The Best TVs You Can Get for Under $500
Yes, 4K TVs are awesome. And their prices are "getting" more "affordable". But for most models, that still means way over $2,000. Do you have $2,000 lying around? We don't. We don't have $500 lying around either, but that price feels much more accessible. And, turns out, you can get some pretty great TVs for that much too.
We partnered with the high-definition gurus at Reviewed to help us test out and select the very best TVs to get (on Amazon!) for under $500.
1. TCL Roku 50UP130
If you want a super-convenient 4K TV and don't care about fancy extras, the UP130 series is a great choice. The picture quality isn't on the level with the year's pricier TVs, and you won't get forward-facing features like HDR compatibility or even some of the basic options like motion smoothing. But taken for core performance and the Roku platform, the UP130 series is an awesomely affordable 4K option.
2. Hisense 50H8C
This HDR option from Hisense is a study in trade-offs. You don't get the massive peak brightness of high-end HDR LED TVs, nor the perfect black levels of an HDR OLED. But for what it is, the H8 series is a perfectly good buy, providing future-proofed functionality and solid overall performance that will please almost everyone besides strict videophiles.
3. Hisense 40H4C1
You won't get stunning performance from this TV, but for the price—it starts at just $260 for the 40-inch model—there's not much to complain about. Obviously, it isn't nearly as bright and colorful as the year's super premium HDR TVs—and you're missing out on 4K resolution, too—but the picture's good enough at the end of the day, and most users are going to love the built-in Roku functions. Also, $260.
4. Hisense 32H3B1
The Hisense H3 Series is as basic as it gets, with an understated design, minimal features, and no smart platform. What it does have is a better-than-expected level of picture quality, especially with prices starting at less than $150 for the 32-inch version. That's phenomenal value, especially if you pair it with a cheap streaming solution like a Roku Stick or Google Chromecast.
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