Welcome to the age of smart living, where we boldly command our kettles to boil, fridges to cool, and televisions to entertain us with just a flick of a finger or a simple voice command. Yes, technology has sprinted past leaps and bounds, with TVs evolving into smart, Wi-Fi enabled, all-singing, all-dancing, one-stop entertainment powerhouses.
But hold on, don’t let your wallet quiver in fear just yet! Technological advancement doesn’t always rhyme with emptying your bank account. In fact, with technology evolving at lightning speed, what was once considered luxury is now but a regular Tuesday buy. From teleporting you into the world of your favourite fantasy film under £300, to giving you front-row tickets to your favourite concert under £600, the smart TV space is replete with affordable magic.
In our quest to champion frugality without compromising on quality, we’ve ventured into the labyrinth of budget TVs and emerged victorious. We’ve put a host of TVs, all under £500, through a rigorous obstacle course of testing. The ones that emerged unscathed, delivering an immersive, larger-than-life audiovisual feast, are the stars of our show today. So, brace yourself for an epic journey through our pantheon of top-performing, yet pocket-friendly TVs. Budget viewing has never been this grand!
Hisense 55A6BGTUK (55 Inch) 4K UHD Smart TV
Features
- 4K UHD: 4 times higher resolution than FHD TVs. Binge watch your favorite shows, immerse yourself in the latest movies, or thrill in every moment of the hottest games.
- Dolby Vision: Inspired by cinema technology, Dolby Vision HDR technology gives an astonishing brightness and contrast depth by 40 times brighter and blacks 10 times darker than standard picture.
- DTS Virtual X: Enjoy an immersive audio without the need for height speakers, the bass perception engages you into the center of a performance.
- VIDAA U5: An easy, smart and intuitive OS, simply access to rich contents and global applications (Disney+, Youtube, Netflix and Freeview Play etc.), making your TV more interesting.
- Alexa Built-in: Do more on your TV with your voice, ask Alexa to play music, hear the news, get weather and control your smart home, and more.
1. Why this TV makes our Top 3 list?
It’s said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but with the Hisense 55A6BGTUK, there’s no room for subjective debates. This stellar 55-inch 4K UHD smart TV gifts you with a visual smorgasbord, bringing movies and shows to life in your living room. Dolby Vision HDR technology transforms your viewing experience, with outstanding brightness and deep contrasts that make images pop out of the screen. DTS Virtual X adds a dimension of immersive audio, wrapping you in the full cinematic atmosphere. With inbuilt Alexa, and streaming platforms aplenty, your smart home journey begins here. And all this, priced at a jaw-dropping £329, a discount of 40% from its original price!
2. Is there anything to improve?
It’s not all rainbows and unicorns; our noble steed has a small chink in its armor. Gamers have reported a noticeable input lag which could use a bit of polishing, and while the VIDAA OS is chock full of features, it’s a bit like navigating through London’s Tube during rush hour. Still, with a performance this spectacular, these are mere specks on an otherwise gleaming visor.
3. What’s our final score?
Despite minor areas for improvement, the Hisense 55A6BGTUK is a triumph in the realm of affordable smart TVs. An unbeatable combination of high-end features, smart capabilities, and a competitive price point have solidified its place in our top 3. For its premium offerings at a budget-friendly price, our final score is a solid 9.2 out of 10. Grab your popcorn, folks, because with this TV, every night is movie night!
TCL 65P639K 65-inch 4K Smart TV
Features
- 4K HDR: Get ready to experience the ultimate in home entertainment! Our state-of-the-art 4K HDR display is a visual tour de force, bringing to life all of your favorite content with vibrant colors, stunning detail, and an immersive level of realism that will leave you breathless.
- HDR10: Whether you're watching your favorite TV shows, movies, or sports events, our HDR10 technology ensures that every moment is perfectly captured, providing endless entertainment of the highest quality.
- DOLBY AUDIO: But we don't just stop at picture quality - we also offer an incredible audio experience. With DOLBY AUDIO technology, the sound quality of your television is richer and more immersive than ever before, bringing you closer to the action than you ever thought possible.
