What to look for in a budget TV in 2021
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 good television. But not all affordable TVs are created equal, so you should keep a couple of things in mind while selecting a new budget TV. There is a difference between a cheap and a budget television, after all! Most importantly, choose a TV with
4K Resolution . 4K TVs used to be expensive, but today they're just as affordable as their 1080p counterparts. With such a small difference in price, there's not much reason to invest in sub-4k resolution. Since you'll likely be using a TV for a number of years, you want it to be future-proof enough, and 4K resolution gives you that, whether you're currently watching 4K content or not. Second, you'll want to choose a brand that is known for quality products and good after-sales support. You will see several brands in the budget segment that offer TVs with attractive features, but many of them have poor long-term service. Apart from the premium brands that everyone knows, Hisense, TCL, and Vizio are great TV brands, especially in the budget segment. They offer adequate service support and are excellent value televisions. With these two things out of the way, let's jump to the best budget TVs on the market. If you want a deeper dive into the most important TV features and technologies, we've got a great guide covering
Everything you need to know before you buy a TV. .
RELATED: How to buy a TV:what you need to know Best budget TV overall:Hisense u7g
The Hisense u7g is an excellent budget 4K TV for higher use cases. Packages
Quantum DOT Technology For vibrant colors and a brighter screen, which combined with the excellent contrast of the U7G, results in an impressive movie-watching experience in a dark room. Also,
Local Dimming , a feature that dims parts of the screen for better blacks, is present to improve the
contrast ratio further away. Even when you're in a bright room, this qled won't let you down with
peak brightness up to 1,000 nits. This high brightness also helps the TV counter. The U7G is a part of Hisense's 2021 lineup, and it looks good and features slim bezels. It will go well in most living rooms and won't clash with your decor as a result. The company has also added support for
Dolby Vision and HDR10+ For great HDR performance. You'll also get a host of gaming features, including two
HDMI 2.1 ports, low input lag, good response time, a 120Hz panel, and a
Variable Refresh Rate (RRV). Finally, an Android TV platform brings it all together and gives access to tons of smart TV apps, including all the popular streaming services. Also, hands-free voice control support is built in for Alexa and Google Assistant. The only area where the U7G struggles is with viewing angles, which is an issue most budget TVs will have. So if you're looking to save some money and still get a great TV, the Hisense U7G is the way to go.
Best Budget Gaming TV:Hisense U8G
Although our pick for the Overall Best Budget TV is great for gaming, if
The game is your main reason To buy a new TV, you should go for the Hisense U8G. It's the absolute best budget gaming TV you can buy under $1,000. The U8G is a well-rounded TV that looks great and has incredible build quality. Like the U7G, it features DOT Quantum technology, resulting in richer colors and a bright display. The U8G is even brighter than the U7G, with a peak brightness of around
1,500 nits . So even when you're playing games in a well-lit room, you'll still get a good viewing experience. The TV also comes with an outstanding native contrast which has been further helped by local dimming. Support for Dolby Vision and
HDR10 + It's there too, so whether you're playing HDR games or watching HDR movies, everything will look fantastic on TV. In terms of gaming-specific features, the Hisense U8G features a 120Hz panel and two HDMI 2.1 ports so you can enjoy 4k 120FPS gaming. The TV also offers low input lag, excellent response time, and VRR support for next-gen gaming. On the downside, you may face issues with local dimming when playing on Xbox with VRR enabled, but Disabling Game Mode or lowering the resolution on Xbox does the trick. Other than that, the Hisense U8G is truly one of the best budget gaming TVs around.
