The Best Cheap TVs for 2024 (2024)

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Why We Picked It

Last year's Hisense U6K certainly doesn't offer top-of-the-line picture quality, but the compromises it makes are the most reasonable we've seen in a budget TV yet. It has fantastic color, covering almost all of the DCI-P3 digital cinema color space with excellent accuracy out of the box. It also offers tons of features because of its Google TV interface. You get far-field microphones for hands-free Google Assistant, as well as support for Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast. It isn't the brightest TV, which means you'll need to spend more if you want a screen that can put out more light for better contrast.

Hisense has since released its successor, the U6N, and we plan to test it very soon. Until then, the U6K is still available and for even less than its original price, and the newer, step-up U7N (also on this list) is an even better performer while still being very affordable.

Who It's For

If you want lots of features and fairly strong picture quality, but that $1,000-for-65-inches price (or $850-for-65-inches for the U7N) is too high for your budget, this is one of the best choices. The AirPlay and Cast support make it appealing to households with both Android and iPhone users, too. Just understand that you can get a much brighter and higher-contrast picture for only a little bit more money.

Why We Picked It

Although Amazon's original Fire TV Omni disappointed us, the Fire TV Omni QLED offers a much better picture for around the same low price. It still doesn't get very bright, but its color performance is strong and it's loaded with Fire TV features such as hands-free Alexa. It also supports Apple AirPlay.

Who It's For

This is a budget TV for Amazon users who already have Echo smart speakers elsewhere in the house. It doesn't cost much, and it works just like a Fire TV Cube, which is a bit pricey by itself.

Why We Picked It

While the U7N isn't as cheap as the U6K, it's still well below $1,000 for 65 inches. It's also easily the brightest TV on this list, with excellent color performance and gamer-friendly features like 144Hz VRR with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. Its only real weakness is that it can make darker elements appear a bit muddy or washed out, but it still offers better shadow detail than many TVs in this price range.

Who It's For

The Hisense U7N isn't quite as bright as the stunning U8N, but it costs several hundred dollars less. It's also brighter than any other TV on this list, which makes it a great value.

Why We Picked It

Roku is one of the most content-focused smart TV platforms, avoiding some of the more complicated bells and whistles while still covering most major streaming services and supporting Apple AirPlay. The Roku Plus Series is the company's first-party midrange TV line, and it's a good performer for the price. It shows wide colors, has low input lag for gamers, and is an all-around good value.

Who It's For

The Roku Plus Series is worth considering if you're familiar with the Roku platform or simply don't want a TV with Alexa or Google Assistant. It isn't nearly as bright as the higher-end Roku Pro Series, but you can get it for several hundred dollars less.

Why We Picked It

TCL's flagship QM8 TVs are too pricey for this list, but the lower-tier Q7 Class falls right into the sweet spot of 65 inches for about $1,000. It's a strong performer with excellent contrast and color. It puts out more light than the Hisense U6K, and it's available in sizes up to 85 inches.

Who It's For

While we favor the Hisense U6K as the best budget pick overall, the Q7 Class is still a strong value.

Why We Picked It

The Vizio M50QXM-K01 is one of the best inexpensive gaming TVs available, offering features that other cheap TVs like the Hisense U6K lack. Specifically, it has a 120Hz panel with both standard variable refresh rate (VRR) and AMD FreeSync Premium, and its input lag is quite low. The TV's colors are incredibly wide (perhaps to a fault; without tweaks it can occasionally look oversaturated). It uses Vizio's SmartCast platform, too, so it has both Apple AirPlay and Google Cast. Its only major weakness is contrast; this is a relatively dim panel with only modest black levels.

Who It's For

This is for budget-minded gamers looking for a very big monitor or a medium-sized TV. 50 inches isn't exactly small, but it's still less screen than the more common 55- and 65-inch TV sizes. The big draw for the M50QXM-K01 is gaming; 120Hz panels are rare on budget TVs, and both VRR and FreeSync Premium are nice bonuses. The wide colors and occasionally washed-out black levels can also provide a bit of an advantage in gaming, making enemies in shadows stand out more than they would with a completely accurate picture with inky blacks.

Why We Picked It

4K might be the standard TV resolution, but it isn't as vital on smaller screens as it is on bigger ones. The 40-inch Amazon Fire TV 2-Series is a mere 1080p, but it still looks crisp and colorful. More importantly, it's very cheap, costing a fraction of the other models on this list. The trade-off is that it's also the dimmest of the bunch, and it doesn't have hands-free Alexa like the Fire TV Omni QLED does.

Who It's For

If you need a new TV and want to spend as little as possible, this one is worth consideration. We don't recommend it as a main TV for your home, but if you want a really inexpensive screen in your garage or a spare room, it gets the job done.