The Top 5 50 Inch Tvs
50 inches is an size ideal for a bedroom, an intimate living room setting, or even for a gaming station, if you have space for it. What's more, a major drop in the price of UHD 4K has led to a glut in supply for displays with exceptional color gamuts, brightness and contrast. Since we staunchly believe that 4K will remain the standard resolution for quite some time, we've collected five of our favorite displays currently on the market, each brandishing an array of industry-leading features and occupying its own unique price point.
TCL 5-Series Roku Smart TV
The Smartest SmartTV
TCL may be far from becoming the preeminent name in top-of-the-line modern displays, but this particular TV most certainly hits the mark for a wide cross-section of consumers. At this price point, it’s hard to imagine a 50″ TV that could be a master of all disciplines; however, aside from struggling a bit with high-FPS content (like sports), it’s difficult to point out any serious faults in the TCL 5-Series. Not only is its Roku interface a fan favorite, but a vibrant color spectrum and superior contrast ratio will convince any nonbeliever that this product can steal the show when it comes to gaming and casual viewing alike.
Pros:
- Exceptional black uniformity
- Wide breadth of ports & inputs
- Impressive stutter & judder reduction
Cons:
- Narrow viewing angle
- No local dimming feature
Hisense 59H8G Quantum Series
Have the Good Sense to Go for Hisense
Seldom does a display completely blow you away without blowing holes in your bank account – until now, that is. Enter the Hisense Quantum Series television. Its LCD-style Vertical Alignment panelling delivers market-leading color depth and contrast which is evident from first viewing (although you may need to tinker with out of the box calibration to lock in that optimal color accuracy). Although not explicitly a gaming monitor, its sub-15ms input lag will certainly please any joystick junkie when the gaming gets serious. Additionally, the Quantum Series boasts a sturdy build that’s more prevalent in high-end units. This ensures that an errant elbow or curious child won’t puncture a hole in the panel or knock the solid base off of its platform.
Pros:
- Stunning viewing quality in dark rooms
- Extremely low likelihood of burn-in & image retention
- Handles reflection well
Cons:
- Upscaling to 4K could be better
- Quite pricey
Insignia 50″ Fire TV Edition
Roast the Competition with Insignia's Fire
Seeing as this is our budget pick, it’s to be expected that the liveliness of the color spectrum may not live up to our more premium recommendations, but that rarely tells the entire story. The Insignia Fire is modern enough that it won’t be made extinct any time soon due to a lack of ports or abysmal performance. In fact, the robust contrast ratio is a sight for sore eyes – literally. Aside from wide angled shots and high frames per second viewing, you will seldom see motion distortion in the vast majority of content you’ll be watching. For the budget-minded consumer, we see this one as an invaluable purchase that’ll exceed expectations for years on end.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Intuitive setup of Fire interface
- Unbeatable price for 4K
Cons:
- Color gamut needs calibration out of box
- Not suited for AAA modern gaming
Samsung RU7100 50″ 7 Series
RU Ready for Samsung Superiority?
High-end displays tend to perform a balancing act between motion stability and image clarity. Unfortunately, this requires sacrificing excellence in one for mediocrity from both. The result is a less-than-ideal product. The RU7100, commits no such error; rather, it hones in on the essential features and cranks them up to 11. For example, its high gradient (which is the measure of how well the finer details of images are displayed) and an impressive grey-and-black uniformity combine to make up for a less-than-impressive color volume. This may or may not be enough to get a film fanatic out of their home theater enclave; however, it will most certainly impress your gamer neighbor who tends to favor lower blur, limited stutter, and spectacularly low input lag.
Pros:
- Top-tier color accuracy
- VESA spacers included
- Fantastic audio quality
Cons:
- Remote has limited functions
- Interface is not ad-free
LG UN7300 50″ 4K TV
Live Graciously with LG
As one of the newly-designed models on the the market today, LG UN7300 is at the cutting edge of the smart TV universe. TruMotion technology makes this one of the few models that can achieve a 120Hz refresh rate, and LG’s ThinQ AI is also unique in having a text-to-speech option (which you may use to control all compatible IoT devices in your home). In addition to commanding your home, the 7300 can replace or supplement your PC command station with its plethora of USB ports, the latest Bluetooth codec, and an array of video inputs – plus ethernet to boot.
Pros:
- Excellent customer support team
- Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant & Apple Airplay 2
- Very intuitive UI with WebOS
Cons:
- Ability to customize picture settings is limited
- Delicate & prone to shipping damage
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I purchase a 4K device when there are 8K devices entering the market?
Not everyone may remember BetaMAX, an abject failure of promising tech gone awry, but it’s easy to find parallels between it and 8K devices. As it stands, it’s a cutting edge technology with limited distribution and a small range of applications. Sure, there are some beautiful 8K TV models out on the market already, however the majority of streamed content cannot currently be rendered in 8K and the cost is prohibitively expensive. Given that it will be several years before most content creators and ancillary device manufacturers make the switch, we highly recommend sticking with 4K for years to come.
What products should be purchased to supplement my new TV?
In general, a 4K television will come loaded with most of the features needed to exist in the post-cable world. Depending on your content provider, it’s important to determine which operating system your display is compatible with, as not all systems play nicely with their competitors. As a hedge against this, having a minimum of three HDMI ports for casting devices or connecting your PC is a must-have, and the ability to supplement with a matching soundbar will ensure you get the best out of your device.
About the Author
Why Trust Us
With the constantly shifting landscape in the world of technology, GameRevolution seeks to provide gamers and tech-enthusiasts with the information they need to select the right products for their needs. Since 1996, our experts have used their knowledge on all the latest gadgets – everything from headphones to standing desks – to help millions of people navigate specs and answer common questions.