INSIGNIA NS-43F301NA22 43 inch TV: In-Depth Review and Customer Opinions

The Insignia NS-43F301NA22 is a 43-inch smart TV from Insignia, Best Buy's house brand. This 2021 model features 4K UHD resolution and comes integrated with the Fire TV platform to deliver a robust smart TV experience. With support for HDR and rich colors, the 43-inch Insignia Fire TV aims to provide an immersive viewing experience in an affordable package. Key specs include a 60Hz refresh rate, DTS Studio Sound audio, and a voice remote with Alexa for easy navigation and voice control. As an entry-level 4K TV option from Insignia, the NS-43F301NA22 looks to give buyers a solid smart TV option on a budget. This review will take a closer look at the display performance, smart platform, design, audio quality and overall value offered by the Insignia 43-inch 4K Fire TV.

Design

The Insignia NS-43F301NA22 has a very sleek and modern design that will look great in most living rooms. This 43-inch TV measures 38.2 x 22.5 x 3.2 inches without the stand attached. With the included stand, the dimensions are 38.2 x 24.7 x 8.5 inches. So it has a nice low profile that doesn't stick out too far from your TV stand or wall mount.

The whole TV weighs just 15.4 lbs without the stand and 15.9 lbs with the stand. So it's relatively lightweight and easy to move around or wall mount yourself.

The bezels around the screen are fairly thin, measuring 0.4 inches on the sides and 0.8 inches on the top and bottom. This creates a more immersive viewing experience and makes the 43-inch screen feel larger than it is. The black plastic bezels blend into most home theater setups.

Overall, the streamlined design with slim bezels and lightweight build make this an attractive option for a bedroom, kitchen, dorm room, or other small to medium-sized living space.

The Samsung QN43Q60CAFXZA 43-inch QLED 4K UHD Smart TV is another great option to consider in the 43-inch size range. This TV features a sleek, minimalist design with ultra-thin bezels for a more immersive viewing experience. The stand has a stylish curved shape with a metal finish that complements modern decor. At just 2.4 inches thick, this TV doesn't take up much space on your TV stand or wall mount. The overall design is very premium-looking despite the smaller 43-inch screen size.

In terms of technical specs, the Samsung Q60 measures 38 x 22.1 x 2.4 inches without the stand and 38 x 24.3 x 8.5 inches with the included stand attached. It weighs a lightweight 15.9 pounds without the stand. The slim profile and low weight make wall mounting a breeze. Like the Insignia model, the Samsung Q60 has thin bezels around the display, measuring 0.39 inches on the sides and 0.59 inches on the top and bottom. This allows for a more immersive viewing experience on the 43-inch screen.

The minimalist aesthetic and slim form factor allow this TV to blend seamlessly into both traditional and modern living spaces. If you're looking for a feature-packed 43-inch TV with a premium, elegant design, the Samsung QN43Q60CAFXZA is an excellent choice worth considering alongside options like the Insignia 43-inch model.

Display

The Insignia NS-43F301NA22 features a 43-inch LED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, delivering full high definition visuals. The display uses LED backlighting which provides bright, uniform illumination across the entire screen.

In terms of brightness, this TV can reach up to 300 nits of peak brightness on a full white screen. This level of brightness is sufficient for most indoor viewing environments. The matte finish on the display helps reduce reflections and glare.

Viewing angles are also solid thanks to the VA (vertical alignment) panel. Color and brightness do not shift significantly when viewing from the side up to around 30 degrees off center both vertically and horizontally. This allows for flexible placement in the room and watchable picture quality even if sitting slightly off-axis.

Overall the display quality provides vibrant and detailed visuals ideal for both fast moving sports/action as well as movie watching. The 43 inch screen size is a great fit for smaller rooms like bedrooms, offices, and dorms where a larger TV may overwhelm the space.

While the Insignia NS-43F301NA22 provides good display performance for its price point, there are some higher end 43 inch models to consider as well. One top option is the SAMSUNG UN43CU8000FXZA. This 4K UHD TV delivers four times the resolution of 1080p for extra sharp visuals. It supports HDR for expanded contrast and color. The Tizen smart platform provides quick access to top streaming apps and voice control support. If your budget allows, the UN43CU8000FXZA represents one of the best performing 43 inch TVs available.

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Sound Quality

The Insignia NS-43F301NA22 comes equipped with decent sound for an affordable 43-inch TV. It features 2 built-in 8W speakers that provide sufficient audio power to fill a small to medium-sized room.

The speakers use DTS Studio Sound technology to provide simulated surround sound effects for a more immersive listening experience. There are different audio modes to choose from like Movie, Music, and News depending on the type of content you're watching.

Overall, the sound quality is good enough for everyday TV watching and casual listening. The speakers can get reasonably loud without much distortion. However, bass response is lacking due to the slim profile of the TV. For critical audio listening or home theater setups, connecting an external soundbar or speakers is recommended.

Smart Features

This 43-inch Insignia TV comes with Fire TV built-in, giving you access to tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills. It runs Amazon's Fire TV operating system, providing an easy-to-use interface and access to all your favorite streaming content.

The Fire TV OS gives you the ability to use the TV remote to quickly search across top streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV, HBO Max and more. You can easily find, watch and control the content you love in one unified experience.

In addition to streaming apps, this TV comes pre-installed with apps like Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, YouTube, Pluto TV, Prime Music, Spotify and more. So you can start streaming right out of the box.

