Best TVs Under £500 on Boxing Day 2026

Boxing Day remains one of the most competitive days in the UK retail calendar for televisions. Retailers cut prices hard to clear stock before the new year, and the TV category consistently delivers some of the deepest discounts across the whole sales period. If your budget is £500, you are in a strong position — this price bracket sits right at the sweet spot where screen size, panel quality, and smart TV features converge.

This guide cuts through the noise. Below, you will find an honest editorial verdict, the models worth tracking, and a clear-eyed breakdown of what you will and will not get for your money.

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Editorial Verdict (Is this budget realistic at Boxing Day?)

Yes — £500 is a credible, well-placed budget for Boxing Day TV shopping in 2026. At this price point, you can expect screens between 43 and 65 inches from established brands, with 4K resolution, HDR support, and built-in smart platforms as standard. These are not stripped-back entry-level sets; they are mid-range models discounted from higher original prices.

The key caveat: not every deal you see on Boxing Day represents a meaningful reduction. Some retailers inflate the “was” price in the weeks before the sale to make the discount appear larger than it is. We track pricing data from October onwards, and we will flag which deals in this guide represent legitimate drops from stable pre-sale pricing.

At £500, you are not getting OLED, and you are not getting premium processing from the flagship ranges. But for most living rooms, the TVs available at this budget are more than capable. The editorial verdict is straightforward — shop this budget with confidence, but shop it with information.

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What You Can Expect at This Budget on Boxing Day

In the £300–£500 range, Boxing Day 2026 is expected to follow the same pattern as previous years: major retailers competing on identical or near-identical models, with Currys, Argos, and Amazon all running simultaneous promotions.

At this budget, expect:

• Screen sizes: 43-inch to 65-inch 4K sets from Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL
• Panel type: Predominantly VA LCD panels, with some entry-level QLED (quantum dot LCD) options
• Smart platforms: Google TV, Tizen, webOS, and VIDAA — all functional, all well-supported
• HDR support: HDR10 and HLG as standard; Dolby Vision on select models
• Refresh rate: 60Hz native on most models, with some 120Hz panels entering this price tier

What this budget does not routinely deliver: OLED panels, advanced local dimming arrays, or the image processing found in premium tiers. Those trade-offs are covered further down.

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Top Budget TV Picks to Watch

These four models are the ones to track heading into Boxing Day 2026. Prices below are expected sale estimates based on historical discount patterns and current retail pricing.

Samsung 43-inch CU7100

Expected Boxing Day price: £279–£319
Retailers to check: Currys, Amazon, Samsung direct

The CU7100 is Samsung’s core entry-level 4K set, and it regularly appears in Boxing Day sales at significant reductions. The 43-inch variant is a reliable choice for bedrooms or smaller living spaces. It runs Samsung’s Tizen smart platform, which is fast, well-organised, and supports all major UK streaming services including iPlayer, ITVX, Netflix, and Disney+.

Panel performance is solid rather than exceptional — contrast and black levels are adequate for a bright room, and peak brightness handles HDR content reasonably well. The CU7100 does not have local dimming, so dark scene performance is limited. What it does offer is dependability: Samsung’s build quality, after-sales support, and software update track record are among the best in the industry at this price.

If you want a trusted brand name at a low outlay, this is the logical starting point.

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Hisense 55-inch E7K

Expected Boxing Day price: £329–£389
Retailers to check: Argos, Currys, Amazon

Hisense has earned a firm foothold in the UK market by offering larger screens and better panel specs than the major brands at comparable prices. The 55-inch E7K is a QLED set with a 60Hz panel, Dolby Vision support, and Hisense’s VIDAA smart platform — a clean, straightforward interface that loads quickly and covers all core streaming apps.

The E7K’s picture is noticeably more vivid than similarly priced Samsung LCD sets, thanks to the quantum dot layer improving colour volume. Motion handling is competent for day-to-day viewing, though dedicated gaming features are limited compared to sets from LG or Sony at higher price points.

For households that want a big screen, strong colour, and Dolby Vision without pushing past £400, the E7K is one of the most compelling options in this guide. Hisense typically discounts aggressively on Boxing Day, and this model is worth adding to your alert list from early December.

