10 Best TVs under $1,000

Wally Nowinski
editor

In the quest for the best TVs under $1,000, we meticulously balanced budget constraints with the non-negotiable demand for high-quality picture performance. This dual focus led us to explore a variety of models that deliver exceptional value without compromising on visual excellence. Within this budget, we prioritized TVs renowned for their vibrant colors, sharp details, and deep contrasts, ensuring that viewers can enjoy a premium viewing experience at a more accessible price point. Our selection process sifted through the market to identify TVs that stand out not just for their affordability, but for their ability to produce stunningly clear and vivid images, making them ideal choices for anyone looking to maximize their investment in home entertainment without crossing the $1,000 threshold.

Our experts used the PerfectRec decision engine to comb through our TV database and find the Best TVs under $1,000 available in 2024. Here are the top 10 picks.

Our criteria for Best TVs under $1,000:

  • Budget We focused on TVs under $1,000
  • Picture Quality We prioritized TVs with great picture quality
To consider others factors, try the PerfectRec decision engine to get your personalized TV recommendation
Get your personalized recommendations

10 Best TVs under $1,000

1
BEST RATING
Bright Room:
4.9
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A-, Gaming: A-, Sports: B
Bright Room: Best in Class




Expert Summary
The Hisense U8K LCD TV offers a very good overall picture quality, making it well-suited for watching movies and series. It has excellent performance in dark rooms, with high contrast and good local dimming abilities. The screen shines particularly well in bright rooms and sports content is handled decently. If you're into gaming, this TV also provides a very good experience due to its high response time and low input lag. However, when watching sports, you may notice it's not the best performer. Color reproduction is excellent and the speakers are great, but keep in mind that the viewing angle is limited, which could be a downside if you often watch TV from wide angles. With support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, it can display a wide range of HDR content effectively. It's also equipped with 4 HDMI ports and can be used as a monitor. Overall, the TV is positioned at a midrange price and offers a slew of features that could make it a good fit for various uses, especially in bright rooms and for viewers who appreciate high-quality image and audio for movies and gaming.
Pros
  • Excellent dark room performance
  • Very good overall picture quality
  • Low input lag for gaming
  • Strong reflection handling
  • Powerful built-in speakers
Cons
  • Limited viewing angle
  • Fair performance in bright rooms
  • Gray uniformity could be better
  • Only fair sports content quality
2
BEST RATING
Movies & TV shows:
4.8
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A, Gaming: B+, Sports: A-
Bright Room: Good




Expert Summary
The LG A2 OLED TV is characterized by its excellent dark room performance, ideal for watching movies, due to its perfect black levels and contrast. It also performs very well for watching sports and animated content. However, its bright room performance is just good, so if your viewing space is very well-lit, the screen might not be as vivid as in darker rooms. For gamers, the response is very good with low input lag, though there are TVs with more tailored gaming features. Keep in mind, this TV is at a high-end price point, so it might be more expensive compared to other options. Sound quality is good, and with OLED technology, you get wide viewing angles and vibrant colors. It comes with three HDMI ports, which is standard, but if you have numerous devices, you might need more. The TV doesn't support certain advanced gaming features such as high refresh rate making it less suited for cutting-edge gaming.
Pros
  • Excellent for dark room viewing
  • Deep blacks with perfect black uniformity
  • Wide viewing angles
  • Very good reflection handling
  • Supports Dolby Vision and HLG
Cons
  • Fair HDR brightness level
  • Less effective in bright rooms
  • May struggle with fast motion
  • No HDR10+ support
3
BEST RATING
Cartoons & Animaton:
4.5
Picture Quality: Good
Movies & TV: B+, Gaming: B, Sports: B
Bright Room: Good




Expert Summary
The TCL S555 is a lower midrange LCD TV that performs well in general picture quality, dark rooms, and bright conditions, making it suitable for varied lighting environments. It's a good choice for watching movies, series, and cartoons, while its capability for gaming and sports content is fair, and its performance as a monitor is also fair. The S555 doesn't excel at reflections, which may be a concern in very bright, sunlit rooms. It supports HDR including Dolby Vision and has a decent color output straight from the box. However, for those with a keen interest in gaming, there are TVs with better gaming features and response times. The sound quality is fair, so external speakers or a soundbar might be considered for a better audio experience.
Pros
  • Overall picture quality is good
  • Performs well in dark rooms
  • Bright room performance is good
  • Strong contrast ratio
  • Very good for cartoons and animation
Cons
  • Gaming performance is only fair
  • Sports content performance is fair
  • Poor viewing angles
  • Mediocre sound quality
4
BEST RATING
Movies & TV shows:
4.8
Picture Quality: Excellent
Movies & TV: A, Gaming: A, Sports: A-
Bright Room: Very Good




