Buying a TVnowadays means pouring over dozens of special features each model offers and deciding how the TV might fit in a home.Smart TVstake a lot of the guesswork out of the equation, with built-in internet connections that give usersaccess to streaming appsand voice controls.
With all these advanced features, finding an affordable smart TV may seem impossible. However, with technological improvements, budget smart TVs are available left and right. Whether the TV is destined for family movie nights orcompetitive console gaming, many affordable smart TVs are ready to entertain budget-minded shoppers. Game Rant has compiled the best budget smart TVs available in 2024 to make the search easier.
VIZIO 50-inch MQX-Series 4K 120Hz QLED HDR10+ Smart TV
How to Choose the Best Budget Smart TVs
Budget shopping is rarely easy, but by considering a few key factors, users can ensure their money is well spent on a smart TV that will last through months and years of use. Below are three especially important factors to consider:
Game Rant’s Picks for the Best Budget Smart TVs in 2024
Insignia 50-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV
The 50-inch Insignia F30 entry-level 4K TV comes with a ton of exciting features at an affordable price. From Fire TV OS to 4K-grade picture quality to immersive audio for movies and music, the F30 has these and tons more. It is also wall-mountable, allowing buyers to save space by placing their TVs on the wall, thereby improving the viewing angles.
One of the most affordable TVs on the market also happens to be an excellent smart TV. For budget shoppers looking for a decent blend of visual and audio quality for gaming and streaming, Insignia’s Class F30 series smart TV is a seriously enticing deal. The 4K LED TV comes under $300, though it’s often on sale for $200 or less. With two broadly placed feet and a mountable back, the TV can be set up in a flash in any room. Since it’s a Fire TV, it automatically responds to Alexa voice commands to change the channel or start streaming from any of its thousands of channels and apps.
Gamers aren’t left out of the fun either, with three HDMI ports and a USB port waiting for consoles, gaming peripherals, or even soundbars to be plugged in. The speakers are supported by DTS Studio Sound, though they’re powered by just two speakers. Regardless of the surround sound capabilities, this Insignia 50-inch smart TV has all the stunning visuals and immersive audio expected of a much pricier alternative.
Roku 40" Class Select Series Full HD Smart TV
The Roku 40" Class Select Series Full HD Smart TV offers a vast selection of free entertainment. With over 350 live TV channels, award-winning Roku Originals, current shows, top-rated movies, and children’s programming, this device provides a comprehensive range of viewing options. Whether news, sports, or family entertainment, the platform delivers popular channels and a wide array of free and live TV content.Equipped with a voice remote, the Roku 40" Smart TV enables users to perform a voice search across thousands of channels, control streaming, and manage entertainment playback.
While most tech products are getting more expensive, TVs are in a period where ones that have what used to be considered premium features are now becoming more affordable than ever. The Roku Select series is not the fanciest or most exciting TV, but for under $200, it is hard to beat a 1080p TV that has a Roku built-in.
Unlike the higher-end option from Roku, the Roku Plus, the Select series does not support Dolby Vision but still has support for HDR10+. At this price point, to have support for HDR alone is reasonably impressive, let alone HDR performance as good as the Roku Select. However, it does show its price a bit more in bright rooms. HDR content is not quite bright enough to dazzle viewers in a bright room, but thankfully, SDR mode bumps the brightness to bring back that excellent image quality.
Everyone has a different favorite SmartTV OS, but it is hard to go wrong with Roku. There is a good reason why it has remained pretty much unchanged, besides performance upgrades, since its release. Roku’s SmartTV OS is easy to navigate and comes with minimal bloat that can slow down an affordable TV like this.
Hisense 55-inch Class U6 Series ULED Smart TV
A notable feature of this Hisense 55-inch TV is its high-grade vivid visuals, a product of the QLED Quantum DOT Wide Color Gamut technology. The screen colors are rich, resulting from over a billion color combinations.The TV utilizes Hisense’s in-house ULED technology that boosts colors, brightness, and motion. The television has a 60-Hz refresh rate, which is decent for most gaming sessions, and players can easily get accustomed to the on-screen motions
Despite sitting at the bottom of the Hisense lineup, the U6 55-inch TV is easily one of the best-performing smart TVs this year. Using a mini LED panel, this TV has outstanding contrast and fantastic local dimming, rivaling much more expensive OLED TVs. When adding in that this TV comes with an excellent implementation of GoogleTV and support for variable refresh rate, if users can up their budget a bit, this TV is a superb option.
