The 10 Best TVs Under $500 of 2026

The Hisense U6 brings Mini LED to a price where most brands still sell basic LED TVs. Hisense lists up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness and up to 600 local dimming zones for the U6 line, which gives clearly better contrast and HDR punch than an edge-lit set. Quantum dot color adds saturation, and Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ are both supported, so every streaming service gets proper HDR.

This 2025 model runs Fire TV with Alexa built in, which makes it easy to search for shows, switch inputs or control smart home devices by voice. Gamers get a native 144Hz panel, Game Mode Pro and ALLM for a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Dolby Atmos is supported through a soundbar. Hisense also gives a two-year warranty, double what most rivals offer. Amazon buyers mention the bright picture and simple setup. The downsides: Fire TV pushes sponsored rows on the home screen, and the TCL QM6K gets noticeably brighter for about $130 more.

The TCL QM7K is the TV to watch for if you can stretch to exactly $500. It regularly drops to around that price on Amazon, and at that point it beats everything else in this guide. TCL lists up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness for the 55-inch model and far more local dimming zones than the QM6K, so halos are tighter and HDR highlights are much brighter. The CrystGlow HVA panel blocks reflections well, which helps in open living spaces.

It runs Google TV with Chromecast, supports Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+, and offers native 144Hz with VRR for consoles. The 2.2-channel Bang and Olufsen speaker system sounds fuller than most TVs at this price, and Bluetooth 5.4 makes it easy to pair headphones. Amazon reviews highlight the brightness and value compared with Samsung and Sony sets. The catch is the price: outside of deals it often costs closer to $600, and then the QM6K is the smarter buy.

If screen size matters more to you than anything else, the 65-inch TCL QM6K is the one to buy. It has the same QD-Mini LED panel technology as the 55-inch model at the top of this guide, but with a screen that is about 30 percent larger. That makes a real difference for sports and movies if your couch sits 8 feet or more from the TV. Local dimming and quantum dots give strong contrast and color for the price.

At 65 inches TCL rates Game Accelerator at up to 288Hz at lower resolution, on top of a native 144Hz panel with VRR, so it is excellent for gaming. Google TV, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and the Onkyo speaker system are all included. Amazon buyers often mention how big the picture feels for the money. Keep in mind it is right at the $500 limit and its price moves around, so check before you buy. Measure your stand too: a 65-inch TV is about 57 inches wide.

The Hisense U7 is the gamer's choice in this guide. Its native 165Hz panel with VRR up to 288Hz is faster than anything else near $500, and with FreeSync support it pairs well with a gaming PC as well as a PS5 or Xbox. Hisense rates it at up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, so HDR games and movies have real punch, and Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ are both supported.

This 2025 model runs Google TV with Chromecast built in. The 2.1.2 channel speaker system with Dolby Atmos is better than most budget TVs, and IMAX Enhanced certification is a nice extra for movie fans. Now that the 2026 U7SG has arrived, the 55U75QG regularly drops toward $500 on Amazon. Buyers praise the brightness and smooth motion. In a fully dark room you will notice halos around bright objects, and if it is above $500 when you shop, the TCL QM6K is the safer value.

The Samsung M80H is the brand's 2026 Mini LED TV, and when it is on sale it slips just under $500. It uses Samsung's NQ4 AI Gen2 processor, the same chip found in pricier Samsung models, to upscale cable and streaming content to 4K and to adjust picture settings to what you are watching. Pure Spectrum Color and Auto HDR Remastering aim to give non-HDR content more depth.

Motion Xcelerator supports up to 144Hz for smooth gaming, and the Samsung Gaming Hub lets you stream games without a console. Tizen is fast, includes Samsung TV Plus with hundreds of free channels, and has Alexa built in. As with all Samsung TVs, there is no Dolby Vision: you get HDR10+ instead, so Netflix plays in standard HDR10. There are three HDMI ports, which is fine for one console and a soundbar. At full price it costs more than the TCL QM6K, which is brighter, so this is mainly a sale buy for Samsung households.

The Samsung M70H is the cheapest way into Samsung's 2026 Mini LED lineup. List price is $449.99, but Amazon has sold it for around $300 to $350 in recent months, which makes it one of the most affordable Mini LED sets from a major brand. The Mini LED backlight gives better brightness and contrast than a basic Crystal UHD model, and HDR10+ is supported for Prime Video and other services.

It runs Tizen with more than 750 free Samsung TV Plus channels, and both AirPlay and Google Cast are built in, so iPhone and Android users can share video easily. The panel is native 60Hz; Motion Xcelerator can run 120Hz only at reduced resolution, so it is not ideal for serious console gaming. Speakers are a simple 2.0 setup with 20 watts. Buyers on Amazon mention a clean picture and easy setup. Compared with the Hisense U6 at a similar price, you trade 144Hz and Dolby Vision for Samsung's software and brand.

Roku's 2026 Select Series is built for people who mostly stream. Roku OS is the easiest smart TV system to learn: a simple grid of apps, a universal search across services and very few settings to get lost in. The 55-inch Select Series uses a quantum dot QLED panel for richer color than a basic LED TV, and it supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, which is rare at this price.

You also get AirPlay 2, Apple Home support, Bluetooth headphone mode and an Art Mode that shows pictures when the TV is idle. For gaming there is VRR, ALLM and a game mode, but the panel is 60Hz, so it lacks 120Hz modes for a PS5 or Xbox. The list price is $349.99, and Amazon has cut it as low as about $230 this fall. Thousands of buyers praise the value and ease of use. It is not as bright as the Mini LED sets above, so it is best in a bedroom or a dim living room.

The LG UA77 is the most basic TV in this guide, and that is exactly its appeal. It is a 2025 4K LED set with LG's Alpha 7 AI Processor Gen8, which upscales HD channels and older shows to 4K cleanly and keeps colors natural. Filmmaker Mode turns off extra processing so movies look the way the director intended, and webOS 25 is the same quick system found on LG's OLED TVs.

All the big US apps are on board, including Netflix, Max, Peacock and YouTube TV, and AirPlay 2 and Google Cast are built in. There are three HDMI ports. What you give up is HDR performance: the UA77 supports HDR10 and HLG only, without local dimming, so HDR movies look flat compared with the Mini LED TVs above. The 60Hz panel is fine for casual gaming. Amazon buyers describe it as easy to set up and reliable. Choose it as a bedroom or kitchen TV, not as the main screen for movie nights.

The Samsung Q7F is Samsung's 2025 entry-level QLED. The quantum dot layer gives deeper, more saturated colors than the brand's Crystal UHD models, and the Q4 AI Gen1 processor handles 4K upscaling well for cable and HD streaming. HDR10+ is supported, and Object Tracking Sound Lite makes voices seem to come from the right part of the screen.

The Tizen system includes Samsung TV Plus with free live channels, Alexa built in, and the Samsung Gaming Hub for cloud gaming without a console. There are three HDMI ports and Bluetooth 5.3 for headphones. The panel is 60Hz and has no local dimming, so dark scenes look grayish and it is not a TV for competitive gaming. Amazon buyers praise the colors and the familiar Samsung menus. The honest catch: Samsung's own 2026 M70H costs less and adds a Mini LED backlight, so buy the Q7F only if you find it clearly cheaper or prefer its design.