There are many TVs under $500, but none quite match the TCL Q5/Q550G QLED. Nevertheless, other models excel at certain tasks or use a different smart interface, so there's something for everyone.
If you were in the market for a decent TV a few years ago, finding a good model for around $500 was quite a challenge. However, the landscape has evolved, and now, budget-friendly brands like Amazon and TCL offer excellent products across various price points. Below, we've compiled a list of the best TVs for $500 or less. The primary distinction between the pricier and more affordable models lies in their capabilities: the higher-end options boast a faster response time for responsive gaming or a brighter image, which helps in brighter rooms. Let's delve into each of these options to highlight their strengths.
Here are the best TVs you can find under $500.
TCL Q5/Q550G QLED: Unrivaled value in the sub-$500 TV realm
Elevating the budget TV market to new heights, the TCL Q5 QLED unequivocally claims the title of the best TV at this price point. This television surpasses even some mid-range competitors from other renowned brands. It boasts excellent native contrast and impeccable black uniformity, leading to pleasant blacks even when the lights are off. The absence of local dimming technology, while resulting in slightly grey or blue blacks when bright highlights are on screen, brings advantages. Notably, this model has no blooming around highlights, and bright elements of the image don't dim when moving across the screen.
The TV isn't just solid in a dark room; it's also bright enough to handle bright rooms, so it's truly a budget all-rounder. Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate its responsiveness, although it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate in the two smallest sizes. It's also quite colourful for a budget TV, although its colours aren't accurate out of the box. It does come with the very popular Google TV smart interface. It's not the easiest interface to learn, but it's the most fully featured. This TV is the undisputed champion in the under $500 category.
TCL 4 Series 2022/S455: A Roku enthusiast's dream
The 2022 TCL 4 Series is the only TV featuring the beloved Roku TV smart interface on this list. Renowned for its lightweight operating system, the Roku interface ensures a quick and snappy performance that will stay quick even as the TV ages. Beyond its interface, this TV impresses with fantastic contrast and near-perfect black uniformity, creating an ideal environment for immersive movie-watching in dark rooms. However, the absence of local dimming means that the presence of bright highlights impacts blacks by making them look slightly blue or grey.
The TV otherwise excels in eliminating stutter and judder from movies. Overall, while its brightness might not be stellar, this TV shines brightest in darker rooms as it has the best contrast of any model on this list, offering an exceptional cinematic experience. Just make sure to turn the lights off!
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series: Tailored for Amazon enthusiasts and streaming aficionados
Catering to Amazon enthusiasts and streaming lovers, the Amazon Fire TV 4-Series is a budget-friendly option focusing on extensive streaming capabilities. While its overall performance may be mediocre, especially in brightness and colour accuracy, its integration with Amazon's Fire TV interface is its standout feature. Seamlessly connecting to Amazon's extensive app library, it excels with Amazon's apps like Prime Video.
This TV's most welcome feature is its shockingly good image processing, especially at this price point. It does a very good job with low-bitrate streaming content, so it's mostly free of distracting compression artifacts or issues related to upscaling. If you like Amazon's ecosystem and consume most of your content through streaming services, you could do much worse than the Amazon Fire TV 4-Series.
TCL S4/S450G: Unbeatable affordability in the sub-$500 range
If you don't care about features and just want a cheap TV that's better than what retailers tend to sell during doorbuster sales, the TCL S4/S450G emerges as the best cheap TV under $500. Like almost every TV on this list, it doesn't get very bright, it doesn't have any advanced features, it isn't colourful, and its response time is on the slower side of things. Still, its contrast is surprisingly decent for a TV at this price point.
This TV comes with the Google TV operating system, the most widespread smart interface. It's not the simplest or snappiest of the bunch, but it's the most fully featured, and it works very well with Google's ecosystem of apps and smart speakers. The TCL S4/S450G is a testament to functionality and value, providing an accessible entry into the world of smart TVs.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the TV you pick will be largely based on your needs, and each pick on our list is a good option. For just the best TV, the choice is clear: the TCL Q5/Q550G QLED stands above the other models when it comes to TVs under $500. Still, if you prefer the Roku or Amazon ecosystem, the TCL 4 Series 2022 or Amazon Fire TV 4-Series will fit your needs. If you want the biggest TV possible for your dollar, look no further than the TCL S450G. Happy watching, no matter which you choose!
Written by Pierre-Olivier Jourdenais, RTINGS.com
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We'll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes. The products in this list are ranked by independent third parties. Rankings are based on both reviews and independent testing.