Budget TVs in 2026 come with the kind of features you’d expect on higher-end sets, like 4K and built-in streaming. They’re a good choice for students in shared housing or smaller rooms, especially if they just want something for streaming or gaming without spending much.
If you’re sticking to a tight budget, you can find decent televisions for around £200. For under £500, it’s possible to get a good 4K TV with advanced screen tech that upscales picture quality. In this guide, we'll cover:
What to look for in a budget TV
Best TVs under £200, £300 and £500
Best budget TV for students
Best budget 4K TV
Commonly asked questions
What to look for in a budget TV
When you’re comparing budget TVs, a few features are worth paying the most attention to. These are the things that’ll make the biggest difference to how the TV looks and feels in your home:
Resolution: 4K is now fairly common in TVs around £300. On smaller screens, Full HD still looks sharp enough for everyday viewing when you’re not sitting too far away.
HDR support: HDR10 affects how darker scenes behave. It means you can still see faces, corners and background detail instead of everything disappearing into shadow.
Screen size: For most rooms, a 43–55 inch TV works well if you’re sitting about 2–3 metres away. Smaller screens still offer good picture quality as long as you’re not seated too far away. The best size depends on your room layout and how far you’ll be watching from. For more detailed advice, here’s where you should put a new TV.
Smart TV system: The smart TV platform is where you’ll find apps like Netflix, BBC iPlayer or YouTube. Look for smart TVs that offer easy search features, and an uncluttered homepage that has your favourite apps.
Refresh rate: Most budget TVs use 60Hz, which is fine for day-to-day TV, films and sports. But in really fast scenes or when you’re gaming, you might notice some motion blur. A few TVs between £300–£500 come with 120Hz, which makes speedy on-screen action much smoother.
Best TV under £200
The JVC LT-40CT350 is a 40-inch TV without many extra features - but it does the basics well. The Full HD display gives you a clear picture when you’re sitting at a normal distance. And with Freely built-in, you can stream channels like BBC, ITV and Channel 4 over Wi-Fi, with no need for cables or an aerial.
Best TV under £300
The TCL P7K is a 4K QLED TV, which makes everything look sharp and colourful. Its quantum dot layer shows more colours on screen by using tiny particles that give off very pure and bright reds, greens and blues. This means you see clearer differences between shades, with football kits and blue summer skies looking clearer.
Best TV under £500
The Samsung Q8F 4K TV is designed to work well in bright rooms, so you won’t end up with a picture that looks faded or dull. Thanks to its higher brightness and special anti-reflection tech, you’ll be able to see details clearly during the day, without having to close the curtains or move seats.
Best budget TV for students
For student digs where the TV gets used for a bit of everything, the Hisense 43S5QTUK TV is a good shout. It has multiple HDMI ports, so consoles, laptops and streaming devices can stay plugged in together.
Best budget 4K TV
The Sony Bravia 3 43” is great value for a 4K TV, especially with its Triluminos Pro technology. This feature helps the TV show a wider range of colours, so everything from football pitches to fiery sunsets really pop without looking overdone. It’ll also upscale your old HD shows and streamed content to 4K, so everything looks sharper than ever
Budget TV comparison table
| Best TV for | Model | Screen tech | Standout features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under £200 | JVC LT-40CT350 | Full HD LED | Simple, clear picture with Freely built-in for streaming live TV without an aerial |
| Under £300 | TCL P7K | 4K QLED | Quantum Dot tech for brighter colours and sharper contrast |
| Under £500 | Samsung Q8F | 4K QLED | High brightness with anti-reflection tech for clear viewing in bright rooms |
| Students | Hisense 43S5QTUK | 4K QLED | Multiple HDMI ports for consoles, laptops and streaming devices |
| Best budget 4K | Sony Bravia 3 | 4K LED (Triluminos Pro) | Wide colour range with upscaling that sharpens HD content to near 4K |
Great TVs at affordable prices
If you’d like more advice on buying the best budget TV, our TV buying guide is a great place to start. You can also browse our range of TVs, or pop in-store and see them for yourself.
FAQs
How much should I spend on a TV?
£300 - £500 is a normal range for good budget TVs. At this level you should expect to see features like 4K screens and better smart TV setups. A budget of around £200 is fine for bedrooms or secondary TVs, especially if you go for smaller screen sizes.
What is the best budget-friendly smart TV?
The LG QNED82 TV is a strong budget-friendly option. It uses local dimming and QNED processing to keep colours, contrast and skin tones consistent and realistic. That means switching between apps, films and live TV doesn’t change how people or scenes look.
What TV size is best for a student’s bedroom?
A TV size of 32–43 inches works best if you can sit between 1.5m and 2m from the screen. At closer distances, smaller TV sizes should be fine for films and gaming - and they won’t dominate the room.
What is the best affordable 4K TV?
Sony Bravia 3 is the best affordable 4K TV in 2026. Its X-Reality PRO upscaling sharpens HD and streamed content, so even old programmes look great. And the built-in Dolby Audio makes voices easier to hear, without having to turn the volume up and down between scenes.
