The 3 Best TVs Under $500 - Fall 2024

The best TV under $500 we've tested is the Hisense 55U6N. What separates the TV from similarly-priced models from other brands is its effective local dimming feature that gives the TV fantastic contrast, so you get deep blacks in a dark room that mostly stay deep when highlights are also on screen, although there's some noticeable blooming. Still, the TV provides excellent overall picture quality due to its wide color gamut, good upscaling, and very good SDR brightness, which makes it usable in a room with some lights on.

Unfortunately, the TV isn't as bright in HDR as in SDR, but it's still enough for a somewhat impactful HDR experience. You also get Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10+, and DTS audio support. Regarding gaming, the TV is limited to 4k @ 60Hz and doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, but it does support VRR for a nearly tear-free gaming experience. You can also choose to forgo some resolution to play in up to 1440p @ 120Hz, although VRR doesn't work when you do that. Still, if you're looking for a budget-friendly 55-inch TV that punches above its weight class, the Hisense U6/U6N is an excellent option and is currently the best 55-inch TV under $500.

If you're willing to sacrifice some image quality and features for a bigger screen, the best 65-inch TV under $500 we've tested that's currently available is the 65Q651G. Unlike the Hisense U6/U6N, the TCL Q6/Q651G QLED doesn't have a local dimming feature, so it doesn't display the same deep blacks and can't emphasize highlights like that TV. Still, its native contrast ratio is good enough for fairly deep blacks in dimmer scenes. The TV has good SDR brightness and decent enough reflection handling to use in a room with a few lights on, but it's not bright enough for well-lit rooms.

It supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, meaning you're covered no matter what format your HDR content is in. The TV doesn't support DTS audio formats, so if you collect Blu-rays and don't have a separate sound system, you might want to look elsewhere. Like the U6N, the TV doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and doesn't support 4k @ 120Hz. However, you can game in up to 1440p @ 120Hz with resolution halving using TCL's Game Accelerator 120 feature if you prefer a higher frame rate, and unlike the Hisense, VRR works when gaming in 120 fps.

The Hisense A7N is the best cheap smart TV we've tested if you want something affordable that gets the job done. Like the TCL Q6/Q651G QLED, this TV doesn't have local dimming, so you don't have deep blacks like you do on the Hisense U6/U6N, but it still provides a decent dark room viewing experience due to its good native contrast ratio. It has decent SDR brightness and good reflection handling, so it can handle glare in a moderately lit room. Unfortunately, it's a bit too dim in HDR for highlights to really pop out. However, HDR content still has some impact due to its ability to display a wide range of colors. It also still has quite a few features, like Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and DTS audio passthrough.

The TV has low input lag, a quick response time, and VRR support for a smooth gaming experience. However, there's no HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you're limited to 4k @ 60Hz. Like the other Hisense models, it runs the easy-to-use Google TV OS. The Hisense is an excellent choice if you're searching for the best cheap TV that still looks pretty good.