Introduction
You can find the RCA L40FHD41 for under $600.
Tour & Design
Front
The front of the L40FHD41 is surrounded by a matte black bezel. The bottom center has an RCA logo, underneath which is the power indicator light and remote sensor.
Back
The only feature on the back of the L40FHD41 is the port array, which is very colorful. For information about the ports on the back of the RCA L40FHD41 see our Connectivity section.
Sides
On the left side of the TV you'll find the controls and a column of ports. For information about the ports on the back of the RCA L40FHD41 see our Connectivity section.
Stand/Mount
The stand is very thick and attached to the TV so you can't remove it. You can't mount the L40FHD41 on your wall.
Controls
The right side of the TV has the on-set controls, which allow you to perform basic functionality.
Remote Control
The remote is a long, thin block of plastic. The buttons are large, but their increased size pushes everything further apart than we're used to.
In The Box*(8.0)*
The RCA came with a remote, batteries, and a manual. The TV didn't need to be assembled; you just unpack it and plug it in.
Aesthetics*(4.0)*
The RCA L40FHD41 looks blocky and plasticky. It's a good example of the spectrum that's evolved in modern TV aesthetics. Most mid-range TVs are a lot thinner, use a non-matte plastic, and use a sleeker stand. This being said, if you're looking for a budget TV, aesthetics aren't really your primary concern. The RCA looks fine for what it is: an entry-level LCD HDTV.
Blacks & Whites
Color Accuracy
Color Temperature*(6.90)*
The generally agreed-upon ideal for color temperature is 6500K. This is approximately the color temperature on a clear day. If the TV's color temperature is off, but remains consistent throughout the greyscale, you won't notice the issue much. When color temperature fluctuates, however, you'll notice.
The RCA L40FHD41 had some issues maintaining a color temperature. As the greyscale progresses from white to black, the temperature is perceptibly cool. Then, towards the darker end, the temperature crashes. When graphed, this drop is literally off the chart, making our scientific test look like a simple sight gag.
RGB Curves*(7.83)*
Every color on the TV is made from some combination of red, green, and blue. Since they're the building blocks for the rest of the spectrum, we test each one individually. Overall, the L40FHD41 performed well on these tests.
There were only some minor problems with the L40FHD41's red curve. There wasn't a lot of differentiation in the low end, but that was true of all the colors. Towards the middle shades of red, the curve gets slightly inconsistent. Overall, though, this was a good performance with no peaking.
Green was more consistent than red. We really didn't see many issues here.
Although the curve for blue was pretty acurate, it was choppier than the curves for the other two colors. This means there's a loss of fine detail. For example, a signal could tell a TV to display a blue with an intensity of 204, 205, and 206 and the TV would display the same shade of blue for all three. This being said, the detail being lost is relatively minor.
Color Gamut*(4.43)*
The colors a TV displays are supposed to adhere to an international standard. This standard, rec. 709, dictates exactly where the red, green, and blue points should be. Rec. 709 ensures all TVs are outputting the same colors. Of course, not all TVs follow this regulation to the letter. In this section we match the TV's green, blue, and red points up against rec. 709's standard.
The L40FHD41 didn't follow rules very well. The red is spot on, but the green and blue are oversaturated. The green is also more bluish than it should be, and the blues are shifted slightly towards purple.
Below is a chart of our measurements for the three color points, as well as the white point, compared to the rec. 709 standard. The final column describes how far off the TV is from where it's supposed to be.
Motion
Motion Smoothness*(5.0)*
The RCA L40FHD41 definitely has some issues with blurring, especially with 1080i content. A portrait panning around the screen lost nearly all of its detail. The face took on this spooky appearance, with two black areas for eyes and a smear of red for a mouth.
There were some pretty major problems with color switching to grey and vice versa. When a colored block moved around against a grey background, it would leave a long trail behind it.
Fine patterns also didn't fare well. Bold lines melded into each other, and fine lines were typically lost in the blur.
Motion Artifacting*(4.75)*
Typically with blurring as bad as we saw on this TV, it's hard to make out artifacting. The L40FHD41, however, still managed some pretty noticeable issues. We didn't see too much of a problem with pictures, because the shuddering effect was made significantly less noticeable by the blurring; you'll probably only really notice the shudder right as something starts moving. When brightly-colored blocks moved around on a grey background, their trails were highlighted with a bright blue color. This effect got worse with 1080i content.
By far the worst bout of artifacting, however, was with black and white patterns. We saw a whole host of obvious artifacting as our test pattern panned around the screen. First of all, the shudder is so bad, it created a large band across the whole image that scanned across the image vertically. The thicker lines cast a rainbow shadow behind them when they moved.
3:2 Pulldown & 24fps*(7.5)*
Given the poor performance outlined above, we were surprised when the TV actually performed pretty well with 3:2 pulldown and 24fps content. We saw some minor shimmering in fine patterns that panned around the screen, but that was about it. This will really only affect your viewing if you're watching a pan of a sports stadium or something similar, and will give patches of empty seats a crawling effect.
