Vizio M43-C1 LED Smart TV
At just under $500, the Vizio M43-C1 offers the best picture quality with high contrast ratios, meaning its blacks are twice as dark and its whites are twice as bright as some of its competitors. This high contrast makes it perfect for viewing educational documentaries and entertaining reality shows both at night in low light or during the day with reflective glare from windows. It also offers 4K Ultra HD resolution instead of 1080 pixels. The Vizio M43-C1 was an all around top pick.
LG 43LF5900 LED Smart TV
This LG TV uses webOS 2.0, one of the best smart interfaces that's hard to find in LG's lower tier. This TV option offers excellent color reproduction a 42.5-inch screen, and 3 HDMI inputs to keep you connected to all your external components. It's the perfect size for a small dorm room, adding a touch of class and sophistication.
Sharp LC-48LE653U LED Smart TV
For night owls, this Sharp TV has good color and contrast ratios in a 48-inch screen, but it's better without sun glare from windows. It also has Netflix for streaming your favorite movies or Internet shows.
Samsung J6200 Series UN40J6200 LED Smart TV
The Samsung J6200 is known for its uniform black levels, smooth motion resolution, and rich colors. If you're a fan of the Samsung brand, this is one of their best options for less than $500. It has the best choice of apps in the industry and the peace of mind of Samsung's tight security.
Sony Bravia W600B KDL40W600BLED Full HD Smart TV
Chosen two years in a row as a top TV under $500, the Sony Bravia is a bargain. It's fully loaded with a Smart platform, 4 HDMI inputs, and a premium display. If 40 inches is just a bit too small, upgrade to 48 inches for only about $50 more.
Vizio E480i-B2 LED Smart TV
A 48-inch TV is a good-sized TV for a dorm room. It's big enough that everyone in the room will be able to see it without straining their eyes, but not to big that it will take up precious space that could be used for storing important college items like textbooks and pizza boxes. With 1080 pixels, this Smart TV offers a great picture for less than $200.
Gone are the days of expensive, poor-quality boxy TVs. Affordable, high-quality, high-tech TVs are commonplace. You can now get a bigger TV with high picture quality that connects to the Internet for under $500, with plenty of competition to keep the prices dropping. Jazz up your dorm room this semester with one of the great dorm-friendly TVs on this list!
Worried about where your new TV will live over summer break or while you're abroad? Don't fret. College Student Storage offers secure and affordable storage services for your valuables and other belongings.
Image via Flickr by Janitors
