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I Was Shocked by How Good These Budget TVs Were

I tested the best budget Samsung, Roku, Amazon, and Hisense TVs and found one clear winner.

Ty Pendlebury CNET 23 Jun 2026, 16:48 1 min read 6/10

I Was Shocked by How Good These Budget TVs Were

Key Takeaways

CNET tested over 15 budget televisions across Samsung, Roku, Amazon, and Hisense brands under controlled lighting conditions.
Hisense's U8 series achieved a peak brightness of 1,400 nits, rivaling premium models that cost twice as much.
Samsung's Crystal UHD series delivered reliable upscaling but suffered from edge-lit LCD technology limiting black levels.
Roku's own-brand TVs earned top marks for smart interface usability but offered only average picture quality.
Amazon's Fire TV Omni series had aggressive automatic brightness limiting that dimmed HDR content significantly.

Samsung, Roku, Amazon, and Hisense all claim budget TV dominance, but after rigorous testing, one brand delivered picture quality that shocked even seasoned reviewers. CNET tested the best budget TVs and found a surprising winner that outperforms expectations for under $500. The budget TV market is crowded, with consumers often settling for less, but recent advancements in panel technology make budget options more competitive than ever. After evaluating over 15 models across four major brands under controlled lighting, the Hisense U8 series emerged as the clear winner with impressive brightness and color accuracy. It achieved a peak brightness of 1,400 nits, comparable to premium models costing twice as much. Samsung's Crystal UHD series offered consistent upscaling but lacked deep blacks due to edge-lit LCD. Roku's own-brand TVs provided the best smart TV interface but average picture quality. Amazon's Fire TV Omni series suffered from aggressive automatic brightness limiting that dims HDR content. This shift indicates that mid-range manufacturers are innovating faster than premium brands, potentially disrupting the TV market. As competition heats up, expect future budget models to include features like full-array local dimming and HDMI 2.1 at lower price points, making high-end performance accessible to more consumers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on CNET's testing, the Hisense U8 series is the best budget TV in 2025, delivering exceptional brightness and color accuracy for under $500.

Yes, Hisense has emerged as a top contender in the budget TV space, with models like the U8 series offering picture quality that rivals premium TVs at a fraction of the cost.

Budget TVs have closed the gap significantly, especially in brightness and HDR performance. However, they may still lack advanced features like OLED panels, wider color gamut, and superior motion handling found in premium models.

Roku TVs are widely praised for having the most intuitive and user-friendly smart platform among budget options, though Amazon's Fire TV offers deeper integration with Alexa.

Yes, many budget TVs now support HDMI 2.1 features like 120Hz refresh rates and variable refresh rate (VRR), making them suitable for console gaming. The Hisense U8 series is a strong choice for gamers on a budget.

Key features include peak brightness, contrast ratio (preferably with full-array local dimming), HDR support, and input lag for gaming. Smart platform usability is also important for everyday use.

Original source

www.cnet.com

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