10 best smart TV deals under $500 to shop before Christmas

Now that the eight nights of Hanukkah have begun and Christmas is quickly approaching, retailers like Amazon and Walmart are offering some awesome deals on smart TVs -- in some cases these sales bring the TV prices well below $500. Many of these TVs come from well known brands, like Amazon, Hisense, LG, Samsung, TCL and Vizio.

Our expert team of consumer tech shoppers has curated this list of the best TV deals you can snag right now that will cost you less than $500. Yes, these TVs are inexpensive, but they'll still allow you to enjoy many of the perks that higher-end smart TVs offer -- like quick access to all of the streaming services and networks you subscribe to, voice control capabilities and the ability to easily connect a gaming console and soundbar to the TV.

To discover even more great deals on smart TVs in all price ranges, you can refer to our roundup of the best TV deals you can get before Christmas.

10 best pre-Christmas deals on TVs now priced under $500

Whether you're looking for a new TV for a living room, bedroom, guest room, kitchen, man cave, or she shed, or you want to give a TV as a gift during this holiday season, here are some deals that'll save some serious cash. If you need more help choosing one of the very best TVs, be sure to check out our coverage of the best 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch TVs in 2023.

Hisense 55" Class U6 Series QLED Mini-LED smart TV (2023): $448 (23% off)

Offered at 23% off right now at Amazon, this Hisense 55-inch smart TV offers a ULED mini-LED screen with full array local dimming and HDR10+ support. And to make TV shows and movies look their absolute best, you also get support for Dolby Vision IQ and the TV's special Filmmaker mode. 

Hisense hasn't left gamers out in the cold either. This U6 series TV includes a Game Mode Plus VRR with 240 Motion Rate. It does an impressive job bringing action from your favorite games to life on the screen. The TV's HDMI inputs immediately recognize gaming sequences, so the TV automatically adjusts settings so you will enjoy smooth and uninterrupted play. The automatic low-latency mode (ALLM) minimizes input lag, screen jitter and frame tearing.

This is the 2023 version of this U6 Series QLED TV. It offers 4K resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate. And for sound, the TV supports Dolby Atmos. For a limited time, Amazon has this TV on sale for just $448, which makes it a great deal, especially if you're looking to add a 55-inch TV to a bedroom or child's room.

Vizio 40" D-Series Full HD 1080p TV: $168 (27% off)

For spaces that require a smaller TV -- in this case, just 40 inches -- here's a chance to snag this Vizio D-Series smart TV for just $168. To be clear, this is a 40-inch, 1080p resolution LCD smart TV (not 4K) with a 60Hz refresh rate and 16:9 aspect ratio. It offers full array backlighting, so whatever you're watching will be seen with light uniformity across the entire screen. 

For gamers, this TV supports AMD Freesync and offers a low input lag and a variable refresh rate. The integrated Auto Game Mode works with all popular console-based video game systems.

This 2022 version of the D-Series TV gives you compatibility with Apple AirPlay, Chromecast and has Amazon Alexa built in. The smart TV capabilities are powered using the AndroidTV OS. The built, 18-watt speakers support DTS Virtual: X. And for connectivity, the TV utilizes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, plus has one USB and two HDMI ports. This is a no-frills and ultra-affordable smart TV that'll certainly get the job done if you don't mind watching your favorite content in 1080p resolution.

Hisense 50" R6 Series 4K UHD Smart Roku TV: $240 (47% off)

Head over to Amazon right now to save a whopping 47% on this Hisense 50-inch R6 series smart TV that has integrated Roku TV functionality. This is a 4K resolution LCD TV that supports Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10 and DTS Studio Sound. This means TV shows and movies will look and sound great.

To showcase the best picture quality possible, this R6 Series TV utilizes more than 8.3 million pixels and offers a full array LED backlight. Two of the biggest perks of this TV are its Roku TV integration and built in Game Mode.

With the Roku TV support, you get access to all of your favorite streaming networks and services that you subscribe to, as well as the Roku Channel. This streaming channel provides unlimited, free access to a vast and growing selection of TV shows, movies and other content. Thanks to the TV's Motion Rate 120 image processing feature, whether you're watching high-action sports, enjoying blockbuster action movies or playing high-intensity games, what you see on the screen will be smooth and virtually lag-free.

Now priced at just $240, this represents a really good 4K smart TV deal.

Samsung 65" Class CU7000B Crystal 4K smart TV: $429 ($50 off)

Also coming in well below the $500 mark is this Samsung 65-inch Class CU7000B Crystal 4K Smart TV. At the moment, it's $50 off at Walmart, so you'll pay just $429 to take it home.

