The Best TVs Under $1,000, According to Experts

Almost all TVs above a few hundred dollars support 4K resolution, which provides four times as many pixels as standard HD resolution TVs for a more detailed-looking picture. Aside from 4K, one feature to pay attention to is high dynamic range (HDR) support. “HDR helps you see details in shadows and dark areas of the screen,” says James Holland, a TV reviewer for TechRadar. “Ideally, a TV will have Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG format support.”

It’s important to note that not all TVs support all HDR formats — Samsung favors HDR10+ over Dolby Vision for its TVs, while LG models feature Dolby Vision but not HDR10+. Most other TV brands support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG, however, and that carries over to under-$1,000 models.

Anyone shopping for an under-$1,000 TV should primarily be looking at LED and mini-LED models, rather than the latest OLED models. Those terms refer to the types of tech used in an LCD TV’s backlight (LEDs are used to illuminate the LCD panel), and the specific backlighting tech version found on different TVs can have a big effect on picture quality.

“If the TV you have in mind says ‘edge lit’ or ‘edge-based lighting,’ steer clear,” says Nick Pino, managing editor, TV & AV at Tom’s Guide. “This means that all the lighting elements are located on the perimeter of the screen rather than behind the LCD panel, and that results in a dimmer picture with worse contrast than TVs with ‘full array’ lighting.”

Beyond full-array lighting, a TV’s local dimming capability also impacts picture quality. Asked to define this feature, TechRadar’s James Holland replied, “It means the backlighting on a TV consists of multiple individual zones that light up different portions of the screen, which helps to improve picture contrast and clarity. The more local dimming zones the better, and while TVs under a grand probably won’t specify how many zones there are — after all, they can’t compete with more expensive, better TVs in this area — the manufacturer should at last advertise that the TV has ‘full local array dimming’ or language to that effect.”

TV shoppers on a strict budget may mostly be limited to LED and mini-LED models, but there are a few under-$1,000 OLED TV options in the smaller screen size (55 inches and under) range. “OLED is widely regarded as superior to mini-LED because each individual pixel can be turned on and off,” says Tom’s Guide’s Nick Pino. “This results in deeper black levels and incredible contrast.”

Chris Boylan, TV and AV editor at eCoustics, is similarly bullish on OLED tech, even at the budget range. “Shoppers who value picture performance over everything else may be able to find an entry-level OLED TV from LG, Samsung or Panasonic for under $1,000, though you might need to look at the previous year’s models in order to find the best deals.”

While a fan, Boylan also cautions that OLED TVs might not be a good fit for all viewing environments: “At the entry-level $1,000 price point, OLED TVs can be a little less bright than comparably priced LED and mini-LED models, which means they may not be the best choice for bright rooms.”

There are other shopping considerations for viewers who typically watch TV shows in bright room lighting. “If you watch mainly during the day in a bright room, how the TV’s screen handles glare will be really important,” says Residential Systems’ John Sciacca. Budget TVs tend to lack the anti-reflective screen coatings found in higher-end sets, so it will be important to check both manufacturer specifications and reviews of particular models to see if they provide an anti-glare feature. High picture brightness also helps reduce the effects of screen glare, and while budget TVs tend to have lower brightness than pricier ones, models that use mini-LED backlighting are generally brighter than both standard LED and OLED TVs.

A high refresh rate is another feature increasingly found in TVs priced under $1,000, and it’s one that TechRadar’s James Holland finds to be important. “While the basic 60Hz is more than enough for movies and typical TV shows, getting a TV with a higher refresh rate of at least 120Hz will help with a clearer, smoother image for sports and gaming.”

For sports, a 120Hz or higher refresh rate can reduce the level of motion blur in fast-action games, and it also helps to eliminate judder (a picture artifact where objects take on a “wobbly” look in shots with camera motion) in movies. The latest generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles also support games with a 120Hz output, which requires a TV with a 120Hz refresh rate to take advantage of that feature.

With relative newcomers such as Hisense, TCL, Amazon, and Roku broadening the TV field, brand is a less crucial consideration than it used to be. Still, there are reasons to stick with a particular brand. “If buying multiple TVs for a home, I’d recommend getting all the same brand,” says Residential Systems’ John Sciacca. “This will provide a similar user experience from room to room without having to learn how to navigate different interfaces.”

By “interfaces,” Sciacca means both a set’s menu and remote-control layout and its smart-TV interface, a subject that Chris Boylan of eCoustics has plenty to say about. “In the $500 to $1,000 range, there aren’t huge differences in TV performance. Most budget TVs from major brands like Samsung, TCL, Hisense, Sony, and LG offer solid picture performance, so I’d recommend looking closely at the user interface, because this will impact your enjoyment of the TV over time.”

As for interface differences between brands, here’s what Chris Boylan had to say: “Amazon’s Fire TV platform is robust but can be a bit ad-heavy. Google TV, as found on Sony, TCL, and Hisense, also offers a wide selection of apps and gaming options but favors YouTube in its search results. LG’s WebOS is a spiffy operating system, but some find their magic remote a bit unwieldy. Samsung also offers a proprietary OS called Tizen, which offers a good selection of apps without much in the way of advertising. And both LG and Samsung offer five- to seven-year OS updates so you know your TV won’t be outdated in its user interface or streaming-app access in just a few years.”

John Sciacca, an AV-product reviewer for Residential Systems who has also designed and installed custom systems professionally for over 28 years, recommends wall-mounting any TV you buy: “This not only gets it to a good viewing height, but it also makes the room feel deeper because you are eliminating that eye-stopping point of the TV sitting two feet in front of the wall.”

To that, I’d recommend that you buy a soundbar along with your TV. TVs in the budget range tend to have lower-powered, downward-firing built-in speakers, and the sound from these can lack clarity, especially with movies. Even a low-cost soundbar can provide a significant audio-quality improvement, improving both dynamics and dialogue intelligibility.