Best budget Roku TV:TCL 55S535
TCL, like Hisense, makes some of the best value-for-money TVs. The company is especially known for its association with
Roku . Whenever you're looking for a Roku TV, you'll see everyone recommending a TV TV. It's no shock that the TCL 55S535 is a great Roku TV, but it's also just a great TV overall. Part of TCL's 2020 lineup, the S535 is a 4K QLED TV, using
Quantum Dot Technology for vibrant colors. It also has a superior contrast ratio that is further enhanced by local dimming. Also, the TV looks good and has slim bezels. You can even control it with your voice, thanks to support for Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Homekit. The S535 supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, but its HDR peak brightness falls short for truly exceptional HDR performance. It's something to keep in mind if you plan on having this in a well-lit room. Also, since TCL hasn't included any HDMI 2.1 ports, it's hard to recommend the TV for next-gen gaming. So for that, you'll be better off with Our Game Picks. But some gaming features like auto latency mode (ALLM), low input lag, and fast response time are present. In short, the S535 is a great ROKU TV at an affordable price.
Best budget TV under $800:Hisense U6G
Hisense's 2021 Uled lineup is fantastic, which is why we've already included two of their TVs on this list . But if you're looking for something under $800, the 55U6G is perfect for you. It might be the entry-level model of the company's expanded lineup, but it shares some of the U7g and U8g's exciting features, like quantum dot technology and support for Dolby Vision and
HDR10 + . For the price, you get a good-looking TV with slim bezels and decent build quality. It also has an impressive contrast ratio and local dimming support, but local dimming doesn't work too well here. This Hisense TV runs on the Android TV platform, giving you access to the Google Play store and all the major streaming apps. You can also use Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants to control the U6G, which is rare for this price threshold. Unfortunately, the TV lacks next-gen gaming features like HDMI 2.1, but you do get low input lag and excellent
response time. . You just have to be ok with your games that weren't in 4k. Although we have chosen the 55-inch model and the main recommendation, you can also go for the 65-inch U6G if you have the space. Both screen sizes are available for less than $800, so it's up to your personal preference.
Best budget TV under $500:Samsung au8000
The Samsung au8000 is an entry-level 4K TV from the company's 2021 lineup. Despite its lower-priced price tag, this offering from Samsung looks stylish and is well put together, as expected from Samsung. It will feel great whether you are putting it on a table or mounting it on a wall. The TV offers excellent contrast with deep blacks, but there is no local dimming support. Still, you will have a great time watching movies and TV shows on it. The TV also handles reflections very well, so you won't have the sun ruining your photo. Instead of Android TV, like many of the picks on this list, the AU8000 runs on Samsung's
tizen platform. With apps for all the popular streaming services. Support for Alexa, Bixby, and Google Assistant is also present for voice control. Also, if you have a Samsung phone, you can use its Touch to Play feature to effortlessly mirror your phone's screen to your TV. Although the TV supports
HDR10 + Its HDR performance is nothing to brag about due to lower brightness and lack of quantum dot technology to provide richer colors. The AU8000 also misses out on next-gen gaming features, but that's to be expected given its price. However, you do get low input lag and allm for decent casual gaming. If you can afford a bit more, the Hisense 50U6G is another budget option to consider. It normally stays around $530, but depending on discounts, you can catch it at $500. The 50U6G is an excellent 4K budget TV with vibrant colors, excellent contrast, and support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Plus, it runs on Android TV if you prefer that platform.
Best budget TV under $300:TOSHIBA 43LF621U21 FIRE TV
Toshiba isn't the most popular TV brand, but it does offer some decent budget TVs. The TOSHIBA 43LF621U21 is one of these tvs. It looks good and has a build quality in keeping with most metal construction. This Toshiba model offers excellent contrast with deep blacks, so you'll have a good experience watching movies and TV shows in dark rooms. The TV handles reflections well, but it doesn't get too bright, which can be a problem in well-lit rooms. Toshiba uses Amazon's
Fire Os , which is easy to use and comes with support for almost all major streaming services and apps. You can also use Alexa to control the TV, too, which is a novelty in this price range. There is HDR10 and
Dolby Vision Support present also for viewing HDR content. Finally, the advanced gaming features are missing, but the
Firefighters At least it has low input lag and fast response time. If you're able to spend a bit more money, you can also pick up the VIZIO V435-J01. This is an entry-level 4K LED TV, but it has better color accuracy out of the box. The Vizio TV Budget also eliminates Judin, a TV screen artifact that occurs when content recorded at 24fps is displayed on a TV with a 60Hz refresh rate.
