Stunning screen, bargain price: the best 4K TVs under £500 in 2024

At one time, it would have been hard to find a 4K 55-inch TV by Samsung that would fit into this price range - let alone one with a ULED panel. But this CU8000 model sets out to pack as much Samsung know-how into it as possible.

Aside from the typically refined yet modern design, this TV is an ideal size to fit most rooms and settings. Thanks to its slim design, you'd easily be able to wall-mount it if you wanted to make even more of the space saved by this TV. 

One of the stand-out technical features is the support for HDR10+ (High Dynamic Range) which really elevates that ULED screen in terms of colour accuracy and depth. Plus, all those glorious visuals are well looked after by the Crystal 4K processor that will upscale lower resolutions up to 4K.

Elsewhere there’s Bixby and Alexa built-in for anyone looking for hands-free control and access to all of the usual smart speaker features you’d expect. Overall, this is a TV from a premium brand with some stunning tech specs for the price.

With over 2000 positive reviews, it's not hard to see why so many people love this budget-friendly 4K. Equipped with smart Freeview and Roku TV packed into this cost-conscious, slimline TV, you can start to understand where those positive reviews come from.

With features you'd expect from the most expensive TV options, like HDR10, Dolby Vision and 60Hz for modern console gaming, the price becomes even more incredulous. Able to be controlled from your phone, or from your voice thanks to the built-in Alexa, Google and Siri, relaxing and binging your favourite shows has never been more achievable. If you're more of a sports fan, then the high refresh rate will keep every bit of the action in sharp focus.

The design is brilliantly suited to any space you need, with multiple size options (at different costs), the bezel-less screen design and slim build make it great no matter the placement. The multiple HDMI ports and Bluetooth options allow for a seamless connection however you need it.

The speakers are good, but if you want better performance in the long term, we'd recommend a soundbar. Though for the price of the base TV unit, you should be able to splurge on whatever else you want for this TV. Not just a great budget TV, but a great TV full stop.

If you’re looking for a Fire TV that will serve up all of your Amazon Prime content and more, this is the TV for you. But do note - it’s currently only a shade under the £500 mark because it’s an Amazon Limited Time Deal. Normally a £749 TV, this 55-inch Omni QLED model has some excellent picture enhancements, like local dimming zones for better blacks and less blooming on bright details. But there’s also Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for all of those extra colours that make the picture on this set even more naturalistic.

However, if you’re often struggling to see the picture on your current screen, the Adaptive Brightness feature of this Amazon Fire TV is the answer to your prayers. Not only is this a brighter panel than some others, but it will actually keep track of the ambient light in your room and adjust the brightness automatically.

You can even use a mode that will make it display your favourite pictures - turning it into a practical piece of art. Some users do find the Fire TV user interface to be slower than others, but the addition of voice control via Alexa certainly speeds things up.

This 55-inch 55E7KQTUK from Hisense is a shining example of the ideal gaming TV, and just a hair under £500 will be perfect for those who want to play on a budget. Again the panel is a QLED one, meaning better blacks and more accurate colours over LED, but it’s the raft of picture enhancements and gaming features that sets this apart from the rest.

The refresh rate sits at 120Hz naturally, going up to 144Hz with Game Mode Pro turned on. These astounding refresh rates combined with the AMD FreeSync, commonly seen in high-end gaming monitors, make this TV perfect for modern console or PC gaming. It's perfect outside of the gaming arena and especially good for movies thanks to the Dolby Vision technology, promising great colours and fantastic contrast.

There’s the class-leading Dolby Vision to deliver over a billion colours, but also a brilliant AI Adaptive Depth feature that will analyse the image and enhance the feeling of depth to the scene. Direct Full Array LED backlight - that means more control over dimming zones, and so deeper blacks and better highlights. There’s Dolby Atmos for surround sound with a built-in subwoofer, but as with some others here, if you want big sound invest in a soundbar.

This Panasonic TX-55MX610B might be just another 55-inch TV to some, but for those who want that signature Panasonic design and build with some extra colour, this is the one for you.HDR content is everywhere now, but not all of it is equal.

It’s used to deliver extra colours - to the tune of thousands - over the colour range of a standard Full-HD TV. And here we have all of the top-line support for HDR, - including Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG. Yes, there are TVs out there that support a couple more, but it’s the twinning of Panasonic’s natural picture know-how with that colour tech that clinches the win here.

