The Best Budget TVs of 2023 (2024)

Looking for a budget television? You're in luck, as many affordable TVs on the market are excellent for movies, gaming, and more. But which ones are best? We've picked out the best budget TVs you can buy right now.

What to Look For in a Budget TV in 2023

Like most consumer electronics, budget TVs are far more capable and feature-rich than ever before. As a result, you no longer need to break the bank to get a good TV. However, not all affordable televisions are made equal, so you must keep a few things in mind while selecting a new budget television. There's a difference between a cheap TV and a budget one, after all!

Most importantly, pick a television with 4K resolution. 4K TVs used to be expensive, but nowadays, they're just as affordable as their 1080p counterparts. With such a small difference in price, there isn't much reason to invest in a resolution lower than 4K. As you are likely to use a television for several years, you want it to be sufficiently future-proof, and 4K resolution gives you that, whether you're currently watching 4K content or not.

Secondly, you'll want to choose a brand known for quality products and good after-sales support. Several brands in the budget segment offer TVs with enticing features, but many of them have poor long-term service support. Apart from premium brands everyone knows about, Hisense, TCL, and Vizio are great TV brands, especially in the budget segment. They offer proper service support and are excellent value TVs.

With these two things out of the way, let's jump into the best budget televisions on the market. If you want a deeper dive into the most important TV features and technologies, we have an excellent guide covering everything you need to know before buying a TV.

Best Budget TV Overall: Hisense U6K

The Hisense U6K, which replaces its predecessor in this category, is an excellent TV for people with tighter purse strings. It delivers solid performance and is great for most use cases.

One of its biggest highlights is the inclusion of Mini-LED backlighting, a technology traditionally reserved for more expensive models. But now you can get it with a relatively affordable television, and results in a much better picture quality. While the U6K doesn’t get significantly brighter than its predecessor, the TV has a better contrast ratio and inky blacks thanks to a much-improved implementation of the full-array local dimming technology.

The television’s visual performance is also helped by quantum dot technology, and it produces vibrant and lifelike pictures. Plus, it covers 96% of the widely used DCI-P3 color space for more accurate colors. Among other features, you get Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and four HDMI ports, including an eARC port.

While we’ll recommend our gaming TV picks if you are a serious gamer, the U6K isn’t a bad option for casual gaming. Even though it has a 60Hz panel, it supports VRR to limit screen tearing and comes with Auto Low Latency Mode. The TV also has a low input lag and fast response time.

Unfortunately, the U6K isn’t perfect. It suffers from occasional color fringing and has narrow viewing angles because of its VA-type panel. But still, it’s your best option for a budget TV.

Best Budget TV Overall

Hisense U6K Series

With Mini-LED backlighting and quantum dot technology, the Hisense U6K TV delivers amazing contrast and color performance in 4K resolution. It also runs on the Google TV platform.

$590 at AmazonSee at Best Buy

Best Budget Gaming TV: Hisense U7K

The Hisense U7K, which sits one step above the U6K in Hisense's portfolio, is perfect for anyone who wants a great gaming TV without spending the big bucks. It has almost every feature you need to get the most out of your console or gaming PC. The TV has a 144Hz panel to enable high-refresh-rate gaming. It also supports VRR technologies such as AMD FreeSync and HDMI Forum VRR to reduce screen tearing.

In other features, the company has included two HDMI 2.1 ports on the TV that you can use for 4K 144fps or 4K 120fps gaming. Plus, you get low input lag for responsive gaming and a “Game Bar” feature to view or adjust gaming-related settings on the TV quickly.

The U7K shines on the picture quality front, aided by the Mini-LED backlighting and quantum dot technology. The visuals look fantastic, and you’ll have a great time enjoying a movie or playing games, particularly in HDR, as there is support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive.

But with all these hits, there are a couple of misses for Hisense TV. It isn’t great at upscaling lower-resolution content, and its VA-type panel has narrow viewing angles.

You can buy the Hisense U7K in 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch models.

Best Budget Gaming TV

Hisense U7K

If you love gaming, the Hisense U7K is an excellent choice. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to 4K 144 fps gaming and VRR, allowing you to enjoy fast and fluid gameplay.

See at AmazonSee at Best Buy

Best Budget Roku TV: Hisense U6GR

There isn’t a massive selection of Roku TVs on the market in 2023. But if you prefer a TV with baked-in Roku OS over anything else, the Hisense U6GR is your best bet in the budget category. It delivers a good experience for most uses, including movie watching, binge-watching the latest TV series, and gaming.

It’s based on Hisense’s 2021 budget model, the U6G, but it has some extra features, like an eARC port for sending high-res audio from your TV to a soundbar or AV receiver and VRR support for gaming.

The U6GR also produces high-quality visuals thanks to excellent full-array local dimming implementation and quantum dot technology. The local dimming greatly enhances the black levels on the TV, resulting in an improved contrast ratio. In other features, the TV is also compatible with all popular HDR formats, including Dolby Vision. Plus, it’s a decent TV for gaming, thanks to its low input lag.

But the U6GR isn’t without drawbacks. As the TV uses a VA-type panel, it has narrow viewing angles. Moreover, it has trouble displaying a 480p signal correctly.

Best Budget Roku TV

Hisense U6GR QLED Smart TV

Enjoy a vivid and colorful picture with the Hisense U6GR TV, a 4K ULED TV with quantum dots. It’s also compatible with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for enhanced HDR and audio performance.

See at Best Buy

Best Budget TV Under $800: TCL Q7

TCL’s 2023 lineup has some fantastic TVs, and the Q7 is one of them. If you are okay stretching your budget to $800, the TCL Q7 is undoubtedly worth considering.

