The 5 Best 4k TVs Under $500 - Winter 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.

The best TV under $500 for gaming we've tested is the Vizio M55Q7-H1, also known as the M7 Series Quantum 2020. It's an overall good model that performs well for most content. It's well-suited for gaming in the dark, as it has a VA panel that can produce deep blacks. It has good reflection handling but doesn't get very bright, which means that visibility can be an issue in very well-lit environments.

It has a low input lag to make gaming feel incredibly responsive and a good response time to deliver clear images in fast-moving scenes. Also, it has an optional Black Frame Insertion feature to further reduce motion blur. The refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, but it should be good enough for most casual gamers. It supports FreeSync variable refresh rate, delivering a nearly tear-free gaming experience. It also has an 'Auto Low Latency Mode', which enables 'Game' mode when a game is launched from a compatible device, saving you the hassle of having to do it manually to get the lowest input lag possible.

Unfortunately, its narrow viewing angles make images look washed out from the side, so it isn't the best option for wide seating arrangements. If you game in HDR, it has an outstanding color gamut to produce a wide range of colors, but it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop. Also, its full-array local dimming feature is mediocre and can be distracting in dark scenes as it raises black level considerably, making blacks look slightly grayish. Overall, this is a feature-rich TV that should please most people.

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.