The 2 Best TVs Under $300 - Fall 2024

The Hisense 55A7N is currently the best TV under $300 you can buy. The 55-inch model is regularly sold for less than $300 when on sale, providing decent overall picture quality for the price. The TV has decent SDR brightness and good reflection handling, so although it's not bright enough for well-lit rooms, you can use it in a moderately lit room and not be distracted by glare on the screen. Its contrast ratio and black uniformity are good enough that blacks are deep during purely dark scenes, so it looks alright in a dark room. The TV displays a wide range of colors in HDR, so HDR content is vibrant and lifelike. However, HDR content does lack some impact due to its lower contrast ratio and mediocre HDR brightness. Fortunately, the TV has good upscaling capabilities, so low-resolution streams look pretty good.

Despite being limited to 4k @ 60Hz, it's a pretty good option for gamers who don't need 4k @ 120Hz. The TV supports VRR, has a fast response time, and has low input lag, so you get a responsive gaming experience with clear motion. Despite being a budget model, you get features like Dolby Vision and support for DTS audio formats. It runs the popular and easy-to-use Google TV interface that's loaded with apps, so finding your favorite content is fast.

The Roku 55R4A5R is a decent choice for those on a budget, as it's the best-value TV under $300. It's similar overall to the Hisense A7N but lacks most of the features that TV has. Still, it's a decent entry-level TV, delivering surprisingly good picture quality in a dark room thanks to its okay contrast ratio and great black uniformity. It has decent reflection handling and very good SDR brightness, so it easily overcomes glare in a moderately lit room. Unlike the Hisense, it doesn't support a wide color gamut, so colors in HDR content lack vibrancy and look a bit muted. It also has disappointing upscaling, so low-resolution content looks soft.

Like the Hisense, the TV is limited to 4k @ 60Hz but doesn't support VRR like the Hisense. Still, it has low enough input lag and a good enough response time for a responsive gaming experience with minimal blur behind fast motion. It also doesn't support DTS audio formats or Dolby Vision, so it's not as good for a low-budget home theater. Fortunately, it comes with the Roku TV platform, which is smooth and easy to use. Note that the 32-inch model is a 720p TV, while the 40-inch size is 1080p; the bigger models are all 4k TVs.