If you’re looking for a second TV, or have a limited budget, you may think it’ll be hard to find a quality TV for under $200. However, just as expensive doesn’t necessarily mean “good”, cheaper doesn’t always mean “avoid”.
As TV technology hits new benchmarks every week, the price moves forward too, leaving yesterday’s TVs (which are still high quality) behind, resulting in a drop in prices. While manufacturers are concentrating on 8K TVs and beyond, older smart TVs are becoming much more affordable.
These three quality models all include smart capabilities and they all performed well in our rigorous tests.
1) Insignia 32-inch Smart HD TV – Fire TV Edition
Delivering a realistically impressive image, this Insignia model offers a lot of bang for your buck. The 720p produces deep, rich blacks and a great color vibrancy. Crisp contrasts vie for your attention alongside touchable textures and clean whites.
Powered by a quad-core CPU/Multi-core GPU, the fluid responsiveness enables this TV to double as a great games machine, while the lack of lag allows your streamed movies to roll smoothly without encroaching on your immersive experience.
Alexa enabled, with access to over 5000,000 movies, or stream from Netflix, Hula, Prime, and more, this is a TV well worth considering.
2) Sceptre 32’’ Full 1080p LED/HD TV
Sceptre’s LED TV surprised us with its visual display – it’s fair to say, we weren’t expecting such impressive images. The array of vibrant colors, sharp contrasts, and realistic luminosity made for an immersive experience. This, alongside the innovative Motion Estimation and Motion Compensation (MEMC), designed to allow smooth frame flow, have earned this TV its stripes.
The Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) enables you to stream from your mobile device, capitalizing on the impressive picture quality, and with the three + ports, this TV can be transformed into a games machine, where you can really appreciate its graphic capabilities.
3) TCL 40S325 40 Inch 1080p Smart LED Roku TV
TCL’s Roku Smart TV produces a picture quality that belies its budget price, and the 1080p resolution offers honest, lifelike visuals. Contrasts are sharp, thanks to the LED direct lighting, and even the fastest action scenes never lag. The audio soundscape is solidly reassuring, with smooth tonal changes, even at a higher volume, while the speakers could comfortably fill a room much larger than the one we used.
Compatible with both Google Assistant and Alexa, the smart capabilities allow downloadable content or movie and music streaming, searching for your favorites with voice control, or the intuitive Roku platform.
TCL have produced a TV with a performance and budget that’s hard to beat.