The 5 Best 4k TVs Under $500 - Spring 2021 Reviews

The best 4k TV under $500 that we've tested is the Hisense 55H8G. It performs surprisingly well considering its low price point and has fairly thin bezels that help it look more premium than its price would suggest. It uses the Android TV smart interface, which gives you access to a very large selection of apps and allows for a ton of customization, but it may not be the easiest to use at times.

It has an excellent native contrast ratio that's further enhanced by its full-array local dimming feature, something that's impressive to see included in this price range. This makes it a great choice for watching movies in a dark room, and its high peak brightness means that you shouldn't get too much glare, even if you watch a lot of daytime TV in a bright room. Both casual and serious gamers should enjoy its quick response time that results in minimal motion blur and low input lag.

Unfortunately, like with most models with a VA panel, its viewing angles are quite poor, so it's not the best choice if you watch with a large group of people in a wide seating arrangement. Also, while it's good for HDR content due to its wide color gamut, it can't get nearly as bright with HDR content as some more expensive options, so HDR images don't pop how they should. That said, this is a very good option for its price and is the best TV under $500 that we've tested.

If you do a lot of gaming, then the best TV under $500 is the Vizio M55Q7-H1. It's a good overall TV from Vizio's 2020 lineup and offers very solid performance in its price range. It even includes advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate (VRR) and an auto low latency mode (ALLM) that you would expect to find on higher-end models. Vizio's SmartCast interface can be slow and buggy, but it's one of the few smart platforms that's ad-free.

While it's limited to a 60 Hz refresh rate, it should be fine for console gamers and casual PC gamers. It also has a good response time with minimal motion blur in fast-moving content and an exceptionally low input lag, making for a responsive gaming experience. If you prefer to game in the dark, it has an excellent contrast ratio that delivers deep, inky blacks. On the other hand, it only has decent brightness, so you may have some issues with glare in very well-lit rooms, despite its good reflection handling.

Unfortunately, even though it's advertised as having HDMI 2.1 ports, they only have the bandwidth capacity of HDMI 2.0. It's also not the best option for HDR gaming since its HDR brightness in 'Game' mode is sub-par, so highlights simply won't pop as they should. Finally, while it has full-array local dimming, its performance is mediocre, actually lowering the TV's contrast ratio. Still, for a budget TV, this is among the best TVs under $500 for gaming, and most people should be satisfied with it.

The best TV under $500 that we've tested with wide viewing angles is the LG UN7000. This entry-level 4k TV is available in a wide range of sizes in this price range, from 43 to 65 inches, so you can get whichever size fits your needs. However, the 50 and 60 inch models have a VA panel, which has a better contrast ratio and narrow viewing angles compared to the 55 inch model we tested, which has an IPS panel. If you want wide viewing angles, you should avoid those sizes.

The models with an IPS panel are great for wide seating arrangements as you won't lose much image accuracy when viewing from the side. Although this TV doesn't get very bright, it's still a decent choice for moderately or fairly well-lit rooms thanks to its great reflection handling. If you want to use it for watching cable TV or DVDs, it upscales lower-resolution content without any obvious issues. The built-in WebOS is easy-to-use and offers a ton of apps that you can download. Lastly, it's decent for casual gaming thanks to its low input lag and decent response time.

Sadly, one trade-off of having an IPS panel is its low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray when viewed in the dark. It also doesn't display a wide color gamut and doesn't get bright in HDR, so HDR content doesn't look all that different from SDR content. Our unit has some uniformity issues that could get distracting during sports, but this may vary between units. Regardless of these small problems, if you want a TV with wide viewing angles, you should be happy with this one.