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Budget-friendly TVs often make compromises compared with higher-end counterparts, but you can still get a good-looking, feature-filled TV for less than $1,000 if you know where to look. And you should start here. I’m a certified TV calibrator and THX home theater expert, and I put every TV I review through its paces using specialized equipment to measure its brightness, contrast, color accuracy, color range, and input lag. Currently available for less than $700 for 65 inches, the Hisense U6N is the best cheap TV on the market, offering excellent picture quality and loads of features thanks to its Google TV platform. If you’re searching for a 75-inch TV for less than $1,000, or a decent guest bedroom TV for under $250, we also have options for you. Read on for the best cheap TVs we’ve tested, followed by tips to remember while shopping.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
The Hisense U6N is the third generation in the company’s U6 series. It doesn’t make any huge leaps over the previous models, but it bumps up the brightness slightly, its colors are even more accurate, and its remote has a sleeker, more premium look. It’s loaded with features through Google TV, including far-field microphones for hands-free Google Assistant, as well as support for Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast.
If you want lots of features and fairly strong picture quality, the Hisense U6N is your best choice. Its support for AirPlay and Google Cast makes it appealing to households with both Android and iPhone users.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, Composite, USB, RF
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
700 nits
Black Level
0.01 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
233,333:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Input Lag (Game Mode)
3.6 ms
AMD FreeSync
None
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Best Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED
Although Amazon’s original Fire TV Omni disappointed us, the Fire TV Omni QLED offers a much better picture for around the same low price. It still doesn’t get very bright, but its color performance is strong and it’s loaded with Fire TV features such as hands-free Alexa. It also supports Apple AirPlay.
This is a budget TV for Amazon users who already have Echo smart speakers elsewhere in the house. It doesn’t cost much, and it works just like a Fire TV Cube, which is a bit pricey by itself.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, RF, USB
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
474 nits
Black Level
0 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
118,500:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Input Lag (Game Mode)
3.2 ms
AMD FreeSync
None
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Brightest Picture
Hisense U7N
While the U7N isn’t as cheap as the U6N, it’s still well below $1,000 for 65 inches. It’s also easily the brightest TV on this list, with excellent color performance and gamer-friendly features like 144Hz VRR with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. Its only real weakness is that it can make darker elements appear a bit muddy or washed out, but it still offers better shadow detail than many TVs in this price range.
The Hisense U7N isn’t quite as bright as the stunning U8N, but it costs several hundred dollars less while putting out much more light than the U6N. It’s also brighter than any other TV on this list, which makes it a great value.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
1920 by 1200
Video Inputs
HDMI, Composite, USB, RF
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
1528 nits
Black Level
0.01 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
117,538:1
Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Input Lag (Game Mode)
6.2 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync Premium Pro
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Best Cheap Roku TV
Roku Plus Series
Roku is one of the most content-focused smart TV platforms, avoiding some of the more complicated bells and whistles while still covering most major streaming services and supporting Apple AirPlay. The Roku Plus Series is the company’s first-party midrange TV line, and it’s a good performer for the price. It shows wide colors, has low input lag for gamers, and is an all-around good value.
The Roku Plus Series is worth considering if you’re familiar with the Roku platform or simply don’t want a TV with Alexa or Google Assistant. It isn’t nearly as bright as the higher-end Roku Pro Series, but you can get it for several hundred dollars less.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, Composite, USB, RF
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
650 nits
Black Level
0.01 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
65,000:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Input Lag (Game Mode)
3.1 ms
AMD FreeSync
None
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Best Range of Sizes
TCL Q7 Class TV (2023)
TCL’s flagship QM8 TVs are too pricey for this list, but the lower-tier Q7 Class falls right into the sweet spot of 65 inches for about $1,000. It’s a strong performer with excellent contrast and color. It puts out more light than the Hisense U6K, and it’s available in sizes up to 85 inches.
While we favor the Hisense U6K as the best budget pick overall, the Q7 Class is still a strong value.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, Composite, RF, USB
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
751 nits
Black Level
0.01 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
125167:1
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Input Lag (Game Mode)
6.7 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync Premium Pro
Learn More
Best Cheap Gaming TV
Vizio 50-Inch M-Series Quantum X TV
The Vizio M50QXM-K01 is one of the best inexpensive gaming TVs available, offering features that other cheap TVs like the Hisense U6K lack. Specifically, it has a 120Hz panel with both standard variable refresh rate (VRR) and AMD FreeSync Premium, and its input lag is quite low. The TV’s colors are incredibly wide (perhaps to a fault; without tweaks it can occasionally look oversaturated). It uses Vizio’s SmartCast platform, too, so it has both Apple AirPlay and Google Cast. Its only major weakness is contrast; this is a relatively dim panel with only modest black levels.
