- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Best TV
- Best Roku TV
- Best Value
- All Reviews
- Discussions
- Store-bought TVs; no cherry-picked units
- Retest after major updates
- Easily comparable results
- No ads; unbiased reviews
There is a wide selection of TVs you can find below $1,000. Generally, there are two big categories: TVs with the best possible picture quality for the money, or larger budget TVs with the biggest screen that you can get for the buck.
We've tested 235 TVs and below are our recommendations for the best TVs under $1,000 to purchase in 2019. Check our recommendations for the best cheap TVs and the best TVs under $1,500 for more options.
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Best TV Under $1,000: Vizio P65-F1
Usage Ratings - Version 1.38.3Mixed Usage8.5Movies7.8TV Shows7.8Sports8.9Video Games8.4HDR Movies8.5HDR Gaming8.5PC MonitorThe Vizio P Series 2018 P65-F1 is the best 65 inch TV under $1,000 we've tested. It is a great TV for almost any use, with very good picture quality, excellent motion handling, and outstanding low input lag, great for gaming or for use as a PC monitor. It can display a wide color gamut and supports most of the common input formats.
This TV looks great in a dark room, thanks to the excellent contrast ratio and great local dimming feature. It has excellent peak brightness in SDR and very good peak brightness in HDR, although small bright highlights in some scenes aren't as bright as they should be.
Unfortunately, its smart features are somewhat limited, and you can't add apps. Instead, Vizio focuses on the ability to cast your favorite apps from your mobile device. Some people also don't like the way older 480p and 720p content is upscaled on Vizio TVs, so it might not be a great choice if you're a retro gamer or watch a lot of DVDs. Overall, though, we don't expect this to be an issue for most users, and it's a great TV.
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Alternative For Gaming: Samsung UN55NU8000
If you want the best gaming experience possible for under $1,000, check out the Samsung NU8000 instead. This TV has a great response time, excellent low input lag, and has a 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports FreeSync variable refresh rate technology, which delivers a nearly tear-free gaming experience from your PC or Xbox One, and it has a low latency motion interpolation feature, which is great for smoothing out games with an unstable frame rate without adding much input latency.
Despite these strengths, overall this TV is a bit worse than the Vizio P Series 2018. It has a slightly slower response time, isn't flicker-free, and has a worse local dimming feature. That said, this is the best 55 inch TV under $1,000 for gaming.
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Better But Smaller Size Alternative: Sony XBR49X900F
If you want the absolute best 4k TV under $1,000 and size doesn't matter, check out the Sony XBR49X900F. This is a great 4k TV with outstanding peak brightness, deep blacks, and a great wide color gamut. It has slightly better reflection handling than the Vizio P Series 2018, so it's a better choice if you have a bright room. It also has great smart features with a huge selection of apps from the Android Play Store, which is a welcome improvement over the Vizio. Unlike most 49" TVs from other brands, it retains the same great features found on the larger models, including the 120Hz refresh rate.
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Best Roku TV Under $1,000: TCL 65R617
Usage Ratings - Version 1.38.0Mixed Usage8.0Movies7.7TV Shows7.6Sports8.6Video Games8.1HDR Movies8.4HDR Gaming8.3PC MonitorIf you are looking for the best Roku TV under $1,000, get the TCL 6 Series R617. This is a very good 4k TV for a wide range of usages. It has a very good picture quality and a good dark scene performance thanks to the full-array local dimming and the high native contrast ratio that delivers deep blacks in a dark room. It has a wide color gamut and can get very bright both in SDR and in HDR. It can deliver HDR content with saturated colors and highlights that pop.
Motion handling is very good, and the input lag is very low, so this TV is an excellent choice for gamers. It runs the latest version of the Roku Smart TV platform. It's easy to navigate and has one of the largest collections of apps, so you're sure to find what you need. Unfortunately, just like most VA panel TVs, it has poor viewing angles and the image loses accuracy when viewed from the side.
Overall, this is a TV that will keep you happy with your choice.
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Best Value For Size: Vizio E70-F3
Usage Ratings - Version 1.37.7Mixed Usage7.1Movies7.4TV Shows7.6Sports8.5Video Games7.3HDR Movies8.1HDR Gaming8.2PC MonitorIf you want the best value for size for under $1,000, then get the Vizio E Series 2018. It doesn't have the great dark room performance of the Vizio P Series 2018, but it's a very good 70 inch 4K TV that's less than $1,000. It has a very good picture quality and a high contrast ratio that can deliver deep blacks in a dark room. It supports a local dimming feature which, however, doesn't add much. The TV can get bright enough in SDR, suitable for average lit rooms.
Unfortunately, it can't get very bright in HDR and it doesn't have a wide color gamut, so it can't deliver HDR content the way its creator intended. It has a very low input lag and is a good choice for playing video games as it reacts immediately to your actions.
Just like most VA panel TVs, this one has poor viewing angles and is not the best choice if you have a room with a wide seating arrangement. Overall, this is a very good TV and a good value for your money.
Notable Mentions
- Samsung QN49Q6FN: A great TV, but the NU8000 is similar for less. See our review
- Samsung UN65RU7100: Good TV, but the Vizio P Series is better. See our review
- LG 49SK8000: Good IPS TV with wide viewing angles. The Samsung NU8000 is better if viewing angles are not a concern. See our review
- Vizio D70-F3: Decent TV, but the Vizio E Series 2018 is better. See our review
- Samsung QN49Q70R: Great TV, but the 49" model lacks a few important features found on the larger models. See our review
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best TVs under $1,000 to buy for most people. We factor in the price (a cheaper TV wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no TVs that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our reviews of TVs that are less than $1,000. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no TV is perfect, most TVs are great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
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