6 Of The Most Budget-Friendly TV Brands In 2024
Any good home theater junkie needs a good TV. But these days, good TVs don't require a bank-breaking investment. Sure, you've got some expensive state-of-the-art options, like an LG OLED C1, or whatever thousand-dollar, 8K 90-inch behemoth Best Buy has on display these days — at the wrong motion blur settings, no doubt. You've also got some cheaper displays that offer one HDMI input that doesn't work unless you sit a certain way.
For those looking to keep their spending reasonable without denying themselves some of the essentials, even the most budget-friendly televisions offer features like 4K resolution, HDR color, built-in smart interfaces, and more. Size matters, too; whether you're searching for a small bedroom model or a living room eye-catcher, you'll find something to suit you.
So let's get frugal without sacrificing fun. Let's expand our resolution without expanding our credit card bills, and check out six of the most budget-friendly TV brands you can buy from in 2024.
onn.
Available exclusively through Walmart, the cleverly-named "onn." TV brand offers numerous 4K HDR smart TVs of various sizes, most of which are $300 maximum.
There are currently four size classes with these features available — the 43" and 50", both at $198; the 55" at $248; and the 65" at $298. These TVs all have LED displays, three HDMI connections, an optical connection for audiophiles, and a 60 Hz refresh rate. While that may bar gamers from playing some games at 120 Hz, this is more than a smooth enough experience for the average player.
For those looking for smaller models, there's a 24" TV for $88 and a 32" for $98. These feature the same refresh rate, display style, and types of inputs, but only pump out 720p resolution, which may not be as desirable for certain customers. All of these models come with the Roku smart interface installed, giving you easy, immediate access to every streaming app you need, and the ability to use your smartphone as a remote control.
TCL
TCL offers televisions with all kinds of bells and whistles, at all kinds of price points — including a $10,000 98" QLED 4K, if you've got money to blow. But for those of us who don't, worry not, as TCL's budget options are more than competent machines.
As just some of its many examples, the S Class TVs offer a surprising amount of high-end features for low prices. In this tier, you can go for the 43" at $230, the 50" at $260, or the 55" at $270. These TVs come with 4K resolution, Amazon's Fire TV Smart OS, both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and three HDMI inputs — including one with eARC capability, perfect for those with soundbars or other audio equipment.
For those who want even more oomph, TCL offers a 43" Q Class 4K TV with a QLED display, using quantum dots to produce a purer, wider spectrum of colors. At $230, this TV also comes with all of the S Class features listed — so if you only need 43" of viewing space, this one's a steal.
[Featured image by Maurizio Pesce via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]
Westinghouse
If you're gonna be named after one of the literal inventors of the electricity industry, you better offer a lot of well-priced TVs. Thankfully, Westinghouse did not miss.
For statement-makers and conversation-starters, check out their Edgeless line: A series of TVs that, as you might guess, eschew those black borders in favor of a more immersive, bezel-less "art installation" vibe. Westinghouse's 43" 4K model runs for $260, offering a built-in Roku interface, LED display, HDR 10, four HDMI ports, and more. If you want to upgrade to a QLED 4K edgeless display, it'll cost you $280 — and if you want to stop down to a 1080p edgeless display, it's $240.
If you don't care about whether or not a TV has edges, worry not: Westinghouse has tons of more traditional options. You can grab a 4K Roku TV with HDR at 43" for $240, or 50" for $300. Or, if 1080p resolution is all you need, Westinghouse offers a 42" model with Roku for just $200.
Hisense
There are all kinds of classes and versions of Hisense's TVs, appealing to various sizes, resolutions, feature sets, and more. It all depends on what you're willing to spend, as Hisense's lineup can get expensive fast.
In the company's U6 series, there's a 50" model running $300 that features 4K resolution, Dolby Vision and HDR, built-in Fire TV OS, and a ULED display, which is Hisense's fancy acronym meaning "very good color and contrast ranges."
While its Google TV interface isn't quite as intuitive, Hisense also offers an A6 series with many of the same features — including 4K Dolby Vision picture — for around $240 at both a 43" and 50" size. Stepping down a little further, you can buy a 1080p smart TV in their A4 series for $209 max, moving from 32" to 43" sizes. These TVs come built-in with Chromecast and Alexa compatibility, and just might be the prudent smart TV option you're looking for.
Philips
Philips has two categories of budget-priced TVs for your viewing pleasure. In the 7000 series — which uses Google TV as its Smart OS — the 43" model costs $214, and the 50" model costs $278. These TVs rock with 4K resolution, HDR10, built-in Chromecast, and three HDMI inputs including HDMI-CEC, which links your other device's power supplies to the television itself.
For a wider variety, and generally less cost, we turn back to the Roku side of things. Philips' Roku TVs start with the 40" 1080p model at $148. You also have a 50" 4K HDR model available at $218. These televisions offer an ultra-crisp 120 Hz refresh rate and an ultra-bright LED display, plus all of those smooth features that come part and parcel with the Roku interface.
But for those buyers with detective-esque tendencies, be on the lookout for some of Philips' QLED Roku TVs. If they're actually in stock, these provide a richer picture for as little as $260.
Roku
Many manufacturers tend to bundle the Roku interface into TVs, but what about a Roku TV, full stop?
Lucky for you, Roku has made a couple at a reasonable cost. Both part of the Roku Select Series — the 50" and 55" models, respectively at $270 and $280 — feature 4K resolution, HDR 10+ color, a directly lit LED display, and of course, the most intuitive version of the Roku experience you can buy.
Here's another underrated factor for these TVs. Many TVs are designed with potentially subpar built-in speakers, all but requiring the consumer to purchase a separate sound system and hope their TV has an intuitive eARC or optical cable situation. These Roku TVs boast built-in Dolby speakers, promising clear audio and legible dialogue right out of the box, which is a big plus.
If you want to supplement your audio game on top of getting a nice TV, you can potentially save a bunch of money buying a great budget TV like from Roku.