6 Cheap Smart TVs To Avoid At All Costs, According To Consumer Reports

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While there are a few common mistakes people make when buying a TV, the risk of ending up with a bad one is much higher when shopping for cheaper models. Therefore, before you plan to grab a low-priced TV for your shelf, know this: Not all models stay true to their specifications. Real performance depends on various factors, such as the panel used, image processing, and overall build quality. Also, these cheap TVs may not last as long as one might expect, as they use lower-cost components that can lead to issues like brightness loss, picture degradation, and weak sound.

Consumer Reports has tested hundreds of budget TVs and found some that severely underperform. They noted that features like HDR, 4K upscaling, and smart apps often don't work as advertised on these low-cost sets. Additionally, these cheap TVs are built with weak processors, poor backlighting, and subpar quality that lead to sluggish performance and inconsistent picture. For just slightly more money, you can often get a significantly better TV that prevents these problems. Let's explore six cheap smart TVs to avoid, according to Consumer Reports.

If you're shopping for an inexpensive 32-inch TV, the Vizio VFD32M-0807 might look tempting, but it quickly becomes clear why Consumer Reports ranks it near the bottom of the category. This budget TV is one you'll want to avoid due to its poor performance, as the TV lacks 4K and native HDR (HDR support over HDMI only), which limits picture quality to Full HD. Without HDR formats, dark movies won't look the way they should. Dark scenes, like the ones in "The Batman," end up looking flat, with the picture looking more gray than intense.

The bigger issue is the viewing angles with poor side visibility, as you need to face the TV head-on for a clear picture. The TV uses a Full Array LED backlight with no local dimming zones, so contrast and black levels look poor. Moreover, Reddit users have also complained about the TV's picture quality, and a user even posted a video on the r/TVRepair subreddit showing slow image rendering with noticeable pixelation.

The audio quality and volume are modest for a smart TV experience. If you're used to stronger sound, 8 W + 8 W speakers will disappoint you, and Consumer Reports even notes that the TV is best suited for smaller rooms. Furthermore, having only two HDMI ports is a clear limitation for a 2024 TV. If you have multiple devices to connect, like a console, Roku Stick, and soundbar, then you'll need an adapter like the Anker HDMI switch to expand connectivity options.

A 75-inch 4K TV for a budget price sounds like a great deal, but the Toshiba 75C350LU cuts too many corners where it matters most. It has 3840×2160 resolution and supports HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10. But this is where the trade-offs become obvious. The native 60 Hz refresh rate limits motion clarity and gaming responsiveness compared with 120 Hz sets. According to Consumer Reports, contrast levels failed to add depth to scenes, and poor black levels led to grayer hues in dark scenes. This is supported by Rtings's review, which gave its contrast a score of 2.7 out of 10. Dark scenes lacked depth, and blacks often looked gray.

HDR performance is further compromised by low peak brightness, which means bright details in HDR content will look dimmer than they should. For gaming, there's no support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), so responsiveness won't match dedicated gaming TVs.

The Fire OS interface is easy to navigate and offers a large app library, but it also comes with heavy Amazon-centric recommendations and ads, which may feel intrusive to some users. The TV can deliver decent color accuracy on a large screen. You get a big screen with wide viewing angles and good sound output. However, too many core picture weaknesses make the C350LU a TV you may want to avoid if you expect more than just serviceable viewing.

At first glance, the Vizio V4K65M-0804 looks like a strong budget choice with a 65-inch 4K UHD screen that supports HDR formats including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG. However, in reading through Consumer Reports' assessment, the downsides are pretty apparent. Despite HDR support, the 60 Hz native refresh rate limits motion smoothness. Another major drawback is inconsistent black levels and reduced picture quality when viewed from wide angles, especially from below or from the sides. HDR is meaningless here because brightness is below entry-level.

According to PCMag, in their full-screen test, SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) just showed a modest peak brightness of 273 nits, and HDR also did no better, with a peak brightness of 282 nits. Additionally, they noted that the TV delivers a limited color range. For audio, the speaker offers a good volume level with nice treble. However, the overall sound quality isn't very impressive, and at high volumes, the speakers struggle with bass.

