Looking for the best 50-inch TVs to consider for your room? We’ve got them all rounded up in one place.

The best 50-inch TVs out there are simply perfect for most rooms, including your student dorm room. Yes, they’re still quite big, but with the release of much larger TVs these days, they’ve now considered the halfway point when it comes to sizing. Plus, they offer an immersive experience whether you’re gaming or streaming your favourite shows.

At 50-inches, you can see the fantastic detail of 4K, HDR toning and rich colours. Plus, tons of models come in this size, so you aren’t short on options either.

Speaking of options, however, we’ve decided to round up the best of the best to consider when looking for a 50-inch TV, including brands like Sony, Phillips, LG, Samsung and more. Don’t forget to check out the best smart TVs for streaming too, if you need a list of the best TVs per size.

The best 50-inch TVs to buy

Samsung 50AU9000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV — £429

Best Budget 50-inch TV

If you want a 50-inch TV cheap, this is it. One of the best mid-range 50-inch TVs is the Samsung 50AU9000. It doesn’t come with QLED panel technology, hence the lower price range (that doesn’t compromise on quality).

This cheap 4K TV is fantastic at upscaling HD videos, meaning streaming your favourite shows or playing your favourite games will look fantastic on screen. It’s got HDR10+ support and an easy-to-use Tizen interface. One downside is it doesn’t have Dolby Vision (as most Samsung TVs don’t). Despite this, its edge-lit LED backlighting provides beautiful visuals.

In terms of connectivity, the Samsung AU9000 50-inch 4K TV has three HDMI inputs (one of them eARC-enabled for use with a soundbar), a pair of USB 2.0 sockets, a CI card slot, an Ethernet socket and an aerial binding post. Plus, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 allow you to connect multiple devices at once.

Plus, this Samsung 50-inch TV has Auto Low Latency Mode and AMD FreeSync which gamers are going to love, especially with 120Hz, and response times somewhere between 6ms and 10ms. An absolute must-buy and one of the best 50-inch TVs under £500.

What’s in the box?

• 1 x Samsung 50AU9000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV
• 1 x Power cable
• 1 x Remote
• 1 x  User Manual
• 1 x TV Stand Neck
• 1 x TV Stand Base.

Specs:

• Available sizes: 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, 85
• Panel type: LED
• Resolution: 4K
• Input lag: 6-10ms
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• VRR: Yes
• ALLM: Unknown
• HDMI 2.1: 

Pros

• High refresh rate and low input lag
• Superb quality.

Cons

• No Dolby Vision.

Philips 50PUS7555 — £449.99

 Best Mid-Range 50-inch TV

The Phillips PUS7555 is one of the best 50-inch TVs under £500 that packs a punch and has great imaging thanks to its P5 processor.

In terms of design, it’s incredibly elegant with this silver base tone, which is great to see on a cheap 4K TV. It has two legs you can place on each end, or with this 50-inch model, you move the feet closer to the middle if you don’t have space on your TV stand. Plus, both PUS7555 and PUS7505 models (depending on what you go for), are three HDMI ports, two USB ports, an optical audio out, the antenna ports, and the Ethernet port, meaning you can connect your Apple TV box and various games consoles.

From a display point of view, the Philips 50-inch 4K TV has brightness levels are average at 350 nits, which is great for an entry-level TV, It also supports HDR10+, HLG and HDR10 formats. The refresh rate of the panel is 60Hz which is perfect for those streaming shows or playing video games. With fast images, there is some noise around objects and some imaging can be prone to blurriness. To solve some of the blurriness, you can make use of its image interpolation mode and cycle through the options Personal, Medium, Minimum or Natural Motion.

The included remote control is lightweight and has had an update from previous models. You can use its preset Netflix and Rakuten TV buttons for quick access to these streaming apps to watch your favourite shows.

What’s in the box?

• 1 x Philips 50PUS7555
• 1 x Remote Control
• 2 x AAA Batteries
• 1 x Power cord
• 1 x Quick start guide
• 1 x Legal and safety brochure
• 1 x Tabletop stand.

