The most popular budget TV brands, ranked from best to worst

The TV manufacturing industry is surprisingly busy and varied, with a fairly decent number of companies vying to be your entertainment hub. It seems like a bit of a rarity in the tech world where specific markets are dominated by only two or three big names. Instead, a number of players means diversity and options when it comes to a range of aspects and features. It also means there are plenty of options available for those looking to save some money.

While Samsung , LG, and Sony tend to lead the way when it comes to high-end, innovative smart TVs, some brands position themselves as more budget-friendly. But when you pay less, it doesn’t always mean you’re getting better value. To help you on your buying journey, here are the five most popular budget TV brands available today, from best to worse.

1 Roku TV

Versatile and popular

Roku / Pocket-lint

Roku TV was long just an operating system and streaming stick, but it’s evolved into actually proprietary TVs made by Roku. Its TVs fall into one of three categories: Pro, Plus, and Select. It’s pretty confusing and unnecessarily complex, but it’s important to know there is value to be enjoyed with Roku TVs, which offer a wide range of options in terms of size, screen technology, and smart features.

Pro is the top series, with larger, QLED screens that are going to be fairly pricey. However, the budget Select series and the mid-range Plus are worth looking at if you want to save some money. The Plus series in particular is likely to provide the best value, with QLED TVs that feature Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR10+, and voice control. These TVs are only available from 55- to 75-inches, so if you’re looking for a smaller option, then the Select series is worth exploring. The Roku TV operating system is a big draw for lots of users. It’s intuitive, customizable, and for many, aesthetically pleasing; Roku City is also a popular diversion for many viewers. However, like many of the interfaces on budget TVs, there are ads on the home page that cannot be removed.

Another drawback is these TVs are not ideal for gaming, lacking key features that support competitive players in online worlds. While the picture is generally bright and colorful, there are also concerns with details in darker scenes, as well as motion processing during sports and live events.

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2 Hisense

Worthy features at a solid price

Hisense bridges the gap between budget-friendly and mid-tier TV, but they are a great starting point for anyone seeking value for their investment. Its selection includes both QLED and the mini-LED TVs, the latter of which offers some of the best contrast outside of OLED models. While these newer TVs may cost over $1,000 for models sized 65-inches and up, you can find some smaller models and many QLED TVs for under $1,000, and some even under $700. Hisense also has TVs with the latest video and audio formats, as well as designated modes that optimize content for gaming, sports, and movies.

Operating systems will vary depending on the model, with Roku TV, Google TV, Vidaa, and Xumo all offered as options. That’s one of the reasons why these TVs are cheaper than competitors. Hisense doesn’t make its own OS, but other companies are happy to use it and include ads along with them. As is the case with most technology, you’ll pay less up front if you’re willing to deal with commercials and advertisements.

There are a couple other areas where you may feel like you end up getting what you pay for. Hisense TVs tend to lack a wide viewing angle and some have issues with motion smoothing and blurring. Anecdotally, there also seems to be more bugs and problems with the UI, as well as some problems with customer service.

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3 Amazon Fire

Ideal for fans of the e-commerce giant

Amazon’s lineup of Fire TVs is relatively cheap, in part because of the reach and power that Amazon has obtained. Because TVs are not the focus of the commerce giant, and due to the fact that they can promote other Amazon content and services on their own devices, they come in at an attractive price point for those looking to save on a TV.

You can find a 65-inch 4K Fire TV for under $750 that supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, and access to a smart system with popular apps and services. Like other budget-friendly brands of late, Amazon is also venturing into adopting better screen technology, with some models boasting QLED screens. These TVs are good for watching most content, but may struggle with particularly cinematic fare, where better brightness, contrast, and motion processing is required. Amazon Fire TVs are best used in darker rooms, and you should avoid trying to watch some at a wide angle, as some distortion may be observed.

Another downside is that Amazon will fill your TV with promotions and sponsored content from its vast network. It also means that some competitors will be limited. If you’re a frequent Amazon shopper and enjoy its network of services, like Alexa, then a Fire TV will be a worthy addition to your Amazon ecosystem.

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4 Vizio

Trending downward

Vizio

While brands like Roku and Hisense are seemingly on the rise, adding more, diverse entries into their lineup, Vizio seems to be trending in the opposite direction. Its lineup is more limited, and lacks the innovation and advancement of competitors. Still, Vizio’s offerings include worthy QLED TVs as well as budget-minded that include Dolby Vision, HDR10+, voice control and AI processing enhancement.

One of the downsides is generally overall picture quality, particular when you’re not helping out the TV. You’ll want to make sure you’re watching in a darker environment because the less expensive models tend to lack quality brightness, and contrast in darker scenes can be harder to discern with ambient light. Sourcing can also be an issue: if you watch a lot of older content, Vizio TVs can struggle to upscale and improve the image. A low max refresh rate also limits the quality of sports and online gaming.

Vizio TVs also use Smart Cast, a fine operating system that’s populated by ads and fairly cluttered. It’s also worth keeping in mind that Walmart is looking to purchase Vizio, likely for the reach of its OS, which may further bloat the TVs and reduce innovation.

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5 Onn

Not worth the low cost

Among the cheapest TVs available, Onn is Walmart’s in-house brand of TVs, offering no-frills functionality for those who simply want a device that lets them watch content. Onn TVs are quite inexpensive, especially as you get up in size. If you want something big without breaking the bank, then Onn could be the way to go.

However, these TVs tend to lack quality performance, the latest screen and lighting technologies, as well as modes for various types of content. They generally don’t have the brightness associated with most current TVs, and high-end video and audio formats are almost nonexistent. You’re also likely to find a narrow viewing angle and inferior audio quality. They should not be used as a primary source of entertainment, and would be better suited for a kid’s room or maybe a cottage where you don’t really plan on watching much TV. Even then, however, there is little return on value for these inexpensive TVs.

Not every budget-brand TV is created equally, so even if you’re not going for a big name TV, there is still work and research to be done. It’s important to look at processing power, video and audio formatting, and motion processing, as these tend to be the areas lacking in budget-brand TVs. Also, consider the operating system. Most come with ads and sponsored content as the money that comes in from selling space helps make up for the cheap up front cost. You might be paying less to get the TV into your home, but once it’s one, companies will try to hold your attention as you look for something to watch.

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