Are cheap TVs any good? I bought a budget TV from Amazon that's currently on sale for under $300 — the value is unbeatable

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4 days ago

This "unbeatable" budget TV is on sale for $280 right now.
I was recently in the market for a new smart TV and given that I've never actually been in charge of selecting a device on my own, I was pretty stumped. All I knew was that I didn't want to spend a fortune and that the TV needed to have the ability to stream apps like Disney+, Prime Video, Netflix and other favourites. Other than that, I wanted something that was fairly light and with decent visuals
After doing some research, I settled on a relatively inexpensive TCL Smart TV from Amazon Canada that seemed to fit all my criteria. However, given that it's regularly only $350 — and currently on sale for $280 — I was skeptical about whether it would actually be decent quality.
I've been using it for a few months now, and I'm happy to report that I shouldn't have been skeptical — this cost-effective TV is fantastic and has seriously improved our leisure time. Scroll onwards to read my full review of the TCL 43-Inch Class S4 4K LED Smart TV and see if it's the right fit for your home.
Amazon deal: Save $70 on a TCL 43-Inch Class S4 4K LED Smart TV
The details
The TV has 4K Ultra HD Resolution, Motion Rate 120 and HDR PRO that provides exceptional visual detail, improved motion clarity and enhanced contrast. It also has Dolby Atmos which provides an immersive, cinematic audio experience.
For streaming, it has Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Spotify and dozens of other popular services as well as the ability to search and download less popular apps.
It has three HDMI inputs for gaming and other needs, and has Alexa technology that let's you hold down the voice button and ask her to find and launch content.
In terms of appearance, the TV has an edge-to-edge glass design that would look perfect in any setting.
What I like about it
The interface: As mentioned, I'm not very tech-savvy, so I anticipated that I'd struggle — but I truly had no issues. It's extremely user-friendly to find what your looking for and to start watching right way. It also has voice control technology, so you can ask it to launch programs for you when you don't feel like typing. The interface is also customizable and you can change the audio-visual options tor the different streaming apps.
Streaming options: The TV comes loaded with all of the most popular apps like Netflix, YouTube and more — and you can search and download more niche apps. For instance, my partner downloaded the Kanopy app so he can watch library-sourced documentaries and Armenian animations. As well, we found it easy to stream from our phones and laptops and cast it to the TV.
The visuals: One of the first things we did was watch The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the difference in visual quality between the TCL and our old TV was immediately noticeable. A few quotes from my fiancé:
"Shit, that's crisp!"
"I'm getting lost in Elijah Woods's blue eyes."
"There's even enough brightness settings to make The Rings of Power watchable."
The set up: From taking the TV out of the box to getting it mounted on our wall and watching Netflix, the entire process took maybe 10 minutes. It likely would have taken us less than that but it took us a a bit to figure out how to attach it to our wall mount (entirely our own fault, not a negative to the TV at all).
The weight: I was genuinely shocked at how light this TV is! Our old, non-smart TV weighs about 30 pounds. The TCL weighs under five pounds, which made it extremely easy to carry up the stairs to our apartment and subsequently hang on the mount we already owned.
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What I dislike about it
The size: The only thing I dislike about this TV is the size, and that's entirely my own fault for choosing a 43" instead of a 50." When doing the measurements, I made the error of measuring the width of the wall we would mount it on. From that I surmised I needed a 43" TV, but the way TVs are measured is across the diagonal. Because of my error, the television is a little too small for the area we have it in, but it's not the worst problem to have!
What others are saying
The TV has a 4.0-star rating on Amazon Canada and has been bought more than 300 times in the last month.
"The best budget TV I've ever owned," says one customer. "I would recommend it all day."
Another notes that they're "impressed with what this TV offers," particularly "at such an affordable price point."
Others write that "the colours are rich and vibrant," it's "very easy to set up" and offers "unbeatable value."
However, a few people say "the sound isn't the best" — I would agree that it's not exactly cinematic or comparable to what you'd get out of a sound bar, but the sound quality is not a concern at all for me.
The verdict
I am extremely pleased with the TCL 43-Inch Class S4 4K LED Smart TV, and would 100 per cent recommend buying it. In fact, I'm likely going to repurchase this TV in a bigger size when it's on sale.
I've been using it for a few months now and I'm impressed with the quality of this device, its weight and how easy it is to set up — and at just $280, it doesn't break the bank, which is always a bonus.
If you're on the hunt for an affordable TV that gives excellent performance, I'd definitely check it out.