The LG C4 is our top pick as the best 48-inch TV you can buy today. It takes the place of its predecessor, the LG C3, which is still available.
Although the C3 is available for cheaper, the LG C4 has seen some upgrades to its brightness, processing and gaming features compared to the C3, whilst also keeping everything that made the C3 great and that's why the C4 sits at the top of the list.
Matt Bolton, Managing Editor – Entertainment
The best 48-, 49- and 50-inch TVs are the best sized TVs for the majority of people. If you don’t fancy investing in a huge screen or simply want something that won’t take up the whole room, a 48, 49, or 45-inch TV is the perfect option. At these sizes, you can still make the most of 4K resolution, luxuriate in the colourful delights of HDR – or High Dynamic Range – and appreciate the technological wizardry at work in modern screens. And even better, you’re not going to have to sell a kidney to pay for it.
The other piece of good news is that you have a wealth of choice when it comes to this size of screen. Manufacturers, thankfully, understand that we now don’t all need to fill a wall with a screen. Plus, it used to be rare that OLED TVs would drop below 55-inches but improvements in screen manufacturing processes mean you can find the best OLED TVs at the right size for you. In fact, many of the best TVs with the latest innovations in screen tech are available at this 50-inch sweet spot so there’s no need to worry about having to find the space or cash for a 65-inch OLED behemoth to have the ultimate home cinema experience.
We've got good news for gamers too. If you're playing on console or PC, you'll find that some of the TVs we've listed here are among the best gaming TVs too. That means you can get the best of both worlds: a brilliant TV and a top-tier gaming experience too. You also might notice that this guide doesn't include any of the best 8K TVs. There's a reason for that: at this screen size, 8K isn't worth having unless you plan to sit with your nose touching the display, and even then there's still a lack of dedicated 8K content to enjoy.
So with all of that in mind, let’s discover the very best 48-, 49- and 50-inch TVs. If you want something smaller for a bedroom or kitchen, we’ve also got a guide to the best 40-inch TVs. Alternatively, if you want to go up a size, check out our breakdown of the best 55-inch TVs. For something in between, check out our list below.
Best 48- to 50-inch TV for most people
The LG C4 is a jack-of-all-trades TV, with an excellent picture that suits both movies and gaming, a fantastic suite of gaming features, an intuitive smart TV platform and more. It's no wonder LG's C series OLEDs have been so popular in the 48-50-inch size range when it covers all bases.
Picture quality is the C4's highlight, with vibrant colors, superb contrast, and excellent detail thanks to its built-in Alpha a9 AI processor. And improved brightness over its predecessor, the LG C3, gives the new C4 a leg up on rival OLEDs.
Gaming is another highlight of the C4, which has four fully kitted HDMI 2.1 ports that support 144Hz refresh rate, VRR (including Nvidia GSync and AMD FreeSync), ALLM, HGiG, and Dolby Vision Gaming, It also comes with LG's Game optimizer, designed to adjust game settings easily. At 48 inches, the C4 is a great size for both living room and bedroom gaming.
While the C4 doesn't have the best built-in audio and doesn't support HDR10+, it does nearly everything else right, including having a sleek design and user-friendly smart TV platform. Those are just some reasons why it's the best 48-50-inch TV for most people.
Best budget 48- to 50-inch TV
The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED covers a lot of bases, with a detailed and colorful picture, good gaming performance (despite a lack of some next-gen gaming features), Amazon's Fire TV smart platform and more, all at a very competitive price. You can realistically expect to pay $349 / 399 / around AU$775 for the 50-inch model as the Omni QLED is frequently on sale.
For a budget QLED TV, the Amazon Omni QLED's picture is surprising - in a good way. Textures are detailed and skin tones are accurate and true-to-life. Colors are plenty punchy and vivid and it handles motion very well. Sadly, black levels are lacking, with dark tones taking on a gray hue rather than 'true' black, but that's to be expected from a budget QLED TV.
Despite a lack of next-gen gaming features such as a 120Hz refresh rate, the Omni QLED is a strong-performing gaming TV. It does offer VRR, ALLM and even Dolby Vision gaming - a welcome addition at this price. It also beats some much more premium models with a low 10.4ms input lag, allowing for smoother and more responsive gaming.
It does carry some limitations, such as an occasionally stuttering smart TV platform and average sound quality. Still, with the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED you get an impressive TV at a budget-friendly price that will more than suit many people.
Read our full Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED review
Best mid-range 48- to 50-inch TV
Samsung's new Q80D features improved brightness and contrast over last year's Q80C (which it replaces in this guide). We we also impressed with its fantastic peak brightness for a regular LED TV, which is why its 50-inch sized version is our top mid-range pick.