This 4K television uses full-array local dimming and a layer of quantum dots to produce outstanding visuals that look great in both dark and bright rooms. There is also support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+, allowing you to enjoy high dynamic range content from most sources.

Additionally, you get a 144Hz panel to enjoy high refresh rate gaming and low input lag for a responsive experience. All popular VRR technologies are supported as well.

Google TV is responsible for the software duties and works seamlessly on the TV. You get access to a vast app library and can use Google Assistant. In other highlights, although the Q7 is mainly made out of plastic, it has a good build quality and looks sleek.

Unfortunately, while the Q7 has much to like, there are some issues. The Q7 isn’t great at upscaling low-resolution content. It also has poor viewing angles, like other TVs with a VA-type panel.

Best Budget TV Under $800

TCL Q7 QLED TV

From impressive picture quality to advanced gaming features, the Q7 has it all. It’s also reasonably priced, and you can get its 55-inch and 65-inch models under $800.

$604 at AmazonSee at Best Buy

Best Budget TV Under $500: TCL 55S546

Part of TCL's 5-series, the 55S546 is an affordable 55-inch 4K television that gives the most bang for the buck if your budget is limited to $500. This QLED TV offers excellent picture quality considering its price and has all the basics (and more) to provide a good experience.

One of its key highlights is the superb contrast ratio, made possible by the full-array local dimming implementation. Of course, the blacks aren't as dark as an OLED TV, but you still get pretty deep blacks. However, local dimming results in light blooming, but it won't mar your TV viewing experience.

The TCL 55S546 runs on the Google TV platform. So you get an excellent app selection on the Google Play Store and the Google Assistant for voice control. You can also connect a USB webcam to the TCL TV for video calls via the Google Duo app.

This TCL TV isn't bad for occasional games, either. Its low input lag results in a responsive gaming experience and VRR support helps with screen tearing. However, as the panel is 60Hz, you won't get the full benefit of the VRR feature.

Being an affordable TV, the 55S546 has a few shortcomings. For example, like other TCL TVs, it can't upscale 480p content properly and has poor viewing angles. It also doesn't get very bright in HDR, so HDR content will look pretty flat on the TV. Our best overall pick is more suitable if you need better HDR performance.

Best Budget TV Under $500

TCL 55S546

The TCL 55S546 is a great choice for anyone restricted by their budget. It produces vibrant pictures and has an excellent contrast ratio.

See at Best Buy

Best Budget TV Under $300: Vizio V435M-K04

While one wouldn't expect much from a television priced below $300, the Vizio V435M-K04 is surprisingly capable. Of course, it's less feature-rich than our other recommendations, but it still delivers decent performance.

You get dynamic HDR support, including Dolby Vision, a feature you won't find on many TVs in this price bracket. The company has also included three HDMI 2.0 ports, including an eARC port that can flawlessly deliver Dolby Atmos or DTS:X audio formats to a connected soundbar. Plus, you get Wi-Fi 6E support. So you'll get improved Wi-Fi performance if you have a compatible router.

The Vizio TV is also great for casual gaming as it has a low input lag and supports VRR and ALLM features. But the display panel is 60Hz, so you'll only get tear-free gaming between 40Hz and 60Hz refresh rates.

In other features, while the V435M-K04 can upscale 720p and 1080p content without issues, it has trouble doing the same with 480p content. The TV is also not very bright, but it has a reasonable contrast ratio and can display deep blacks, thanks to its VA-type LCD panel.

Finally, like other Vizio TVs, it uses the SmartCast operating system, which supports Chromecast and AirPlay 2. However, the app selection is limited. Thankfully, you still get apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, and YouTube.

Best Budget TV Under $300

Vizio V435M-K04

This Vizio TV packs in a lot for a low price. It has Dolby Vision HDR support, VRR, eARC, and a good contrast ratio.

See at Best Buy

FAQ

What's the best budget for a TV?

There is no single price bracket to get a great TV. TVs are mostly priced based on the technologies and features present in them. So your TV price will depend on which features you are looking. But if you don't want the absolute best picture quality or the latest technologies, you don't necessarily need to spend the big bucks to get a good TV. As of 2023, there are quite a few excellent TVs under $1,000, including our recommendations.

How do I find the best settings for my TV?

If you have bought a new TV or are planning to get one, the reviews website Rtings.com is a good resource for getting the best settings for a TV. It publishes the recommended settings for each television it reviews. But if you cannot find your television on the website, you can ask TV enthusiasts on the AV Forums and Reddit for help.

How do I clean my TV screen without damaging it?

A dry microfiber cloth is your best option to clean your TV screen without damaging it. But if you are dealing with a pesky stain, you can spray distilled water on the cloth to make things easier. Remember, any cleaners with alcohol content, paper towels, or abrasive pads can harm the screen or any coatings present on it.

Does the refresh rate matter for a TV?

Refresh rate can matter depending on what you are doing on your TV. For example, a higher refresh rate helps deliver a smoother experience if you are gaming. Similarly, if your TV has a 120Hz refresh rate and you are watching a piece of content mastered in 24fps, your TV will have an easier time avoiding judder as it'll simply duplicate each frame five times to match the display refresh rate. Otherwise, it'll either depend on a variable refresh rate (VRR) feature, if available, or show content with judder.

Do I need to worry about burn-in on my TV?

Burn-in is mainly associated with OLED displays. The OLED screens use organic material, which can degrade over time. So, when the degradation is uneven, it appears as a burned-in image on the screen. Fortunately, as the OLED technology has matured, burn-in has become less of a problem thanks to several safeguards built into the OLED TVs. So, unless you are constantly watching content with static elements, burn-in will likely not be a problem for you.