This is a 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixel resolution) LED smart TV with a 60Hz refresh rate and a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. It's powered using the Tizen OS, so it supports all of the popular steaming services and allows you to access the ones you subscribe to with ease. 

One of the strengths this TV offers is its ability to upscale lower-resolution content (720p or 1080p) up to near 4K. It also does a nice job using a feature called Motion Xcelerator to make fact-action content from sports, movies and games look smooth and lag-free. Plus, the high-contrast HDR support helps to ensure all colors appear vibrant and accurate.

And for gamers, this TV (like many models from Samsung) supports the Samsung Game Hub. With a subscription, this gives gamers access to Xbox Game Pass games directly from the TV, without needing an Xbox game console.

Amazon Fire 55" 4-Series smart TV: $380 (27% off)

In addition to selling TVs from virtually every TV brand on the planet, Amazon has its own line of smart TVs that are designed to be affordable. These TVs do not offer the fancy bells and whistles of higher-end TVs, but they do offer a good picture quality and the functionality needed to enjoy watching TV shows, movies and other content, plus use the TV for gaming.

At the moment, Amazon has slashed the price of its own Amazon Fire 55-inch 4-Series smart TV by 27%, which brings the price down to just $380. This represents a savings of $140.

This 4K resolution TV, with a 60Hz refresh rate, was first released in 2021. It supports both HLG and HDR10 to showcase bright and vivid colors with good contrast and clarity. The TV also comes with a voice remote that supports Amazon's Alexa digital assistant. When it comes to connectivity, you get three HDMI ports, one Ethernet port, one USB port, a digital optical audio port and Wi-Fi. At its current sale price of $380, this TV represents a really good value for the money.

TCL 55" Class S4 4K LED smart TV (2023): $270 (22% off)

If a 55-inch smart TV is the ideal size for your living space, we suggest checking out this TCL 55-inch Class S4 LED smart TV. This is the 2023 model that offers a 60Hz refresh rate. For enhanced picture quality, you'll enjoyg Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10 and HLG support. And for audio, Dolby Atmos is utilized.

Right out of the box, the TV is compatible with Apple AirPlay and comes with a voice remote that supports Amazon Alexa. The Auto Game Mode allows the TV to automatically adjust its settings to optimize how your favorite console-based video games look and sound.

And speaking of sound, the TV offers Bluetooth Personal Audio, which allows you to wirelessly pair noise cancelling headphones or earbuds with the TV to enjoy a private listening experience with enhanced audio quality that fully takes advantage of Dolby Atmos. With this TV currently on sale at Amazon, you'll get a lot of TV technology for a very affordable price.

Vizio 55" Class V-Series 4K UHD LED smart TV: $248 ($71 off)

Vizio is known for low-cost TVs that leave out fancy bells and whistles to provide a more affordable viewing experience. In this case, you get a 55-inch LED smart TV that offers 4K resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate and a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. Right now, Walmart has this Vizio Class V-Series on sale for $248, which represents a savings of $71.

This TV uses Dolby Vision to showcase bright colors with really good detail. This is complemented by a feature Vizio calls active pixel tuning. It automatically divides the TV into more than 2,000 zones and then ensures that each offers the perfect level of brightness and contrast, based on the content you're watching.

With this TV, you also get free and unlimited access to Watch Free+, which offers an ever-expensing library of on-demand TV shows, movies and other content. And of course, you can also access all of the streaming services you subscribe to and take advantage of AirPlay or Chromecast to wirelessly stream content from compatible devices. You'll discover this is a versatile, general purpose TV that will make a great addition to a bedroom, child's room or guest room.

Amazon Fire 55" Omni QLED Series 4K smart TV: $450 (25% off)

Here's another model from Amazon's own smart TV brand. It's powered using the FireTV OS and is a 4K resolution QLED TV with a 60Hz refresh rate and full array local dimming (with 64 zones). 

To enhance picture quality, the TV supports HDR10, HLG, HDR HDR10+ Adaptive, Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Gaming. It's also equipped with four HDMI ports, one USB 2.0 port, an Ethernet port and a digital optical audio port. 

Of course, since this is an Amazon TV, it comes with a voice remote that offers Amazon Alexa digital assistant support, so you can control the TV and all other Alexa-compatible smart gear within your home using voice commands. This TV will make a nice addition to any home, especially when you can snag it for 25% off (but only for a limited time).