Specs:

• Available sizes: 43, 50, 58, 70
• Panel type: LED
• Resolution: 4K
• Input lag: 38ms
• Refresh rate: 60ms
• VRR: Unknown
• ALLM: Unknown
• HDMI 2.1: 3 x HDMI.

Pros

• Decent quality for the price
• Decent blacks and contrast.

Cons

• Not the best viewing angles.

Get an Amazon student discount here.

Samsung QE50QN90A — £799

Best 50-inch TV for Picture Quality

The Samsung QE50QN90A is a QLED 5-inch TV that’s been highly recommended for gamers, particularly those with new-gen consoles such as the PS5 or Xbox Series X. Plus, it’s an LED TV, meaning it won’t be prone to a burn-in. However, we wouldn’t blame you for thinking it’s an OLED with how thin the Samsung QN90A display is!

It has a 120Hz refresh rate which will make your new-gen console titles look the best they can be. You can also use its Game Bar to show you what the game’s refresh rate is so you can select the right TV settings for your game. Plus, the low input lag of the Samsung QN90A means you’ll have a competitive advantage over other gamers.

Its Mini LED backlighting system gets super bright, bringing out HDR tones in games and movies that make its wide colour gamut incredibly vivid. Plus, its viewing angles are fantastic thanks to its Ultra Viewing Angle technology, which means you can place the TV where you want and enjoy viewing it no matter where you’re sat.

Lastly, this QLED 50-inch TV and some of its smart features are very handy. It comes with the Tizen-based Eden platform that’s intuitive and easy to use, Plus, you can customise it to your heart’s content,. You can control the TV using Bixby, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. The only downside about the Samsung QN90A is the lack of Freeview Play.

What’s in the box?

• 1 x Samsung QN90A QLED
• 1 x Metal pedestal foot
• Various screws
• 1 x Bracket
• 1 x Power cord
• 1 x Remote
• 1 x Manual

Specs:

• Available sizes: 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, 98
• Panel type: QLED 
• Resolution: 4K
• Input lag: 10ms
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• VRR: Yes (FreeSync)
• ALLM: Unknown
• HDMI 2.1: 4 x HDMI 2.1.

Pros

• Great viewing angles
• Lots of HDMI ports.

Cons

• Gaming mode can make some games more dark grey than black until adjusted.

Get a Samsung student discount.

Sony X90J BRAVIA XR 50 Inch Full Array LED 4K HDR Google Smart TV — from £549.69

Best 50-inch TV for gaming

This Sony Bravia 50-inch TV is the best 50-inch gaming TV with 4K HDR technology. It’s a strong contender, thanks to its high frame rate, HDMI ports, and ability to optimise for the best performance for games and streams. For example, PlayStation 5 HDR will automatically register whether the PS5 is playing video content or a game. Which is incredibly handy.

One of the smartest things about the Sony X90J 50-inch OLED TV, is its Cognitive XR Processor technology. How it works, is it optimises natural focal points on the screen and uses AI to determine where someone is looking. This is serious cutting-edge technology which also handles audio too, by analysing the sound position within a signal to match what’s on screen

For a 50-inch 4K TV, it has amazing deep blacks and shadows thanks to its advanced backlighting system that dims and brightens depending on what’s on-screen. It also has Dolby Vision that’s IMAX Enhanced certified.

Plus, you should expect great sound from the Sony X90J, thanks to Sony’s Acoustic Multi Audio System, its innovative solution to OLED TV sound which provides immersive audio for gamers and TV viewers.

What’s in the box?

• 1 x Sony X90J BRAVIA XR 50 Inch Full Array LED 4K HDR Google Smart TV
• 1 x AC Power Cord, Batteries
• 1 x Operating Instructions, Quick Setup Guide
• 1 x Table Top Stand
• 1 x Voice Remote Control.

Specs:

• Available sizes: 50, 55, 65
• Panel type: LED
• Resolution: 4K
• Input lag: 18ms
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• VRR: Yes
• ALLM: Yes
• HDMI 2.1: 2 x HDMI 2.1.