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TCL 50-inch QLED (C64 Series)

Expected Boxing Day price: £299–£359
Retailers to check: Amazon, Currys

TCL’s C64 series brings QLED picture quality into the sub-£400 bracket, and the 50-inch version represents strong value per square inch of screen. It runs Google TV, which is one of the better smart platforms currently available — intuitive, personalised, and deeply integrated with Google Assistant if that matters to you.

The C64 supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. It has a 60Hz panel, which is fine for streaming and standard broadcast but falls short for console gaming at high frame rates. The design is understated and slim, and the remote is well-built for the price.

TCL’s customer service and warranty support have improved substantially and the brand is now consistently recommended by UK consumer testers. At its expected Boxing Day price, the 50-inch C64 earns its place among the strongest value propositions in this budget bracket.

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LG 43-inch UR7800

Expected Boxing Day price: £299–£349
Retailers to check: Currys, LG direct, Amazon

LG’s UR7800 is the brand’s workhorse 4K LED set, and the 43-inch version is a staple of Boxing Day TV promotions. It runs webOS — arguably the most polished smart TV interface in this price tier — and supports both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, which is a meaningful inclusion at this price.

Picture quality is strong for an LCD panel at this size. LG’s processing handles upscaling from HD content well, and the set performs comfortably in average ambient light conditions. The UR7800 also includes four HDMI ports and two USB inputs, which is a practical advantage over some competitors that trim connectivity to reduce costs.

If you want LG’s reliability, webOS, and Dolby Vision in a compact set, this is the model to watch.

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What You Have to Compromise On at This Budget

Transparency matters here. At £500 and below, there are genuine limitations:

• OLED panels: Not available in this bracket. OLED delivers superior contrast, black levels, and viewing angles, but the entry price remains well above £500.
• 120Hz native panels: Most sets at this price use 60Hz panels. Higher refresh rates make a visible difference for gaming and fast-motion sport.
• Advanced local dimming: Few models under £500 include full-array local dimming. Contrast in dark scenes will be noticeably softer than on premium sets.
• Audio quality: Speakers on budget TVs are adequate, not impressive. Budget separately for a soundbar if audio matters.
• Long-term software support: Budget models from lesser-known brands often receive fewer years of OS updates than flagship models from Samsung and LG.

These are not deal-breakers — they are trade-offs to understand before you buy.

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What to Avoid at This Budget

Unknown brands with no UK track record. Sets from brands with no UK warranty infrastructure or customer support are a risk regardless of price. If something goes wrong six months in, you want a straightforward returns and repair process.

Inflated “was” prices. A TV listed at £499 with a “was £899” tag is only a good deal if the TV was selling at or near £899 for a sustained period. Use price-tracking tools such as CamelCamelCamel (for Amazon) or PriceSpy to check price history before committing.

Refurbished sets without clear grading. Refurbished can be fine, but only from retailers with clear condition grading and a minimum 12-month warranty.

Sets with no smart platform updates past 2024. Check the manufacturer’s stated software support window before buying. A smart TV with an unsupported platform is a liability within two to three years.

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FAQ

Q: Is £500 enough to get a decent 55-inch TV on Boxing Day 2026?
A: Yes, in most cases. Brands like Hisense and TCL regularly bring 55-inch QLED sets into the £329–£399 range during Boxing Day sales. You will not get OLED or a high-refresh panel at this size for £500, but the picture quality from a QLED set at this price is good for everyday viewing.

Q: Which retailers offer the best TV deals on Boxing Day?
A: Currys, Amazon, and Argos are consistently the most competitive for TV deals in the UK. Currys tends to offer the widest selection and price-match on the day. Amazon often moves fastest on stock, particularly for popular sizes. Argos is worth checking for bundled offers — they occasionally include soundbars or HDMI cables at no extra cost.

Q: Should I buy a TV on Boxing Day or wait for January sales?
A: Boxing Day delivers the sharpest discounts of the post-Christmas period. Stock on the most popular models at the lowest prices typically clears within 24 to 48 hours. The January sales that follow tend to feature either restocked items at slightly higher prices or end-of-line models. If you have identified the model you want, Boxing Day is the more reliable window to secure it at the lowest price.

Q: How do I avoid fake discounts on Boxing Day?
A: Track the model you want from at least six weeks before Boxing Day using a price history tool. If the “sale” price matches or is close to the price the set was selling at in October or November, the discount is minimal. A strong Boxing Day deal is one where the price drops clearly and materially below the product’s stable pre-sale price.