Televisions fluctuate in price constantly. Sometimes you’ll end up paying twice as much for the best TV models if you don’t happen to look online at the right time. That’s why we scour the web for all the latest price cuts while also taking into account quality and performance. After all, there’s nothing worse than spending your hard-earned cash only to get something that isn’t up to standard in return.
You could always thousands of dollars buying the best TV on the market. But if you don’t need absolute top-of-the-line capabilities, you can probably find something that suits your needs for far less.
Some budget televisions do come with excellent quality, solid features and large sizes, and they won’t cost you an arm and a leg. There are a lot of options from brands like Insignia, TCL and Toshiba that are packed with features. And the more you’re willing to compromise, such as not having something like HLG — the HDR standard that broadcasters use — the more you can end up saving.
We’ve collected the best cheap TVs you’re likely to find, so all you have to do is pick the one that’s right for you. We haven’t tried all these sets ourselves — there are enough configurations and options to keep us occupied for a century. Even so, based on their specifications and our own experiences with various brands, we’re confident in recommending these models.
We’ll be updating this list as new models arrive and as prices change, so check back if you don’t see anything right now that tickles your fancy. And be sure to check out other TV deals if you’re looking for something a little bigger or with specific features.
Best Buy has many offers ahead of Memorial Day, but this TCL 40-inch model making it onto clearance for less than $140 is a steal. The only catch is that it’s open box. That means it’s not technically brand new, but it will have been tested and assigned a quality rating. You get three months of Apple TV Plus included.
This Insignia N10 is probably one of the cheapest TVs we’ve seen on the market, and it’s a great option if you’re looking for something smaller and more budget-friendly. It’s not 4K, only full HD resolution, but that’s not a problem for its 43-inch size, plus it supports HDMI Arc and parental controls, which is useful.
This 2021 Insignia 4K Fire TV may be a couple years old now, but it still boasts impressive specs that make it a competitive model and a solid deal. It runs Amazon’s Fire TV OS, so you can instantly access all your favorite streaming content. It’s equipped with an HDMI eARC port, so it’s easy to run audio through a soundbar or surround-sound system, and the Alexa voice remote allows for hands-free browsing.
Toshiba makes some great TVs, so it’s worth checking out if you see one going for less than $300. Under the hood, you’ll find HDR and HDR10, an auto low-latency game mode, and Toshiba’s Regza Engine 4K, which helps optimize image quality and fidelity. It uses the Fire TV platform, so you gain access to the Amazon ecosystem and can control it with Alexa, though there’s also Apple AirPlay support for iPhone users. You also get three free months of Apple TV.
The Fire TV 4 series is a basic 4K TV compared with its Omni series sibling, but that doesn’t mean it should be dismissed. It landed a spot on our best budget TV list, which means it has a lot to offer.
There are some trade-offs when you opt for a budget set, but this one might be worth it at the lower price, especially while it’s discounted by 27%. It lacks some higher-end specs like Dolby Vision and gaming features such as AMD FreeSync and it doesn’t have a built-in microphone, but this TV does deliver a brilliantly bright image. In fact, it has one of the best pictures of any entry-level model, and it’s a great fit for anyone already using the Amazon ecosystem.
Pioneer is pretty well-known for its TVs, so it’s nice to see one priced below the $250 mark. It’s also packed with features, such as 4K resolution and support for HDR10 and HLG, the latter of which is great if you watch a lot of sports.
The retail price of this 4K HDR Roku TV is $248 — there aren’t any dramatic deals to bring the price lower, but at less than $250, it’s just an excellent budget option at face value. In fact, the TCL 4 series was ranked among the best budget TVs on our list of 2024’s best televisions.
With Amazon’s growing selection of smart devices and streaming sticks, it was only a matter of time before it started manufacturing its own smart TVs. The Omni series is the midrange model and comes with a microphone built into the TV for truly hands-free voice control. It also boasts 4K resolution.
