The Best 4K TVs Under $500 for 2021

Good news: You do not have to spend thousands to get a fantastic 4K HDR TV. In fact, if you’re willing to stick with screen sizes of 55 inches or less, you can get an absolutely stellar model for right around the $500 mark, give or take a couple of bucks.

Our experts have spent hundreds of hours testing televisions that range from budget 4K TVs to high-end OLED televisions that cost more than $5,000. While premium televisions deliver jaw-dropping image quality, excellent technology has trickled down to even the most affordable models.

Our favorite 4K TVs under $500 will impress anyone upgrading from an older 1080p television. Our top choice, the 50-inch TCL 5-Series, has loads of features and is bundled with the superb Roku smart TV software.

We’re finally getting the year’s newest models in our offices for full reviews and, depending on what we find, some of these new models could end up on this list, so check back with us regularly.

Want a bigger screen, or a TV that will make gaming more enjoyable? Check out our other affordable picks below.

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A quick disclaimer: TVs tend to fluctuate in price over time, so it’s possible that one of the displays below may briefly cost more than $500. Even when these TVs do occasionally tip the scales, though, they still represent solid value for their cost.

Best 4K TVs under $500 at a glance

The best 4K TV under $500: 50-inch TCL 5-Series

Why you should buy this: It’s brimming with features, and looks fantastic.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a versatile 4K TV with superb picture quality.

Why we picked the 50-inch TCL 5-Series 4K TV:

Editor’s note: The 55-inch 5-Series used to be our top pick, but recent price increases at TCL now make that model more expensive, so we have swapped it for the 50-inch model. It’s identical in every way but for its size and price. 

When TCL updated its TVs for 2020, the 5-Series was given a major boost to picture quality with the addition of quantum dots. It essentially acquired all of the 2019 6-Series’ characteristics but at the 5-Series’ lower prices, which makes it our current top pick for a 4K TV under $500.

TCL has fast become one of the leading television manufacturers. Its recipe for success? A partnership with streaming titan Roku that sees its flexible Roku OS smart software bundled on all of its latest televisions, offering customers instant access to a bottomless collection of on-demand content through leading providers like Amazon Prime Video and Hulu right out of the box.

Priced to cater to budget shoppers, the TCL 5-Series has no trouble holding its own against more costly alternatives from rivals LG and Samsung. This isn’t a bare-bones 4K Ultra HD viewing experience. Far from it, in fact. There’s Dolby Vision HDR, which is used to draw additional detail from supported content, and voice control for hands-free navigation.

Here’s a look at some of the instructions you can mumble its way:

• “Play The Mandalorian on Disney+.”
• “Switch to HDMI 2.”
• “Mute the volume.”
• “Turn off at 11 p.m.”

Gamers will appreciate the 5-Series’ automatic game settings like low-latency and optimized picture processing to ensure the on-screen action is as immediate as possible.

Now that Roku has released its latest software update, OS 10, these TVs get even more great features, with Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support, automatic game console identification, new live TV guide enhancements, and the ability to detect when faster Wi-Fi is available.

Factor in four HDMI slots for hooking up all your accessories, be it a streaming device (although seeing as this particular model comes bundled with Roku streaming software, you shouldn’t need one), a gaming console, a DVR, or maybe even all three, and — ding, ding, ding — the 50-inch TCL 5-Series is the clear winner.

The best 4K TV under $500 for movies: 55-inch Hisense H8G Quantum

Why you should buy this: It’s got an ultra-bright display for amazing HDR and Dolby Atmos, too.

Who it’s for: Movie fans searching for a TV that will look amazing even in bright rooms.

Why we picked the 55-inch Hisense H8G Quantum:

Hisense is another brand that is quickly establishing a reputation for high-quality TVs that are also incredibly affordable. The H8G pulls together some very impressive features like a quantum dot LED display, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos compatibility, and full-array local dimming. These are the kinds of things we’re used to seeing on much more expensive models.

The literal highlight for the H8G is its brightness. Whether it’s displaying standard or high dynamic range content, the display can get much brighter than most of the other TVs on this list, which not only helps with combatting brightly lit rooms but also lets HDR material pop more spectacularly.

The H8G uses a VA LCD panel, which means that viewing angles aren’t as good as the LG UN7000 below, but the contrast is excellent, and blacks are nice and inky. To get way better contrast ratios, you’d need to spring for an OLED TV at more than double the price of this Hisense model.

With Android TV, you get some great extra features, too. Chromecast is built in, as is Google Assistant, which you can access from the voice-based remote control. Just like with a Roku TV, you can use voice commands to control the TV and volume, open apps, and manage playback. But because it’s a Google Assistant device, you can also ask it to do any of the things a Google smart speaker can do, like provide weather forecasts, or answer nagging questions about who directed that movie you just watched.

