Best TVs under $1,000
Did you know you can get a 60-inch Smart LED TV for less than a grand? Check out our favorite bargains of the year for under four figures.
Panasonic TC-P50ST60
As the only TV CNET has ever given five stars, the ST60 series is an amazing value for the quality of picture it delivers. The smallest size, 50 inches, starts just under the magic $1000 number. Buy it while you can.
Panasonic TC-P50S60
It can't match the picture quality of the ST60 in brighter rooms, but the S60 is an equally good value thanks to its rock-bottom price. You simply can't get a better TV for the money. The only downside it the 60-inch version costs slightly more than a grand, so we're listing the 50-incher here.
Sharp LC-60LE650U
At press time Sharp's cheapest 60-inch LED LCD cost a few bucks more than our $1000 limit, but it's a good enough value to include anyway. We think it's destined for a price reduction this year to take it under the barrier, and even if that doesn't happen it still has better picture quality than the 60-inch Vizio on the next slide.
Vizio E601i-A3
Samsung UN50F6300
Yes, at 50 inches it's smaller than either the Sharp or the Vizio, and it doesn't beat either of those two in picture quality, but it does offer sleeker style and the industry's best Smart TV platform.
Panasonic TC-L58E60
Panasonic is best known for its value-first plasmas, but the E60 LED LCD, now under a grand for the 58-inch size, is an excellent alternative.
TCL LE58FHDE3010
You say you want a TV larger than 55 inches, but you want to pay less than $800? We don't know of any that qualify aside from this TCL. Think of its "good enough" picture quality as icing on the delicious big-for-the-buck cake.
Samsung PN51F5500
Falling somewhere between the Panasonic plasmas on the price scale, this 51-inch Samsung's not-too-shabby picture isn't enough to recommend it over those two. For that, you'd need to turn to its excellent Smart TV suite.