on the 40F8073-T, but it makes a bid for glory with a fast-working user interface that's graced a by a thoroughly decent selection of apps. The presence of Freeview HD and Full HD are plusses, as is a surprisingly slick web browser and an excellent, well organised media browser that makes digital file playback a breeze.

We disliked

Not everything about the 40F8073-T is value-busting plus points. Sound quality is poor, while the remote control supplied in the box is a slight affair indeed. Picture quality is average at best, with noticeable motion blur and a lack of shadow details making this far from the best TV for Blu-ray.

Verdict

The 40F8073-T is truly excellent value. A decent TV with any kind of apps usually costs around £500, with exceptions to that rule – such as Toshiba's heavily discounted 2013 range – regularly disappointing with a total lack of usability and processing power. The 40F8073-T's success on all counts (though don't expect top picture and sound quality) makes it an excellent value choice for a living room, with thoroughly usable media software and even a web browser contributing to a great value package.

• Buy direct from Finlux

Also consider

There are very few TVs of this low price that also include smart TV apps, though in terms of value the appearance of apps is almost immaterial; one of the 40F8073-T's closest rivals is Samsung's UE42F5000, which doesn't have any apps. Toshiba's 40L6353 does, but even after five minutes with the 40F8073-T it's clear that even on basic usability it outranks the long, established Toshiba brand.