The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a bounty when you generate a quote.After years of growing pains during the transition to 4K, it's finally a good time to upgrade from an HD set. Don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of great 4K TVs released over the past couple of years, but the best features have finally started to make their way into sets that a lot more people can afford.To prove this point, I've highlighted 4K TVs from Vizio, TCL, and LG that cost under $500, support HDR (high dynamic range), and have built-in smart features.If you've never heard of HDR, it's basically a technology that makes the colors on your screen look a lot more accurate and true to life. This makes so much of a difference in image quality that many people consider HDR to be a bigger deal than the jump in resolution from 1080P to 4K.Below, I've broken down what makes each of the TVs stand out, but really, there's no wrong choice among the three of them. The most important thing is that great 4K TVs are more affordable than ever, which is great news for anyone looking to get one.My top three 4K and HDR TVs under $500:TCL 55" 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV with HDR, $499.99, available at AmazonVIZIO 55" 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR, $499.99, available at Best BuyLG 43" UJ6300 Series 4K TV with HDR, $299.99, available at Best BuySEE ALSO:The best TV stands you can buyTCL's 5-SeriesTCL 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV, $499.99, available at AmazonAfter having what was considered the best TV under $1,000 last year, TCL's 2018 models build upon that success. Its 5-Series TVs support Dolby Vision HDR, which lets them recalibrate their color based on the scene you're watching. Older versions of HDR, while still made movies and TV shows look a lot better than normal, would only color calibrate once.The set above has three HDMI ports for game consoles and other accessories, and a USB port so you can plug in a flash drive and play media without streaming it over the internet.Instead of relying on programmers to make custom apps for its TVs, TCL made a very smart move and designed them with Roku software built in. Not only does this save you from clogging up an HDMI port with a media streamer, it means you're able to access all 5,000 of Roku's "channels" right out of the box.Those "channels" include everything from Netflix and Hulu to more niche content like the anime-only Crunchyroll. I've used streaming boxes for almost 10 years, and Roku's is the easiest to navigate and understand. This TCL TV also includes a Roku voice remote, so you'll be able to access the content you want without having to push a lot of buttons.Vizio's E-SeriesVIZIO 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV with High Dynamic Range, $499.99, available at Best BuyWhat sets Vizio's TVs apart from the rest is that they use a screen technology called Active Full Dimming that helps get the lighting in scenes just right. For its latest E-Series TVs, the screen is broken up into 10 individual zones, and the back lights behind each zone are illuminated at different intensities depending on what's happening on the screen.The example I was shown at a demo earlier this year was a firework in a night sky; local dimming allowed the area around the explosion to be bright without having to light up the entire screen. This is a feature normally reserved for more expensive TVs (which have even more zones), but it's impressive that Vizio managed to get it into a set that costs only $500.This TV also supports Dolby Vision HDR and has three HDMI ports and a single USB port. Like most Vizio TVs from the past couple of years, this set has a Chromecast built in, so you can stream any media from a Chromecast-enabled app on your phone or table to the screen. There's also a built-in app store, which has streaming services like Netflix and Hulu on it, if you prefer not to stream media from another device.Finally, if you have aGoogle Home, the Chromecast inside Vizio's E-Series TVs also allows you to stream media from itto the TV using your voice instead of using a remote. The company has built some of the same functionality into a skill for the Amazon Echo.LG UJ6300 SeriesLG 43" UJ6300 Series 4K TV with HDR, $299.99, available at Best BuyLG's 43" UJ6300 Series TV is a good choice for people who have a strict size and price budget. Although it's smaller and only supports HDR10 and not Dolby Vision HDR, this TV will still look better than a standard 4K or 1080P set.Like many of LG's recent TVs, the UJ6300 Series includes WebOS, a robust operating system that gives the set some PC-like qualities, including a full web browser. You'll also be able to access streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify through a built-in app store.The TV has three HDMI ports and two USB ports, so you'll have plenty of places to plug your gadgets of choice into the big screen.LG even has its own content service called "Channel Plus," which presents 70 free video streams from the internet in a traditional cable TV-like fashion. Channel Plus makes it easy to flip between traditional news sources like NBC or CBS alongside online video streaming from Mic and POPSUGAR. Video from these sources is constantly being streamed, and you can flip between them using the channel up and down buttons on your remote, just like regular cable.The lack of Dolby Vision HDR may be a deal breaker for some people, but this is still a great TV choice for $300.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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