Viewing Effects
Viewing Angle*(3.70)*
On this test, we measure how the TV's contrast ratio changes the further you get away from sitting dead center. Typically LCDs' ratios drop off significantly as you get away from dead center, due to how their display technology works (basically, the image isn't being broadcast on the same plane as the screen, so the image is actually being obstructed by the screen's thickness).
As expected of an LCD, the L40FHD41 didn't have a particularly good viewing angle. If you're 16° away from center, you'll only be seeing about 50% of the screen's total contrast ratio. Since that ratio isn't particularly great to begin with, picture quality takes a nose dive.
Reflectance*(7.0)*
For this test, we shine an LED array at the screen and judge how distracting it is. In general, the L40FHD41 did a good job diffusing external light. We weren't really able to see the individual lights in the array, but the diffuse glow was pretty big. This can be pretty distracting in a dark scene, but didn't do much for bright scenes. We were pretty pleased with the L40FHD41's performance on this test.
Video Processing*(1.0)*
The RCA L40FHD41 only has one vieo processing mode: noise reduction. On high, it does reduce noise by a noticeable amount.
Calibration
Calibration
[
](http://www.displaymate.com/)Most TVs come out of the box calibrated for store use. We're pretty confident you don't live in a store, so we're equally confident these default settings won't be ideal for your living room. Calibration will help your TV output the most optimal picture for your viewing environment.
In our case, calibration helps us test our TVs at their peak performance. We calibrate our TVs using DisplayMate and a CS-200 ChromaMeter. We're aiming for a color temperature of 6500K and to maximize contrast without sacrificing color performance. We've listed the settings we used in the chart below. If we didn't include a setting in the table, it means we didn't touch it.
Feel free to use the settings listed below to calibrate your RCA L40FHD41. This setup will get you pretty close to ideal, but since we're extremely confident you don't live in our testing labs, they won't be perfect. The alternative is to pay a professional to come in and fine-tune your settings for you.
Video Modes
The TV has a few video modes, but we can't tell for the life of us what they do. There isn't any documentation on the TV or in the manual, and our CS-200 ChromaMeter didn't really measure much difference between them in terms of color temperature. A few dimmed the backlight slightly. Regardless, here's a list of these nebulous modes at your disposal: natural, sports, personal, vibrant, and cinematic.
Remote Control
Ergonomics & Durability*(7.0)*
The RCA L40FHD41's remote is short, thick, light, and looks kind of cheap. It fits fine in hand, with rounded edges and good balance. Its case is made of a textured plastic, which helps grip it. Although the remote just looks like it's a poor quality, we don't have any specific durability concerns. What we would've liked, however, was a backlight.
Button Layout & Use*(7.0)*
On a base level, the button layout on the L40FHD41's remote is fine. The buttons are all placed in logical positions. The problem is, since there's so few of them, they're spaced out more than we were used to. Even considering this, there's not a lot of grip-shifting required. You'll only need to regrip a small distance each time, but you'll need to do so often.
Programming & Flexibility*(0.0)*
This isn't a universal remote. You're stuck using it with just your L40FHD41.
Connectivity
Input Ports*(8.25)*
The RCA L40FHD41 had a good selection of input ports. By our count, there were two composite videos, an S-Video, a VGA, two component videos, three HDMIs (one of which doubled as a DVI), four analog audios, and two 3.5mm audios. There's also the ubiquitous RF input. This is a really good sleection of ports, especially for such an inexpensive TV.
Output Ports*(2.0)*
Like most TVs, there aren't many output ports here. There's two analog audio outputs and one digital audio out.
Other Connections*(0.0)*
There aren't any other connections on the TV.
Media*(0.0)*
There are no other media options on this TV.
Placement*(7.5)*
The ports are placed close to the edge of the set, for easy access. This being said, the main port cluster is indented a bit further than we would've liked. Also, the stand doesn't swivel. Even with these issues, the RCA L40FHD41's ports are placed within easy reach.
Audio & Menus
Audio Quality*(4.0)*
The RCA L40FHD41 didn't have great audio quality. We thought the sound was really muffled and tinny. When the bass deigned to kick in, even moderate volumes sounded like they were getting blown out. We'd really recommend external speakers for this set.
Menu Interface*(7.0)*
The RCA L40FHD41's menu system is so simple it feels weird describing it. Hitting the menu button will bring up a no nonsense blue menu of items. Selecting the picture menu will expand the window to the right. From here you can change all the basic settings, but versually none of the advanced features of other modern TVs.
Below is the picture menu, which only lets you control brightness, color, sharpness, tint, and contrast.
This final picture is the advanced menu, which doesn't really have enough options to merit a separate menu.
