5 Reliable, Cheap And High Quality TVs For Less Than $300, According To Consumer Reports – BGR

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There are so many TVs on the market that it can be hard to find the standouts. That’s where Consumer Reports can help. The non-profit uses survey data to rank the most reliable TV brands. The TV manufacturer LG notably has the highest brand reliability score of any brand on this list, followed by Sony and Samsung. The non-profit also tests products itself and scores them across multiple categories. For TVs, the categories include sound quality and viewing angle, among others.

A quality image is one thing, but there’s more to TVs these days than just image quality. All the TVs on this list have smart capabilities, meaning they can stream online content, including free channels. However, the individual features they offer differ. For example, some TVs have AI upscaling that can take older content and fit it to your screen with minimal quality loss. Some smart TVs also offer gaming modes that can reduce latency while active. It’s important to find a TV that has the features you want and ditch the ones you don’t need so you don’t end up paying extra for no reason. All TVs mentioned on this list were chosen based on their Consumer Reports scores, price, list of features, and customer reviews.

This 50-inch LED Samsung TV can be picked up for $229.99 at Best Buy. The TV supports native 4K resolution, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. What makes this device particularly attractive is that it can connect with Google Home. This lets you add the TV to a home electronics ecosystem you already have set up. It also has Amazon Alexa voice assistant technology that can be activated for navigation. Samsung Knox is another notable feature on this device. Samsung claims that this technology can better protect your passwords and PINs.

The display features Motion Xcelerator technology to smooth motion at its 60Hz refresh rate. In motion tests, this Samsung TV performed well based on Consumer Reports’ findings. It also found the picture quality to be good, with color accuracy standing out. The organization did note, however, that the TV could not get bright enough for HDR to work effectively. Finally, it found the viewing angle range and sound quality to be acceptable. Real customers on the product listing pages overwhelmingly agreed that the TV produces a clear picture. One recurring complaint among customers, though, is that the remote is too simple. 

Consumer Reports was impressed with the $199.99 43-inch LG UA7000PUB Smart TV, awarding it an impressively high rating. Specifically, Consumer Reports found that the TV’s 4K LED display picture quality stood above that of similarly priced competitors. Customers across the internet echoed a similar sentiment, raving about the TV’s image quality that’s elevated by HDR10 Pro. 

Notably, this TV has AI functionality. The AI takes lower-resolution content and automatically upscales it to 4K. The TV can also automatically adjust settings, such as display brightness, according to your preferences. Your viewing experience can be enhanced further with Filmmaker Mode that adjusts the image to better reflect the filmmaker’s intent. However, the effectiveness of this feature can vary depending on the content.

The TV has a 60Hz refresh rate panel. That, combined with the LG Gaming Portal that lets you play Xbox games without a console, makes this television a solid choice for gaming. You can also connect your phone to mirror your screen with Apple AirPlay 2 or Google Cast. 

The 43-inch LG 43UT7000PUA LED TV is also AI-powered and costs $199.99 at Best Buy. At this price, you get native 4K output with HDR10 and HLG HDR settings. Like the previous LG on this list, this TV has LG Game Optimizer for quickly adjusting game settings and GeForce Now for playing games without a console. Filmmaker Mode is also included.

Consumer Reports found the TV’s picture quality to be subpar. It felt the contrast was disappointing and that blacks don’t get dark enough. On the flip side, the organization praised the TV’s 1080i deinterlacing technology and motion performance. The review also liked its sound quality, noting that the device could beat much of its competition in the price range. Many customers had opposite opinions on the product pages, arguing that the TV delivers vibrant colors for being under $200. They also mostly agreed with Consumer Reports that the motion looked good on the TV. A large chunk of customers, however, complained that the user interface is confusing, and the controller is equally so.

The $229.99 Samsung UN40N5200, with its 40-inch display, is a solid choice for those looking for a more reasonably-sized monitor. You won’t be getting 4K quality with this one, though, as the display only goes up to 1080p. This can be a turn-off for some, as many TVs in this price range offer higher-resolution output. What you do get, however, is multiple Samsung features built to improve picture quality. PurColor improves color quality, Micro Dimming Pro adjusts contrast, and Digital Clean View reduces visual noise to give customers a clear image. 

Consumer Reports wrote that all the TV features come together to provide excellent picture quality with natural colors and solid contrast. Image brightness and sound quality were also rated highly by Consumer Reports. It did, however, note that the viewing angles on this TV aren’t the best, with image quality dropping when viewed from the sides. User reviews on sites like Best Buy show that a fair number of customers were disappointed that the TV didn’t have Bluetooth. Some also complained that the TV was not loud enough for their use case and that the remote didn’t always respond to button presses.

The $298 Sony KD32W830K is the smallest TV on this list, measuring 32 inches. Small size also means small resolution. At 720p, you won’t get HD or UltraHD resolutions like with the rest of the products on this list. It does, however, have a high contrast ratio, HDR10, and a 60Hz refresh rate. 

It may lack a higher resolution display, but it is full of Sony technologies. With X-Reality Pro, Sony upscales images to match the TV’s resolution when the source material is lower quality. It also has Motionflow XR, which can smooth motion on fast-moving images by interpolating frames to squeeze images in between shots. This can create the illusion that a 60Hz monitor is running at higher speeds, but results may vary depending on the content you play and your sensitivity to frame rates.

Image quality, particularly the TV’s handling of blacks, was underwhelming to Consumer Reports. It also noted that the sound quality was lower than expected. Contrastingly, the organization found that the TV had a wide viewing range and handled motion well. Many customers who left reviews on the product were happy to find that the TV was small enough for travel, with a few even noting they took it camping. There were a few recurring complaints, though. Some wrote that the TV disconnects from Wi-Fi seemingly at random, while a similar-sized group expressed that navigating the menus is slow, with apps taking considerable time to load.