TCL 55" Q6 QLED 4K smart TV (2023): $350 (30% off)

Speaking of affordable smart TVs, here's an option from TCL. It's a 2023 model of the 55-inch Q6 QLED smart TV with a 60Hz refresh rate. Right now, Amazon is offering this TV for just $350, which is 30% off its usual price of $500.

For enhanced picture, the TV makes full use of Dolby Vision, HDR Pro+, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, so the colors you see displayed on the screen will be bright, clear and accurate -- with good contrast and detail. Using the TV's Motion Rate 240 feature, anytime you're watching something that involves high action -- like sports, a movie or a video game -- the TV automatically enhances the picture so the action appears smooth and lag-free.

The Q6 is powered using the GoogleTV OS, so you get easy access to all of the streaming services you subscribe to, along with access to Google Assistant. And when it comes to gaming, the TV offers an Auto Game Mode with AMD FreeSync support. You even get DTS Virtual: X support for listening to immersive 3D audio from just the TV's speakers.

LG 70" Class 4K UHD webOS smart TV: $498 ($150 off)

Rounding out this curated collection of the best smart TV deals under $500 comes this rather massive LG 70-inch, LED 4K resolution TV with a 60Hz refresh rate, HDR10 Pro support and a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. It's powered using the WebOS 22 operating system.

Thanks to this TV's a5 Gen5 AI processor, it's able to showcase bright and clear native 4K resolution content, but also handle real-time upscaling to bring lower-resolution content up to near 4K quality. Plus, you get access to 300+ LG Channels for free, so there's always TV shows, movies and other content to watch.

This 70-inch TV can become the perfect centerpiece for an affordable home theater setup. Just add a complete surround sound system and maybe some behind-the-TV smart lights, like the Govee Envisual TV Backlight T2 system ($160). Don't wait too long to take advantage of this sale at Walmart. Time and inventory are limited.

Don't forget to add a soundbar

The problem with most larger TVs, especially the inexpensive ones, is sound quality. There's super easy fix for this -- connect a soundbar to the TV. Here are two low-cost, but great-sounding, TV options that will dramatically enhance the sound quality of any smart TV, including those in this roundup. For additional help, be sure to check out our coverage of the best soundbars for 2023.

Roku Streambar Pro: $173

Roku offers this low-cost, but rather amazing sounding, TV soundbar that can be connected to virtually any smart TV. This allows the TV to deliver cinematic quality sound without needed a separate subwoofer or rear speakers. (Although you can add these components anytime you wish.)

The soundbar alone, however, uses Dolby Audio to generate virtual surround sound that's able to fill an average size room with rich audio. And as an added bonus, the Roku Streambar Pro has integrated RokuTV technology, so any TV can take full advantage of the popular smart TV operating system that gives you easy access to all of the streaming services you subscribe to, along with free access to the Roku Channel. A voice remote is included with the soundbar.

The soundbar connects to almost any smart TV using either an HDMI-ARC, standard HDMI port or a TV's optical digital audio port. Inside the soundbar, you'll discover four 2.5-inch full range speakers. If you're looking for a fast, easy and low cost way to dramatically enhance the audio quality your TV is able to generate, we recommend the Roku Streambar Pro.

Amazon Fire TV soundbar: $100 (17% off)

The Amazon Fire TV soundbar is a relatively new addition to Amazon's own product line. It's a low cost sound bar that works seamlessly with any Amazon FireTV, or any other smart TV from any other brands. This is a 2.0 channel speaker system (utilizing two 20-watt stereo speakers) that supports Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual: X. 

One of this soundbar's features is that it's able to make dialogue sound extra clear, even when loud music and/or special effects are part of the content you're watching. The Fire TV Soundbar connects to a TV using a single cable that plugs into the TV's HDMI eARC/ARC port. The soundbar is 24-inches long and 2.5-inches tall, so for a soundbar, it's utilizes a rather compact design.

Save on all of your holiday shopping

Regardless of what you're shopping for this holiday season, the CBS Essentials expert shoppers have you covered with roundups of the very best money-saving deals you can take full advantage of right away. Why spend top dollar on holiday gifts when you can potentially save a fortune?

And if you're totally stumped about what to give someone special this holiday season and you want some innovative and fun ideas, we've got you covered with a wide range of holiday gift guides that'll help you find the ideal gift for your husband, dad, mother, wife, children, and even your pets, so be sure to check out our latest holiday guides as well. Don't worry, it's not too late to get that perfect gift for each of the people on your holiday shopping list.

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