5 Of The Best TVs To Buy On Amazon, According To User Reviews

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When shopping for a TV on Amazon, there's a bewildering number of seemingly amazing sets trying to grab your attention with promises of this and that. Technical jargon in big bold letters aims to impress, and for the average consumer, it can be an overwhelming process to find a TV that actually delivers. Technical specifications only tell part of the story. Real-world user experience reveals a lot more about a TV's reliability, ease of setup, actual picture quality, and long-term satisfaction. High review numbers count if you want reliable information — and the feedback should be consistently good. You can get a better picture of what a TV actually delivers when it has a clear winner of five-star reviews from hundreds or even thousands of reviewers. A high number of low-star reviews and consistent complaints is clearly a big red flag.

Smart money shoppers aren't necessarily buying premium OLED TVs. After looking at user reviews on Amazon, there appears to be more satisfaction in those who purchased smaller screens at budget prices. Presumably, the most expensive TVs ignite more criticism among reviewers, possibly because they're looking for perfection after their huge outlays. Compact TVs excel in tighter spaces like kitchens or bedrooms, and those budget prices likely contribute a lot toward customer satisfaction. But they can't all be good just because they're cheap. Many budget TVs promise smart features but deliver laggy interfaces or claim HD but look washed out. They may even tout HDR

 features their low-brightness panels can't properly display. However, some are genuinely excellent value for money, and based on customer reviews, here are five of the best on Amazon.

The budget-priced 32-inch Samsung M4500 TV delivers excellent picture quality for the price. With Micro Dimming Pro enhancing the TV's already strong contrast ratio, it delivers deeper blacks and brighter whites, while the HD picture handles fine details well. The color accuracy may need a bit of calibration out of the box, but once done, the TV produces vibrant, natural hues. However, at this price, you need to expect a few flaws. Peak brightness sits at just 250 nits, which doesn't pose any problem in a dimmed room. But with sunlight pouring in the window, you might have trouble seeing the screen clearly. Consumer Reports notes that it does handle glare well, though it will catch lamps and windows positioned directly in front of it.

The 32-inch display size and below-average viewing angle mean that the M4500 is a better fit for small spaces like a bedroom or kitchen. With the picture washing out when you're looking from angles, it's a poor choice for wide living rooms. Audio-wise, it won't fill a big room, either. You'll need to couple it with a solid budget-priced soundbar, but it sounds decent enough in compact spaces. It ships with popular streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu, and the easy setup means you'll be watching within minutes of unboxing. 

Customers on Amazon mostly agree it's a good TV, with 80% of reviewers leaving five-star compliments. One-star reviews are at an absolute minimum, and although the TV has been selling since 2017, reviews from the past few years are still positive, with one happy customer saying, "This 32-inch Smart TV is just right for my home office; the picture quality is terrific, and the volume is great."

The Roku operating system is sought after by buyers for its intuitive interface, and it appears on multiple TV brands. But the Roku Select Series marked the company's first attempt at a self-branded TV line, and since then, its house-brand models have proven superior to those licensed alternatives. The 2023 Roku Select Series runs on the Roku 12.5 operating system, which gives users access to thousands of streaming apps, while the voice-enabled remote lets you search them all with ease. The TVs are available in displays of 24 through 75 inches. However, the 24- to 40-inch TVs come with SDR only and a 720p or 1080p resolution. But it's these sizes that shine brightest on Amazon, with an overall 4.6 rating fueled by 80% five-star reviews.

Right out of the box, the TV nails color accuracy and provides sufficient brightness in moderate lighting. Gradients transition smoothly with very little banding, meaning sunsets and the like with gradual color changes appear natural without harsh lines. Additionally, motion remains relatively smooth with minimal stutter for sports and action. It's not as crisp as you would expect on a premium-priced TV, but it is decent enough. Reflection handling isn't a strong point, so avoid placing the TV directly across from windows or bright lights.

However, Roku has since expanded the line. Bluetooth connectivity, including Bluetooth Headphone Mode, has been added along with Dolby Audio and over 100 extra free TV channels on top of the original 400. There is now also the Roku Select 4K Series, with all sizes featuring a UHD resolution, and they are all competitively priced. Roku has also introduced an 85-inch model, and all sizes feature Roku Smart Picture technology, which auto-adjusts incoming signals and sets the optimal picture mode.

