Want to give dad the gift of 4K this Father’s Day? You’ll want one of these four 4K TVs, all of which are in the sale bin at Best Buy — and with pricing starting at only $300 for a 49-inch and maxing out at $700 for a 75-inch, there’s bound to be something for everyone.
49-inch LG UM6900 4K TV – $300, was $320
The 49-inch LG UM6900 4K TV is a terrific all-rounder that’s stunning for movies, TV shows, and games, featuring a 4K Upscale Engine processor that transforms HD and Full HD content into a higher 4K Ultra HD resolution for even more mouth-watering and crisp details. The downside? The picture isn’t particularly bright and its ports can be better placed (they’re backward-facing and located almost near the center, although there are some side-facing ports that are more convenient).
The UM6900’s 4K LCD display is packed with 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. It supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) which works with LG’s own Active HDR to make each shot sharper and more dynamic, and as realistic as possible. Furthermore, advanced color mapping and color-enhancing technology ensure that colors are accurate and remain vibrant at all times. The contrasts could use some work, though, and the display could definitely be brighter, but these drawbacks don’t ruin the overall viewing experience.
This TV runs with LG’s artificial intelligence-driven WebOS smart software, which acts as a portal to all the leading streaming services. The interface is fast, responsive, and well-organized, with easy access to all of your favorite streaming apps and channels both online and broadcast. And with voice assistants Alexa and Google Assistant integrated, you can opt for hands-free control and content search. LG’s astonishing Magic Remote is compatible with this TV, but unfortunately, it requires a separate purchase.
If the LG UM6900 doesn’t compare with LG’s premium OLED screen; nevertheless, its picture quality is pretty good and its relatively affordable price won’t burn a hole in your bank account. Get a 49-inch unit for just $300 instead of the usual $320 today at Best Buy.
55-inch LG UN7300 4K TV – $480, was $500
The UN7300 sits near the lower end of LG’s 4K TV range, but it still manages to shine thanks to its exceptionally bright display, wide viewing angles, and excellent smart TV features. This TV’s design is simple. It is made entirely of plastic with chunky black bezels surrounding the screen. Its stands are plain-looking but sturdy, and the black panel, while a bit nondescript, doesn’t distract. At 3.5 inches thick, this TV might not be well suited for wall mounting as it’s going to stick out from the wall quite a bit.
Behind this TV you’ll find three HDMI ports, two USB ports, a coaxial connector for hooking up an antenna, and combination component and composite video inputs. There’s a LAN port for connecting to your home network via Ethernet, but the TV also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi built in. If you have a soundbar (or are planning to buy one), we have great news: The second HDMI port also supports an audio return channel, (sometimes called HDMI ARC), letting you use a single HDMI connection for all of the audio.
This TV flaunts a widescreen display with 3,840 x 2,160 pixels or four times the resolution of Full HD, and it’s quite good for most content. The IPS panel has wide viewing angles, so it will look good no matter where you’re sitting. And since this TV is illuminated by direct backlighting, you won’t have any problem putting it in a brightly lit room. A couple of things we didn’t like: Color accuracy wasn’t the best, and contrast was mediocre. Watching scenes with extreme contrast between light and dark, you’ll notice that although the lights are pretty bright, the darks aren’t the deepest. Still, we were pretty happy with the overall picture quality. Furthermore, this TV supports multiple 4K Active HDR formats such as Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG.
One area that LG doesn’t compromise on is the smart TV experience. LG’s WebOS is one of our favorite smart TV platforms since it’s easy to navigate and offers decent app selection. You’ve got access to every popular streaming service, including Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube TV. What’s more, voice control is possible via the integration of both Google Assistant and Alexa. You can also connect your Apple and Android devices on the big screen as it supports AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connections.
The 55-inch LG UN7300 UHD 4K TV has an impressive display and is excellent value for your money. Get yours on Best Buy today for $480, a cool $20 off its normal retail price of $500.
65-inch Samsung 7 Series 4K TV – $530, was $550
The Samsung 7 Series is one of Samsung’s most affordable TV offerings that shoppers on a budget will greatly appreciate. It won’t sweep cinephiles off their feet, but it still manages to deliver a good performance even at its relatively low cost. This TV is made entirely out of plastic with nary any premium materials in sight. Slightly questionable build quality aside, it looks pretty solid. Although the two legs are spaced a bit far apart from each other, the TV doesn’t wobble, and cable management is provided by grooves on the back and clips found on both legs. On the TV’s back is a healthy collection of ports including three HDMI 2.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, component ports, LAN Ethernet port, RF input, and an optical audio output. They’re all facing backward, though, which could be a problem if you choose to mount this TV on your wall.
This TV has a VA-LCD panel that provides decent picture quality with deep blacks, accurate colors, and high native contrast. It also supports HDR content, so watching Netflix and YouTube videos at their optimum picture setting is a possibility. However, the brightness isn’t sufficient to withstand glare, especially in a brightly lit room. Another issue is the narrow viewing angle. When you sit directly in front of this TV it looks good, but even a slight switch of position to the side and the picture starts to look murky. Again, for the price, the picture quality is quite satisfactory. Just make sure you have few sources of light in your room and try to watch your shows directly in front of it. Oh, and don’t invite too many guests over. This TV is not meant for viewing parties.
We encountered no problems whatsoever when it came to the Samsung 7 Series’ smart TV interface. Running on Samsung’s Tizen 5 OS, the layout is simple and runs smoothly and snappily. Press the home button on the remote and you will pull up a row of shortcuts and a few recommended apps. It supports Apple AirPlay 2, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Furthermore, it has Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect a soundbar or pair of headphones to it wirelessly.
This TV’s stereo speakers are good but far from great; they are about what we expect from a slim midrange TV. The volume can be turned up loud enough to fill small to medium-sized rooms, dialogue sounds very clear, but this TV lacks a subwoofer so there’s no thump in the bass. You may want to purchase a soundbar.
The budget-friendly 65-inch Samsung 7 Series 4K TV is on sale at Best Buy right now for a cool $20 off. Get it for $530 instead of its normal retail price of $550.
75-inch TCL 4 Series 4K TV — $700 was $800
TCL’s Roku TVs hit a sweet spot between affordability and decent picture quality. The TCL 4 Series is one such TV. It might be TCL’s cheapest 4K offering yet (in fact, some 1080p displays are actually pricier) but you still get the superb Roku TV experience, surprising (albeit limited) HDR support, and excellent responsiveness for gaming. A couple of downsides include no local dimming and unimpressive motion handling.
The TCL 4 Series’ screen is packed with 3,840 x 2,160 pixels with direct backlighting and HDR (high-dynamic range) support. The result? A decent, if somewhat basic, 4K viewing experience. Color accuracy is fine but somewhat off. The orange hues of Blade Runner 2049′s dystopian landscapes appeared a bit pink. This also isn’t the brightest screen we’ve ever encountered, so it would be best not to place it in a well-lit room. This is the type of TV that must be watched directly in front of the screen. The sound quality is also relatively weak and won’t stand a chance in rooms with a lot of ambient noise. A soundbar ought to solve that issue.
At least this TV comes pre-built with Google Assistant for voice-powered convenience, and as usual, Roku TV remains one of our favorite TV platforms. What you’re getting is a wide variety of streaming services to watch, including Netflix and Hulu. Finally, although this TV doesn’t offer HDR support when gaming, it does deliver great response times, a superb advantage when playing fast-paced games. Right now, the 75-inch unit of the TCL 4 Series 4K TV is on sale at Best Buy for just $700 instead of $800.
