I've been testing TVs for over over a decade — here's my top 5 picks for every budget

I've spent the last 10 years of my life looking for the best TVs. I've been lucky enough to see the vast majority of TVs from the likes of Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL and Hisense at various tradeshows, and even luckier to have dozens of them in my own home over the years

I've got lots of hands-on time with them, but with new models coming every year, it can be hard to know exactly how much to spend when shopping for a new TV.

Now, to help, I've put together lists of the best TVs under $500 and the best TVs under $1,000 — and these are great resources when you need them — but not everyone has the time to spend reading articles.

Below, you'll find a truncated version of those lists. It's light on technical information (though it's all available if you click on each TV) but you can use this as a quick guide on what to buy and how much to actually spend when shopping for a new set.

The TV you should buy for under $500

This is the TV price range most folks shop for — and there are a lot of good value options here.

My favorite TV under $500 has to be the TCL QM7. It’s a Mini-LED TV (basically an LED-LCD TV with far better control over its dimming zones) with a native 120Hz refresh rate. That refresh rate can be boosted up to 144Hz when connected to a gaming PC and it supports both major types of dynamic HDR, Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

Alternatively, the Hisense U6N offers many of the same features (but lower brightness and color volume) for around $200 less, as do the lower-end TCL Q6 and the slightly older Roku Series Plus. I think it’s worth paying the extra money for the better performance, but I totally understand if your budget doesn’t stretch that far.

All the TVs mentioned above are either available in a 55-inch or a 65-inch for under $500.

Unfortunately, there’s no 75-inch or 85-inch TV I could comfortably recommend at this price. If you don’t need a 55-inch TV and want something a bit smaller, we’re currently reviewing the Samsung F6000F Full HDTV that’s on sale at Amazon for $200. It doesn’t remotely compete with the TCL QM7 mentioned above, but it’s a brand-new smart TV for a very tough-to-beat sticker price.

The TV you should buy for under $1,000

At $1,000, picking a clear winner is much harder. Basically, you can either get an amazing OLED TV at its smallest size; a huge 75-inch budget TV; or a decent-sized mid-range model, all for under a grand. So let’s walk through each scenario.

No one ever sets out to buy a small TV. But once I explain what makes OLED so great, lots of folks then decide that they’d rather have a small, gorgeous-looking TV than a larger, lower-performing model. If you feel like you fit in that category, I recommend looking at the 55-inch LG B4 OLED. At 55 inches, it’s still a pretty reasonable size, and its picture is unmatched at this price point.

If 55 inches just won’t cut it for your living room, go for the 65-inch Hisense U8N. This is my favorite TV from 2024, and I think it delivers performance that rivals TVs that cost twice as much. It’s not an OLED, obviously, but thanks to its Mini-LED backlighting, its contrast is much better than your average LED-LCD screen and its color saturation is exceptional. It’s a native 120Hz screen with support up to 144Hz with Dolby Vision and Atmos on-board. The same is true for the 65-inch TCL QM8 that’s $100 less at $899.

For larger screens under $1,000, you have a few options: There’s the 85-inch Hisense U6N model I mentioned earlier, if you don’t mind something from 2024, or the 75-inch TCL QM6K from 2025 if you want something fresh from the factory. Both are great Mini-LED models.

Unfortunately, there’s no 98-inch model under $1,000 yet — but maybe that will change in 2026.

The TV you should buy for under $2,000

OK, now we’re talking big bucks. If you’re spending this much money, you’re definitely getting a sizable OLED or a huge Mini-LED TV.

At some point in the near future, the 65-inch LG C5 OLED should drop down to just under $2,000. Until then, last year’s excellent LG C4 OLED is available in a 77-inch screen size for just $1,799. Given its size and performance, it’s the TV I’d currently recommend buying.

In a very close second place is the Samsung S90D OLED. It’s also available in a 77-inch screen size, but it’s $2,199. The extra $200 is worth it for the additional brightness, but if your hard limit is $2,000, the smaller 65-inch version is an option.

You might be wondering where Sony TVs rank on this list — unfortunately the best Sony TVs cost well over $2,000. The best we can do at this price point is the 75-inch Sony Bravia 7. It’s an exceptional Mini-LED TV, don’t get me wrong, but it’s no OLED.

If you simply want the biggest TV for your buck without compromising on performance, there’s the 85-inch version of the Hisense U8N I mentioned earlier or the 85-inch TCL QM8. Both are $1,699 and offer similar performance.

I have a hunch you might be able to get one of the larger 98-inch versions for under $2,000 later — but we won’t know for sure until Black Friday rolls around in November.

Don't sleep on upcoming deals!

The prices listed above are current as of June 2025. Amazon Prime Day 2025 is coming up from July 8 to July 11, and those prices could take a steep nose-dive. The same is true for Black Friday, though, that won't happen until November 28.

Here's the good news: The dynamic links on this page will change when that happens, so just come back if you need the latest prices, or head on over to our Best Cheap TV Deals page to see what's on sale at this very second.

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