Looking to stay around or under $500. Looking for something that looks good, light gaming, and controls well.
Appreciate any recommendations or sales worth checking out want to buy soon (next few days to week)
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Are 85-inch or larger TVs available for under $500?
Virtually all 85-inch and larger TVs from major brands cost over $500. For that reason, we have not included any displays bigger than 75 inches in our guide to the best TVs under $500.
If you're looking for recommendations for those larger sizes, visit our guides to the best 85-inch TVs and best 100-inch TVs.
Are TVs under $500 worth it?
Yes, the best TVs under $500 are worth the money, but you should be aware of certain performance limitations that are common when shopping for TVs in this price range.
First, you'll need to settle on a TV with a QLED or LED panel rather than an OLED. Second, you should expect peak brightness for models in this price range to top out at around 600 nits. Third, you should focus on models that are 75 inches or smaller. And finally, there are certain companies that tend to offer better overall value in this class.
Advanced picture quality features like quantum dots, local dimming, and even Mini LED backlights can be found on TVs for under $500, but these models are usually sold by value-oriented brands like Hisense, TCL, Vizio, Roku, and Amazon.
In our experience, quality control from these companies isn't on the same level as that from more expensive brands like Samsung, Sony, and LG. But none of the slight inconveniences we've encountered are troublesome enough to prevent us from recommending their displays.
Samsung, Sony, and LG also sell TVs for under $500, but their offerings provide worse image quality than similarly priced models from the competition. However, if you're willing to spend substantially more than $500, you can find excellent high-end TVs from those brands with better features and build quality than cheaper options.
For more TV recommendations across budgets and sizes, check out our other TV guides:
- Best TVs
- Best smart TVs
- Best gaming TVs
- Best 4K TVs
- Best TVs for sports
- Best Samsung TVs
- Best LG TVs
- Best frame TVs
Are OLED TVs available for under $500?
You may have noticed that we haven't included any OLED displays in our guide to the best TVs under $500. The reason? There simply aren't any OLED TVs currently available for that amount.
In the past, smaller versions of LG's A-series OLEDs went on sale for around $500. But those models are no longer sold, and even when they were, we never saw them dip below the $500 mark.
Right now, the most affordable OLED TV is the LG 48-inch B5, which sometimes goes on sale for $600. For more OLED recommendations, check out our guide to the best OLED TVs. And head over to our QLED vs. OLED comparison for details on the pros and cons of each panel type.
Just want a quick and dirty rundown on what the best options are in this range if any. 50 inch is the absolute max i can work with, is there anything that does decent hdr as well? can't afford mini led unless I'm not aware of a deal i havent come across. My only frame of reference is a TCL S5 class fire tv which I thought looked ok for the price but I'm looking to upgrade to something better and hoping there's something at $500 or under that I haven't come across other than the vizio m50qxm.
Looking for preferably a 65 inch tv, without going over $500. Moving into my first apartment soon so not a lot of extra funds. I’ve heard good things about the Hisense U6 Series Mini-LED 4k TV (65U6N). Should I go for that one, or are there any other more budget tv options that are favored?