The best 50-inch TVs give you everything you’d get with a 55-inch model, but just a smidge smaller. Which means that when you want a 4K smart TV, but find that a 55-inch model might be too big or a little too expensive, you can get the right size without compromising on quality or features. From smart home compatibility and streaming services to high-dynamic range (HDR) and 4K resolution, you can get big quality in a 50-inch TV.
Our guide, What size TV should you buy? shows that a 50-inch TV is best for viewing when you’re sitting about four feet from the unit. That makes them a great match for a bedroom or small apartment.
Going with a 50-inch TV means you may miss out on some higher-end features, which are generally found in 55-inch and bigger TVs. But you will be able to save a few dollars versus the bigger sets that you’ll find.
What are the best 50-inch TVs?
We don’t usually test 50-inch TVs specifically, but more often focus on the 55- and 65-inch versions that have the same features and performance. When a manufacturer makes a great 55- or 65-inch TV, we expect the smaller model will be just as good, so we’ve based our picks for 50-inch TVs on our experience with the larger versions.
Our top 50-inch TV pick is the Samsung Q80T QLED TV, which features an impressive set of features and performance to match. With its crisp and vivid QLED screen, there’s no other 50-inch TV that comes close to the colors and contrast the Q80T delivers. It produces deeper blacks than a traditional LCD TV, similar to what an OLED can do. It handles fast action scenes and fast-paced games well. It has an easy to use and powerful smart operating system, and several voice assistants to choose from. But you’ll pay for the privilege of the experience, with this set costing twice as much as many other 50-inch TVs.
If you’re on a stricter budget, check out the Vizio M-Series Quantum M50Q7-H1, one of our favorite value TVs. It uses quantum dot technology to make colors pop more than a regular LCD and local dimming helps HDR appear all the more powerful. While its SmartCast operating system doesn’t offer as many apps as Samsung’s, it has improved with its latest version. If apps matter and you’re sticking to your budget, you may prefer the Hisense H8G, which runs Android TV and taps into all the goodness that comes with the Android universe.
The best 50-inch TVs in 2021
When you want the best 50-inch TV you can buy, the Samsung Q80T QLED is it. No other 50-inch TV can match its combination of performance and features. Its QLED screen delivers beautiful colors, deep blacks, and excellent brightness — all the things you want in a picture. It features a full array local dimming backlight to help it achieve its excellent contrast. Gamers and sports fanatics will love its fast 120Hz refresh rate.
The Q80T is packed with smarts, too. It uses Samsung’s Tizen platform, which includes most apps you could want. You have a choice of voice assistants: Samung’s Bixby, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Like other Samsung TVs, it doesn’t support Dolby Vision but it can do HDR10+. The best will cost you, however, as the Q80T runs more than twice as much as the more affordable units on this list.
Read our full Samsung Q80t QLED TV review.
The Vizio M-Series Quantum is considered a value 50-inch TV, but the low price doesn’t mean you have to compromise on picture quality. The M-Series Quantum delivers an impressive overall watching experience, thanks to its quantum-dot tech. The quantum dots boost the color and its full-array local dimming backlight translates to excellent HDR performance, including Dolby Vision support. It’s bright, sharp and even produces better-than-average sound.
The M-Series Quantum runs Vizio’s SmartCast 3.0, which has most, but not all, the apps you’ll want. With Chromecast and AirPlay 2 built in, you can stream content from your mobile device easily to overcome any gaps in the app selection. It’s lag time is decent for casual gaming, but hard-core players may notice a delay. Given its price for the performance you get, this is the TV we’d recommend for most people.
Read our full Vizio M-Series Quantum review.
The Hisense H8G Quantum Series is neck-and-neck with Vizio’s M-Series Quantum when it comes to the best value in a 50-inch TV. Like the M-Series, the H8G employs quantum dot technology to boost color performance. This slick-looking set benefits from a full-array local dimming backlight, which helps it contrast.
The H8G is bright and sharp overall, and it’s low lag time could make it a better affordable choice for gamers than the M-Series. We did see some issues with blurring during fast motion scenes, likely a result of the 60Hz refresh rate. While it’s color reproduction wasn’t as good as the M-Series, it was still respectable. Its implementation of Android TV is one of the best we’ve used and almost any app you could want is available. You can also send content from your mobile device to the TV via Chromecast. Whether you pick the Vizio M-Series or the Hisense H8G, you’ll get a lot for your money.