This is for budget-minded gamers looking for a very big monitor or a medium-sized TV. 50 inches isn’t exactly small, but it’s still less screen than the more common 55- and 65-inch TV sizes. The big draw for the M50QXM-K01 is gaming; 120Hz panels are rare on budget TVs, and both VRR and FreeSync Premium are nice bonuses. The wide colors and occasionally washed-out black levels can also provide a bit of an advantage in gaming, making enemies in shadows stand out more than they would with a completely accurate picture with inky blacks.
Panel Type
LCD
Screen Size
50 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, RF, USB
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
443 nits
Black Level
6 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
8,054:1
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Input Lag (Game Mode)
6.7 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync Premium Pro
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Cheapest TV Possible
Amazon Fire TV 2-Series (40-Inch)
4K might be the standard TV resolution, but it isn’t as vital on smaller screens as it is on bigger ones. The 40-inch Amazon Fire TV 2-Series is a mere 1080p, but it still looks crisp and colorful. More importantly, it’s very cheap, costing a fraction of the other models on this list. The trade-off is that it’s also the dimmest of the bunch, and it doesn’t have hands-free Alexa like the Fire TV Omni QLED does.
If you need a new TV and want to spend as little as possible, this one is worth consideration. We don’t recommend it as a main TV for your home, but if you want a really inexpensive screen in your garage or a spare room, it gets the job done.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
40 inches
Resolution
1080p
Video Inputs
HDMI, USB, RF
HDR
HDR-10
HDMI Ports
3
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
252 nits
Black Level
0.06 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
4,200:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Input Lag (Game Mode)
27 ms
AMD FreeSync
None
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Buying Guide: The Best Cheap TVs for 2024
What Is the Best Cheap TV Brand?
The biggest names in TVs include LG, Samsung, Sony, and other brands that enjoy a global presence. Big names don’t always mean the best values, however. Although we’ve seen some incredible TVs from these manufacturers, they’re almost all flagship models that cost a few thousand dollars each. Their more affordable TVs are often less impressive and generally get much less attention.
The best brands for budget TVs might be unfamiliar to you: Hisense and TCL. These Chinese companies have made inroads in the US over the last several years with highly affordable models that offer surprisingly good picture quality. They occupy the land Vizio used to dominate, one which that company has somewhat ceded to maintain its strong position in the midrange TV market.
TV Tips For New TV Buyers
The Best Cheap 4K TVs
We’re far past the point where 4K is a high-end luxury, especially with 8K gearing up to become a major force in a few years (emphasis on years; don’t worry about it yet). You might be able to find a smaller TV that’s still 1080p, but most screens on the market are 4K. With that in mind, we recommend you don’t go any lower than 4K.
Simply put, there is no reason to buy a 1080p TV at this point. 4K models offer many advantages and no longer demand a premium price. In addition to being sharper, 4K TVs are more likely to support high dynamic range (HDR), which means they can be brighter and more colorful than 1080p TVs with standard dynamic range. And, since most major streaming services support 4K HDR now, you can get plenty of 4K content out of the box without worrying about replacing your DVD or Blu-ray collection.
The Best Cheap Smart TVs
Like 4K, smart TV platforms are now basically universal even for budget TVs. If you get a new TV, it likely has some way to watch Netflix, and probably many other streaming services, too. Because of Amazon Fire TV, Android/Google TV, and Roku TV, any television manufacturer can easily slot a connected interface into their product. This is part of how Hisense and TCL have made such strong gains in the budget TV market; they rely on the prebuilt Android/Google TV or Roku TV packages, which don’t require any internal development effort. The majority of TVs on this list use one of these three third-party smart TV platforms.
Top TVs of 2020
What’s the Difference Between Cheap and Expensive TVs?
Cheaper TVs generally don’t get as bright as pricier panels; they have higher black levels that result in much lower contrast ratios; and they don’t have nearly as wide color ranges. Moreover, the devices are usually a bit thicker and typically look less streamlined than midrange and high-end offerings.
Recommended by Our Editors
Near the high end of the budget range, you can find some excellent TVs with fairly bright panels, dark blacks, wide colors, and stylish designs. However, if you want to pay less, expect to get less in terms of picture quality and design. That said, you really can’t go wrong with any of the options we’ve tested here.
Meanwhile, if money is no object, take a look at our list of the best TVs overall, the best 65-inch TVs, and the best 75-inch (and up) TVs. And if a fast response time is important to you, consider one of the best TVs for gaming.