The Hisense H8G is also a pretty good choice for gaming and sports, with 240Hz motion control and several auto game mode enhancements.

The best 4K TV under $500 for gaming: 55-inch Vizio M-Series Quantum

Why you should buy this: It’s one of the few TVs in this price range with features tailored specifically for gamers.

Who it’s for: Gamers looking for a quality display to accurately portray what they’re playing.

Why we picked the 55-inch Vizio M-Series Quantum:

Quite frankly, the Vizio M-Series Quantum is an amazing all-around TV, but we’re highlighting it for its unusually strong support for console and PC gaming.

Variable refresh rate (VRR) is one of the most important features a TV can have when it comes to gaming. The M-Series Quantum has VRR, but not just standard VRR — it sports AMD’s FreeSync, which is used by Xbox consoles, as well as many PC gaming rigs. VRR ensures that the TV always stays in sync with a game’s changing frame rates. TVs that can’t do this create a “tearing” effect, which can be jarring and have a negative impact on overall gaming performance.

Add to this Vizio’s ProGaming Engine, which automatically adjusts several other settings to reduce input lag and response times, and support for 60Hz 4K signals, and you’ve got a great gaming TV for a great price.

The M-Series Quantum has comprehensive HDR support, with HDR 10, HDR 10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG compatibility, plus HDMI ARC/eARC for lossless sound quality when connected to a compatible soundbar or A/V receiver.

Vizio has added a lot of other valuable features to its smart TVs recently, like Apple’s AirPlay 2, Apple HomeKit, and Chromecast. It will also work with Siri,  Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa if you have a smart speaker for one of these assistants.

These all make the 55-inch Vizio M-Series Quantum a very capable smart TV.

The best 4K TV under $500 with a wide-angle picture: 55-inch LG UN7000 Series

Why you should buy this: It has an IPS rather than a VA screen, which delivers a superior viewing angle.

Who it’s for: Those looking for a TV to sit at the center of their home entertainment setup, immersing everyone in the room.

Why we picked the 55-inch LG UN7000:

Editor’s note: The 65-inch LG UN7000 used to be our pick for this category, but recent price increases now make that model more expensive than $500, so we have swapped it for the 55-inch model. It’s identical in every way but for its size and price.

The 55-inch-inch LG UN7000 delivers what we deem to be the best viewing angle of any 4K TV under $500, ensuring everyone in the room is immersed in the on-screen action, even if they aren’t sitting right in front of the screen — without suffering notable color or contrast degradation. How? Because it’s an IPS screen, rather than a standard LCD.

For its size, the UN7000 is the best value on this list, but it doesn’t quite have all of the features that some of our other picks possess.

For instance, the UN7000 supports both HDR10 and HLG formats of HDR, but not Dolby Vision.

It’s armed with WebOS, so you’ll have nearly instant access to a seemingly endless catalog of both on-demand and live content from the likes of Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix. There are also several more niche services available with just a few clicks, such as Sling TV, Vudu, and YouTube TV.

With AirPlay 2, as long as you have an Apple device, you can stream any unsupported content directly from your phone or tablet — HBO Max is a good example.

There’s no built-in voice functionality, but the UN7000 is compatible with Google Assistant, Siri (thanks to Apple HomeKit), and Amazon Alexa devices for voice control.

And while it’s not quite as good for gaming as the Vizio, the LG UN7000 sports Auto Low Latency Mode, which helps gamers get the most out of this TV by automatically shutting down any picture processing that could lead to lag.

Research and buying tips

Are 4K TVs under $500 any good?

Almost all new TVs are 4K nowadays, so there are plenty of fantastic options to choose from in the sub-$500 sector.

What size 4K TV can I afford for $500?

The answer to that depends on the brand, but you’ll be looking at around 60-inches or less. With Sony TVs, for example, that lowers to 49-inches or less.

Can I buy a 4K TV with HDR for less than $500?

Yes, though its HDR performance may not be quite as striking as that of premium screens — so set your expectations accordingly.

Can I get an OLED TV for less than $500?

In short: No. OLED TVs are still considered the proverbial gold standard for TVs, alongside QLED, so they command a top-tier price.

Are 4K TVs under $500 good for gaming?

That’s contingent on the television, but if you find something with minimal input lag — like the Vizio M-Series Quantum — you should be impressed.

Can I use a 4K TV under $500 with a PC?

Yes, so long as your computer has an HDMI output. Adapters can be used for other output types but frequently do not pass along audio.

Editors’ Recommendations