These High-Res TVs Will Cost You Less Than $500

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Technology has come a long way in the past decade, and electronics are more affordable than ever—and that includes TVs. These days, you can score surprisingly advanced models for $500 or less.

The best cheap TVs offer 4K resolution, a built-in smart hub, and high dynamic range for improved picture quality. Many are ideal for use as a primary TV in your home, and some models also have features tailored toward gamers, sports fans, and even remote workers. Plus, if you think you’re going to have to settle for a tiny screen, think again. There are plenty of 55-inch TVs and even some 65-inch models within your budget.

If you’re ready to upgrade your home’s entertainment setup, here’s what to look for when comparing inexpensive TVs, followed by our recommendations for the best cheap models.

For more great ways to upgrade your viewing experience, check out our picks for the best 4K TVs, OLED TVs, 8K TVs, and the best outdoor TVs.

The Best Cheap TVs

• Best Overall: Samsung Crystal 4K Smart TV

• Best Basic: Insignia 4K UHD Smart Fire TV

• Best for Gaming: Hisense Class U6 Series ULED Smart TV

• Best for Sports: LG 65-Inch 4K Smart TV

• Best Fire TV: Amazon Fire TV 50-Inch 4K UHD Smart TV

What to Consider

Even if your budget is under $1,000, there is still a wide variety of considerations to make when purchasing your new TV, like picture quality, speed, sound, and smart features.

Picture Quality

Brightness, colors, and sharpness all impact your viewing experience. Cheap TVs tend to use standard LED backlighting which offer average brightness levels but are still capable of 4K high dynamic range. However the best value TVs will clump layers of backlights together in smaller zones for improved brightness and picture detail in dark scenes. And if a TV is equipped with a QLED screen you’ll see a major boost in color reproduction. This film technology adds an extra layer of particles in front of a backlight panel to greatly enhance colors with more contrast and overall pop.

Speed

A TV’s speed is called its refresh rate, measured in hertz (Hz). This is how many times a screen refreshes the image in a second. Most cheap TVs hover around a 60 Hz refresh rate which is standard for most shows and movies. But this can be a bit slow for fast moving content like sports and video games, leaving a trail behind—ghosting. If you play lots of video games, we recommend spending a little more to get a TV with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Sound

TVs have improved dramatically in picture quality. Sound is sadly a different story. With the move towards thinner displays, built-in speakers have gotten increasingly smaller. If you plan on using your cheap TV for prime time living room entertainment, consider pairing it with an affordable sound bar or bookshelf speaker. If you don’t want a sound bar now, make sure the stand on the TV is wide enough and lifts a TV high enough to fit a sound bar as unobtrusively as possible under the set.

Smart Features

These days, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a premium 4K television loaded with smart features or cloud gaming. Nearly every TV on the market has streaming services built in. Most budget TVs use a popular operating system like Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku, all of which allow you to download and use streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Youtube, and more.

How We Selected

To find the best cheap TVs for your home, we only considered models under $500, and many of these recommendations come from hours of in-house use. I’ve personally used TVs from Samsung and TLC, and I much prefer Samsung’s overall design and user interface. However, TLC is a decent option if you’re looking for a super-cheap TV for occasional viewing.

For the products we couldn’t test ourselves, we performed intensive research, evaluating the different models on their performance, specs, design, build quality, and special features. We prioritized TVs that offer HDMI 2.1 ports to work with modern accessories, and we selected either 65- or 55-inch options, which we’ve found are the most popular sizes.

Crystal 4K Affordable Smart TV

If you’re shopping for a primary TV for your home, this model from Samsung is one of the best options you’ll find for under $500. It offers a bright, vivid image with 4K resolution, and it's equipped with the brand’s proprietary technology that automatically adjusts the content’s colors and motion for optimal viewing.

The TV has Alexa built-in, plus it features the brand’s Tizen smart TV operating system, which is preloaded with a variety of popular streaming apps, and the Samsung Gaming Hub.

There are several other details that make this TV a standout at this price point. For one, it has a super-slim profile that’s just one inch thick so it sits flush with the wall, similar to the brand’s popular Frame TV. It also has a solar-powered remote control, a nice extra to avoid using batteries..

