4 Cheap TVs Under $400 Experts Recommend Buying

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As the TV industry continuously innovates, TVs have become not only affordable, but overall better. Unlike the early 2000s, when you had to spend a fortune to get a decent model with good-enough picture quality and screen size, the market is quite different in 2025. Nowadays, you don't need to spend a month's worth of salary to get a solid TV. In fact, if you have a budget of $400 or below, you're not limited, there are a plethora of cheap TVs that you can pick from.

Unfortunately, because of the many options available for new TV sets, you might not know what to pick. You shouldn't rely on price alone to decide what to buy; our general TV buying guide is proof of that. However, instead of juggling TV jargon and specs, we're making it easier for you to find your next model. We've put together a list of the best cheap TVs under $400 that are recommended by review experts at RTings, so you know you're getting your money's worth.

If you want the best cheap TV under $400, the Hisense U6G is the one to buy. For starters, it sports a 4K QLED display panel that measures 65 inches diagonally. For its price, it delivers the best picture quality with just enough contrast and deep blacks. And, yes, it is HDR-capable, with support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, so you're covered no matter the content you watch, or where you watch it. 

The Hisense set has a peak brightness of 600 nits, making it perfect for watching during the day. This TV employs the Android TV operating system, which translates to a wide selection of apps available, including most, if not all of the best streaming services.

The Hisense U6G is not only the largest cheap expert-recommended TV on this list, but also the highest-rated, with an impressive mixed usage score of 7.6. That means it excels at almost everything you'll throw at it, whether it's watching sports, movies, playing video games, or even using it as your monitor for your work-from-home setup. It's hands down the best cheap TV you can buy, and that's why it was featured in our best TVs of 2024. You can get the Hisense U6G from Amazon for $399.99.

The 55-inch TCL Q650G is another solid option under $400. Like the U6G, it has a 4K QLED panel and supports two of the major HDR formats for wide content coverage, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Sure, it isn't praised for its picture quality like the U6G, but it has decent contrast, and its peak SDR brightness and reflection handling make it usable when watching in bright conditions. 

TCL runs Google's modern Google TV operating system and, as such, you're not limited when it comes to apps. If an app is exclusively available on your phone, you simply play its content and take advantage of Chromecast to watch it on the big screen, so your not limited to the TV's operating system.

Despite not having a single HDMI 2.1 port (it has three HDMI 2.0 ports), this model excels at gaming in particular. The Q650G is rated 7.2 for mixed usage, but 8.0 for gaming; the highest for TVs under $400 listed on RTings. One of its gaming-focused features is variable refresh rate support, which plays a key role in reducing screen tearing. It also has a special TCL-specific feature called Game Accelerator 120, which enables 1440p gaming at 120Hz. Purchase the TCL Q650G on Amazon for $395.

If you don't like the Google TV or Android TV interface, then the Vizio MQ6 may be better for you. It's just as affordable and uses Vizio's SmartCast operating system, which is as easy to use as Google's smart TV OS. The only downside of using Vizio's smart TV operating system on the MQ6 is that you can't install additional apps. 

On this model, you'll have to put up with the handful of apps that are already pre-installed. Of course, if you're not the type to install a bunch of TV apps now and then for exploration, it shouldn't be an issue. Additionally, it kind of makes up for it by having most of the major streaming apps installed and supporting both Chromecast and AirPlay 2 for casting content from your Android or iOS device.

When it comes to picture quality, the MQ6 has been found to have a high native contrast, delivering deeper blacks and brighter whites. However, it doesn't have the best brightness levels. For gaming, it supports AMD's FreeSync variable refresh rate, although you don't get an HDMI 2.1 port. The Vizio MQ6 is rated 7.1 for mixed usage, thus quite capable across different areas that matter most on a TV. MQ6 buyers can choose between 43-inch and 50-inch variants, both going for less than $400, giving you flexibility depending on your budget. You can get the 43-inch Vizio MQ6 on Amazon for $299.99, or its larger 50-inch sibling for $399.99.

Aside from the MQ6, Vizio's 2022 V-series is also among the cheap TVs recommended by experts. Since the V-series comes from the same brand, it has more in common with Vizio's MQ6. This TV runs the Vizio SmartCast system under the hood, which comes with a bunch of pre-installed apps, including YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu. Like on the MQ6, you can't install additional apps, but thankfully, it supports both Chromecast and AirPlay for casting content from your phone.

It has a high native contrast ratio, but the brightness isn't impressive for SDR content. This 4K TV's main strength lies in gaming, with three crucial gaming-related features available. You get variable refresh rate, low input lag, and quick response time, all of which are critical for playing video games, especially first-person shooters like "Counter-Strike 2" and "Battlefield 6." The V-series is rated 6.9 overall with higher ratings of 7.5 and 7.6 in video games and HDR gaming, respectively. 

While the 43-inch and 55-inch variants fall under $400, the series offers screen sizes up to 73 inches. The Vizio 2022 V-series is available on Amazon at $259.99 for the 43-inch model, and $397.95 for the larger 55-inch model.

The list of TV we've discussed here are compiled from RTings' surveys. The site reviews TV models using standardized tests to ensure objectivity. Every TV is reviewed based on several metrics, including how it performs when watching media (sports, HDR movies, and TV shows), playing video games, and when used as a PC monitor. At the end, each model is given a score in each category and an overall score, making it easy to rank TV models from different manufacturers. While the site lists dozens of products in its TV-ranking table, we've highlighted four that have the highest overall rankings priced under $400, from highest to lowest.