ONN 40 Inch TV Review: A Bare-bones Roku TV at An Irresistible Price

ONN 40 Inch TV review
 
 
      

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Check out this ONN 40 Inch TV review to see if a TV that makes your wallet smile can also deliver on quality. 

Most people expect to make tradeoffs when shopping for displays of a specific price range. Let’s jump right into our ONN 40 Inch TV review to find out if this 1080p Roku TV has enough upsides to make a case for itself.

ONN 40 Inch TV review: Getting to know the brand

ONN is one of Walmart’s private-label brands for televisions, speakers, media cables, and sundry accessories. However, the label’s primary focus is budget displays with basic smart TV features.

The manufacture of ONN displays is the responsibility of Durabrand, another of Walmart’s private-label brands. In this internal arrangement, Durabrand oversees the manufacture of ONN televisions in China. Durabrand finds factories to assemble the displays and gets the products to the retailer.

Lastly, Walmart has a warranty arrangement with Element, a TV manufacturer with a presence in the US. Walmart uses Element electronics to do repairs for ONN televisions that are under warranty. There are two takeaways that a buyer gets from this business arrangement. One, you should try Durabrand TV codes when programming your regular remote to work with your ONN TV. Two, the supply and warranty setup that Walmart has in place should inspire some confidence in the ONN brand.

ONN 40 Inch TV review

First looks

The 40-inch ONN Roku TV has a simple design that matches all kinds of décor. This 1080p panel sits in a charcoal-black cabinet with grey bezels. Glossy, black-and-chrome TV feet add a little edge to the aesthetic of the 40” ONN display.

Mounting the TV will require a bracket that matches the 400×400 VESA wall mount pattern on the back panel. The wall mount install is a reasonably neat setup for the ONN Roku TV, despite the panel being three inches deep.

Choosing to place the TV on an entertainment stand is also an option if you have furniture that can accommodate a 35.5”x8” footprint. It’s worth mentioning that attaching the TV feet takes a bit of effort. You’ll need to figure out which TV foot is the right and which is the left. You also need a number one Phillips screwdriver to fasten the feet in place. Once in place, the TV legs will offer decent support for your 40-inch ONN TV.

Ports and wireless connectivity

Three HDMI 2.0 ports provide the versatility you need to connect a range of devices, from your laptop to your soundbar to your gaming console. The HDMI ports support Dolby sound, though you’d never guess, going by the panel’s shrill internal speakers. You also have your pick of additional ports:

  • Digital optical output
  • One USB port
  • A set of RCA audio and video connectors
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • RF connector
  • An Ethernet Jack

The USB port allows you to access all types of content on external storage. However, you may have a hard time watching playback from AVI content.

Lastly, the ONN 40-inch Roku TV has WiFi connectivity for a wireless connection to your home network.

[Read what others are saying about this television]

Smart features: Roku TV and ease of use

Roku’s smart TV platform has a simple, intuitive layout with minimal clutter. The interface is responsive to user inputs, and scrolling through menu items makes for a smooth, pleasant experience. Roku also has a good selection of streaming apps, including a few that offer free content.

With time, the Roku interface learns and uses your viewing preferences to create a custom content menu. The menu will aggregate content from different input sources, eliminating the need to select an input source when you want to watch your favorite cable show.

An essential feature of Roku TV is the companion app that turns your mobile device into a remote. The app improves your user experience and saves you the annoyances that come with using the ONN TV remote.

Remote

Most people prefer to use a single remote to operate different devices in a home entertainment setup. It takes some work to configure your ONN Roku TV to match your preferred remote. Write down the TV code as you set up the Roku interface for the first time. Use this code to make the ONN TV compatible with your regular remote. If the TV code doesn’t work, find the TV codes for Durabrand TVs and try those.

You may be OK with using the remote that comes with the 40-inch ONN TV. In this case, watch out for the volume and mute buttons on the side of the remote. There’s a chance that you’ll press them by accident as you grip the remote.

Hardware

The 40-inch ONN Roku TV is a 60Hz VA panel with direct backlighting and 1080p resolution. This ONN TV set has an adequate color gamut for SDR content for a budget display. The TV is also bright enough to add a little volume to the panel’s native color panel.

A display’s ability to render smooth, blur-free motion is a crucial metric of TV performance. In the same vein, a good TV should have low input lag. Low lag allows a TV to be responsive as you browse the Roku interface, watch fast-action content or use your gaming console. The 40” ONN Roku TV has an input lag of under 20 milliseconds and a sluggish response time.

Here is how the hardware performs from a viewer’s perspective.

1.       Color reproduction

The 1080p ONN TV renders accurate colors that match the signal stream that forms your content. Color saturation could be better, but the panel still produces hues with some richness. The resulting color space provides enough material to create realistic images.

2.       Contrast and sharpness

Lack of local dimming limits what the 1080p ONN TV can deliver in terms of fine detail. This limitation doesn’t stop the panel from delivering depth and 3D simulation that looks true to life. Better still, the TV displays crisp images with sharp, defined outlines.

3.       Viewing angles

The 1080p Roku TV has narrow viewing angles, and the image starts to degrade at 45 degrees from the center.

4.       Motion handling

Slow response times translate to the likelihood of motion blur in high frame-rate, fast-action content.  Gaming enthusiasts are likelier to notice this drawback as they play resource-intensive games. The input lag is decent, and this makes for an enjoyable experience as you navigate the Roku platform. Combining decent input lag and a slow response time gives us motion handling that works fine for TV shows and most movies.

Pros

  • You can buy the ONN 40-inch 1080p TV for a steal
  • Solid one-year warranty that covers parts, labor, and replacement
  • The Roku smart interface is easy to set up and navigate
  • Roku’s companion app makes the TV easier to use
  • Adequate color gamut for SDR content
  • Crisp picture 

Cons

  • Lightweight TV feet that offer less-than-solid support
  • The mute and volume buttons are on the side of the remote, which is a poor design choice
  • It takes effort to set up a universal remote for the TV
  • Shrill, tinny speakers that compel you to use an external audio device
  • Narrow viewing angle

ONN 40 Inch TV review verdict: An affordable, bare-bones TV for general use

The 40-inch ONN Roku TV is a solid companion that keeps you company for an evening of TV shows or a movie.  This 1080p display has the basic features you need in a TV and a wealth of Roku content.

We conclude this ONN 40 Inch TV review by noting that the benefits of this TV are more than the drawbacks. If you need a TV for an unbelievably low price, you could do worse than the 40-inch, 1080p Roku TV from ONN. Click here to learn more about this television.

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