TCL offers some excellent budget TVs, and the 3-Series is another quality set in its affordable range. The 32-inch S325 model, released in 2019, is the one to have delivered the most satisfaction to Amazon customers. With an overall 4.6 rating, including 80% five stars and just 3% one stars, it's a budget-friendly TV that will likely lead to you being a happy customer. It comes with Roku's well-regarded streaming platform built in, offering a lag-free experience with app access within seconds. There are plenty of ad-supported free channels to choose from, and voice commands are supported via Google Assistant speakers. The Roku app adds in voice search and, for late-night movie fans, private listening through your headphones. 

The S325 offers a 720p resolution, which, given the price, is perfectly acceptable. However, CNET notes that the picture quality is "mediocre." The contrast doesn't punch like a premium display, and blacks don't look inky deep. It's not a TV for a home theater setup, especially given its size, but for casual streaming, watching sitcoms, and catching up on news, it offers excellent value. Setup is fairly straightforward, and no complex calibration is required. To optimize the picture on unboxing, CNET suggests to "use the Movie preset and toggle the Brightness setting to taste." 

There are newer models in this series that score similarly on Amazon. For just a few bucks more, you can get the slightly updated model, the S335, which adds faster 5GHz Wi-Fi for more reliable streaming. Alternatively, the S355 has a more up-to-date Roku TV platform while staying in the same price range, and the 40-inch model offers a 1080p resolution and a wired internet connection.

If you're on the lookout for a decent compact TV at a decent price, the Westinghouse 24-inch HD Smart Roku TV is ideal for kitchen, dormitory, or bedroom use without the need for a heavy investment. It's a Roku TV, too, so it comes with over 350 free live channels, plus all the regular streaming apps for your subscriptions. Roku integration also means setup is simple, and users report that it does indeed take minutes. One reviewer confirmed this when they wrote, "Setup was a breeze (remember, it's Roku), and the TV size is great for the kitchen too." It's also available with a 32-inch display if you prefer.

Users also praise the HD picture quality, while progressive scanning promises to reduce flicker during action scenes. Whether you're watching the big game or a car chase, it should play out relatively smoothly without irritating shimmer. "I was somewhat hesitant to purchase this TV, but it had excellent reviews and all the features I wanted for a small TV. The picture is great, and although some reviews were not happy with the sound, I think it is very good," reported one customer. Indeed, sound quality is one area that divides opinion, with some reviewers not happy with it. However, others praise it, seemingly aware of the limitations of audio performance in a TV in this price range.

Alexa, as well as Siri or Google Assistant, provides voice control functions — perfect when your hands are busy cooking. You can also cast your photos and videos from your phone using the Roku mobile app or AirPlay 2. But some buyers are left disappointed by the absence of Bluetooth, which means no wireless headphone listening unless you buy a decent Bluetooth adapter. 

LG ranks among top major TV brands, and the LG UN73 Series scores well on Amazon, with the 43-inch and 65-inch models rated the highest at 4.6. This budget-midrange TV has the smaller screen priced at around $300 and the larger display sitting at around $515 at the time of writing. Both have 4K resolutions for crisp detail, and quad-core processors and color enhancement keep the hues looking natural. Blacks are also deep, and HDR10 includes dynamic tone mapping that blends multiple frames together to boost the contrast and detail in both bright and dark scenes. However, it doesn't handle glare particularly well, so you won't want this set in the direct line of bright windows and light sources.  

The TV's clarity enhancers and surround sound processing with dual-stage noise reduction seem to work well, with many Amazon customers finding that the built-in speakers offer good sound. Many do say, however, that they have added a soundbar to the system to achieve that audio standard. Connectivity is also adequate, with three HDMI ports, two USB ports, and an Ethernet jack. Other highlights include the Magic Remote, which uses motion sensing to control an on-screen cursor, although it does spark disagreements among customers. One simply said that they "love the smart remote and connectivity," while another mentioned that it "takes some getting used to." 

Another thing that could potentially disappoint is the operating system, with Apple Insider mentioning that it is "laggy" due to promotional content cluttering the screen and slowing things down. It should be noted, however, that Amazon customers have not registered many complaints about this. One common issue, though, is TVs arriving with a cracked screen. But it should also be pointed out that the last registered complaint regarding this was from 2022.

We set a strict criterion for selecting the best-reviewed TVs on Amazon. To help filter out dubious feedback, we only considered models with 1,000+ reviews. However, there were a lot of TVs with similar ratings, so we selected these ones based on a favorable balance between high five-star reviews and low one-star reviews. In the end, we came up with five TVs that clearly showed customer satisfaction, with registered complaints at an absolute minimum. Still, any TVs that have consistent problems with any particular aspect, such as delivery damage or common defects, have been clearly stated for your consideration.