4K has become the standard for modern TVs, and 4K TVs have become much more affordable in the past few years. Still, you can find new 1080p TVs, and they will almost certainly be cheaper than any 4K model. At $249.99, the Vizio D40f-J09 is one of the least expensive 40-inch TVs you can buy. Given the price, it’s not surprising that the picture quality doesn’t impress. Surprisingly, though, the main problem isn’t the lower resolution but rather the dim screen and the lack of HDR support. This is a clear case where you get what you pay for.
1. Straight-forward
The D40 looks like a typical cheap TV. It has a thin, flat, matte black plastic bezel around the screen and a simple Vizio logo in the lower right corner. On the bottom, near the left edge, there is a button that
does both power and input. The TV sits on two curved black plastic legs, or it can be mounted on the wall.
On the back of the TV, the power cord is permanently attached to the left side. The right side has two HDMI ports, a USB port, and an optical audio port. The composite video input and antenna/cable connector are on the bottom of the TV. There is no Ethernet port, so you have to use Wi-Fi to use the TV’s connected features.
On the back of the TV, the power cord is permanently attached to the left side. The right side has two HDMI ports, a USB port, and an optical audio port. The composite video input and antenna/cable connector are on the bottom of the TV. There is no Ethernet port, so you have to use Wi-Fi to use the TV’s connected features.
2. SmartCast streaming that works well
The D40 is powered by Vizio’s SmartCast platform, which offers a small number of apps and services and great local device connectivity. Most of the big streaming services, like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube, are here. There is no HBO Max and no Twitch.
SmartCast is especially appealing because it comes with both Apple AirPlay and Google Cast. With these two systems, you can send video from any Android or iOS phone, PC, or Mac to the TV. SmartCast has no smart home control, voice assistant, voice search, or other advanced features, so it is very simple and light.
3. A Dim But Accurate Picture
The Vizio D40f-J09 has a refresh rate of 60Hz and is a 1080p TV. It doesn’t work with content that has a high dynamic range (HDR).In terms of contrast, the D40 doesn’t stand out. It’s a very dim panel, with a full-screen white field making it brightest at 186.139cd/m2. With a contrast ratio of 8,461:1, the black levels are fine at 0.022cd/m2, but the picture isn’t very interesting because the brightness is so low. If you don’t mind bringing up the black levels a little, you can get the TV to show a brighter picture by turning off Backlight Control in the Advanced Picture menu. The TCL 4-Series gets a little brighter (208.381cd/m2), but because the black level is higher (0.07cd/m2), the contrast ratio is lower (3,155:1). In comparison, the TCL 6-Series has a peak brightness of over 1,100cd/m2, and the Hisense U8G goes over 1,700cd/m2, both with black levels as low as or lower than the D40.
The color performance is much better. In the Calibrated picture mode, the D40’s color levels are pretty close to the Rec.709 broadcast standards, as shown in the chart above. For SDR content, that’s pretty good.
But without HDR, you won’t be able to see more colors than that. The vast majority of 4K TVs we’ve tested not only show mostly accurate SDR performance, but also come close to (or in some cases, surpass) the much wider DCI-P3 digital cinema color space. The D40 doesn’t have that ability at all. The TCL 4-Series has a wider range of colors than the D40 and supports HDR. Both the TCL 6-Series and the Hisense U8G can show almost all of the colors in the DCI-P3 digital cinema color space. The Vizio MQ6-J can show even more colors.
4. Unexpectedly quick for gaming
Even though the D40’s contrast and color won’t blow you away, it works well enough for gaming.
Using an HDFury Diva HDMI matrix, we found that the input lag in the Game picture mode was 10.4 milliseconds. That’s half of the 20ms limit we use to decide whether a TV is good for gaming or not. Just make sure the TV is set to Game picture mode. In Calibrated mode, input lag jumps to 46.9ms.
All View
Even compared to cheap 4K TVs, the Vizio D40j-J09 is dim, and because it doesn’t support HDR, its color range isn’t as good as those TVs. If you have the money and room, we recommend the TCL 6-Series or the Hisense U8G because the contrast and colors are so much better. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore the D40 if you’re on a tight budget or want a smaller screen. It costs $250, which is less than the TCL 43S435 and a third of what the 55R635 does (which is only available in 55 inches and up). It has a low input lag, which makes it good for gaming or as a second monitor. It would also work well as a TV in a bedroom or garage, but the picture won’t be the best.