Another drawback is the TV's smart platform. Vizio Smartcast is missing several features and apps viewers have come to expect from similar platforms, including Crunchyroll and Twitch. If you care about deep blacks, strong HDR, fluid gaming, or wide viewing angles, this model disappoints.

This is another poorly scored TV by Consumer Reports. The TCL 40Q3K can deliver up to Full HD content, but it's average overall. Although the image rendering is excellent, Consumer Reports noted that the picture wasn't very sharp, especially in dark scenes. In brightly lit rooms, the 40Q3K won't produce the best images due to its poor contrast. If you plan to use the TV for fast-paced games like "Need for Speed," you won't see smooth graphics because the TV struggles to keep up, and the action can look soft with noticeable blur. Users on Best Buyer have also reported that their 40Q3K TV model takes time to start up, with delays in app loading.

The TV's HVA panel has a narrow viewing angle and is best suited for centered sitting. Where this model really fails is audio quality, with Consumer Reports noting that the sound isn't great. The TV can get loud, but the weak base and slightly sharp highs make the audio feel thin and not very spacious. It's fine for everyday shows, but with movies or music, the poor audio quality becomes very noticeable. If you care about sound, you'll want to add a soundbar for a better experience. 

You might not know the reasons why Hisense TVs are so cheap, but its budget models struggle across key areas, and you'll feel those limitations right away. Its 32A45KV model tops out at only 720p. Consumer Reports noted that the picture looks soft overall, and darker scenes lose depth, turning more gray than black. When you watch something like "Jurassic World," the night scenes don't feel suspenseful because the TV's weak contrast hides shadow details. Motion sequences also look average, as the 60 Hz panel struggles to keep up with fast chases.

The viewing angle isn't very good either. From the side, colors wash out. Brightness is modest, so during daytime viewing, the picture can look blurry and lack the vibrant pop you get on higher-end displays. Audio performance also falls short. The TV can get reasonably loud, but the sound has thin bass and slightly unclear treble, which makes the audio feel flat and not very spacious. Watching an action scene, like a dinosaur roar or an explosion, won't feel impactful. It's serviceable for regular TV shows, but with movies or music, the weak audio becomes very noticeable.

The Vidaa OS is well optimized, but users have reported slow app loading and occasional glitches. If you're hoping for an immersive movie experience, this model clearly shows its budget limits.

You may not know what TCL stands for, but you may recognize this Chinese consumer brand for offering premium TVs at budget prices. Even so, the TCL 55S551G has its compromises. To get the best picture quality from this TCL TV, you need to sit centered, so if you're a big family with a rounded sofa, the picture gets worse the more you move away from the center. 

To add to this, Consumer Reports noted that the HDR performed poorly, as the TV doesn't have the peak brightness needed for HDR contrast. This is even echoed by Rtings, which rated it 4.5 out of 10 and found the HDR brightness to be lackluster with poor contrast, and noted that SDR brightness performance was also below average. Rtings also tested the TV's contrast and highlighted that it lacks local dimming, so the dark areas never look truly dark.

The audio output is also dismal; If you increase the volume to higher levels, the sound balance starts to fall apart. The bass gets muddy, the treble gets harsh, and certain frequencies may overpower others. This is a budget TV that's best avoided due to weak HDR, narrow viewing angles, soft upscaling, and below-average sound.

Picture quality, sound, and features are three key factors to consider when selecting a TV. Missing any of these would make your TV less exciting, and that's when the difference between cheap and expensive models becomes easier to notice. Therefore, we focused on Consumer Reports scores below 50 with a budget under $500. These TVs mostly have poor picture and subpar sound. We also manually checked each TV's specifications to see if any important features were missing or limited. For example, the Toshiba 75C350LU lacked VRR, which can cause frame drop or screen tearing on a gaming console.

When you are looking for a TV, it's important that it has at least one HDMI 2.1 eARC port to send full-quality sound to a soundbar or home theater system. Plus, good Wi-Fi (5 GHz) and sufficient HDMI ports are other features to check out for. We also relied on Consumer Reports test results to understand how each TV handled picture quality, motion, HDR, and sound. Additionally, we cross-checked the findings with Rtings, PCMag, and user feedback to confirm recurring issues. However, if you have budget constraints, then you can buy a cheap TV recommended by experts, such as the Hisense U6G and Vizio MQ6.