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The LG C2, our current pick for Best 50-inch TV, displaying 4K/HDR content Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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The Best 50-Inch TVs of 2026

Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.

The LG C2, our current pick for Best 50-inch TV, displaying 4K/HDR content Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

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1
Editor's Choice Product image of LG OLED48C2PUA
Best Overall

LG OLED48C2PUA

Check Price at Amazon

The LG C2 OLED is one of the best TVs we've ever seen. It's spectacular for movies and games, especially if you don't have a bright living space. Read More

Pros

  • World-class picture quality
  • A top-tier gaming TV
  • Wafer-thin design

Cons

  • Not as bright as top-shelf QLED TVs
  • Slight off-angle color shift
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Samsung QN50QN90BAFXZA
Best For Bright Rooms

Samsung QN50QN90BAFXZA

Check Price at Amazon

The Samsung QN90B Neo QLED is a dazzling, premium TV whose stunning brightness allows it to perform at a high level in bright rooms. Read More

Pros

  • Incredibly bright
  • Brilliantly showcases HDR
  • Great for next-gen gaming

Cons

  • No Dolby Vision
  • Noticeable light bloom
  • Would benefit from calibration
3
Editor's Choice Product image of TCL 50S555
Best Budget

TCL 50S555

Currently
Unavailable

The 2022 TCL 5-Series is a tremendous value, featuring impressive performance, improved brightness, great gaming support, and Roku OS. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent out-of-box performance
  • Snappy Roku OS
  • Great for casual gaming

Cons

  • Some light bloom
  • Roku or bust
4
Editor's Choice Product image of LG Evo OLED55C3PUA

LG Evo OLED55C3PUA

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With an exquisite picture and exhaustive features, the LG C3 OLED is an incredible TV for movies, gaming, and everything in between. Read More

Pros

  • Incredible contrast
  • Vivid, accurate color
  • All the gaming features you’ll need

Cons

  • So-so smart platform
  • Not as bright as competitive OLEDs
5
Editor's Choice Product image of Hisense 50U6H

Hisense 50U6H

Currently
Unavailable

The Hisense U6H delivers a great picture and some key gaming features for a highly competitive, affordable price. Read More

Pros

  • Bright enough for most rooms
  • Rich, accurate color
  • Good smart platform and features

Cons

  • Lackluster upscaling
  • Susceptible to light bloom
  • Troublesome motion handling

  • LG C2

  • Samsung QN90B

  • TCL 5-Series S555 (2022)

  • Other 50-inch TVs We Tested

  • How We Test 50-inch TVs

  • What to Consider When Buying a 50-Inch TV

  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

  • Best Overall LG C2
  • Best For Bright Rooms Samsung QN90B
  • Best Budget TCL 5-Series S555 (2022)
  • Other 50-inch TVs We Tested
  • How We Test 50-inch TVs
  • What to Consider When Buying a 50-Inch TV
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy
Michael Desjardin
John Higgins
Written by
Michael Desjardin, Senior Staff Writer who's reviewed and compared over 100 TVs.
John Higgins, managing editor with twenty-plus years experience testing headphones and TVs.

Updated April 12, 2024

The Rundown

  • Our favorite 50-inch TVs are the LG C2 and the Samsung QN90B.
  • The LG C2 offers world-class picture quality with perfect black levels and robust gaming features, while the Samsung QN90B delivers an incredibly bright picture, brilliantly showcasing HDR content.
  • When choosing, consider display type, 4K resolution, and smart platform preferences like Roku; gamers should prioritize HDMI 2.1 ports, ALLM, and VRR for optimal performance.

Shopping for the best 50-inch TV can be challenging. As manufacturers turn their attention to bigger screens, the number of 50-inch TVs is dwindling, making it harder to find a 48-, 49-, or 50-inch display.

For many people, though, mid-size TVs—models that range from 40-inch TVs to 55 inches—can be the perfect fit. They’re not overwhelming for most living rooms and still big enough for larger rooms.