One of the most useful features of Fire TV is built-in Alexa voice control. The TV remote has a microphone button that lets you press and ask Alexa to easily search for content, check sports scores, play music and more. You can control TV functions like power, volume, playback controls and app switching completely hands-free.

Alexa on Fire TV gives you access to tens of thousands of skills and allows you to control compatible smart home devices through your TV. For example, you can view who is at your front door if you have a compatible smart camera or turn your living room lights off without ever leaving the couch.

Connectivity

The Insignia 43-inch F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV offers great connectivity options for seamlessly connecting your devices.

• For HDMI inputs, it has 3 HDMI ports including 1 HDMI ARC port to connect your cable/satellite box, Blu-ray players, gaming consoles and other HDMI devices. The HDMI ARC lets you use just a single HDMI cable for simplified setup with compatible audio receivers and soundbars.

• For USB, it has a USB multimedia port that allows you to connect your USB drive to play videos, music, and view photos.

• For wireless connectivity, it has built-in dual band WiFi for connecting to your home internet without any cables. It also has Bluetooth connectivity to pair wireless speakers, headphones and other Bluetooth devices for cable-free audio.

• For audio out, it has both digital and analog audio output options. The digital audio out (optical) lets you connect an external audio system like soundbars and receivers. The 3.5mm headphone jack allows connecting headphones or external speakers.

• With these ample connectivity options, you can easily connect various home entertainment devices and accessories to create your ideal home theater setup.

Remote Control

The Insignia NS-43F301NA22 comes with a basic remote control that gets the job done but doesn't include advanced features.

The remote is lightweight and made of plastic. It fits comfortably in the hand.

It has all the essential buttons including power, input selection, volume, channel controls, playback controls, shortcuts for apps like Netflix and Prime Video, and buttons for the smart TV menus and settings.

The remote relies on infrared rather than Bluetooth connectivity. This means you need to point the remote directly at the TV's IR sensor for it to work. The IR sensor is located at the bottom right edge of the TV's bezel.

One handy feature is a dedicated button to invoke Google Assistant voice controls. There's a microphone built into the remote to pick up your voice commands. You can ask Google to launch apps, search for content, control playback, get answers, and more.

Overall the remote control covers the basics but is very simple. Some users may prefer a more advanced remote with premium finishes, backlighting, more shortcuts, etc. But the included remote is lightweight and easy to use for core functions.

Performance

The NS-43F301NA22 delivers good overall performance for its price point. The picture quality is decent, displaying reasonably good color accuracy, contrast, and motion handling. While 4K resolution would be ideal, the 1080p resolution still provides a sharp HD image.

The TV's upscaling engine does a passable job at upscaling lower resolution content to near 1080p. Standard definition content from DVDs or cable boxes gets noticeably cleaner and less pixelated. The upscaling won't work miracles, but it makes lower res content look better on the larger screen.

Response time is also solid for a budget television. Input lag measures around 15ms, which is good for gaming or watching sports. Fast motion scenes have minimal blurring or ghosting. The TV processes signals quickly with little delay between remote press and on-screen response.

Overall, the performance is quite good considering the affordable price point. The NS-43F301NA22 punches above its weight class in terms of picture quality, upscaling, and response time. Gamers and sports fans will appreciate the smooth motion handling. While more expensive TVs may look marginally better, this Insignia model provides very satisfying performance.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• This 43-inch 4K TV delivers vibrant and accurate colors with decent contrast for the price. The upscaling to 4K works well for most content.

• The TV has good motion handling with a fast response time and low input lag, making it great for gaming or sports viewing.

• The Fire TV interface is intuitive and responsive. Alexa voice controls work well for navigation and searching.

• Comes with 3 HDMI ports which is great for connectivity. Also has USB, ethernet, composite video, antenna/cable input.

• The stand feels sturdy and allows for some swivel adjustment. Wall mounting is possible as well.

Cons

• The built-in speakers sound tinny and hollow. You'll want a soundbar or speakers for better audio.

• The TV lacks advanced gaming features like FreeSync or HDMI 2.1.

• Off-angle viewing causes color and contrast to degrade fairly quickly. Not ideal for large rooms or wide seating areas.

• Lacks Dolby Vision high dynamic range support. HDR performance is just average overall.

• The Fire TV interface contains ads on the home screen. The remote only has shortcut buttons for Prime Video and Netflix.

Conclusion

The Insignia NS-43F301NA22 is an affordable 43-inch 4K TV that offers decent overall performance for most everyday viewing needs. The TV features Direct LED backlighting which produces good black levels and contrast, though local dimming is not supported. The 4K resolution and HDR support provide enhanced clarity and colors, especially for streaming 4K content. The Roku smart platform is also simple to use with a wide selection of apps.

For the price, the Insignia delivers satisfactory picture quality, sound, smart features, and connectivity. The pros include the low price point, 4K resolution with HDR support, good black levels and contrast, Roku platform with many apps, voice controls via Alexa/Google Assistant, basic motion handling, and multiple HDMI ports. On the downside, the TV lacks advanced features like local dimming, has only 60Hz refresh rate, mediocre viewing angles, underwhelming sound quality, and limited gaming performance.

Overall, the Insignia NS-43F301NA22 is a suitable budget 4K TV for casual viewing and streaming. It provides decent performance for most everyday entertainment needs. The TV is recommended for shoppers looking for an inexpensive 4K smart TV with HDR and Roku capabilities. While it lacks premium bells and whistles, the Insignia delivers satisfactory quality and features considering its affordable price point. For buyers wanting top-tier performance, higher-end models would be a better choice.