The market for budget TVs has exploded in recent years, with features typically reserved for high-end models making their way to more affordable offerings. So, if you’re shopping for a new TV, keep the more budget options in mind.
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV
What to Look For in a Budget TV in 2024
Shopping for a budget TV can be tricky. You want to ensure that you get the best value for your budget while being ready to make some compromises. Here are the crucial features to remember while picking your next budget TV.
Screen size will be one of your crucial decisions, as larger sizes are often pretty expensive and may not fit your budget. Even if you get a giant TV within your budget, it may not have the technologies you need for good picture quality. So, it’s better to strike a balance between screen size and the included features.
TV technologies such asquantum dots,Mini-LED backlighting, andfull-array local dimmingare not very common in budget TVs, but their presence helps a TV deliver an excellent picture quality. So, it’s great if you may get them.
If you’re a serious gamer, you’ll want access to a high refresh rate TV screen,variable refresh rate (VRR)support, low input lag, and at least a couple ofHDMI 2.1ports.
In other features, while most budget TVs support basic HDR, support for dynamic HDR formats such asDolby Visioncan help you get the most out of HDR content available on the Blu-rays and streaming services.
Finally, stick with 4K TVs unless you have a very low budget. There are plenty of affordable 4k TVs and 4K content to enjoy on them.
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Excellent picture quality
Narrow viewing angles
No HDMI 2.1 ports
Low input lag for gaming
Low-resolution content smoothing could be better
Hisense’s U6 series has emerged as the home to some of the best budget TVs, and its 2024 model—theU6N—is no exception. It’s an excellent value for money and has a starting list price of $600. It’s also often on sale, allowing you to get it for even less.
It’s a 4K LED TV in the company’sULEDlineup, featuring quantum dots for impressive color reproduction. It also brings local dimming and Mini-LED backlighting for superior contrast and highpeak brightness. That said, it doesn’t get as bright as more expensive models, so you can’t expect the same level of HDR performance. Still, you get excellent picture quality with vibrant colors. There is also support for all popular HDR formats, including Dolby Vision andHDR10+.
There are four HDMI ports for connecting your consoles, PC, AV receivers, and other devices. One of these ports also doubles as aneARC port, which can pass high-quality, uncompressed audio, includingDolby AtmosandDTS:X, to your connected soundbar or AV receiver.
Although it’s missing HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K 120Hz gaming, it’s a solid TV for some casual games. It has a low input lag, VRR from 48Hz to 60Hz, and a fast response time. you may also enjoy 1080p and 1440p gaming at 120Hz, but you won’t get VRR support for these combinations. So, if you are serious about gaming, you’ll be better off with our gaming pick.
The U6N relies on the Google TV platform, at least in the US. It’s easy to use and has a solid selection of apps and games.
Unfortunately, as the Hisense offering uses a VA-style LCD panel, the TV has narrow viewing angles. While it has a decentupscalingperformance, it struggles whilesmoothing lower-resolution content.
Hisense U6N
The Hisense U6N is an impressive budget TV that punches above its weight class by including advanced TV technologies and delivering a solid overall performance.
Impressive picture quality
Support for up to 4K 144Hz gaming
Some blooming in dark scenes
All popular VRR formats supported
Two HDMI 2.1 ports
TheU7N 4K LED TVsits one spot above the U6N in Hisense’s portfolio and is a solid option for folks who want an affordable gaming TV with all the advanced features. Although it has an LCD panel with a native refresh rate of 120Hz, it allows you to enjoy up to 144Hz gaming in 4K and 1440p.
The company has also included two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports for connecting your consoles or PCs and added support for all popular VRR technologies, includingAMD FreeSyncandNVIDIA G-Sync. Gaming feels responsive, thanks to the TV’s incredibly low input lag and fast response time.
Another advantage of the U7N is its fantastic picture quality. Whether playing games or watching your favorite TV series on Netflix, everything will look amazing.
The TV uses quantum dots, full-array local dimming, and Mini-LED backlighting to deliver a bright, lifelike picture. Its HDR performance is solid, and you get support for all popular HDR formats.
Other highlights include ATSC 3.0 support for watching 4K broadcasts andWi-Fi 6for fast wireless connectivity.
The Hisense TV is also good at upscaling lower-resolution content, and using the built-in eARC port, you can pass any audio format through to your AV receiver or soundbar.
Sadly, like other LCD TVs with a VA-style panel, it has narrow viewing angles. The TV also suffers fromlight blooming. Otherwise, the Hisense U7N delivers a bang for your buck and is quite impressive.
Hisense U7N
The Hisense U7N is an affordable gaming TV that packs all the gaming features you’ll need, including a high refresh rate screen and HDMI 2.1 ports.
