You’re standing in the middle of the electronics aisle at Walmart. It’s loud. There’s a demo loop of a mountain range playing on fifty different screens, and honestly, they all look kind of the same at first glance. If you’re hunting for tvs at walmart 40 inch, you’re in a weird spot. It’s the "middle child" size. It’s too big for a tiny dorm desk but sometimes feels just a bit too small for a massive living room.
People mess this up. They really do. They walk in, see a price tag under $200, and throw a box in the cart without checking the resolution or the smart platform. Then they get home, plug it in, and wonder why the text on the Netflix menu looks like it was drawn with a crayon.
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The Resolution Trap Most Buyers Fall Into
Here is the thing about 40-inch screens. This is the exact size where the difference between 720p and 1080p actually matters. On a 24-inch kitchen TV, you can’t really tell. On a 40-inch? You definitely can.
Walmart carries a lot of "Value" brands. You’ll see names like Onn., Hisense, and TCL. Often, the absolute cheapest tvs at walmart 40 inch are 720p. Do not buy those. Just don't. Unless you are literally just putting it in a garage to watch the news while you change your oil, the blurriness will drive you crazy. You want "Full HD" or 1080p.
The pixel density on a 40-inch 1080p screen is actually pretty decent. It’s crisp enough for gaming and perfectly fine for HD streaming. But wait—what about 4K? You might find a 4K 40-inch, but they are rare. Most manufacturers jump straight from 1080p at 40 inches to 4K at 43 inches. That three-inch jump is actually a massive leap in technology.
Why the Smart Platform is More Important Than the Brand
Look at the remote. Seriously. Before you buy a TV, look at the remote on the display model.
Walmart has a huge partnership with Roku. Most of their in-house brand, Onn., uses the Roku interface. This is a win for most people. Roku is dead simple. It doesn't try to sell you stuff as aggressively as some other platforms. It just works.
Then you have the Google TV or Android TV options, usually found on Hisense or some TCL models. These are better if you're a "techie." You can sideload apps, use Google Assistant, and it feels more like a smartphone. But it can be laggier on cheaper hardware.
Vizio is the third player here with SmartCast. It’s fine, but it relies heavily on casting from your phone. If you hate using your phone to control your TV, Vizio might annoy you.
The Onn. Brand: Is Walmart’s Own TV Actually Good?
People are snobs about the Onn. brand. I get it. It’s the "budget" option. But let’s be real for a second. Most of these panels are manufactured by the same massive factories that make parts for the big names.
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The build quality is... plastic. Very plastic. The speakers? They’re thin. They sound like a phone in a tin can. But if you’re looking at tvs at walmart 40 inch for a guest room or a kid’s bedroom, the Onn. 40" Class FHD Roku Smart TV is a beast for the price. It’s usually priced so low it feels like a mistake.
The secret is that the software is identical to a $1,000 Roku TV. The user experience is smooth because Roku handles the heavy lifting. Just buy a $30 soundbar later. Your ears will thank you.
Measurements Matter (The Bezel Factor)
"40 inches" is a diagonal measurement. It doesn't tell you if it will fit on your dresser.
In the old days, a 40-inch TV was huge because the plastic border (the bezel) was three inches wide. Modern tvs at walmart 40 inch have almost no border. This means a new 40-inch might actually be smaller in total footprint than your old 32-inch.
Check the feet. This is where Walmart shoppers get stuck. Some TVs have a "pedestal" stand in the middle. Most now have "v-shaped" feet at the very ends. If your TV stand is narrow, those feet will hang off the edge. Measure your furniture before you drive to the store.
Refresh Rates and the "120Hz" Marketing Lie
You’ll see boxes that say "120Hz Effective Refresh Rate."
It’s a lie.
In the world of budget 40-inch displays, the panel is almost certainly 60Hz. The "120" number is just marketing fluff where the backlight blinks fast to pretend it's smoother. If you’re a hardcore PS5 or Xbox Series X gamer looking for 120fps gaming, you aren't going to find it in this category. You’re looking for a monitor or a much more expensive OLED.
But for Nintendo Switch? Or just watching the NFL on Sunday? 60Hz is totally fine. Don't pay extra for a "motion enhancement" feature that just makes movies look like soap operas.
Comparison: TCL vs. Hisense vs. Onn.
TCL usually wins on color. Their 3-series or 4-series 40-inch models have slightly better contrast than the Onn. sets. You’ll notice the blacks look a bit "blacker" and less "dark grey."
Hisense is the king of features. They often pack in more HDMI ports. If you have a cable box, a Nintendo Switch, a Blu-ray player, and a Roku stick (though you won't need one with the smart OS), check the ports. Some cheap 40-inch TVs only have two HDMI ports. That’s a nightmare. Look for at least three.
Onn. wins on price. Period. If you need a screen and you have $150, that’s your play.
Viewing Angles: The Kitchen Test
If you are putting this TV in a place where you'll be watching it while standing at a counter or sitting on the floor, check the viewing angles.
Cheap LED panels have a habit of "washing out." If you stand 30 degrees to the side, the color disappears. At Walmart, walk past the TV and look at it from an angle. If the image turns white-ish or colors distort, it’s a "VA" panel. These are great for dark rooms if you sit right in front of them, but terrible for wide seating areas.
Practical Steps for Your Purchase
Stop looking at the spec sheet for five minutes and think about your room.
- Measure your stand width. Not the TV width, the distance between the feet.
- Count your HDMI cables. Don't forget your soundbar uses one (the ARC/eARC port).
- Check your Wi-Fi. These smart TVs need a solid signal. If your router is three floors away, the Roku interface will stutter.
- Pick your OS. If you use an iPhone, look for a TV that supports AirPlay (most Rokus do now). It makes sharing photos or videos a breeze.
- Skip the 720p. I'll say it again. 1080p is the bare minimum for a 40-inch screen in 2026.
Searching for tvs at walmart 40 inch doesn't have to be a gamble. Stick to 1080p, prioritize the Roku or Google TV interface over the brand name on the bezel, and make sure the feet actually fit on your table. You'll end up with a solid screen that doesn't break the bank.
Once you get it home, the first thing you should do is go into the "Picture" settings. Turn off "Power Saving" mode and "Motion Smoothing." It will instantly look twice as expensive as it actually was.
Next Steps for Your Setup
Check the back of your current devices to see if they are HDMI 2.0 or 2.1 compatible. Even though a 40-inch TV won't utilize the full bandwidth of 2.1, using the correct cables prevents signal dropouts. If you find the built-in smart interface is slow after a year, grab an external streaming stick; the panels themselves usually outlast the processors inside them.