Elsewhere, there are loads of apps for your streaming and on-demand content. Again, there's surround sound from Dolby Atmos, and that panel is super-bright, making it a good choice for viewing in brighter rooms. Gamers will like the super-low latency mode for fast reactions. Lastly, you have your choice between Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control too.

Imagine settling down to watch your favourite movies on a 65-inch OLED TV knowing that you spend well under £500 on it. This LG UR78 is a huge TV with an even bigger set of features to match.

It’s a 4K LED panel for excellent contrast and brightness levels, filmmaker mode to show films the way they originally were intended and without motion blur on the screen. On top of that, you'll get some stellar image processing tech included - namely the α5 AI processor that will keep the picture and sound in tip-top condition as you watch.

Visually, HLG, HDR10 and all the various picture modes are there to look after the over a billion extra colours that are available in this TV's palette and give you the best visual possible. Dolby Digital will handle your surround sound experience. It's clear that LG kept stunning visuals in the forefront of their minds when designing this piece of kit, and you'll be all the better for it come movie night.

While this comes very close to winning in our Best 4K TV for Movies category, Hisense has added some excellent enhancement technology to its VIDAA Smart TV 65A6KTUK – making it a solid all-around choice for those looking for a 65-inch smart TV. 

With smooth motion tech to retain detail but keep fast motion like sports looking nice and slick, adding a powerful quad-core processor elevates this TV to a new level. It can upscale lower resolutions to 4K using AI - so you’ll get natural-looking hyper-detail from anything you watch.

DTS Virtual X sound handles audio immersion – although, again, the sound is a little weak for a proper cinema experience. But that DTS will also enhance dialogue – making it easier to hear over any background noise.

Again, we've found ourselves doing a double-take when comparing the spec and size of this TV against the price bracket. Although not the main reason we like this set so much, adding Ambilight to the Philips PUS8108 is a welcome bonus - using its picture-matched lighting to create even more immersion against your TV's back wall.

This 50-inch TV really pops with HDR10+ content, and the inclusion of Dolby Vision means that this TV is capable of the very widest colour palette available in HDR televisions today. Movies and television shows are a treat, full of life and immersive detail. It's a stunner in the looks department, too - largely thanks to its almost non-existent side bezels that give the screen a touch of infinity when watching.

The operating system is Android TV. So, while it's not as nippy as Samsung's TizenOS, it's fast enough for most. Minor complaints aside, the Philips PUS8108 is an excellent 50-inch television with enough extra features to keep you entertained, plus the frankly awesome Ambilight.

Typically, you'd be hard-pressed to find a great 65-inch display for under £1,000, but QLED too? TCL's 65C645K is a phenomenal deal compared to its competition, and it's certainly not short on some of the most impressive hardware of the year, all for a bargain price.

First off, we have to note the sheer value of a 65-inch screen for under £500: it's a bargain that's rarely seen anywhere, so it's definitely worth considering. When combined with the gorgeous colour spectrum of QLED, however, this offer becomes all the more tempting. Colour and visuals on the TCL 65C645K are sublime, to put it lightly: with over a billion unique hues that the screen can generate, it's certainly one of the sharper screens on the market for its price.

Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision are excellent for audio and image post-processing, giving this television the edge in stunning cinematic quality.

My only gripe with this television which reveals its lower budget more than any aspect is its Android TV user interface. Whilst certainly decent, using Android TV isn't the best in general. It's full of advertisements and is a little sluggish compared to the likes of a Samsung television.

That being said, using the interface is fairly brief, and once you're enjoying films, television or games, you'll find the performance to be stellar, especially because of its 120Hz refresh rate.

RCA's Roku 55-inch television is ideal for those looking for a bargain deal on a larger television but without the frills and fancy features of a more expensive model. This LED smart TV does exactly what it should, and is built well for years of use. The RCA RR55 Roku's larger size is certainly eye-catching, and its almost non-existent bezels make for comfortable and immersive viewing for hours.

Its wide connectivity is ideal for gamers or Blu-Ray collectors who want quick access to both a 4K player and their consoles, so three ports is plenty. Though the audio output power isn't specified by RCA, the presence of Dolby Audio post-processing adds a little boom and atmosphere to the viewing experience overall.

Of course, considering the fact that the RCA Roku is fairly basic in its functionality, there really aren't a lot of exceptional features to be seen in this cheaper television, and while it's at a disadvantage compared to some of the pricier televisions on the list, it's worth noting that this is a very cheap 55-inch television.

For all of your watching needs, the RCA Roku is a phenomenal choice for your home, and will not break the bank despite its sharp screen.