More and more often we hear about ultra-technological televisions that allow you to install multimedia apps and enjoy streaming services without having to use other connected devices. If so far we believed that these types of televisions were inaccessible to our pockets, you are wrong: there are various cheap Smart TVs available on the market, at a reasonable price (under € 400) that allow you to install the most famous multimedia apps and to take advantage of the new TV for streaming Internet. In this guide we will show you how to choose the cheapest Smart TVs, what features they must have and finally we will show you a list of models that we can buy online to save even more.
READ ALSO: Best Smart TV for app system from Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic
Guide to cheaper Smart TVs
When we talk about cheap Smart TVs, we will have to pay attention to the features offered by the device, to avoid taking a TV with a multimedia part that is too slow or not compatible with the most famous apps that we intend to use.Cheap Smart TV features
In order to be used without regrets, an inexpensive Smart TV must necessarily have the following characteristics:- Wi-Fi connection : since the TV may be far from the modem or router at home, it is better to be able to take advantage of the wireless connection at home to access the Internet. For purposes, both the 2.4 GHz connection and the 5 GHz connection (faster) are fine.
- HD Resolution : Many budget TVs have HD Ready support, which provides a maximum resolution of 1280 × 720 pixels. This resolution can only work on smaller TVs (less than 36 inches), while to take advantage of a 40-inch Smart TV or higher we always recommend focusing on Full HD, i.e. on the resolution 1920 × 1080 pixels. In this price range, 4K UHD TVs are uncommon, but still available (evaluate only the 43-inch models and above).
- Smart operating system : on many cheap Smart TVs we find the Android operating system in an unofficial version : it is therefore not Android TV (available only on high-end TVs), but an Android version for smartphones optimized to work on the TV ; we can then install the smartphone apps on our TV without any particular problems. Unfortunately, some apps will not recognize the TV as a TV screen but as a large smartphone, so we may run into interface compatibility problems (we will have to use the mouse commands available on the remote control to be able to manage some apps); to this we add that often the version of Android inserted in the TV is quite obsolete (we can find Android 4.4 or Android 5) and some apps may no longer be available. If we want more optimization for multimedia apps and streaming movies, we recommend that you focus only on Smart TV models sold by well-known manufacturers (such as LG, HISENSE, Sharp and Samsung) and avoid Smart TVs with unofficial Android .
- Ports and connections : in order to support any type of external device, we recommend checking the number of USB ports and HDMI ports; on a good Smart TV there must be at least 3 HDMI ports and at least 2 USB ports. If we want to connect the TV via Ethernet cable, we check that there is also the appropriate port on the back of the TV.
- Compatibility of modern TV standards : in order to make a long-lasting purchase (without having to later point to an external decoder), we recommend checking if the TV has support for the DVB-T2 standard, the HEVC codec (H.265) and the HbbTV standard . If the TV is equipped with all three elements mentioned above, we will be able to see the digital terrestrial channels broadcast in a few years without problems. If we intend to use the Tivùsat platform without an external decoder, make sure that there is a DVB-S2 digital tuner and a CI + (Common Interface Plus) type Smart CAM slot on our inexpensive Smart TV.
These are the main features to check at the time of purchase, so you can make a sensible purchase and not dictated by haste or desire to save at all costs. The lack of even one of the features mentioned could ruin our multimedia experience with the purchased Smart TV forever.
Buying Guide
After having seen together the features that an economic Smart TV must have, let's see together the models that we can buy online on Amazon, so as to further save and obtain models with all the features listed above.JVC Smart TV Full HD
One of the cheapest Smart TVs is signed by JVC and has a 32 "FullHD screen, Smart function with a proprietary operating system (including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video), DVBT2 / C / S2 tuner, HEVC - H265 codec support, Sky HD Certifications and TV sat 4K and CAM slot.
We can view this model here -> JVC Smart TV Full HD (219 €).
Sharp Aquos Smart TV HD
If we want superior sound quality, we can focus on this model signed Sharp, with Wi-Fi connection, integrated sound system created by Harman Kardon, Active Motion to manage moving images, DTS audio support and proprietary operating system.
We can view this model here -> Sharp Aquos Smart TV HD (€ 213).
HISENSE H40BE5500 Full HD LED TV
Another very interesting Smart TV is the HISENSE H40BE5500, which features a 40-inch Full HD screen, triple tuner for DVB-C, DVB-S2, DVB-T2 HD (H.265 codec), CI + slot, WiFi, Ethernet, Screen Mirroring, HDMI x2, USB x2, USB media player and Vidaa U operating system with Prime Video, Netflix, Dazn, TimVision and ChiliTV apps.
We can view this model here -> HISENSE H40BE5500 (279 €).
Samsung UE43NU7090UXZT Smart TV 4K
Among the best Smart TVs in the category we find the Samsung product, which has a 43-inch UHD screen (3840 x 2160 pixels), HDR technology that guarantees brightness and bright colors, reduced thickness and thin frame, Tizen operating system with support for all multimedia and streaming apps available at the moment.
We can view this model here -> Samsung UE43NU7090UXZT (338 €).
HISENSE H55BE7000 Ultra HD 4K LED TV
The largest TV that we can buy in this price range is the HISENSE, which has a 55-inch 4K HDR display, Vidaa U3.0 Smart TV system with support for Prime Video, Netflix, Dazn, TimVision and ChiliTV, technology Precision Color to reproduce more accurate and natural colors, Audio DTS Studio Sound, DVB-T2 / S2 HEVC HLG tuner, WiFi connectivity, CI + Slot, HDMI x3, USB x2, Headphone output and voice commands with Alexa.
We can view this model here -> HISENSE H55BE7000 (€ 379).
Conclusions
It is not necessary to spend € 1000 to be able to get a latest generation Smart TV, since we can get all the Smart features requested by spending less than € 400 (we can also find valid 4K UHD TVs).To learn more about the Smart features of a TV, we can read our guide on What Smart TV means, what are the advantages and disadvantages .
If, on the other hand, we have films or TV series saved on the PC, we can view them on Smart TV by reading our in-depth analysis on How to See Movies and videos on Smart-TV from PC, web and smartphone .
If, on the other hand, we wish to record television broadcasts via Smart TV, we recommend that you read our gudia on How to record episodes and films on Smart TV .