After more than a decade of testing the best TVs on the market, we've scoped out some of the best 50-inch TVs. Our favorite, the LG C2 OLED (available at Amazon for $899.99) , is the best TV for most people. We love this 48-inch TV’s outstanding contrast, wide array of features, and gaming support.

The LG C2 OLED TV displaying 4K/HDR content in a living room setting
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The LG C2 combines the unbelievable performance of an OLED with an array of exciting features.

Best Overall
LG C2
  • Screen sizes: 42”, 48”, 55”, 65”, 77”, 83”
  • HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
  • Smart platform: LG webOS 22

The LG C2 may be pricier than most TVs, but its performance and features justify the price tag. Currently, it’s our favorite TV that you can buy.

In addition to perfect black levels you normally find in OLED panels, the C2 utilizes LG’s OLED evo display technology which improves brightness over non-evo panels. In addition to being brighter, the C2 has more color volume compared to other OLED TVs. In HDR, it can produce specular highlights in the 700- to 800-nit range, and covers about 97% of the HDR color space (DCI-P3). SDR content also looks great.

The C2 is a great option for gamers—all four inputs are HDMI 2.1, supporting 4K gaming at 120 hertz (Hz) and it has Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) to automatically switch to the best gaming mode and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) to minimize screen tearing. The C2 also supports AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. In addition, LG’s Game Optimizer menu lets you toggle VRR and picture options.

While we love that HDR support includes Dolby Vision, LG TVs don’t support DTS audio, diminishing the experience of some Blu-Rays. Also, we aren’t fans of LG’s webOS smart platform, which is slow and full of sponsored content.

See our full LG C2 review.

Pros

  • World-class picture quality

  • A top-tier gaming TV

  • Wafer-thin design

Cons

  • Not as bright as top-shelf QLED TVs

  • Slight off-angle color shift

$899.99 from Amazon

The Samsung QN90B displaying 4K/HDR content in a living room setting
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Samsung QN90B is one of the brightest LED TVs we’ve reviewed this year.

Best For Bright Rooms
Samsung QN90B
  • Screen sizes: 43”, 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 85”, 95”
  • HDR support: HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
  • Smart platform: Samsung Tizen OS

The Samsung QN90B delivers one of the brightest pictures we’ve ever seen, showcasing HDR content better than just about every LCD/LED TV on the market.

Featuring Samsung’s Neo QLED technology, the QN90B makes use of mini-LEDs for improved contrast and quantum dots to boost colors for a dazzlingly bright, colorful picture. Even in bright, sun-drenched living rooms, the QN90B will impress. The QN90B’s full-field brightness is at least twice as bright in SDR as most of the TVs we’ve seen recently. It performs even better during HDR, with average overall luminance that dominates the TVs we’ve seen so far.

The QN90B’s excellance goes beyond picture brightness. It also has a great set of gaming features, including four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K gaming at 120Hz. It also supports ALLM and VRR, plus FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync.

For all its positives, there were some drawbacks, including narrow viewing angles and minor light bloom. Also, while QN90B does support HDR10 and HDR10+, no Samsung TVs support Dolby Vision.

See our full Samsung QN90B review.

Pros

  • Incredibly bright

  • Brilliantly showcases HDR

  • Great for next-gen gaming

Cons

  • No Dolby Vision

  • Noticeable light bloom

  • Would benefit from calibration

$1,197.99 from Amazon


$1,597.99 from Best Buy

The TCL 5-Series displaying an image of Morning Glory hot spring while sitting on a wooden credenza.
Credit: Reviewed / John Higgins

The TCL 5-Series (2022) provides great performance and a nice collection of features for under $500.

Best Budget
TCL 5-Series S555 (2022)
  • Screen sizes: 50”, 55” 65”, 75”
  • HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
  • Smart platform: Roku

The TCL 5-Series S555 is an incredible value buy, offering a bright picture and a healthy set of gaming features. Plus, as it’s a Roku TV, the 5-Series has our favorite streaming platform baked right in.

