Roku Select Series 43R4E5 43"

The Roku Select Series 43R4E5 is a 43-inch 4K smart TV with the best streaming interface on the market. Picture quality is below average and HDR is just mediocre, but the connectivity is excellent and the price is hard to beat. It's an ideal secondary TV for anyone who wants a simple, snappy streaming experience without breaking the bank.

In our benchmarks, the Roku Select Series shows its strengths and weaknesses pretty clearly. The smart platform performance is best-in-class, literally. It's the 100th percentile in our database, meaning the interface is as responsive and intuitive as it gets. Apps launch quickly, the home screen is customizable, and automatic updates keep things fresh without any fuss. If you've ever wrestled with a sluggish smart TV menu, this is a breath of fresh air.

Picture quality, on the other hand, is a mixed bag. The display itself ranks in the 63rd percentile, which is solid but unspectacular. HDR performance is dead average at the 51st percentile, so while HDR10 content is supported, you won't get the eye-searing highlights or deep shadows that pricier sets deliver. The Direct LED backlight keeps things uniform, but don't expect local dimming tricks. For SDR content in a moderately lit room, it holds up well. Just don't expect it to wow you with contrast in a dark room.

Stacked against the Hisense U6 Series, the Roku loses on picture quality but wins on interface. The Hisense uses a quantum dot panel that gets brighter and more colorful, making it a better pick for movie fans. The TCL QM7K is in a different league entirely with mini-LED backlighting and a 120Hz panel, but it also costs significantly more. If you're comparing to the Samsung Neo QLED QN70F or the LG QNED 86 series, those are premium sets with far superior contrast and processing, but they're also three to four times the price.

The Sony BRAVIA 2 II is probably the closest competitor in spirit, offering a solid smart platform and good processing. But Sony's Google TV interface, while capable, isn't as streamlined as Roku's. For pure ease of use, the Roku still takes the crown. If you're just plugging in a streaming stick and calling it a day, the Roku's built-in smarts might save you the hassle of a second remote.

Pricing on this set floats between $155 and $240 depending on sales, which puts it squarely in impulse-buy territory for a 43-inch 4K TV. For that money, you're getting a top-tier smart platform and surprisingly good connectivity. The value proposition hinges on what you prioritize. If you want the easiest streaming experience possible and don't care about premium picture quality, this is a steal. But if you can stretch your budget a bit, the Hisense U6 Series offers quantum dot color and better HDR for not much more cash.

The Roku Select Series 43R4E5 is a 43-inch 4K LED TV that puts the smart platform front and center. If you're hunting for a straightforward streaming TV for a bedroom, kitchen, or dorm room, this one's built to get out of your way. The Roku interface is the real star here, and in our database, it sits at the absolute top of the charts for smart TV usability. It's snappy, simple, and covers all the bases with support for Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple AirPlay 2.

Picture quality is where you'll see the trade-offs for that budget-friendly price. It's a Direct LED panel with HDR10 support, but don't expect the kind of brightness or contrast you'd get from a QLED or OLED. The HDR performance lands right in the middle of the pack, and overall picture quality is a bit below average compared to other TVs we've tested. For casual streaming and everyday shows, it's perfectly fine. For a dedicated home theater, you'll want to look elsewhere.

Connectivity is a pleasant surprise here. With four HDMI ports, two USB ports, Ethernet, and Bluetooth 5.2, it's more generous than many TVs in this price bracket. The inclusion of eARC and HDMI 2.1 is nice to see, though the 60Hz panel and modest gaming features mean it's not a powerhouse for serious gamers. Still, for a sub-$250 TV, the port selection is a standout.

Skip this TV if you're building a home theater setup or care deeply about picture quality. The Direct LED backlight and mediocre HDR performance mean movies won't pop the way they do on a QLED or OLED. If you watch a lot of content in a dark room, the lack of local dimming will be noticeable. For a main living room TV, consider stepping up to the Hisense U6 Series for better color and brightness, or the TCL QM7K if you want mini-LED contrast and a 120Hz panel for gaming.

Should you buy the Roku Select Series 43R4E5? If you want a no-fuss 4K TV for a secondary room and you love the Roku ecosystem, absolutely. It's one of the easiest TVs to live with, and the price is right. The smart platform is the best we've tested, and the connectivity options are generous for a budget set. For casual streaming, news, and kids' shows, it's a perfect fit.

But if picture quality is your top priority, you should probably skip this one. The HDR performance is just okay, and the overall image quality won't satisfy videophiles. For a main living room TV where you'll watch movies in the dark, spend a little more on something with better contrast and brightness. This Roku is a convenience king, not a picture quality champion.