Expert Summary
The LG C3 OLED offers excellent picture quality, especially in dark rooms, making it ideal for movie enthusiasts and nighttime viewing. It has a superb contrast ratio and handles reflections well, so it's also a good fit for rooms with some light control. For gamers, its response time and low input lag provide a strong gaming experience, though it may not be as bright as some LED or QLED TVs. Sports fans will enjoy very good performance, but keep in mind that in brightly lit rooms or during daytime viewing, an OLED's brightness might be less impactful than other screen types. It supports advanced audio formats like Dolby Atmos, which enhances the viewing experience with immersive sound if you have a compatible sound system. The TV comes at a premium price, reflecting its high-end features and performance.
Pros
  • Exceptional overall picture quality
  • Outstanding for gaming
  • Excellent in dark rooms
  • Great for movies and series
  • Wide viewing angles
Cons
  • Lower brightness in bright rooms
  • Potential risk of burn-in
  • Average sound quality
  • Reflection handling could be better
5
BEST RATING
Movies & TV shows:
4.8
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A, Gaming: A-, Sports: A-
Bright Room: Good




Expert Summary
The LG B3 OLED TV is an upper midrange model with strong overall picture quality, excellent for movies and series, very good for gaming, and sports content. In a dark room, it performs excellently because of its perfect black levels. However, its performance in a bright room is merely good, so it may not be the best choice for very well-lit areas. It has a fantastic response time and low input lag, which is ideal for fast-paced content and gaming. This model has OLED technology, which means it offers wide viewing angles, making it great for larger groups. The sound quality is good, but if you are an audiophile or crave a more immersive audio experience, external speakers or a sound system may be necessary. It supports HDR formats including Dolby Vision and HLG, enhancing content with better contrast and color. Keep in mind that while the price point is upper midrange, you are paying for the cutting-edge OLED technology and impressive picture quality.
Pros
  • Excellent in dark rooms
  • Very good overall picture quality
  • Very good for gaming
  • Wide viewing angle
  • Low input lag for gaming
Cons
  • Good, not excellent in bright rooms
  • Average sound quality
  • Good but not best HDR brightness
  • No HDR10+ support
6
BEST RATING
Movies & TV shows:
4.8
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A, Gaming: A-, Sports: A-
Bright Room: Good




Expert Summary
The LG C2 OLED TV is an upper midrange model favored for its excellent picture quality, particularly in dark rooms, and is also very good for gaming, sports, and movie watching. It excels in contrast and black uniformity, which is typical of OLED TVs, making it ideal for movies and gaming where dark scenes are common. However, if you plan on watching in bright rooms, the LG C2 is only rated as good, meaning it may not be as bright as some other TVs. It offers wide viewing angles and sports features like HDMI 2.1 ports, making it suitable for the latest gaming consoles. Sound quality is also very good, but if you're looking for the best audio experience, additional speakers may enhance your setup. The TV supports Dolby Vision and HLG, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of HDR content.
Pros
  • Excellent dark room performance
  • Very good overall picture quality
  • Great for gaming
  • Wide viewing angles
  • Supports Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10+
Cons
  • Only good, not excellent bright room performance
  • Motion processing could improve
  • Speakers are great but not outstanding
  • Upscaling quality is good, not best
7
BEST RATING
Bright Room:
4.9
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A-, Gaming: A-, Sports: B
Bright Room: Best in Class