Pros

• Enabled with Dolby Vision HDR
• Very detailed picture.

Cons

• Only two HDMI 2.1 slots.

Get an Amazon student discount.

Samsung Q60B QLED 4K Quantum HDR Smart TV — £899

Best overall 50-inch TV

One of the best overall 50-inch TVs has to be the Samsung Q60/Q60B QLED. It uses quantum dot technology to display a huge range of colours. Despite this though, it doesn’t have any local dimming capabilities. 

Gamers will enjoy its VRR (variable refresh rate) for games that demand higher fps. And for those who just want to use the Q60B to stream their favourite shows, you’ll enjoy the Tizen platform that’s easy to use and customise. Plus, you can use Google Duo if you want to connect your TV to a webcam to take calls on your TV and use Bixby, Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control.

In terms of display, this Samsung 50-inch TV has decent peak HDR brightness Gamers can use Game Mode which will optimise colours and brightness for you automatically. We will just say that the viewing angles can get inaccurate the more off-centre you view the Q60B TV, The Samsung Q60B has decent reflection handling. Combined with its great peak brightness, you won’t have issues using it in well-lit rooms. Though you may struggle with bright daylight usage.

What’s in the box?

• 1 x Samsung Q60B QLED 4K Quantum HDR Smart TV
• 1 x Remote Controller
• 1 x Samsung Smart Control
• 1 x Power Cable
• 1 x User Manual
• 1 x E-Manual.

Specs:

• Available sizes: 43, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 85-inch
• Panel type: QLED
• Resolution: 4K
• Input lag: 10.3ms
• Refresh rate: 60Hz
• VRR: No
• ALLM: Unknown
• HDMI 2.1: 3 x HDMI.

Pros

• Amazing contrasts.

Cons

• The highlights aren’t the best.

Get a Samsung student discount.

Other 50-inch TVs

LG OLED48C2PUA

The LG C2 is the newer version of the LG C1 that gets brighter but considering it has many of the same features and costs more, it’s worth getting the C1. Regardless, the LG C2 is known for its superb for watching movies or HDR content in a dark room. It’s also brighter than most OLED panels on the market too.

Samsung The Frame

This art-themed TV is more than just a TV to stream and play games.  built with QLED picture technology and looks incredibly chic. Its main feature is Art Mode which displays classic art, or an Ambient Mode to display screensavers to match the vibe of your space. 

And that rounds up the best 50-inch TVs in 2022 to suit various budgets and desired features. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our student tech deals to see if you could save even more cash on your 50-inch TV!

How wide is a 50 inch TV?

50-inch TV dimensions, or rather, all television measurements are taken diagonally, so a 50-inch (16×9) screen is about 43.6-inches in width (110.7cm) and 24.5-inches in height (62.2cm).

What is the best size TV for gaming?

You can game on any size TV, however, obviously, the bigger the TV is the better. However, there’s a lot more to consider.

If you’re after a 4K resolution TV, or HDR or a low input lag, then you’ll have to do your research and see what’s best for you. A large TV obviously offers a more immersive experience, but you may need to consider the space you have to work with too. You don’t want to be sat too close or too far away from your TV either, so viewing angles are also important.

43-inch TV

A 43-inch TV is the best size TV for gaming in a small room, such as a bedroom in your halls of residence. You want to be around 1.8-2 meters away from your screen and have at least a 1080p or 4K resolution. The Samsung QE50QN90A 43-inch TV would be the perfect set up.

50-inch

A 50-inch TV for gaming should be the standard. it’s a noticeable step-up from a 43-inch and is just the right size to fit in a medium to large room. Obviously, it will cost a little extra, but if you’re serious about getting a decent gaming experience on a large screen, then the minimum should be a 50-inch TV. The best 50-inch TV for gaming on our list has to be the Sony X90J BRAVIA, due to its 120Hz refresh rate and 4K viewing, making it optimal for new-gen consoles as well as predecessors.

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