The Samsung Q80D boasts the same powerful Neo Quantum 4 Gen 2 processor used in Samsung's flagship mini-LED TVs, along with the same great suite of gaming features. These include super-fast response time and bold, sharp images.
In our Samsung Q80D review, we wrote that this TV boasts: "an outstanding contrast performance, combining more brightness with deeper, more natural, and more consistent black levels than any other LCD TV I can think of in its class." It's an ideal display if you want premium picture quality at a lower price. You'll get contrast, color and sharpness as good and consistent as you can find in the mid-range TV space. As an added bonus, the audio here is good enough that you won't need to rush out to buy a soundbar.
There are a wide range of connections on offer from this Samsung TV, including four HDMI ports. One is equipped with eARC functionality, which passed lossless Dolby Atmos audio tracks to soundbars and AVRs. There are also two USB ports, an Ethernet port, an RF port, a digital optical audio output, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support.
Don't expect the kind of ultra-modern and thin design of Samsung's high-end TVs here. But the Samsung Q80D still boasts a nice-looking silver metallic finish with a screen frame that has bold edges and an impressive built quality – especially considering the price. All in all, the Samsung Q80D proves there’s great quality to be had in the more affordable half of the brand’s TV range.
Read our full Samsung Q80D review
Best 48-50 inch mini-LED TV
The Samsung QN90D covers a lot of bases with a vibrant yet balanced picture and an ability to handle fast-moving images with ease (which makes it perfect for viewing sports). It also has a good stock of gaming features, a premium design and effective built-in sound.
In our review, we were particularly impressed with the QN90D's picture detail, which was "only seen better on OLED TVs like the Samsung S95D". Textures look realistic regardless of what image is on screen. Colors are bold but still maintain a natural look and black levels are rich.
Gamers will also be impressed by the QN90D. It supports a nearly full suite of gaming features including 4K 144Hz, ALLM, and VRR (AMD FreeSync Premium Pro) across four HDMI 2.1 ports and has excellent gaming performance with a low 9.9ms input lag time. The QN90D is a solid choice for those looking for a bright TV for gaming.
The QN90D also has a trim, sleek appearance and delivers punchy, expansive sound. So, why isn't it number one on our list? The LG C4 delivers equivalent performance (minus the brightness) and features to the QN90D but also supports Dolby Vision HDR and has richer contrast for movies. The QN90D is a fantastic alternative, however, and a great choice for viewing in bright rooms.
Read our full Samsung QN90D review
How to choose the best 48- to 50-inch TVs
What is the best 50-inch smart TV?
Currently, the best 48-50 inch TV available is the LG C4. We've seen it available for as low as $999/£899 and it gives you everything you could need in a TV for movies, gaming and smart features plus has the added benefit of a crisp, dynamic OLED panel.
How much should you pay for a 50-inch TV?
It all depends. If you want the TVs with the most amount of features, expect to pay close to $800 / £700 / AU$1,000. That said, you can easily find 50-inch TVs at half that price if you don't mind skimping out on performance. If you consider yourself a cinephile and love to watch movies at their best, it's better to spend a bit more for a more premium model.
What should you look for in a 50-inch TV?
Like shopping for any other TV, there are a few important specs to pay attention to: resolution, contrast, native refresh rate and HDR support all matter here. Ideally, you're looking for a 4K 120Hz TV with a peak brightness of around 1,000 nits and support for Dolby Vision and/or HDR10+. That's hard to find outside of our top pick – but that's what you're looking for in an ideal world.
For gamers, you definitely want to find HDMI 2.1 ports like the ones you'll find in our second pick while sports watchers should pay extra attention to a TV's motion handling. The latter is tough to suss out through specs, but definitely something you can spot in-person if you go to the store.
What makes shopping for 50-inch TVs tricky is that manufacturers typically don't make their flagship TVs in that size. That means you're basically stuck shopping between all the B-list TVs and lower.
If you can stretch your budget – and wall – a bit further, we'd really implore you to consider a 55-inch TV instead. There's a much wider selection of models available and many of them are the brand's flagship TVs. If, however, a 50-inch is all you fit, then hopefully you've found at least a few options above.
Latest updates
October 10, 2024
Replaced the Samsung QN90C with the Samsung QN90D due to its higher brightness levels.
August 9, 2024
Replaced the Samsung Q80C with the Samsung Q80D due to its improved brightness and contrast levels.
June 11, 2024
Replaced the LG C3 with the LG C4 as 'best TV for most people' due to the C4's improved brightness, processing and gaming features.
March 28, 2024
Changed the LG C3 to the 'best overall'. Introduced the Amazon Omni QLED as 'best budget' and Samsung Q80C as 'best mid-range'. Samsung QN90C became 'best mini-LED'. Removed Philips OLED807, LG A2 and Samsung BU8500 due to stock levels. Added in this latest updates section.
