In the months following the biggest game of the year, TV deals have begun to dwindle. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any worthwhile sales; just that you have to work harder to find the standout deals. Let PCMag do all the heavy lifting and we’ll find the deals while you check out our TV buying advice, tips, and news so you can make an informed purchasing decision.
There are a host of reasons to want a big-screen TV with ample features and high-definition image quality. The good news is that you don’t have to break the bank to achieve a home cinema-level setup if you know where to look. That’s where we come in: Our experts have been testing TVs for decades, measuring critical aspects such as black level, peak brightness, input lag, and more.
Not all TVs are made equal and some are better than others for specific use cases; an OLED screen will cost more than an LED, for example, but the darker contrast and higher picture quality is often worth the tradeoff. And don’t forget to compliment your TV with a soundbar to really expand your home cinema setup and really deliver the high octane excitement of watching your favorite teams go head-to-head.
If you’re looking to upgrade, the price difference between a 50-, 55- and 65-inch TV usually isn’t that huge, though prices start to creep upward for 75-inch-and-larger screens. It’s important to fit your screen size to your room: Don’t squeeze a 55-inch set in a bedroom where a 32-inch will do, especially for an hour or two of late-night TV.
For modern resolution, we recommend at minimum a 1080p screen, but most of us probably prefer to take advantage of all the 4K programming on streaming and cable these days. The number of inputs for game consoles and other devices also makes a difference.
Gamers considering a TV for their PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X should look for TVs with the following features:
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120Hz native refresh rate
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HDMI 2.1 ports for resolutions up to 4K 120Hz
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VRR (variable refresh rate) support
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AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync for gaming with a PC
Not all games require 4K 120Hz or VRR, but it may become the standard for most AAA games in the future because developers love to push the envelope of hardware.
43-Inch to 60-Inch TVs
Best For Gamers on a Budget
4.0
Excellent
What Our Ratings Mean
- 5.0 – Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking
- 4.5 – Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors
- 4.0 – Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls
- 3.5 – Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors
- 3.0 – Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack
- 2.5 – Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution
- 2.0 – Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution
- 1.5 – Poor: Do not buy this product
- 1.0 – Dismal: Don’t even think about buying this product
Read Our
Editorial Mission Statement
and
Testing Methodologies.
50″ Vizio MQX-Series 4K HDR10+ 120Hz QLED Smart TV
The VIzio MQX-Series TV offers a wide color range and features designed for gamers at an affordable price. Our expert applauded the low input lag and fast 120Hz refresh rate, which makes this TV a great choice for those with consoles. At 50 inches, this TV isn’t too large for a bedroom or too small for a living room. It could even find a home in a spare bedroom for this price, so it’ll keep your guests entertained. With the flexibility of built-in AirPlay and Google Cast in addition to the selection of popular streaming apps, you have a wide range of viewing options all in one easy-to-navigate interface. The Vizio M50QXM-K01 is “worth a look for gamers in the market for an affordable 50-inch model,” according to our expert. This 29% discount makes it even more affordable.
A 58-inch 4K TV for less than $300? Now that’s a deal. The Hisense R6 series features High Dynamic Range (commonly known as HDR) to boost color and contrast, plus Motion Rate 120 technology which better tracks quick movements such as action scenes, though our expert hasn’t been able to test this model yet. It will be the heart of your family room entertainment system, especially since the built-in Roku TV OS gives you access to hundreds of thousands of things to watch. These features and an approachable price make the Hisense R6 well-suited to casual consumers and those with tight budgets.
Key Specs:
Recommended by Our Editors
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60Hz refresh rate
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4K Ultra HD resolution with HDR and HDR 10 support
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3 HDMI ports (4K@60Hz), 1 with HDMI ARC support
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Roku operating system with Google Assistant built-in
65-Inch to 86-Inch TV Deals
Best Overall
The experts at our sibling site CNET lab-tested the LG C4, ultimately rating it an 8.7 out of 10 and giving it an Editors’ Choice award. While their testing procedure differs from ours in some ways, the end results are comparable, and we can say with confidence that this is a high-quality TV. Packed full of features like hands-free Alexa and Apple AirPlay, the C4 is an entertainment powerhouse, including game-boosting Nvidia G-Sync and AMD Freesync Premium. Peak brightness is much higher than the C3, which received an excellent rating from our own lab, and the OLED panel’s high fidelity image quality is unmatched. It’s worth noting that the MSRP is not reflected by the sale page, which is what we took into consideration when highlighting the current price. You’re actually saving $1,303 when you buy now.
Key Specs:
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4K Ultra HD resolution with HDR (HDR 10, HLG) support
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4 HDMI ports, 3 HDMI 2.0 + 1 eARC
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120Hz Native refresh rate.
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OLED panel with individually lit pixels for rich black levels
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Gaming mode with AMD FreeSync Premium
Alexa aficionados will like the hands-free control available on this TV as well as the opportunity to easily connect with Echo speakers for surround sound. While our expert wasn’t blown away by the Amazon Fire TV Omni, he did like the Fire TV features, low input lag, and well-balanced colors. You won’t find OLED-levels of contrast here, but that’s fine for those who watch movies and TV casually or who simply need a secondary screen for a guest bedroom (you want the in-laws to be comfortable and impressed, don’t you?) and don’t want to spend too much. You can save $130 right now and enjoy the convenience of your favorite AI assistant while gaining access to all the streaming services under the sun, built into an easy-to-navigate interface.