While you can find more impressive brightness in pricier mid-range TVs, the 5-Series has one of the brightest pictures you can find for the cost. The 5-Series has plenty of brightness to fight ambient light and deliver an eye-popping picture. Color performance is impressive, too.

It has a native refresh rate of 60Hz, so 4K/120Hz gaming isn’t possible. However, the 5-Series does have HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC), ALLM, and VRR (including AMD FreeSync support), so it’s a good option for casual gaming, especially considering the price.

Despite some slight hiccups—we noticed some light bloom and people who don’t like the Roku are out of luck as it’s the only operating system option—the TCL 5-Series is a serious budget win.

See our full TCL 5-Series S555 review.

Pros

  • Excellent out-of-box performance

  • Snappy Roku OS

  • Great for casual gaming

Cons

  • Some light bloom

  • Roku or bust

Other 50-inch TVs We Tested

Product image of LG Evo OLED55C3PUA
Editors' Choice
LG C3
  • Screen sizes: 42”, 48”, 55”, 65”, 77”, 83”
  • HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
  • Smart platform: LG webOS 23

With its incredible picture quality and extensive selection of A/V- and gaming-related features, the LG C3 OLED is one of the best all-around TVs you can buy. It’s a better-performing TV over our Best Overall pick, the LG C2, but its premium price keeps it from the top spot while the C2 can be found at deep discounts. Still, if you want the newest and best version of LG’s C Series OLED, go with the C3.

Like its predecessor, the C3 pairs picture-perfect black levels with punchy highlights and rich, voluminous color. It’s brighter than the C2, but only by a hair, due to new picture processing enhancements that manage light output.

The C3 is at its best when displaying HDR content, covering an impressive 99% of the HDR color gamut (DCI-P3) and doling out highlights as bright as 800 nits. Picture purists will appreciate the TV’s out-of-the-box accuracy and Dolby Vision support, and everyone in the room will appreciate the C3’s remarkably wide viewing angles (a hallmark of OLED displays).

Few TVs offer as many gaming-related features as the LG C3 including ultra-low input lag, four HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K/120Hz gaming, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). The C3 also supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility. LG’s Game Optimizer is back, too, which gives gamers an easy-to-access menu for adjusting the TV’s picture and toggling its gaming-related enhancements on the fly.

See our full LG C3 review.

Pros

  • Incredible contrast

  • Vivid, accurate color

  • All the gaming features you’ll need

Cons

  • So-so smart platform

  • Not as bright as competitive OLEDs

$1,098.95 from Amazon


$1,099.00 from Best Buy

Product image of Hisense 50U6H
Editors' Choice
Hisense U6H
  • Screen sizes: 50”, 55", 65", 75"
  • HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
  • Smart platform: Google TV

The Hisense U6H offers up a good picture quality and valuable gaming features at a budget-friendly price.

The U6H delivers fantastic out-of-the-box color accuracy. It may not be bright enough for a sunny room, but it’s sufficiently bright for rooms with an average amount of light and it’s even better in dark settings because of its black levels and contrast control.

For gamers, the U6H has four HDMI 2.1 inputs, but they are limited to 4K gaming at 60Hz. It does support both ALLM and VRR. The 50-inch U6H supports AMD FreeSync, as well, according to Hisense.

While the U6H offers a lot for the price, it does have some shortcomings. It’s susceptible to light bloom when bright picture elements are surrounded by darkness. The U6H struggles to upscale sub-4K content, so cable, broadcast, and older Blu-rays in 1080p might appear fuzzy and lack detail. Also, poor motion handling could mar fast-moving content.

See our full Hisense U6H review.

