In the past when you were looking to purchase a quality LCD TV, the odds were that you wouldn’t be able to find any good models under $500. Although the best models are priced higher, you can find models that can serve you well in this price category according to the use you intend to make of it. Be aware that the majority of models can be found in a wide range of sizes as well If you’re looking for the most efficient TV under 500 dollars but don’t want to compromise on quality, you can always choose a smaller model.
Best 4k TV Under $500: Hisense 55H8G
The top 4K TV for less than $500 we’ve tried is the Hisense 55H8G. It’s impressively good in light of its cost and features thin bezels , which make the appearance appear more luxurious than the price suggests. It uses the Android TV smart interface, which gives you access to a very large selection of apps and allows for a ton of customization, but it may not be the easiest to use at times.
It’s got a great native contrast ratio that’s enhanced by its full-array local dimming feature it’s quite impressive to have included in this price range. This makes it an excellent choice to watch movies in a dark room as its maximum brightness means you won’t experience too much glare in the case of watching many of the daytime channels in bright rooms. Both casual and serious gamers will appreciate its fast response time which leads to minimal motion blur and low input delay.
It is not as good for viewing large numbers of people, especially with VA panels. It’s also not as vibrant as other HDR models due to its wide range of colors. HDR images don’t pop like they should. That said, this is an excellent option for its price and is the top TV for under $500 that we’ve tested.
Best TV Under $500 For Gaming: Vizio M55Q7-H1
If you do a lot of gaming, then the best TV for under $500 is the Vizio M55Q7-H1. It’s an excellent general-purpose TV from Vizio’s 2020 lineup and has a solid performance in its price range. It even comes with advanced gaming features, such as variable refresh rate (VRR) and an Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Vizio’s SmartCast interface can be slow and buggy, but it’s one of the few smart platforms that’s ad-free. Although we’ve tried the 65-inch model however, we’re expecting the 55 inch to perform the same.
While it’s limited to 60Hz of refresh rate but it’s adequate for console gamers as well as casual PC gamers. It is extremely responsive with very little motion blur when viewing fast-moving content and extremely low input delay. This makes it responsive to gaming. If you prefer gaming in darkness, it has an excellent contrast ratio that produces deep dark, deep blacks. It’s not equipped with lots of brightness, which means it can be difficult to see in well-lit places.
It doesn’t have HDMI 2.1 ports. They have only the bandwidth of HDMI 2.0. This isn’t the most ideal option for HDR gaming since its HDR brightness in Game Mode is sub-par, so highlights simply won’t pop like they ought to. The TV doesn’t have full-array dimming in the local area. However, it does not perform well and in fact lowers the contrast ratio of the TV. Still, for a budget TV, it is among the top TVs that cost less than $500 to play on, and the majority of people will be content with the performance.
The Best TV under $500 that has Wide Viewing Angles 55UP7000PUA
If you have a large seating arrangement, then the ideal TV for under $500 is the LG 55UP7000PUA. It’s a basic entry-level model that comes with an IPS-like panel with large viewing angles, which means that the picture is quite accurate no matter what angle you’re watching it from. We have tested the model with a 65-inch size. We expect similar results to be applied to the 55-inch model.
It can easily make smaller resolution content. This is ideal for cable television. You can also leave it on your favourite news channel throughout the day without worrying about permanent burn-in. It’s good in rooms with good lighting since it has okay maximum brightness and decent reflection handling but it’s best to avoid the use of it in a space with strong light sources. It’s equipped with LG’s webOS smart operating system, just as with all other high-end TVs, which is easy-to-use and comes with a plethora of apps available to download. The TV does not come with a microphone that can be used for voice control.
Sadly, it’s not the ideal choice to watch movies in SDR or HDR. It has a low contrast that causes blacks to appear greyish and does not have a local dimming feature to boost it. In terms of HDR it supports only HDR10 and doesn’t display the full spectrum of colors and doesn’t get bright enough to make highlights pop. Besides these issues, it’s the best TV under $500 with wide viewing angles.
Notable Mentions
Hisense U6G The Hisense U6G replaces the Hisense H8G and is more efficient overall, but it costs more than $500.
LG UP8000: Although the LG UP8000 performs better than the LG UP7000, it is more expensive and less reliable. It’s worth it to buy the UP7000.
Toshiba Fire TV 2020: While the Toshiba Fire TV 2020 4k TV is affordable but the TCL 5 series is more expensive and comes with a larger color range.
Samsung TU7000: While the Samsung AU8000 is the more expensive version The Samsung TU7000 can be found in smaller sizes starting less than $500.
LG UN7000: You can get a less expensive version of the LG UP7000 at a lower price , with similar performance.
TCL 4 Series 2020: The TCL 4 Series 2020 doesn’t have more features than the TCL 5 Series, but it’s cheaper and still has Roku.
Vizio V5 Series 2020: While the Vizio V5 Series 2020 is a great TV however, it’s not as big as the Samsung AU8000. However, its smart system is more sophisticated.
Hisense A6G – The A6G entry-level model has an IPS display that is similar to the LG UP7000 but is not as bright as the UP7000 , and is lacking many features.