Manual*(6.0)*
The L40FHD41's manual is kind of hard to read. It has a table of contents to start, but headers and subsections are bold and normal text respectively. Nothing is formatted.
Formats & Media
Formats*(10.0)*
The RCA L40FHD41 is a 1080p HDTV. This means it can play the highest HD content currently available. The TV also supports 3:2 pulldown and 24 fps playback.
Photo Playback*(0.0)*
The RCA L40FHD41 doesn't have any photo playback capabilities.
Music & Video Playback*(0.0)*
There aren't any music or video featuers on the L40FHD41.
Streaming Playback*(0.0)*
Since it lacks internet connectivity, the L40FHD41 doesn't support streaming playback.
Other Media*(0.0)*
There aren't any other media options on the TV.
Power Consumption
Power Consumption*(8.33)*
The final cost of your TV isn't just what you pay at the counter. Televisions draw electricity–sometimes a lot of electricity–and that can add up over time. For this test, we plug the TV into a wattage meter and measure it's draw. The prices we list assume you're watching an average amount of TV, which is about 5 hours per day.
Typically when we perform this test, we do so at different backlight levels. The L40FHD41 doesn't have any backlight settings. It does have a dynamic backlight feature that uses a light sensor, but you're not in control of what level the backlight gets set to. We therefore measured the wattage of when the TV was on and when it was off.
Assuming you're the average couch potato, the RCA L40FHD41 will cost you a little over $34 per year. This is a bit more expensive than the average LCD, but not by a lot. You won't find a really expensive TV until you start loking at plasmas.
Below we've listed the average power draws of the RCA L40FHD41, alongside a few competing models.
Vs Samsung LN40B610
Value Comparison Summary
The Samsung is a 40-inch TV for a more discerning viewer. It had better picture quality overall, performed better on our motion tests, and has a USB port for photo viewing. It also looks far more sleek than the RCA. The downside, however, is it costs almost twice as much.
Blacks & Whites
Although the RCA has a slightly deeper black level than the Samsung, the Samsung is significantly brighter. This wider range nets a larger contrast ratio for the Samsung.
Color Accuracy
The RCA had a much less consistent color temperature. It performed slightly worse on overall color representation, but not by a significant margin. Both TVs had approximately the same color gamut.
Motion
The Samsung was less blurry and less prone to artifacting than the RCA.
Viewing Effects
Neither TV had a good viewing angle.
Connectivity
If you like analog audio or S-Video ports, you'll love the RCA L40FHD41. The benefit of the Samsung is netting a few extra video inputs, including an HDMI. The Samsung also has a USB port, which you can use to access media on a flash card.
Vs Sony KDL 40W5100
Value Comparison Summary
This match-up compare an entry-level RCA to a feature-packed Sony. The Sony managed to do better than the RCA on a majority of the tests, and also offers an impressive line-up of online features. Of course, the Sony's downside is its price.
Blacks & Whites
The RCA had a significantly lower black level than the Sony. The Sony was brighter overall, however, so the two TVs wound up with similar contrast ratios.
Color Accuracy
The Sony swept the RCA here, with a significantly more stable color temperature, better overall color representation, and a more accurate color gamut.
Motion
The Sony outclassed the RCS, both in terms of smoothness and artifacting.
Viewing Effects
Both TVs had equally shallow viewing angles. The RCA's was slightly worse than the Sony's.
Connectivity
The Sony can offer you an extra HDMI and composite video input. It also has a USB port for media playback, and a LAN port for streaming internet content.
Other Comparisons
Sony has an absurd line-up of online content, the majority of which is free.
Vs Sharp LC 40E67UN
Value Comparison Summary
This is a battle between two entry-level LCDs. In most areas the two are comparable. The Sharp has much better color performance and a more aesthetically-pleasing design, while the RCA has a slightly deeper black level and better port selection. The RCA is a bit less expensive than the Sharp, without sacrificing much in the way of picture quality.
Blacks & Whites
The RCA had a slightly deeper black level than the Sharp, but the Sharp managed to outshine the RCA with its whites. When all is said and done, the two TVs have very comparable contrast ratios.
Color Accuracy
Once again, the RCA's color temperature is shown to be terrible: the Sharp had virtually no issues with a runaway temp. The two TVs did well on color representation, although the Sharp performed a bit better. The same is true for the two TV's color gamuts.
Motion
The RCA managed to be ever-so-slightly less blurry and prone to artifacts, compared to the Sharp.
Viewing Effects
Neither TV has a viewing angle worth bragging about.
Connectivity
The Sharp has an extra HDMI, while the RCA has a spare analog audio input. Other than that, the two TVs have the same array of ports.
Conclusion
Series Comparison
Comparing the RCA **L40FHD4****1**
Typically this is where we'd list other sizes in the review unit's series. At this size and price range, RCA doesn't release TVs in a series. If you're looking for other budget options, check out our reviews listed below.
Meet the tester
Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
Checking our work.
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