This is the dorm room TV I'd buy if I were heading back to college this semester — and it’s on sale for $279

(Image credit: Hisense)

In college, two things were especially important to me: being thrifty with my spending and curating a living space that reflected my personality.Back then, I dragged a bulky, 50-pound CRT TV from one dorm room to another. I didn’t care that it wasn’t a very good TV; it was cheap, so it allowed me to spend money on… other stuff.But if I was entering the college scene in 2026, I’d have way more cheap TVs to pick from — and cooler-looking ones, at that. The Hisense Déco S5 TV is a prime example of a set that college-me would’ve sprung for. It features an Art Deco-inspired design and looks like nothing else on the market. Right now, the 43-inch Hisense Deco TV is just $279 at Amazon. Here's why I wish I could send it back in time to the younger version of myself.The world of TVs is full of gray-and-black-colored rectangles. The Deco TV is different.This TV trades the straight lines and glowering demeanor of a standard-looking TV for a bubbly, cherubic design. It's also white, which doesn't seem like a significant detail until you realize just how breezy the light-colored chassis looks compared to the black-box style of boring ol' TVs.The Deco TV's design will fashionably stand out in a room with contrasting décor, like warm wood tones and vintage furniture. But it'll also fit right into a colorful, neon-lit dorm room.