10 Best TVs under $500

The Hisense U7K LCD TV is a midrange price model that offers very good overall picture quality, making it suitable for movie and series watching. It's also very good for gaming, due to its low input lag and response time, and supports popular HDR formats like HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. However, its performance in very bright rooms is rated as just good, so it might not be the best choice if your viewing environment is usually flooded with sunlight. Additionally, while its sports content viewing is fair, it might not be the best option for fast-paced live sports content due to motion handling. Despite this, it has strong gaming performance and miniLED FALD VA screen technology, which contributes to better contrast, but it might have limited viewing angles. The TV comes with a 144Hz refresh rate and four HDMI ports, but lacks great built-in speakers, suggesting you might want to consider a sound system for better audio quality.

The TCL S555 is a lower midrange LCD TV that performs well in general picture quality, dark rooms, and bright conditions, making it suitable for varied lighting environments. It's a good choice for watching movies, series, and cartoons, while its capability for gaming and sports content is fair, and its performance as a monitor is also fair. The S555 doesn't excel at reflections, which may be a concern in very bright, sunlit rooms. It supports HDR including Dolby Vision and has a decent color output straight from the box. However, for those with a keen interest in gaming, there are TVs with better gaming features and response times. The sound quality is fair, so external speakers or a soundbar might be considered for a better audio experience.

The Hisense U6K is an LCD TV that comes at a lower midrange price, offering good overall picture quality and very good performance for cartoons and animation. Its contrast is rated as high, which is great for dark room viewing, but it has a fair bright room score, indicating it might not be the best option for very well-lit environments. The TV handles upscaling well, making lower-resolution content look good. However, its gaming performance is only fair, meaning it may not be ideal for serious gamers. Its sound quality is rated as good, but it doesn't have particularly great speakers, so an external sound system might be desired for an immersive experience. Additionally, the U6K supports mini LED with FALD VA screen sub-type and various HDR formats including HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, but its motion processing is just average and has a low refresh rate of 60Hz. With its 4 HDMI ports, it's versatile for connecting multiple devices, and it's also suitable for use as a monitor.

The Hisense U6K is an LCD TV that comes at a lower midrange price, offering good overall picture quality and very good performance for cartoons and animation. Its contrast is rated as high, which is great for dark room viewing, but it has a fair bright room score, indicating it might not be the best option for very well-lit environments. The TV handles upscaling well, making lower-resolution content look good. However, its gaming performance is only fair, meaning it may not be ideal for serious gamers. Its sound quality is rated as good, but it doesn't have particularly great speakers, so an external sound system might be desired for an immersive experience. Additionally, the U6K supports mini LED with FALD VA screen sub-type and various HDR formats including HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, but its motion processing is just average and has a low refresh rate of 60Hz. With its 4 HDMI ports, it's versatile for connecting multiple devices, and it's also suitable for use as a monitor.

The Amazon Omni QLED TV is priced in the lower midrange segment and offers a good overall picture quality. For gaming, its performance is fair but not exceptional, and the same can be said for watching sports content. This TV is competent in dark rooms and delivers a good movie and series watching experience, with very good performance for cartoons and animation. However, its bright room performance is only fair, which may be a concern if the TV is to be used in well-lit spaces. Contrast is excellent, and the color representation out of the box is very good, alongside a good color gamut. The response time and input lag are excellent, making this TV suitable for responsive gaming and use as a monitor. The sound quality is excellent, but note that it does not have great speakers built-in, so for the best audio experience, external solutions are advisable. The TV supports popular HDR formats including HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, but its local dimming, gray and black uniformity are fair, which could affect the depth of blacks and evenness of the screen during viewing. With 4 HDMI ports, it's well-equipped for connecting multiple devices. Keep in mind that while it functions fairly well as a monitor, its bright room performance and reflection handling might not be ideal for daytime use in a bright office environment.

The Amazon Omni QLED TV is priced in the lower midrange segment and offers a good overall picture quality. For gaming, its performance is fair but not exceptional, and the same can be said for watching sports content. This TV is competent in dark rooms and delivers a good movie and series watching experience, with very good performance for cartoons and animation. However, its bright room performance is only fair, which may be a concern if the TV is to be used in well-lit spaces. Contrast is excellent, and the color representation out of the box is very good, alongside a good color gamut. The response time and input lag are excellent, making this TV suitable for responsive gaming and use as a monitor. The sound quality is excellent, but note that it does not have great speakers built-in, so for the best audio experience, external solutions are advisable. The TV supports popular HDR formats including HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, but its local dimming, gray and black uniformity are fair, which could affect the depth of blacks and evenness of the screen during viewing. With 4 HDMI ports, it's well-equipped for connecting multiple devices. Keep in mind that while it functions fairly well as a monitor, its bright room performance and reflection handling might not be ideal for daytime use in a bright office environment.

The Sony X85K is an LCD TV released in 2022 with a 65-inch screen size. It has good overall picture quality, gaming performance, and sports content viewing experience, making it versatile for different uses. Its performance in bright rooms is good, whereas it's only fair in dark rooms, potentially making it less ideal for movie watching in dimly lit environments. Additionally, its good ratings for reflections and SDR brightness mean it can handle some ambient light well. The TV has 4 HDMI ports and supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats. However, it does not have great built-in speakers, so you might consider additional sound equipment. Also noteworthy is that it doesn't support HDR10+ and the viewing angles are somewhat limited, making it less optimal for wide seating arrangements..

The Hisense U6H is a budget-friendly LCD TV that offers good overall picture quality, sports and movie viewing experiences, and performs well in both dark and bright rooms. However, its gaming performance is only fair, and there may be some concerns with quality control and quality assurance. If you plan to use the TV mainly for gaming, you might notice slower response times. The TV supports various HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG. It has a decent number of HDMI ports, offering flexibility for connecting devices. Its speakers are not a standout feature, so for superior sound, consider adding an external sound system.

The Sony X77L is an LCD TV priced in the lower midrange segment and offers a 65-inch screen size. It has fair performance for sports and watching in bright rooms but tends to perform poorly for viewing movies and series, gaming, and in dark room settings. This model does well in terms of quality control and viewing angles. It supports 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range content, including HLG and Dolby Vision, but lacks HDR10+ support. With just decent sound quality, this TV provides voice command features for accessibility but does not give standout auditory experiences, as indicated by its lack of great speakers. With 3 HDMI ports and good color out of the box, this TV could be a good choice if you prioritize fair performance across various content types at a more affordable price, while tradeoffs include its weaker performance in high-contrast scenes and limited brightness capabilities.