Key Specs:
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4K Ultra HD resolution with HDR (HDR 10, HLG) support
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4 HDMI ports, 3 HDMI 2.0 + 1 HDMI 2.1 with eARC
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60Hz Native refresh rate. Direct LED backlight
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Fire TV smart TV functionality with Alexa voice remote
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Dolby Digital Plus audio support (via Dolby-encoded audio)
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16-Watt stereo audio (8W+8W)
More TV Deals To Watch Out For
The Best Deals on TVs
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50″ Vizio MQX-Series 4K HDR10+ 120Hz QLED Smart TV
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$398.00
($629.99)
Save $231.99 -
55″ Hisense Class U8 Series Mini-LED 4K Smart TV
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$997.99
($1,499.99)
Save $502.00 -
58″ Hisense R6 Series 4K Smart Roku TV (58R6E3)
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$214.00
($429.00)
Save $215.00 -
65″ LG C4 Series 4K 120Hz OLED Evo Smart TV (2024 Model)
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$1,396.99
($2,699.99)
Save $1,303.00 -
65″ Samsung S90D 4K OLED 144Hz Smart TV (2024 Model)
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$1,397.99
($1,697.99)
Save $300.00 -
75″ Toshiba Class C350 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV
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$429.99
($649.99)
Save $220.00 -
85″ Sony Bravia XR X90L 4K Smart TV
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$1,399.99
($2,099.99)
Save $700.00 -
85″ Samsung Q60D Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2024 Model)
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$1,299.99
($1,697.99)
Save $398.00
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Hi, I’m Will Greenwald, an ISF-certified TV calibrator, THX-certified home theater expert, and PCMag’s TV reviewer. I’ve been testing TVs for over a decade, and I’m here to answer your most common questions about shopping for them. Read my answers below and feel free to reach out with any additional questions.
Which TV Brand Is the Best Value for the Money?
That’s a loaded question, because brand alone won’t tell you enough about a TV. Every brand has multiple tiers of TVs that offer different features and performance, and you really need to check the model number to know what to expect. That said, Hisense and TCL have consistently offered excellent performance for reasonable prices compared with most other brands, while LG and Samsung often have the categorically highest-end (and most expensive) flagship TVs, often with particularly sleek designs or unique aspects. To understand more about TV model numbers, I wrote a guide to major brands’ numbering conventions. They change slightly from year to year, and I’ll be updating it for 2025 TV models as more are released.
Do OLED and QLED TVs Get Massive Price Drops on Prime Day or Black Friday?
Any TV can get a massive price drop around those times. You’ll find lots of deals on QLED panels, which have been expanding from various manufacturers’ flagship LED TV lines to their midrange and even budget models. You’ll generally see fewer discounts on OLED TVs, but that’s because they’re still fairly rare.
What Is a Good Month to Buy a TV?
Any month when Amazon Prime Day is happening (usually in July and October), or November for Black Friday. January is also a prime time to buy a new TV, as most retailers will have discounts and promotions leading up to the Super Bowl. If you don’t mind buying a TV from the previous year, the entire first quarter is a good time as well, since that’s when the fanciest TVs from the year before will usually see their prices cut to make room for the newest models coming out in late spring and summer.
Which Retailers Offer the Best Discounts? What Are the Best TV Sales Happening Now?
I focus on testing and reviewing the TVs themselves to provide an informed and unbiased opinion about their quality and value, so I can’t really offer any specifics about retailer deals other than broad strokes about timing. PCMag’s deals team covers that side of the shopping experience, and updates this story monthly to surface the best available sales.
Can I Get Bundle Deals With Soundbars or Streaming Devices?
I’ve seen some manufacturers offer TVs bundled with a soundbar for a short period at launch or during promotions. Keep an eye on this story and our deals hub, and you’ll occasionally find a bundle featured. Remember that soundbars come in a range of price tiers just like TVs, and some simply offer extra stereo sound with a bass boost from a subwoofer, while others provide a full spatial audio experience.
How Do You Test TVs?
I test TVs using professional calibration equipment to measure the light and color that comes from the panel under different conditions, and note peak brightness, black level, contrast (peak brightness divided by black level), light bloom (any halo or haze along high-contrast edges), color accuracy, color range, and input lag. I check using the most color-accurate picture mode out of the box, which is usually the Cinema or Movie mode. You should use this mode yourself when watching movies or TV shows, because the default Standard or Vivid modes usually always skew the picture to look bluer than it should to make it seem brighter.
What Is the Best Budget Smart TV for Picture Quality
Currently, the Hisense U6N is the best picture for the price and our Editors’ Choice budget TV. It has strong contrast and accurate color, and you can often find it for around $500 for 65 inches. If you’re a gamer, though, the TCL QM6K is a better, but more expensive, choice thanks to its 144Hz refresh rate (the U6N is 60Hz) and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.
About Jade Chung-Lee
Merchandising Associate
