The most popular budget TV brands, ranked from best to worst

The TV manufacturing industry is incredibly busy and diverse, with quite a few companies vying for a place at the heart of entertainment. This seems a bit unusual in the technology industry, where certain markets are dominated by two or three major players. Rather, the large number of companies means there is variety and choice when it comes to different aspects and features. It also means that there are plenty of options for those looking to save money.

meanwhile Samsung L.G., and Sony When it comes to premium, innovative smart TVs, brands tend to lead the way, with some brands touting more affordable prices. But cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean better value. To help you out with your purchase, here are five of the most popular budget TV brands available today, ranked from best to worst.

Related

How we test and review products at Pocket-lint

We don’t make assumptions – we buy, test, and review products ourselves and only publish our buyer’s guides after we’ve actually bought and tested them.

1 Roku TV

Versatile and popular

Roku / Pocket-lint

For a long time, Roku TVs were just an operating system and streaming stick, but they’ve evolved into actual, proprietary televisions that Roku manufactures, which fall into one of three categories: Pro, Plus, and Select. It’s pretty confusing and unnecessarily complicated, but it’s important to know that a Roku TV is worth the fun, offering a wide range of options in terms of size, screen technology, and smart features.

The Pro is the top-end series, with its large QLED screen and fairly pricey. However, if you’re on a budget, it’s worth considering the lower-priced Select series and the mid-range Plus. The Plus series in particular may offer the best value, with QLED TVs with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR10+, and voice control. These TVs are only available from 55″ to 75″, so if you’re looking for a smaller option, the Select series is worth considering. The Roku TV operating system is a big draw for many users. It’s intuitive, customizable, and looks great for many, and Roku City is also a popular pastime for many viewers. However, like many interfaces on budget TVs, there are ads on the home page that can’t be removed.

Another downside is that these TVs aren’t ideal for gaming, missing key features that support competitive players in the online world. While the image is bright and colorful overall, there are concerns about detail in dark scenes, and also with the handling of movement during sports and live events.

Related

Hisense’s Mini LED QLED TV shines brightly, even if its price tag casts a shadow on it.

With rich colours and contrast, and a full range of gaming features, it’s perfect for any use.

2 High sense

Great features at an affordable price

Hisense fills the gap between low- and mid-range TVs, but is a great starting point for those looking for value for their money. Their selection includes both QLED and Mini LED TVs, the latter of which offer the best contrast outside of OLED models. These newer TVs can cost over $1,000 for models 65 inches and up, but smaller models and many QLED TVs can be purchased for under $1,000 or even under $700. Hisense also has TVs with the latest video and audio formats, as well as dedicated modes that optimize content for games, sports, and movies.

Operating systems vary by model, with Roku TV, Google TV, Vidaa, and Xumo all offered as options. This is one of the reasons these TVs are cheaper than the competition. Hisense doesn’t make its own OS, but other companies are happy to use it and include advertising. As with most technology, if you’re willing to accept commercials and ads, you’ll pay less up front.

There are a few other areas where it feels like you really get what you pay for: Hisense TVs tend not to have wide viewing angles, some have issues with motion smoothness and blur, and there also seems to be an increasing number of UI bugs and issues, as well as customer service issues.

Hisense unveils more affordable alternative to the Samsung Frame

CanvasTV makes displaying art on your TV much more affordable.

3 Amazon Fire

Great for fans of the e-commerce giant

Amazon’s Fire TV lineup is relatively inexpensive, thanks in part to the reach and power Amazon has gained: Because TV isn’t a focus for the commerce giant, and because Amazon can promote its other content and services on its devices, it offers attractive price points for people looking to save money on TV.

For under $750, the 65-inch 4K Fire TV supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, and access to a smart system with popular apps and services. Like other budget brands these days, Amazon is working on adopting better screen technology, with some models boasting QLED screens. These TVs are fine for watching most content, but may struggle with cinematic content, which demands better brightness, contrast, and motion handling. Amazon Fire TV is best used in a dark room, and you should avoid watching at wide angles as you may see distortion.

Another downside is that Amazon pumps promotions and sponsored content from its vast network onto your TV, meaning some competitors are limited.If you shop at Amazon a lot and like its network of services, like Alexa, the Fire TV is a valuable addition to the Amazon ecosystem.

6 Useful Features That Amazon Fire TV Users Should Use

From voice control to Bluetooth device syncing, Amazon TV acts as a content hub.

4 Visio

Downward trend

Visio

While brands like Roku and Hisense are growing and adding more diverse products to their lineups, Vizio seems to be going in the opposite direction. Its lineup is limited and lacks the innovation and advancements of its competitors. Still, Vizio’s products include great value QLED TVs and affordable TVs with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, voice control, and AI processing enhancements.

One drawback is generally the overall picture quality, especially when you’re not operating the TV. Cheaper models tend to lack quality brightness, and contrast in dark scenes is hard to discern in ambient light, so make sure you watch in a dark environment. The source can also be an issue: if you watch a lot of older content, Vizio TVs can struggle to upscale and improve the image. A low maximum refresh rate also limits the quality of sports and online gaming.

Vizio TVs also use Smart Cast, a great operating system that’s full of ads and pretty cluttered. It’s also important to keep in mind that Walmart is considering acquiring Vizio, presumably for the sake of its OS popularity, but this could lead to even more bloat and less innovation in TVs.

Before buying a Vizio TV, consider these 5 factors:

Although this budget TV brand is attractively priced, we noticed some compromises.

5 on

Not worth the low cost

One of the cheapest TVs, Onn is Walmart’s private label TV that offers no-frills features for those who just want a device to watch content on. Onn TVs are very cheap, especially the larger sizes. If you want something big and don’t mind the budget, Onn might be the right choice.

However, these TVs tend to lack quality, the latest screen and lighting technology, and modes for different types of content. They generally lack the brightness associated with most modern TVs, and few high-end video and audio formats. They also often have narrow viewing angles and poor audio quality. They shouldn’t be used as your main source of entertainment, and are more suitable for children’s rooms or cottages where you won’t be watching much TV. But even then, these cheap TVs are hardly worth the money.

Not all budget brands of TVs are created equal, so even if you’re not buying a name brand TV, there’s still work to be done and research to do. It’s important to look at the processing power, video and audio formats, and motion processing, as these are often lacking in budget brands of TVs. Also, consider the operating system. Most TVs come with advertising and sponsored content, as the revenue they make from selling the space makes up for the low upfront cost. The cost of bringing a TV into your home may be low, but once you buy one, TV companies will be trying to grab your attention while you look for something to watch.

Related

5 Reasons Not to Buy a TV at Walmart

This major electronics retailer sells many televisions, but a closer look reveals many low-quality models and models that lack any real value.