The Hisense U6 does not quite have the same wide use case as the LG C3 OLED, but it excels when used to watch HDR movies or play stunning games. HDR-supported content on the U6 makes this TV feel much more expensive than it actually is, with beautiful colors that pop off the screen. However, when it comes to SDR content, it is not quite the same story. The colors are oversaturated, and the upscaled video gets slightly fuzzy, specifically on people’s faces.
Despite lacking SDR performance, the U6 is still a joy to use. Using Google TV, it is easy to get to content quickly without having to dig through menus, and with support for Google Chromecast and Apple Airplay, it is easy to share photos or videos with friends on the big screen.
Amazon Fire 43" Omni Series 4K UHD Smart TV
Designed for those seeking a pocket-friendly 4K TV, the Amazon Fire 43" Omni Series Smart TV doesn’t disappoint as it packs great value. Get ready to feel the massive difference in picture quality between a 1080p and 4K display, as this TV ships with HDR 10 and HLG. Enjoy movies, shows, and games with stunning visuals that almost look real. Take a step back from the familiar remote and tap into a new world of hands-free voice control. Ask Alexa to launch apps, tell the time, and do other tasks with voice commands.
Even though most 4K TVs seem pretty pricey, all hope is not lost for budget-conscious shoppers, as there are a handful of options to explore. Aside from being affordable, the Amazon 43" Fire 4K Smart TV looks to please buyers with a wide range of decent features. With four times the picture quality of a 1080p display, the Amazon TV promises realistic visuals that look great. With built-in HDR 10 and HLG formats, owners can watch their favorite show or movie with jaw-dropping contrast and color reproduction levels. Amazon opted for a thin profile and an ultra-slim bezel design to ensure that buyers concentrate on what matters most: the screen.
One of Fire TVs' strong points is the excellent OS interface, which makes it easy to navigate apps and do much more. Unlike other Fire TV models that offer remote voice control, the Omni Series TV goes a bit further to provide hands-free support using built-in microphones. So, feel free to leave the remote on the table and speak directly to Alexa, asking the voice assistant to search for shows, launch apps, set times, and so much more. Alexa will still respond to voice commands even when the TV is off. As expected, there are many shows and movies to check out, thanks to the wide spectrum of streaming services ready to take viewers on a cinematic adventure.
Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 Series LED 4K TV
The Toshiba Class C350 Series LED 4K TV keeps content in one place, thanks to Fire TV. Whether it’s live, over-the-air TV, streaming channels, or other favorite apps, users can access them all on the home screen. The Regza Engine 4K, Toshiba’s high-performance 4K engine, combines ultra-essential PQ technology with a high-quality LCD panel to produce stunning picture quality.With four times the resolution of Full HD, the Toshiba 4K TV provides uncompromisingly crisp, clear visuals for a fully immersive experience. Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 transform TVs into true entertainment powerhouses, offering an amazing realism users will see, hear, and feel like never before.
Even as TVs seemingly continue to get bigger with each passing year, the fact remains that a large TV is not always the best solution. For smaller spaces like bedrooms or dedicated gaming rooms, a 43-inch smart TV is often the ideal option. Luckily, that also means users can save quite a bit when shopping. The Toshiba Class C350 4K TV packs the high-quality visuals and convenient streaming apps that everyone wants, all for under $200 during sales. Even at full price, this smart TV is less than $300, bringing with it the same excellent performance as comparable smart TVs.
Featuring built-in Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 support, the Regza Engine 4K that Toshiba relies on successfully delivers incredible ultra HD images with breathtaking picture quality. Although it’s rare to see with budget TVs in general, the C350 has its own remote, complete with Alexa-based voice control. Once again, Fire TV brings in tons of apps for every streaming service imaginable, while a special game mode lowers latency for instantaneous gameplay. Although the sound could be better, between the crisp images and super easy streaming, this medium-sized smart TV is an excellent addition to any compact media space.
SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class Crystal UHD 4K CU8000 Series Smart TV
With effortless performance, crowd-pleasing features and great value, this large smart TV from Samsung offers 4K visuals to watch favorite movies and TV shows using the Crystal Processor. Picture quality is improved as colors, contrast, and motion are analyzed and adjusted with the Dynamic Crystal Color, Contrast Enhancer, and Motion Xcelerator technologies. Even the audio is transformed to deliver 3D surround sound that moves with the action using Object Tracking Sound Lite.