Expert Summary
The Hisense U8K LCD TV offers a very good overall picture quality, making it well-suited for watching movies and series. It has excellent performance in dark rooms, with high contrast and good local dimming abilities. The screen shines particularly well in bright rooms and sports content is handled decently. If you're into gaming, this TV also provides a very good experience due to its high response time and low input lag. However, when watching sports, you may notice it's not the best performer. Color reproduction is excellent and the speakers are great, but keep in mind that the viewing angle is limited, which could be a downside if you often watch TV from wide angles. With support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, it can display a wide range of HDR content effectively. It's also equipped with 4 HDMI ports and can be used as a monitor. Overall, the TV is positioned at a midrange price and offers a slew of features that could make it a good fit for various uses, especially in bright rooms and for viewers who appreciate high-quality image and audio for movies and gaming.
Pros
  • Excellent dark room performance
  • Very good overall picture quality
  • Low input lag for gaming
  • Strong reflection handling
  • Powerful built-in speakers
Cons
  • Limited viewing angle
  • Fair performance in bright rooms
  • Gray uniformity could be better
  • Only fair sports content quality
8
BEST RATING
Bright Room:
4.9
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: B+, Gaming: A-, Sports: B
Bright Room: Best in Class




Expert Summary
The TCL R655 is a midrange-priced LCD TV that offers very good overall picture quality and is particularly strong in a dark room environment. It features excellent contrast and local dimming, enhancing the viewing experience for movies and series. The TV fares well with gaming content due to its very good response time and input lag performance, making it suitable for gamers who also want a TV for general viewing. However, it may not be the best for sports content, as it scores lower in motion processing. If you often watch TV in bright rooms, you'll appreciate its top-notch performance against reflections and ample brightness. Colors out of the box are good, meaning you'll get a vibrant picture without needing much adjustment. On the audio side, the sound quality is very good but lacks great speakers, so you might consider adding a soundbar for a better audio experience. With support for various HDR formats like HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, the TCL R655 ensures you get great HDR performance as well. Keep in mind, though, its viewing angle is not the widest, which could be a concern if you frequently watch TV from side angles.
Pros
  • Midrange price
  • Very good color accuracy
  • Excellent contrast
  • Good for gaming (144Hz)
  • Supports 4K resolution
Cons
  • Fair viewing angle
  • No advanced gaming features
  • Reflection handling good, not best
  • Sound quality is fair
9
BEST RATING
Gaming:
4.6
Picture Quality: Very Good
Movies & TV: A-, Gaming: A-, Sports: B
Bright Room: Very Good




Expert Summary
The Hisense U7K LCD TV is a midrange price model that offers very good overall picture quality, making it suitable for movie and series watching. It's also very good for gaming, due to its low input lag and response time, and supports popular HDR formats like HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. However, its performance in very bright rooms is rated as just good, so it might not be the best choice if your viewing environment is usually flooded with sunlight. Additionally, while its sports content viewing is fair, it might not be the best option for fast-paced live sports content due to motion handling. Despite this, it has strong gaming performance and miniLED FALD VA screen technology, which contributes to better contrast, but it might have limited viewing angles. The TV comes with a 144Hz refresh rate and four HDMI ports, but lacks great built-in speakers, suggesting you might want to consider a sound system for better audio quality.
Pros
  • Very good overall picture quality
  • Very good for gaming
  • Good in dark rooms
  • Great with bright room usage
  • Very good color accuracy out of the box
Cons
  • Fair performance with sports content
  • Poor quality control/quality assurance
  • Limited viewing angle
  • Good but not excellent HDR brightness
10
BEST RATING
Cartoons & Animaton:
4.5
Picture Quality: Good
Movies & TV: B+, Gaming: B, Sports: B
Bright Room: Good




Expert Summary
The TCL S555 is a lower midrange LCD TV that performs well in general picture quality, dark rooms, and bright conditions, making it suitable for varied lighting environments. It's a good choice for watching movies, series, and cartoons, while its capability for gaming and sports content is fair, and its performance as a monitor is also fair. The S555 doesn't excel at reflections, which may be a concern in very bright, sunlit rooms. It supports HDR including Dolby Vision and has a decent color output straight from the box. However, for those with a keen interest in gaming, there are TVs with better gaming features and response times. The sound quality is fair, so external speakers or a soundbar might be considered for a better audio experience.
Pros
  • Overall picture quality is good
  • Performs well in dark rooms
  • Bright room performance is good
  • Strong contrast ratio
  • Very good for cartoons and animation
Cons
  • Gaming performance is only fair
  • Sports content performance is fair
  • Poor viewing angles
  • Mediocre sound quality