Not Sony, Nor Samsung: This Is The Best Budget Smart TV In 2026
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No one wants to drop a boatload of money on a 65-inch TV, but generally speaking, the best TVs at this size tend to be on the pricier side. Fortunately, that's not a hard rule, and many TV brands offer markdowns and promos on 65-inch sets throughout the year. But if you're looking to invest in a TV that's always cheap and reliable — even when it's not on sale — we have a great recommendation:
The TCL 65-inch QM6K Series sells for $550 brand-new, and it's regarded as one of the best budget smart TVs on the market. Not only is this a 4K TV with a native 120Hz refresh rate and quantum dot layer, but it also uses Mini LED lighting, so you can expect rich colors and excellent contrast levels. This also means the QM6K should hold up well against ambient lighting, unless there's a light source close to the screen.
The QM6K supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, and it has several gaming features that PS5 and Xbox Series X|S owners don't want to miss out on, including two HDMI 2.1 ports, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), the latter of which automatically switches the QM6K to Game Mode when a console is detected. We're also glad to see that eARC doesn't take up an HDMI 2.1 port (it's relegated to port 4, which is HDMI 2.0).
The TCL QM6K is a fantastic TV, but it's not without its flaws (which most TVs have)
TCL is able to keep costs down on TV production because of the high volume of sets it produces, and also because the manufacturer produces many of its own TV components. Still, no TV is without its weak points, and it's our job to draw attention to both the bad and the good. So, what doesn't the QM6K do so well? Wide-angle viewing, for one. If you're not sitting centered with the screen, the colors may look dull.
The TV also struggles with brightness when watching HDR content, so specular highlights aren't as eye-catching as they should be. And because this is an LED-LCD, you might notice some haloing around brightly lit objects in dark scenes. Oh, and if you care about sound quality and dialogue clarity, the QM6K's TV speakers are mediocre at best, so you'll probably want to invest in a soundbar to replace your TV audio.
All things considered, though, there's nothing too egregious we can say about the TCL QM6K. You can definitely do a lot worse for $550, and we're convinced this might be one of the best TVs to buy for gamers and casual TV-watching. You may also be able to find the TV on sale over the coming months, especially as we get closer to Father's Day. Currently, its lowest price was $500 back in November 2025.