Pros

  • Bright enough for most rooms

  • Rich, accurate color

  • Good smart platform and features

Cons

  • Lackluster upscaling

  • Susceptible to light bloom

  • Troublesome motion handling

Product image of Samsung QN50Q80BAFXZA
Samsung Q80B
  • Screen sizes: 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 85”
  • HDR support: HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
  • Smart platform: Tizen OS

The Samsung Q80B delivers a dependably bright overall picture and terrific highlights during SDR and HDR content.

The Q80B is bright enough for daytime viewing in a sunny living room, with specular highlights in the 700- to 800-nit range. It only covers about 86% of the HDR color space (DCI-P3), so it’s not as colorful as some competitors. Overall contrast was diminished because of shallow black levels. We also experience some light bloom.

While the larger displays support 4K gaming at 120Hz, the 50-inch model is a 60Hz panel. Still, this TV supports ALLM, VRR and FreeSync Premium Pro. You’ll also find Samsung’s Game Bar, a menu offering gaming-related picture and performance settings. The Q80B also supports Samsung Gaming Hub, a software package that offers a number of cloud gaming services.

See our full Samsung Q80B review.

Pros

  • Bright picture

  • Terrific highlights during SDR and HDR

  • Gaming-friendly features

Cons

  • Poor overall contrast

  • Light bloom

  • Slow software

Product image of Sony KD-50X80K
Sony X80K
  • Screen sizes: 43”, 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 85”
  • HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
  • Smart platform: Google TV

The Sony X80K has an accurate out-of-the-box picture, with realistic-looking color thanks to Triluminos Pro color enhancement technology (Sony’s name for quantum dots). With the Google TV smart platform, the X80K is a safe pick for most people, especially those upgrading to 4K.

Despite shallow black levels and limited brightness, the X80K performs well in HDR. With SDR content, the X80K holds up in daytime viewing. However, the X80K struggles with dark-room viewing, and we experienced significant light bleed in the bottom corners.

Gamers should note that while the X80K has four HDMI ports, none are HDMI 2.1, so 4K/120Hz gaming isn’t possible. It does support ALLM.

See our full Sony X80K review.

Pros

  • Accurate out-of-the-box calibration

  • Fast, flexible smart platform

  • Easy-to-setup design

Cons

  • Shallow black levels

  • Lacks key gaming features

Product image of Samsung QN50Q60BAFXZA
Samsung Q60B
  • Screen sizes: 43”, 50”, 55”, 60”, 65”, 70”, 75”, 85”
  • HDR support: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
  • Smart platform: Tizen OS

The Samsung Q60B features a sleek design, holds its own in a relatively bright room, and is a fine choice for casual viewing.

Featuring quantum dots, the Q60B is bright enough in both SDR and HDR that the picture won’t wilt in sunny environments. However, it doesn’t get bright enough for HDR content to really pop, so people looking for a cinematic experience may want to consider another option.

The Q60B lacks high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 support, so 4K gaming at 120fps is out of the question. It supports ALLM, but not VRR.

See our full Samsung Q60B review.

Pros

  • Decent dark-room performer

  • Bright enough for casual viewing

  • Easy-to-setup design

Cons

  • Not cut out for next-gen gaming

  • Narrow viewing angle

  • HDR performance is lacking

How We Test 50-inch TVs

Credit: Reviewed

Our lab is outfitted with much of the same equipment you would find at a factory that manufactures and calibrates televisions.

The Testers

Reviewed has been testing TVs for more than a decade. Senior Staff Writer Michael Desjardin, our current Home Theater expert, has been a member of the Reviewed tech team since 2014. As a film enthusiast and TV expert, he takes picture quality seriously, but he also understands that not every TV is a good fit for everyone.

In his A/V career of more than two decades, John Higgins, Reviewed’s A/V and Electronics Senior Editor, has written about all manner of technology, from TVs and speakers to headphones and gaming. John also is an ISF Level III-certified calibrator.

The Tests

Our TV testing process has been honed over many years to gather data marginal enough to satisfy video engineers, but also relevant to the average person's viewing experience. We measure things like peak brightness, black level, hue and saturation for primary and secondary digital colors, and the accuracy of the TV's electro-optical transfer function.

