Not TCL, Not Amazon Fire TV: This Is The Best Cheap TV, According To Experts

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Saving money on a television doesn't mean you will be left with a poor-quality product that doesn't last long. There is one budget-friendly TV that still works well and has a good enough picture quality to justify the price. According to expert tests from RTINGS, the best cheap TV is the Hisense QD6QF, which Amazon sells for $270 

There are several reasons why Hisense TVs are so cheap, including a strategic business model targeted specifically at budget shoppers. Even though the company's TVs may not present the vibrant colors and high refresh rate you get from other brands, they still come with smart capabilities and 4K resolution to accomplish all you want from a standard TV.

When comparing Hisense to other major TV models with the same 43-inch screen size, the savings become clear. An Amazon Fire TV costs $330, a Samsung Class QLED costs $548, and an LG C2 Series OLED TV costs a whopping $800. Of course, these higher prices come with clearer screens and other features to justify the hundreds of dollars more that you are paying, but if you are looking for a simple and reliable TV, Hisense is a solid choice.

Hisense TVs are made in China, with two company facilities in the United States. This global enterprise has made a name for itself with Hisense by delivering TVs that appeal to shoppers who want dependable devices that won't leave their wallets empty. The 43-inch Hisense on Amazon may retail for $270, but if you want to go bigger to a 50-inch screen, you pay just a bit more at $288.

This Hisense TV boasts QLED color and 4K resolution with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound. It has a 60-hertz refresh rate and Bluetooth, HDMI, USB, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It weighs 15 pounds, not including a TV stand, so it's not too much of a bother to move around your living room and rearrange. It can be wall-mounted if you prefer. The TV supports Alexa, so you can use voice commands on the remote to control your TV.

It is a Smart Fire TV, which means Amazon's internal system is built into it. If you are an Amazon fan or a Prime member, then that means easy integration with your existing account. It also offers what it calls Game Mode Plus for those gaming on their TVs, which provides a Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Low Latency to help your game run smoother, faster, and with clearer graphics.

RTINGS praises the TV's features and overall visuals for its price point, despite being critical of its overall color, brightness contrast, and difficulty in clearly seeing the screen in very bright rooms. It is no Porsche-Design $400,000 TV, after all, but that is the appeal of it. You are not spending a lot of money on a simple TV-watching and gaming experience.

With over 1,600 reviews on Amazon, the Hisense QD6QF is rated 4.1 stars out of 5. The reviews are mainly positive, claiming the screen looks good for the cost and that the model has a wide viewing angle, so you don't have to sit directly in front of it. Other good reviews also mention that the TV is easy to set up, is user-friendly, has good sound quality, and works well for video gaming.

The minority of poor reviews do have some unhappy customers. Complaints include the TV being glitchy, having lag when switching across different apps, and being unresponsive to the remote. One of the most common problems reported is that the TV's functionality gets worse over time. Though there are many more positive reviews than negative ones, it is good to pay attention to recurring complaints when buying any TV, especially a very cheap one.