The 5 Best TVs Under $300 - Winter 2020
Reviews

The best TV under $300 we've tested so far is the TCL 5 Series/55S525 2019. At such a low price, this TV gives you bang for your buck. It has a decent picture quality with an outstanding contrast ratio and impressive black uniformity, but the poor peak brightness is a bit disappointing, especially for HDR content. However, it does have wide color gamut support, which delivers vivid, vibrant colors. Where this TV shines, though, is in its ease of use and for gaming. The Roku OS is user-friendly and responsive, albeit with some ads present on the home screen, while the low response time and input lag allow for a great gaming experience. Unfortunately, it doesn't support any variable refresh rate technology.

Although the TV's mainly made out of plastic, the build quality is decent. The remote has few buttons, but it has a voice control feature built-in, making it easy to navigate. Lastly, as this TV uses a VA panel, the viewing angles are poor, and the backlight tends to flicker at lower brightness.

All in all, if you're looking for a TV without breaking the bank, this is a good choice.

For the best value for the size, the TCL 4 Series 2019/55S425 is the best 4k TV under $300. This 55 inch 4k TV has decent picture quality and is currently just below $300. It delivers deep blacks in a dark room thanks to the high native contrast ratio, but can't get very bright and doesn't have a wide color gamut to deliver a good HDR performance. The response time is fast and motion looks crisp. This is a great TV for gaming or use as a PC monitor, mainly thanks to the very low input lag that makes it feel very responsive. Just like the TCL 5 Series/S525 2019, this TV runs the Roku smart TV interface that's easy to use and has a large number of streaming channels.

Unfortunately, it isn't a good choice for a room with side seating arrangements, as the image degrades quickly at an angle. It's more suitable for a dim room due to the poor brightness levels.

Overall, this 55 inch TV is a great value for the money.

The TCL 3 Series 2019/40S325 is the best budget TV under $300 that we've tested so far. It's a passable entry-level TV with a great contrast ratio, decent response time, and excellent low input lag, all of which make it great for gaming. The 32" model is limited to a 720p resolution (except for the 32S327 variant), but the larger models have a 1080p native resolution.

This TV has a good selection of inputs, with 3 HDMI ports and a dedicated composite input (with the use of the included adapter). It has great smart features with hundreds of available streaming channels. This makes it an excellent choice for a secondary viewing location since you don't have to worry about having a separate streaming box.

Unfortunately, this TV can't get very bright, and the image degrades when viewed at an angle, which limits its versatility a bit. Overall, though, it's a great budget TV, and one of the best 40 inch TVs under $300.