F30 Series 4K UHD Budget-Friendly Smart Fire TV

This Insignia TV is extremely budget-friendly, as three available sizes cost less than $300, and the 70-inch model is priced well under $500. It’s certainly not the most high-tech option out there, but it would be a solid addition to an extra bedroom or finished basement. You get 4K resolution, plus it comes equipped with Alexa and a Fire TV smart hub to stream content from apps like Netflix and Hulu. It also supports HDMI ARC or eARC connections, so hookup to a compatible soundbar for improved audio quality is relatively easy.

Class U6 Series ULED Cheap Smart TV

The Hisense U6 Series Smart TV is an affordable option for gamers, with four HDMI ports, to hook up multiple gaming consoles. It also offers clear 4K resolution made up of mini-LEDs, providing a brighter all-around image.

That’s not the only reason it’s great for gamers, though: With the TV’s special gaming mode, it automatically recognizes gaming sequences and adjusts settings for smooth, uninterrupted play with minimal lag or frame tearing. Another plus is that it supports Dolby Atmos audio content to immerse you in your favorite games’ visuals and sound.

The only downside is that this Hisense model only has a 60 hertz refresh rate—unfortunately, at this price point, it’s uncommon to find a TV with anything higher.

UQ7570 Series 65-Inch 4K Affordable Smart TV

This 65-inch LG TV is a top choice for watching your favorite sporting events, as the brand has a few special features tailored toward sports fans. The smart TV gives you free access to LG Channels, with 300 live TV stations, including a designated NFL channel. It also features real-time sports alerts to get your favorite teams’ score in the corner of the screen. You can even create separate accounts for different family members, ensuring the TV always shows personalized (and age-appropriate) content.

Image is average for the price point, but it does automatically adjust screen brightness based on the ambient light. As for its downsides, there are fewer input ports than many other models, and the remote’s small buttons can be frustrating to press.

Fire TV 50-inch 4-Series 4K UHD Cheap Smart TV

One of the most affordable 4K TVs you can get is Amazon’s Fire TV. The lightweight 4-Series runs Amazon’s Fire TV interface for streaming shows and downloading apps. While it’s notorious for showing on-screen banner ads, it’s simple to use and helps keep costs down.

The picture quality isn’t as good as the Hisense, but the price is hard to argue with. Thanks to HDR support, colors can get deeper and more vibrant than most cheap LED TVs which lack it entirely. The real draw comes if you’re already in the Alexa smart home ecosystem, as you can control your devices, check camera feeds, and receive notifications right on your TV. It even has AirPlay so you can share videos, photos, and music from your iPhone or iPad.

TU-8300 Curved UHD 4K Budget-Friendly Smart TV

This 55-inch Samsung TV has a curved screen, a feature that can make viewing feel more immersive. It has standard 4K resolution and HDR for extra-vivid colors, and comes with Alexa build in. But what’s particularly notable is its wireless connection capabilities. For instance, you can quickly mirror content from your smartphone using “Tap View,” which involves tapping your phone on the TV screen, or wirelessly display your computer screen—handy if the TV is in your home office.

Another useful feature is the TV’s cable management. Any cables can be tucked into the TV stand, keeping them out of view for a clutter-free setup.

D-Series Full HD 1080p Smart TV

We don’t recommend using the Vizio D Series as your main entertainment television. While affordable, the Hisense A6H offers a better experience in nearly every way at only a slightly higher price tag. That said, the Vizio D Series has some tricks up its sleeve like FALD backlighting for a more uniform picture and fast processing speeds. It’s also available in small 24-inch and 32-inch sizes. You won’t find any 4K TVs that small, hence the Vizio’s 1080p resolution.

For anyone looking to add a small screen to an office, guest bedroom or a porch, this affordable Vizio is a great option. With Apple AirPlay and Chromecast built in, it can easily play all your favorite streaming services. This is incredibly handy for sharing everything from a phone, like beaming up vacation pictures to playing a YouTube video.

Shopping Tips

• Ignore what TVs look like on the retail show floor. Retailers brighten their sets to compensate for a store’s harsh fluorescent lighting. In addition, most stores rarely show 4K content on their TVs and often play animation, which always looks better than “live” TV, rendering comparisons useless.

• If you’re concerned about image detail, spend a bit more on a set with full array local dimming (FALD)—and ask how many “local dimming zones” when comparing models. The more zones, the more detail in the picture.

• To futureproof your TV, check for HDMI 2.1 compatible jacks. These allow robust video and audio information to travel from your HDMI-connected devices and the TV to achieve the best possible image.

• Finally, at the end of the year, when retailers are trying to sell off their existing TV inventory to make room for new models, inquire about a floor model, which can often be had for a huge discount.

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