At the other end of the spectrum are users who really must have a large TV to enjoy their favorite shows and games. Despite some premium 65-inch TVs being listed at well over $1,000, Samsung has managed to marry quality to affordability with their CU8000 series 4K smart TV. Available for less than $650 and even lower prices during sales, this smart TV uses Samsung’s Crystal UHD to provide users with truly stunning visuals. This smart TV uses some of Samsung’s most advanced technology, too. The Motion Xcelerator reduces blurring during moving scenes, while the Mega Contrast analyzes and adjusts each image to give scenes more natural depth.
Along with visuals, Samsung’s smart TV comes with Object Tracking Sound Lite, which creates a 3D surround sound effect that follows on-screen movement. There is a free remote included with the TV, though it isn’t the best, and many people might prefer to simply use a third-party remote or Alexa voice controls to switch between activities. Despite that minor flaw, users with large spaces to fill who still want an affordable option can’t go wrong with the 65-inch Samsung CU8000 smart TV.
Hisense 75-Inch Class U6 Series ULED TV
The Hisense 75-Inch Class U6 Series ULED TV utilizes the company’s proprietary ULED technology. The ULED provides a color boost, better contrast and brightness, and other benefits. The panel is built with Mini-LED and supports Hi View Local Dimming backlighting technology that is more accurate than traditional LED backlighting.The TV also includes Quantum Dot Wide Color Gamut technology, which delivers colors that are purer and richer. It can also produce over a billion color combinations.
From the same family as the Hisense U6 55-inch, the 75-inch variant brings all the same excellent features to a bigger screen, but of course, the bigger screen also means a slightly higher price tag. However, for a 75-inch TV that looks this good, it is hard to beat the price of the Hisense U6 75-inch.
Using the same miniLED technology, this TV is incredibly contrasty and produces stunning images. Unlike the 55-inch model, which struggled with SDR content and upscaling issues, the 75-inch model does not have as many of these problems. HDR and SDR content are bright and gorgeous, and a fair amount of detail is retained in the shadows, while black bars on widescreen movies are inky black with no noticeable light bloom.
Again, using Google TV, it feels great to use a streaming hub, with content easy to access right from the home screen. Plus, the slightly laggy UI problems on the 55-inch have been solved on the 75-inch model with smooth playback and navigation across the board.
This Vizio MQX Series 4K television comes with a 50-inch display panel with QLED technology. The Quantum Color technology allows increased color performance in a 4K resolution with Active Full Array Backlight technology and local dimming. Buyers will also appreciate the fact that this TV supports Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+ for vibrant high dynamic range content. Vizio’s smart TV platform allows easy access to millions of titles from popular streaming channels and other apps. Vizio WatchFree+ offers over 250 free live-streaming channels too.
Available for under $600, the VIZIO MQX-Series is a 50-inch 4K beauty with tons of incredible offerings for buyers. This TV is equipped with industry-leading Quantum Dot display technology and delivers deep contrast and astonishing brightness levels.
This makes streaming, gaming, and virtually any activity on this display look better than on other TVs. As a smart TV, users get access to their favorite channels and streaming apps. Moreover, this TV supports voice control, a critical smart home feature, through integration with virtual assistants like Alexa and Google Home.
Beyond streaming, the VIZIO MQX-Series wants to be seen as a capable gaming TV. It packs a 120Hz refresh rate, making gaming and streaming feel very fluid. Among its gamer-centric offerings are AMD FreeSync Premium, which eliminates screen tearing, HDR10+, VRR, and HDMI 2.1, which allows users to unleash the full potential of current-gen consoles. A significant drawback of this TV is that users can not add new apps from Google PlayStore.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between a smart TV and regular TV?
The biggest difference between a smart TV and a regular one is the fact that only smart TVs can connect to the internet out of the box. Non-smart TVs also don’t offer things like voice control or built-in apps.
Q: Do I need cable with a smart TV?
No, users with a smart TV automatically gain access to streaming apps that can make cable seem obsolete. Additionally, many smart TVs come pre-installed with free channels that offer streaming content with commercials.
Q: What is a reasonable price for a smart TV?
Most Smart TVs are listed somewhere between $250 and $2,000. A reasonable price for a budget smart TV would be between $250 and $600, depending on the size and included features.
Q: Are cheap TVs worth buying?
Yes, cheap TVs are typically worthwhile. However, TVs at the very bottom of the price range (around $200-300) are known to last only a year or two, at most.