Read our full Hisense H8G Quantum Series review.
The TCL 5 Series Roku TV does what TCL does best, delivering a surprisingly great mix of features and performance at an excellent affordable price. With the 50-inch model selling for less than $500, you get the superb color and brightness of QLED, as well as Roku’s user-friendly smart TV interface, which puts thousands of apps right at your fingertips.
In addition to the excellent color accuracy and full color gamut offered by the QLED display, it offers top-of-the-line HDR support, with Dolby Vision in addition to basic HDR10 and HLG formats. With input lag clocking in at 13.1 milliseconds, it’s also one of the best affordable gaming TVs you can buy. And it’s roughly half the price of Samsung’s equivalent QLED TV, making it one of the best values in smart TVs.
Read our full TCL 5-Series Roku TV (S535) review.
The Konka U5 Android TV may not come from a well-known manufacturer, but if you’re after an affordable 4K TV with the great Android smart TV interface, then Konka offers great color and brightness and a full featured smart experience for a budget-friendly price.
For a TV that sells for such low prices, the U5 delivers better performance than we expected, with rich colors and good brightness compared to other TVs in the price range. Contrast could have been better, and the sound quality will definitely benefit from adding a soundbar, but it’s more than serviceable for watching TV and movies, and short lag times make for a decent gaming experience. The Android TV platform may run a little slowly on the U5, but the rich app selection, built in Google Assistant and Chromecast capabilities and plenty of smart home compatibility easily outweigh the minor lag we saw in our testing.
Read our full Konka U5 Android TV (55U55A) review.
The Insignia 4K Fire Edition is a perfect fit for you if you’re enmeshed in Amazon’s ecosystem (or Echo system). Another great value TV in the 50-inch size that exceeds expectations, the Insignia Fire TV delivers good color range and support for HDR. The unit also produces better sound than many 50-inch TVs. The Fire TV operating system brings all the benefits of Amazon’s familiar interface and, of course, it has Alexa built in so you can use your voice to navigate and play content — as well as control other smart devices in your home.
While the color was rich, it wasn’t as accurate as we would have liked and the unit has limited viewing angles — it looks best when you’re right in front of it. And unfortunately, the TV interface is full of ads. While this TV can’t beat the Vizio M-Series for overall performance, it’s a worthy choice if you like the Amazon experience.
Read our full Insignia 4K Fire TV Edition review.
How to choose the best 50-inch TVs for you
When looking for a 50-inch TV, follow our TV Buying Guide tips. If you put some thought into what you need from a TV, you’ll be able to enjoy your purchase for years to come.
First, decide if you’re locked into a 50-inch model. If your space will allow for a larger unit, we recommend you go bigger — even if you think you’ll be happy with a smaller screen, a bigger one helps make the experience of watching more engaging. And moving up to a 55-inch TV will bring more options and features.
Expect to pay around $300 for most 50-inch TVs, although those with better features or an established brand name can cost $500 or more.
Consider which ports you need and how many. The number of HDMI ports you need depends on how many devices you plan to plug in — a streaming stick, game console or cable box, for example. Most of these TVs have four HDMI inputs, but some have three. If you plan to use a sound bar, you may need an optical digital audio or a 3.5 mm auxiliary output. You may also want a TV that supports Bluetooth so you can listen on your headphones without disturbing people around you.
Want something in a different size? We’ve got you covered. See our favorites in a wide range of sizes:
Best 43-inch TVs | Best 55-inch TVs | Best 65-inch TVs | Best 70-inch TVs | Best 85-inch TVs
How we test 50-inch TVs
Testing the best 50-inch TVs is a thorough process. We put every TV through our custom set of lab tests, measuring color gamut, color accuracy and brightness to objectively see which sets are the best for these key indicators. We also test for lag time, measuring to the millisecond how long it takes for content to travel from the original video source to the screen. We use these results to make numbers-based comparisons about color and display quality.
We spend hours with each set to see how our lab results translate into anecdotal performance. We also compare competing sets using a range of content across several sources. With that information, we can tell you which TVs look best, sound best and offer the best viewing experience.
Of course, we also consider the smart TV functions and apps for each TV, looking at everything from the remote control design to the voice interaction.