- ANDROID TV: With our Android TV platform, you'll enjoy easy and unlimited access to all the content you love, exactly how you want it. Whether you're looking for movies, TV shows, music, or games, everything is right at your fingertips.
- GAME MASTER: If you're a gamer, you're going to love our Game Master feature, which automatically optimizes your picture settings for the best gaming experience, with the lowest latency possible.
1. Why this TV makes our Top 3 list?
It’s not every day that we see a TV that makes us say “wow“, but the TCL 65P639K 65-inch 4K Smart TV has done just that. The blend of the 4K HDR display and HDR10 technology makes it an unstoppable powerhouse of vibrant colours and stunning detail. It’s like it’s playing peek-a-boo with reality! And if you’re a gamer, prepare to jump for joy – the Game Master feature optimizes your picture settings for the lowest latency possible. Lastly, if you’re one for elegance, its bezeless metal design gives your living room a facelift without even trying. Is it a TV or a piece of art? We’re still deciding!
2. Is there anything to improve?
No product is without its flaws, and while this one is close, the TCL 65P639K isn’t quite there. Some users have reported the occasional system crash when launching YouTube and a bit of lag with the remote. You might also miss the sweet sound of your own voice, as there is no built-in voice control. But, as we always say, “no mountain is too high if you have the right hiking boots,” or in this case, a 4K Fire Stick to overcome these minor hiccups.
3. What’s our final score?
Now, drumroll, please… We give the TCL 65P639K 65-inch 4K Smart TV a bold, and underlined score of 9.0 out of 10. Yes, you heard that right! Despite a few minor shortcomings, this TV brings a quality viewing experience that is rare to find at such an attractive price point. Plus, the bezeless design is the cherry on top. Remember, life is short, why not watch it in 4K?
Samsung 43″ TU7000 HDR Smart 4K TV Tizen OS
Features
- Crystal Display: lose yourself in crystal clear colour
- Crystal Processor 4K: relax as your TV adapts to give you the very best 4K picture and targeted sound
- HDR Powered by HDR 10+: enjoy a true-to-life picture with brighter colour and broader contrast
- Smart TV powered by Tizen: only the No. 1 selling Smart TV brand¹ can give you access to the largest collection of 4K content and all your catch-up TV apps
- What's in the box: Samsung 43" TU7000 HDR Smart 4K TV, One Remote Control, standard remote, batteries, user manual and power cable
1. Why this TV makes our Top 3 list?
What do we want in a TV? Clarity of picture, a world of entertainment at our fingertips, and a price tag that doesn’t break the bank. Enter the Samsung 43″ TU7000 HDR Smart 4K TV. A gem in Samsung’s crown, this model has caught our attention due to its crystal clear 4K resolution, its user-friendly Tizen OS which brings an abundance of streaming services and apps, and its light-on-the-pocket pricing. Its sleek design will make it the centrepiece of any living room. Add to that, the eco-friendliness with an Energy Class A rating, and you have a TV that checks all the boxes.
2. Is there anything to improve?
Of course, no TV is perfect, and this Samsung is no exception. While it’s not a deal-breaker, the navigation system has been reported to lag a bit initially after powering on the TV. Some customers have also expressed dissatisfaction with the smaller remote control. Lastly, an update in the firmware causing picture flicker issues can be bothersome. But these are minor inconveniences compared to the perks this TV brings.
3. What’s our final score?
We believe that the Samsung 43″ TU7000 HDR Smart 4K TV has a lot going for it. With a few navigational kinks that could be ironed out in future updates, we’re more than confident to score this a 9.0 out of 10. After all, where else are you going to find such impeccable picture quality, a plethora of smart features, and a competitive price tag, all bundled into a neat 43″ package? So, dear readers, “go ahead, make your day” and buy this gem before it’s gone!
A great TV needn’t break the bank. We’ve reviewed the best TVs with all the latest features for the budget-conscious. Take a look at them below: