Top-Rated Best 50-Inch TV | ExtensivelyReviewed


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Big screen TVs are all the rage today. They usually sport the best features, offer the most enthralling viewing experiences, and push new breathtaking innovations mainstream. As long as you can make out the space for it, there is practically no reason holding you back from purchasing one.

However, the price tags for 50-inch TVs, especially for newer models, may occasionally enter the ‘are-you-kiddin’?’ range. Notwithstanding, there are plenty of the best 50-inch TVs at affordable price points with beefed up feature sets.This leads us to examining the factors that the consumer should consider when making a 50-inch TV purchase. It is important to makes sense of the varied selections available with contrasting attributes.

At the very top of factors to consider is the TV screen technology. The TV technology has to do with how well the TV reveals motion pictures and how they look on the TV screen. There are Four major variants—LCD, Plasma, LED, and OLED. Each has its merits and demerits. Each TV set sports only one of these technologies. There are no hybrids. Therefore, it makes sense to buy a top-end model that emphasizes the pluses of a technology and downplays the shortfalls of the same technology.

LCD

This technology was the rave of the moment when it launched. These days, other TV technologies have eclipsed it for good reason. LCD TVs use CCFLs as a light source. This makes them to look a lot less bright than TV sets sporting other technologies. They also consume more power. On the plus side, LCD TV sets are the least expensive. In any case, they are not common anymore because of how they lag behind in quality to the two other dominant TV technologies.

Plasma

Plasma TV technology never did take the industry by storm. It has had more of a stable show and has built quite a following over time. It still boasts of being able to deliver the darkest and deepest blacks amongst all the technologies. Thanks to this and other plus points, plasma TVs take the title of providing the best picture quality to grace your eyes. Regardless, Plasma TV’s have entered a limbo state of recent, as there are no 4K units to offer breathtaking crisp viewing experience.

LED

Pushing 4K technology for widespread acceptance is one reason why LED takes the crown of the most popular and best TV technology available. It is the newest technology of all three. LED TVs have all but driven LCD TVs out of the market. They have also dethroned Plasma TVs as the best-looking screens on the store shelves. First, it is the brightest and most power-efficient technology available. It delivers awe-inspiring picture quality. It has immensely pushed the trend of thinner displays, thus making TVs very lightweight, fashionable consumer products. In addition, it is at the forefront of the 4K drive, bringing the best viewing experience into your bedroom.

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The OLED TV technology is the best of the bunch, followed by LED. Some people may prefer a plasma TV to an OLED or LED TV. However, this is a rare choice. The reason is that OLED TVs offer plenty of outstanding features with higher resolution that is especially noticeable in large TV displays, at an affordable package, which is something plasma TVs can only hope to be. You also get to select from more options from many manufacturers.

Best 50-Inch TV Complete Guide

Next, you have to ensure that your TV set has compatibility for many devices that can extend its functionality. You have to go full circle with support for HDMI, different types of audio inputs, USB, etc. The more the support the better, for example having multiple HDMI ports as against one or two.

Wall Mountable

This is more of a given. However, it doesn’t hurt to verify that the form factor or weight or structure would not affect your ability to mount the TV on a wall, should you want to do so.

Smart Features

Regardless of whether you are not a fan of the “Internet of things” or if you are into streaming movies, smart features are exciting add-ons to have on your 50-inch TV.

3D Compatibility

Most 3D compatible models available require you to have an appropriate pair of 3D glasses to indulge in the awesomeness of that extra dimension that can make all the difference. In any case, 3D compatibility is now an affordable feature, so you should give it some thought.

Curved

The major appeal of curved screens aside their delightful appearance is the amazing viewing angles it offers. Currently, nothing in the market beats curved TVs in terms of viewing angles and immersion. Furthermore, you can get all the perks available with non-curved screens on curved screens as well.

60Hz

Basic refresh rate rating of 60Hz. Only normal TVs that do not have anti-blur technology have this refresh rate.

120Hz

Higher refresh rate rating of 120Hz courtesy of anti-blur technology. Mostly found on LCD TVs to reduce blur that occur when viewing fast moving motion pictures like high action movies.

240Hz

Top-end refresh rate of 240Hz. It is the most effective anti-blur technology. Functions like the 120Hz anti-blur technology and found on LCD TVs.

600Hz Subfield

Refers to the humongous 600Hz refresh rate found in only plasma TVs. This tech offers plasma TVs its much-loved ability to eliminate motion blur, thus providing a much better viewing experience than on LCD TVs when viewing high action movies, movie games, and/or sports.

720p

This is the standard High Definition (HD) resolution. The complete resolution is 1280×720 pixels, thus offering a total image resolution of 921,600 pixels.

1080p

This is currently the more common and affordable HD resolution. Its other designation is Full High Definition (FHD) to establish the more details it is able to offer over the standard 720p HD resolutions. Its complete resolution is 1920×1080 pixels, thus offering a total image resolution of 2,073,600 pixels. It has widespread use including in DVB broadcasts and availability in Blu-ray discs.

4K Ultra HD (UHD)

This is the rising HD resolution that will eventually eclipse 1080p to be the most common HD resolution. Its other designation is Ultra High Definition (UHD). Its complete resolution is 3840×2160 and so also has the designation 2160p. It offers a more immersive movie theater type of experience with its 8 million pixels (4 times that of 1080p FHD and 8 times that of 720p HD). Around 50-inches is when 4K starts to make a more noticeable difference. If you were in the market for say a 32-inch TV, 1080p is currently the standard.

3D Ready

Term used to describe TV sets that are able to display 3D video content. The content may be from broadcast or 3D capable Blu-ray players. A 3D-ready TV uses a built-in emitter to communicate with compatible 3D glasses, which the viewer uses to view the 3D content.

Contrast

The full description is Dynamic Contrast Ratio. The term refers to how much shadow details in contained in a picture. Therefore, the higher the contrast ratio, the better the picture quality. When manufacturers do not include the accurate contrast ratio of a model, the spec sheet records n/a under contrast.

DLNA

Acronym for Digital Living Network Alliance. A consortium of leading consumer electronics, mobile, and PC companies propagates the DLNA technology. The consortium also shares the same name. The technology permits remote access of your PC’s personal media from anywhere in your home. It offers you a convenient and seamless way to have your photos, music, and video always at your fingertips.

Dual Core/Quad Core

Terms used to describe the architecture, specifically the number of processor cores in the circuit of a TV. Dual Core refers to two cores, while Quad Core refers to four processor cores. The higher the number of cores, the better the overall performance of the TV. The better performance permits manufacturers to imbue more high-end features, most often smart features.

Edge Local Dimming

This refers to a unique ability of certain TVs to shut off the backlight in certain parts of the screen. This ability offers higher contrast and deeper blacks that guarantees improved picture quality.

Full Array LED

Found in certain LED TVs, it refers to a structure that involves the use of banks of LED lights placed in the back of the screen. The advantage of this setup is that it offers superior backlights, which ultimately leads to better contrast and picture quality. It also reduces or eliminates backlight clouding or bleeding. The alternative structures used by most other LED TVs are Edge or Side Array.

Gorilla Glass™

The electronics giant Sony developed this improved glass from Corning Glass. Gorilla Glass offers better picture viewing and more importantly protects the TV screen from impact. This is useful especially during shipping, but is just as important when the TV is at home.

HDMI

Acronym for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. It is a high-end audio/video interface that guarantees the transfer of uncompressed video data and compressed or uncompressed audio data between two compatible devices that are HDMI compliant and have the requisite ports. For example, from a Blu-ray player to your TV set.

Internet Ready

Denotes that a TV set is able to connect to the Internet and retrieve content that can be displayed on the TV. Often, this may refer to the provision of an Ethernet port to which you can connect an Ethernet cable. It may also refer to a TV set having built-in Wi-Fi to receive wireless internet connection.

LED HDTV

LED HDTV uses a series of Light Emission Diodes (LEDs) for illumination, rather than relying on conventional fluorescent backlight. This change leads to improved contrast, color accuracy, and overall picture quality. It also has the benefit of consuming less energy (as much as 40% reduction in energy consumption).

Plasma TV

A plasma display does not use the backlight phenomena. Rather, it incorporates phosphors that have self-illumination capability. This ability offers plasma TVs deeper blacks and better picture uniformity. Ultimately, this leads to wide viewing angles, high contrast, and virtual elimination of motion blur. However, plasma TVs are not as energy efficient as LED TVs.

THX® 3D Certified

It is a certification reserved for plasma TVs. A TV with THX certification is able to offer motion picture with the same black levels, color accuracy, and other features specially adapted for viewing in a theater. The certification applies to both regular HD and 3D viewing.

What Is The Best 50-Inch TV?

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First up on our list is the LG Electronics. Not quite the same picture quality with a side-by-side comparison as one of Samsung’s SUHD televisions, but for nearly half the price it is most definitely a steal. Unlike the Samsung JS series, the UN50JU7500 is priced much more reasonably and should be more accessible to the average consumer.

