Roku Smart TV 40″ Select Series Review

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Overview

This review covers the Roku Smart TV, 40-Inch Select Series, 1080p Full HD, model 40R3E5 (2026), a direct-lit LED television with the Roku TV smart platform built directly in, a 60Hz refresh rate, and Roku’s standard voice remote with Bluetooth headphone mode for private listening. It’s worth being clear about where this sits in Roku’s own lineup: the Select Series is Roku’s entry-level TV tier, positioned below the step-up Plus Series and Pro Series, and this specific 40-inch model is a 1080p (not 4K) panel — Roku sells the same Select Series name across larger sizes (43-inch and up) that switch to 4K resolution, so make sure you’re looking at the correct size and resolution combination for your needs, since “Select Series” alone doesn’t tell you the resolution.

The Software Experience: A Genuine, Consistent Strength

This is where the Roku Select Series earns real, broad praise across both professional reviewers and everyday buyers, and it’s worth taking seriously since it’s the most consistently agreed-upon point across every source we found. RTINGS specifically praised the Roku TV interface as very fast and intuitive, even while running a simplified, lower-animation version of the software compared to pricier Roku models. Best Buy’s aggregated buyer feedback echoes this strongly and specifically — reviewers consistently highlight how quick and easy setup is, with one specifically noting it took just minutes to get all their streaming accounts logged in, and another, a self-described “technologically shy” 76-year-old buyer, specifically praising how approachable the whole experience was. If ease of use and a genuinely simple, clutter-free smart TV interface matter most to you, this is a real, consistent strength worth weighing seriously.

Picture Quality: Where Professional Testing Diverges From Buyer Sentiment

This is the most important, nuanced thing an honest review needs to address directly, because there’s a genuine, meaningful gap between how casual buyers describe this TV and what more rigorous, comparative lab testing found — and a fair review shouldn’t pretend that gap doesn’t exist. Many Best Buy and Walmart buyer reviews describe the picture as “crisp,” “vibrant,” and even “brilliant,” and for someone upgrading from an older, non-smart TV, that reaction is genuine and understandable.

However, RTINGS’ detailed, comparative lab testing of the Select Series line found real, specific weaknesses: poor black levels that cause the overall image to look washed out, disappointingly muted color volume in both SDR and HDR content, and picture processing that struggles specifically with low-quality or upscaled content. Tom’s Guide’s independent 2026 review of the Select Series line was even more direct, awarding it just 2.5 out of 5 stars overall and specifically calling out image quality — particularly brightness — as disappointing, concluding that competing budget models from TCL, Hisense, and Vizio generally deliver better picture quality at similar price points in 2026’s market. It’s worth being fair and reconciling these two perspectives honestly: this TV will likely look like a genuine, satisfying upgrade if you’re replacing an old, non-HD television, but if you’re comparing it directly against current budget-tier competitors from other brands, more rigorous side-by-side testing suggests you may be leaving picture quality on the table for the price.

Gaming Performance: A Real, Specific Limitation

This is worth flagging clearly and specifically for anyone considering this TV for a game console or gaming PC. RTINGS’ testing found the Select Series is a poor choice for gaming — it’s capped at 60Hz with no VRR (variable refresh rate) support to reduce screen tearing, and while input lag at 60Hz is low and reasonably responsive, slow pixel transitions result in noticeably blurry fast motion. If gaming is a significant part of how you’ll use this TV, this is a genuine, documented shortfall relative to more gaming-focused TVs, even budget ones, that increasingly include at least basic VRR support.

The Ad Situation: Consistent Across All Roku TVs

This is worth stating plainly and without spin, since it applies to every current Roku TV, not just this specific model. RTINGS confirmed large, unremovable ads appear on the Roku home screen — a now-standard trade-off across virtually the entire smart TV industry’s ad-supported business model, but still worth knowing clearly rather than discovering after purchase. Tom’s Guide’s review did note one point of relative credit here: compared to some other streaming platforms, Roku’s interface remains comparatively less cluttered with recommended content and algorithmic pushes, even with the unavoidable home screen ads present.

Build Quality and Design

RTINGS described the build quality as generally okay — not premium materials, but nothing that caused functional problems in their testing, aside from a bit of expected flex around the back panel inputs. The included voice remote is the same one found on most Roku devices, with quick-access buttons for popular streaming services and Bluetooth headphone mode for private listening, both genuinely convenient, well-liked features across reviews.

How It Compares

The most useful, honest framing across sources is this: within Roku’s own hardware ecosystem, the Select Series exists specifically as the budget entry point, and it performs that role reasonably for its most basic promise — an easy, fast, all-in-one streaming experience without needing a separate streaming device. Where it falls short in more rigorous, comparative testing is picture quality specifically, an area where Tom’s Guide’s 2026 review found several competing budget brands (TCL, Hisense, Vizio) currently offer stronger image quality at similar prices. If you specifically value the Roku software experience above all else and are comparing primarily against other Roku hardware tiers, this is a reasonable, budget-appropriate entry point. If picture quality and gaming performance are higher priorities and you’re open to other brands, it’s worth cross-shopping current budget models from those competitors before deciding.

	Pro Series 4K OLED Buy on Amazon	Plus Series 4K Mini-LED Buy on Amazon	Select Series 4K QLED Buy on Amazon	Select Series 4K Buy on Amazon	Select Series HD/FHD Buy on Amazon
Screen size	55″, 65″	55″, 65″, 75″	50″, 55″, 65″, 75″, 85″	43″	24″, 32″, 40″
Display Type	4K OLED	4K OLED	4K OLED	4K	HD/FHD
Backlighting		Mini-LED with local dimming	Direct lit	Direct lit	Direct lit
HDR	Dolby Vision, HDR10+	Dolby Vision, HDR10+	HDR10+	HDR10+
Roku Smart Picture	Roku Smart Picture Max	Roku Smart Picture Max	Roku Smart Picture	Roku Smart Picture	Roku Smart Picture
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth	Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth	Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth	Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Audio	Dolby Atmos	Dolby Atmos	Dolby Audio	Dolby Audio	Dolby Audio
Voice remote
Hands-free voice	Pro Series LX Only
Lost remote finder
Backlit remote
Rechargeable remote	Pro Series LX Only

Pros and Cons