When reviewing TVs, it’s easy to separate the good from the bad (and the ugly) based on subjective evaluation and measurements alone. What’s more difficult is determining if a specific TV is a good overall value.
Today’s best TVs provide fantastic picture quality for watching movies and TV shows and many are also great for gaming. But even though prices for top TVs aren’t as staggeringly high as they used to be – a flagship 65-inch OLED would run you $6,000 (around £4,650 / AU$9,550) back in 2015 – they can still be a big investment.
When I’m testing a good budget TV, I want it to strike a balance between picture quality, features, and price. It may not be the brightest TV you can buy, and it may be lacking some of the latest cutting-edge features such as 4K 120Hz support for gaming with next-gen consoles, or a far-field mic for hands-free voice control. But if the colors and more picture quality are right, I might be very happy with it depending on the price – there’s always something to be said for bang-for-buck.
I’ve put together a list of three TVs that my team and I have recently reviewed that epitomize great value. The models listed are all based on their 65-inch screen size (due to the popularity of this size), though they are also available in a 55-inch size for even less.
1. Hisense U7N
We’re big fans of the Hisense U8N mini-LED TV at TechRadar, but the nod for best value Hisense mini-LED TV ultimately has to go to the Hisense U7N, which earned five stars for value in our Hisense U7N review. This step-down model offers many of the same features as the U8N, but at a considerably lower price.
A main difference in picture quality that we observed between the two in our testing is brightness: the U8N is an overachiever in that respect, whereas the U7N’s peak brightness is average for a mini-LED TV. It’s price, however, is below average, making it a great deal overall.
The U8N also has better built-in sound than the U7N, which benefits from pairing with one of the best soundbars. But when it comes to other areas, we found that the U7N punches above its weight. It runs the Google TV smart TV platform in the US and Hisense’s own VIDAA in the UK and Australia. It features two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support for gaming, and has comprehensive high dynamic range support, with both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats covered. The U7N is even IMAX Enhanced!
It’s a future-proofed and impressive TV, and can be found for ridiculously low prices at times – a real bargain.
2. Roku Pro Series
Roku has been semi-quietly gathering momentum in the budget TV market, and its Pro Series models are the best Roku TVs yet. That’s mainly because the Pro is the only Roku series to use a mini-LED backlight, with local dimming to improve picture brightness and contrast, but as we found in our Roku Pro Series review, the company also put major effort into the TV’s design and sound.
With two HDMI 2.1 inputs with 4K 120Hz support, Pro Series models are great TVs for gaming, and they also offer comprehensive high dynamic range (Dolby Vision and HDR10+) and smart home support.
Like the Hisense U7N, the Roku Pro Series provides an average level of picture brightness for a mini-LED TV, though it’s notably brighter than the company’s step-down Select and Plus series models.
A big part of the TV’s appeal is the Roku smart interface, which has an elegant, streamlined look and is super-easy to navigate – if usability is a big concern for you, I think I’d recommend this most strongly. Also appealing is the affordable price, which makes the Pro Series one of the best value TVs you can buy.
3. Samsung Q60D
Those who want to buy a Samsung TV but find the company’s Neo QLED series models to be out of their price range may instead want look at its regular QLED series models, starting with the Samsung Q60D.
A main difference between the Neo QLED and QLED TVs is a mini-LED backlight on the former, which boosts picture brightness and contrast. That’s not to say the Q60D’s picture quality is horribly inferior to the company’s Neo QLED models, but, as we noted in our Samsung Q60D review, it does lack the brightness punch you get with mini-LED.
But you’re trading that for affordability, while keeping crisp detail and realistic colors. The Samsung Q60D comes in a wide range of sizes, from 32 up to 85 inches. It features Samsung’s Tizen smart TV interface and Solar Cell remote control, which can be charged via your room’s lighting or a USB-C connection – no batteries required.
Other great Q60D features that can also be found on the company’s higher-end TVs include Samsung Gaming Hub for cloud-based gaming from Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now, and other apps, and Q Symphony, which lets you sync the TV’s speakers with a compatible Samsung soundbar for a bigger sound than either can offer on its own.
As the cheapest option here, it’s the most lacking in features – there’s no 4K 120Hz for gaming, for example – but it’s still a very strong value and high-quality TV for a low price.
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al.griffin@futurenet.com (Al Griffin)