This 50-inch LED comes with 4K Ultra HD resolution, 3D capabilities and an efficient, easy-to-use Smart TV interface. Even without the next-gen features like HDR or quantum dot nanocrystal technology, the UN50JU7500 still produces an excellent picture with great processing, brightness, color accuracy, and black levels. The 50-inch screen really brings 4K resolution to a whole separate category and you will find yourself with a whole new level of immersion that most never encounter. While many people are largely indifferent to curved displays, we find it to actually work as intended for this TV, exponentially increasing the consumer’s engrossment with what is on the screen. Contrast ratios are very good as is color saturation. Brightness levels are also excellent despite the lack of HDR readiness.

The UN50JU7500 is an excellent choice if you are considering a 50-inch 4K UHD TV – with some of the best TV specs at this size and within this price range, you’ll be hard to come by another product as elegantly designed and high-functioning as the Samsung UN50JU7500.

This same review can be found in our guide for the Best TVs 70-inches and Greater

2. Samsung UN50JS7000 Review

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The Samsung JS7000 series is one line of SUHD TVs released in 2015. The Samsung UN50JS7000 features a wide range of sophisticated contemporary technology, and is definitely one of the best displays available when compared to its same-size competitors. To top it all off, the Samsung UN50JS7000 is an affordable TV.

The UN50JS7000 is equipped with Samsung’s own version of quantum dot nano-crystal display filtering as well as full-array LED backlighting. When paired together, the result is an amazing picture. Other technologies utilized by the Samsung UN50JS7000 worth noting include Dynamic Brightness, UHD dimming, contrast enhancer, and a quad core processor that allows for impressively fast imaging rendering.

Its Smart TV platform is top of the line, and Smart View 2.0 is built right in to the UN50JS7000 for simple to use navigation. For those that don’t know, Smart View allows you to share video content (both HD and 4K UHD) between your TV and other mobile devices wirelessly through your network.

The UHD Upscaling engine does a great job at converting HD content into near 4K quality. While other manufacturers utilize similar upscaling technology, we find Samsung’s to be one of the most impressive. The Samsung UN50JS7000 just about has all you could ask for in a 4K TV experience. Not only do you have access to a spectacular 4K resolution display, but it is equipped with the newest technologies, which results in enhanced contrast, color, and brightness levels. Ultra Clear Panel technology minimizes glare, even in the brightest of rooms at the widest angles – and does a very good job at absorbing ambient light.

For those of you looking for a 4K SUHD television that comes with full-array LED backlighting at a surprisingly affordable price, the Samsung UN50JS7000 is all that you could ask for. No need to look any further as this TV is a sophisticated design made from a combination of the newest, most advanced technologies on the market. Future-proof your TV experience with this top-quality 50-inch TV.

3. Vizio P502ui-B1 Review

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The Vizio P series brings 4K resolution to the table for much less money than some of its competitors. Equipped with full-array local dimming, the Vizio P502ui-B1 is responsible for some deep blacks and an excellent contrast ratio. This LCD has very good color accuracy and video processing for the most part is top-notch. The Vizio P502ui-B1 excels in our tests for input lag, which happens to be one of the best for TVs that we tested, for those looking for a gaming TV. To top it all off, there are a total of five HDMI inputs (four are 4K compatible up to 30Hz, one can handle 4K up to 60Hz), for those looking for the best in connectivity.

Aside from the 4K display, the next most notable feature for the Vizio P502ui-B1 is the full-array local dimming. Each of the sizes, including the 50-inch display, has 64 individual dimmable zones. This technology usually comes with a more hefty price tag – most other 4K TVs with local dimming or comparable tech are much more expensive. Despite the carefully chosen words by Vizio claiming a “240Hz effective refresh rate”, the Vizio P502ui-B1 actually has a 120Hz panel refresh. Backlight scanning is supposed to bring it to a comparable 240Hz – while it does improve on the 120Hz refresh, it is not quite the same as a true 240Hz panel.

VIA Plus is the Smart TV interface utilized in the P series and many of its other TVs. Out of the box, Netflix is capable of 4K streaming. With a firmware update, additional 4K apps are added, including Amazon Instant, Toon Googles, UltraFlix, etc. Most popular apps are available to the consumer – though HBO Go and no major sport apps were currently available at time of testing.

Another highlight to the Vizio P502ui-B1 is the picture controls, choices are vast and all-inclusive. Grayscale controls, CMS, and gamma presets are available for tweeking. Additionally, there are options to toggle local dimming and Game Low Latency (reduces input lag) on/off. One of the best things about the picture is its contrast, largely due to the VA LCD panel. Blacks are very deep as well and highlights on a dark scene are especially bright.

If you’re looking for a high-quality 50-inch 4K LCD HDTV, the Vizio P502ui-B1 comes at a fraction of the cost of some of its competitors and is an excellent choice. If you can do without some of the bells and whistles, like 3D compatibility, voice command, or a Smart TV web browser, the Vizio P502ui-B1 will deliver an excellent picture and overall great user-experience.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

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