Superb picture quality
Mediocre viewing angles
Advanced gaming features
Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support
Although the Hisense U6N takes the top spot in our recommendations, TCL’s QM7 series is close on its heels. Its65-inch modelis a superb TV to consider under $800. It’s a well-built 4K TV chock-full of helpful features.
TCL has used a VA-style LCD panel with quantum dots, Mini-LED backlighting, and local dimming to offer a fantastic picture quality with inky blacks and a wide color gamut. The TV can get bright, resulting in fantastic HDR performance and decent reflection handling.
All popular HDR formats are compatible, and the TV does a good job of upscaling lower-resolution content.
The TCL relies on the Google TV platform, and it’s pretty capable, with a comprehensive app library, support forGoogle Assistant, Chromecast built-in, and an easy-to-use interface. you may access various cloud gaming services through their official Android TV apps.
Speaking of gaming, it’s a good TV for gaming thanks to its high refresh rate, VRR support, and low input lag. You also get two HDMI 2.1 and two HDMI 2.0 ports, including an eARC port.
Like our other recommendations, it has narrow viewing angles, making it not the best TV for watching content in a group setting.
TCL 65QM751G
The TCL 65QM751G is a fantastic TV for under $800. It has all the advanced TV tech and features.
Good picture quality
Poor upscaling performance
Low input lag
Value for money
If you are on a tight budget,Roku’s first-gen Select Seriesis your best bet for a good experience. You can get up to a65-inch modelof the TV under $500; even the75-inch modelsells for close to $500.
Although it lacks advanced features like local dimming, quantum dots, or Mini-LED backlighting, the Roku offering delivers decent picture quality with respectable contrast and brightness.
The Roku OS is among the easiest-to-use smart TV platforms. It is snappy and intuitive, and you can access all your favorite streaming services. The TV can also display HDR content withHDR10, HDR10+, and HLG support, but Dolby Vision support is missing.
In other highlights, the TV’s low input lag helps with a responsive gaming experience, but the TV is missing VRR, a high refresh rate panel, and HDMI 2.1 ports. So it’s most useful for casual gaming.
Unfortunately, the Roku Select Series ispoor at upscaling lower-resolution content, has narrow viewing angles, and can’t pass DTS audio formats to a connected soundbar or AV receiver.
Roku Select TV
Roku’s Select Series TV is a good option for those on a tight budget. It provides a respectable performance and supports HDR10+.
No Dolby Vision or HDR10+ support
Fire TV OS is easy to use
Lacks advanced gaming features
Decent upscaling performance
Although it was hard to imagine getting a 4K TV under $300 until a few years ago, they are cheaper than ever. So, if you want a TV for a guest or dorm room, the43-inch Amazon Fire TV 4-Seriesmodel is a pretty decent option. It by no means can compete with the most expensive televisions on the market, but it offers a good value for its price tag.
It’s a 4K direct-LED TV with a good contrast ratio. So, the image quality is decent, and blacks are deep in dark scenes. The TV also does a decent job of upscaling lower-resolution content. Plus, there is no stutter orjudderin anything you watch.
The Fire TV 4-Series is also acceptable for casual gaming but lacks advanced gaming features.
As the name suggests, the Amazon Fire TV 4-Series uses the Fire TV OS, which has a pretty expansive app store with access to all popular streaming services, apps, and games. The Fire TV 4-Series also integrates theAlexa voice assistantdeeply, allowing you to control your TV or compatible smart home devices.
Sadly, the TV doesn’t get very bright, resulting in less-than-ideal HDR performance. It also doesn’t support any advanced HDR formats and has narrow viewing angles.
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series offers value for money with its decent performance and easy-to-use Fire TV OS. It also supports Alexa for controlling TVs and smart home devices.
FAQ
How do I find the best settings for my TV?
Unfortunately, there is no single resource for getting the best settings for all TV models. However,our guide on improving the TV’s picture qualityis a good place to start. You can also checkRtings.comfor the calibration settings for the TV models they review or consult fellow TV owners on popular TV forums online.
How do I clean my TV screen?
You canclean your TV screenwith a dry microfiber cloth. However, if you encounter any stubborn smudges or stains, it’s okay to dampen the microfiber cloth with some distilled water. Don’t apply water directly to the screen or use harsh chemicals, as they can harm the coating on the screen.
Do I need to worry about burn-in on my TV?
Burn-in isa slight concern for OLED TVsas the organic material used in the display stack can degrade over time. It typically happens when you watch a lot of content with static elements on the screen for an extended period of time. You don’t need to worry if you watch varied content. OLED TVs also include various features to mitigate burn-in.
Can I get a budget 4K TV?
Budget 4K TVs are more common than ever. As you’ll see in our recommendations, you can even get a 4K TV for under $300 for a reputed brand. That said, you may not get a really large model that is super cheap.
