Best TVs under $500

Start here: TCL QM6K QD-Mini LED. Mini LED backlighting is the step up that matters most on a budget — deeper blacks, brighter highlights and less blooming than plain LED, so HDR movies and dark scenes hold up. It's the best picture you can get for the money.

Who the others suit:

• TCL Q Class QLED — a solid middle ground if you want QLED colour without stretching the budget.
• LG QNED75B — good for a bright room and LG's webOS apps; check the size you're ordering, the listing's spec line is inconsistent.
• onn 65" 4K — the pick if sheer size matters more than contrast; fine for sports and casual viewing.
• onn 55"/50"/43" and TCL S41CG — cheap, dependable 4K for a bedroom or spare room.
• LG UA75 43" — small-room 4K with a familiar brand.
• onn 32" 720p — kitchen or dorm only; 720p is soft at that size.

Skip the eBay TCL 4-Series: shipping pushes it well past the cheap headline.