Outside of the technical tests, we also spend a lot of time just watching and using each TV, getting a feel for the at-home experience such as using streaming video services, connecting a Blu-ray player and watching movies. We'll also use the smart features, and check out the TV's ports, remote, and on-set buttons—anything that might be relevant.

A TV tester measuring a TV's contrast
Credit: Reviewed / Chris Snow

We measure things like peak brightness, black level, hue, and so on.

What to Consider When Buying a 50-Inch TV

Size

Mid-size TVs—sets with 43-inch to 55-inch screens—are great for living rooms, dens, and larger multipurpose rooms.

Our recommendations for this guide range in size from 48 inches to 50 inches. It’s unlikely that you’ll notice the size difference between 48-inch models and 50-inch TVs. A good rule of thumb is that it takes an extra 10 inches or more to make a TV really feel bigger.

Our guide on how to choose the right TV size can help you make the best decision for you.

Display Type

There are a lot of terms you’ll see when shopping for TVs—LED, LCD, OLED, QLED. Understanding what the advantages and disadvantages of these display types can help you navigate the purchasing experience.

LCD refers to Liquid Crystal Display while LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs are the backlights used in LCD TVs, sometimes called LED TVs because of this. The LED backlight shines through a layer of a semi-solid substance called "liquid crystal," named for its ability to morph in reaction to tiny electrical volts and allow light to pass through.

LED TVs with quantum dots are called QLEDs. Quantum dots allow the TV displays to produce richer colors than LEDs.

OLED sounds similar to LED, but it’s a different panel technology. Rather than an LED backlight element shining through an LCD panel element, an OLED TV essentially combines the backlight and crystal array, using sub-pixel strata that produce light and color individually.

Read more: QLED vs OLED—What’s the Difference?

Resolution

All of the 50-inch televisions we recommend are 4K TV. The more pixels that a display has, the sharper the image. TVs with 4K resolution have more than 8 million pixels, compared to over 2 million for Full HD.

Smart TV Interface

Since most TVs available today have smart platforms built-in, it’s easier than ever to stream movies and TV shows on Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and more. Although it’s worth noting that not all smart platforms are created equal.

Roku is our favorite streaming platform. It’s easy to use, quick, and has a wide selection of available apps. Roku TVs come with the operating system out of the box. We also like Google TV, which is fast and easy to use. Samsung’s Tizen OS and LG’s webOS tend to have more sponsored content, can be slower, and harder to navigate.

Gaming Features

Some of the 50-inch TVs we recommend have four HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K gaming at 120 hertz (Hz). Others may have had a HDMI 2.1 but they were limited to 60Hz. The importance of this is determined by the gaming consoles that you use. Avid gamers with modern systems will want to make sure they find a TV that supports 4K/120Hz gaming.

Also important is Auto Low Latency Mode and Variable Refresh Rate. ALLM switches to settings that reduce input lag when you fire up a game while VRR adjusts the refresh rate of your TV to match up with the frame rate of the game you’re playing.

  • The Best TVs
  • The Best TVs Under $1,000
  • The Best TVs Under $500
  • The Best Streaming Devices

Meet the testers

Michael Desjardin

Michael Desjardin

Senior Staff Writer

@Reviewed

Michael Desjardin graduated from Emerson College after having studied media production and screenwriting. He specializes in tech for Reviewed, but also loves film criticism, weird ambient music, cooking, and food in general.

See all of Michael Desjardin's reviews
John Higgins

John Higgins

Managing Editor, Tech

@johntmhiggins

John is Reviewed's Managing Editor of Tech. He is an ISF Level III-certified calibrator with bylines at ProjectorCentral, Wirecutter, IGN, Home Theater Review, T3, Sound & Vision, and Home Theater Magazine. When away from the Reviewed office, he is a sound editor for film, a musician, and loves to play games with his son.

See all of John Higgins's reviews

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