The 5 best TV under $500
There are a few things to remember about the best TV under $500. Gone are the days when you had to shell out a huge amount of money to get a 4K resolution TV. In addition to 4K, TVs in this price range will support standards like Dolby Vision, HDR, etc.
What’s the best TV under $500
When it comes to buying a TV on a budget, there are a lot of options, but not all of them are good. Avoid buyer’s remorse with one of our recommended televisions.
The best TV under $500 is the TCL 5 Series Roku TV (S535), a 55-inch QLED TV that delivers great color and vividness with excellent HDR capability, all with an excellent platform. Smart TV from Roku.
TCL 50-inch 5-Series – 50S535
The TCL 5 series Roku TV 4K TV comes bundled with the popular Roku Smart TV software, making it an attractive bundle that costs a lot less than $ 500.
It uses Google TV which is a very easy-to-use smart interface with lots of apps available for download from the Google Play Store. You have access to Google Assistant through the TV’s built-in microphone. There are a few other gaming features like VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support to reduce screen distortion, but you’re still limited to HDMI 2.0 inputs.
The TCL 5 series Roku TV has a VA panel that displays deep blacks and a local dimming feature, but it is not as effective at improving picture quality in dark scenes.
TCL 50-inch 5-Series – 50S535 Pros & Cons
- Faithful colors
- Built-in Roku smarts
- Excellent price
- Lower brightness in HDR
- Poor HD upscaling
- Only 60Hz / HDMI 2.0
- IR remote
TCL 50-inch 5-Series – 50S535 Price
Samsung UN43AU8000FXZA Smart TV
The AU8000 features deep and consistent black levels, an attractive design, and a smart platform that’s flexible and easy for people switching to a 4K smart TV for the first time.
If you’re loyal to the Samsung brand and looking for an affordable 4K TV with a decent smart platform, then this TV is for you. That said, if you don’t mind spending a little more to get more for your money, there are a handful of competitively priced TVs that offer a lot for a very reasonable amount of money.
Samsung UN43AU8000FXZA Smart TV Pros & Cons
- High contrast ratio.
- Great reflection handling.
- Low input lag in and outside of Game Mode.
- Lacks a local dimming feature.
- Doesn’t get very bright in SDR or HDR.
- Slow response time that makes motion look blurry.
Samsung UN43AU8000FXZA Smart TV Price
Hisense H8G 4K ULED Smart TV
Hisense H8G is a great budget TV. Get a VA panel with a high contrast ratio and full local matrix dimming function, allowing you to produce deep blacks for a great viewing experience in an unstable room. It has decent reflection processing and can easily outperform glare in bright environments.
TV Features: “Outstanding value, apps are easy to find and use, Google Assistant compatibility is useful, and technical specifications rival many more expensive models”.
Hisense H8G 4K ULED Smart TV Pros & Cons
- Displays deep blacks.
- Great SDR peak brightness.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Limiting HDR experience.
Hisense H8G 4K ULED Smart TV Price
Toshiba 55-inch 55C350KU C350 Series
The C350 is surprisingly stylish for an affordable TV. It uses the Amazon Fire TV smart platform, which is easy to use and has a wide selection of apps available for download.
It supports Apple AirPlay if you want to stream content from your phone but not Google Chromecast. It is available in a wide range of sizes from 43 to 75 inches.
The 55 inch Toshiba 55C350KU C350 series has wide viewing angles but low contrast, so blacks look gray and there is no local gradation to increase the contrast. It’s also not very feature-rich as it lacks motion tweening, vibration elimination, and variable refresh rate features.
Toshiba 55-inch 55C350KU C350 Series Pros & Cons
- 55 inch model has wide viewing angles.
- Flicker-free backlight reduces image duplication.
- Decent response time; no black smearing on the 55 inch unit.
- Dim panel
- Poor contrast
- Awkwardly placed inputs
Toshiba 55-inch 55C350KU C350 Series Price
VIZIO 55-Inch V-Series
Vizio V5 Series 2021 Its SmartCast Smart TV system has a solid selection of built-in apps and great device compatibility, but it’s still not as good as the rival Roku system.
Although it has good glare management, it is not bright enough to combat glare in a well-lit room. Finally, it comes with the new Vizio voice-activated remote control, but you cannot download additional apps to the SmartCast system like on other operating systems.
VIZIO 55-Inch V-Series Pros & Cons
- High native contrast ratio displays deep blacks.
- Good reflection handling.
- Colors are accurate out of the box.
- Low input lag.
- Only average performance
- HDR doesn’t look much better than SDR
- Worst built-in streaming than Roku