How Do We Choose The Best 55
Here at What Hi-Fi? we review hundreds of products every year. So how do we come to our review verdicts? And why can you trust them? The What Hi-Fi? team has more than 100 years experience of reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics.
We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London, Reading and Bath, where our team of expert reviewers do all of our testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency. All products are tested in comparison with rival products in the same price category, and all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer.
From all of our reviews, we choose the best products to feature in our Best Buys. That’s why if you buy one of the products recommended below, or on any other Best Buy page, you can be assured you’re getting a What Hi-Fi? approved product.
We rate products on a performance-per-pound basis. Thats always been the What Hi-Fi? way. Were not looking simply for the absolute best product in each category, as that would invariably involve recommending one of the most expensive products in each category were looking for the best bang for your buck. The product that best balances performance, features and price.
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We knew that the A80J had the potential to be a very good TV, thanks to its shared DNA with the awesome A90J, but we had expected the gap in performance to be fairly big, given the huge gap in price.
Best Design In A Midpriced 55
Samsung is the TV brand that sells more TVs than anyone, and one of its most popular is the Q60A series. Its sleek design stands out compared to the other TVs on this list — although the ultrathin OLED models are even sleeker. It offers better features and image quality than budget models like the TCL 4-Series, and it comes in a vast array of sizes. The TVs above are all superior values, but if you want a Samsung TV and can’t afford the QN90A, this is a great choice.
Exciting Extras Found In Some Of The Best 55
Many of today’s newest televisions offer compatibility with popular voice control systems like Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and Apple Homekit. Gone are the days of having to use your remote to navigate by typing in one letter at a time to search for a movie or program. Instead, you can simply say, “Alexa, put on The Tiger King,” and your show will soon appear right where you left off.
Some smart TV systems let you download apps to use your smartphone as a remote or for screen mirroring with your phone or other devices.
Some of the best 55-inch TV choices offer viewing dynamics that are further enhanced by OLED screen technology. Unlike typical screens that are backlit from behind, OLED screens are lit by thousands of individual pixels that operate independently to light up or dim along with the images on your screen. These are less budget-friendly options, but if you are really serious about your home cinema, this might be the way to go, because the quality of the picture is unbeatable. However, it’s important to note that you should never leave an OLED screen paused on an image for long because they are much more prone to image burn-in than typical screens.
Some of the best 55-inch TV models come in bundle packages that include helpful extras such as wall mounts, surge protectors, and even soundbars that can add cinematic sound to your system.
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What Is Freeview Play
Freeview Play is a free service* that combines on-demand and catch-up television streaming into one place, allowing you to browse forward to whats upcoming, and backward to see shows from the previous week.
*If included with your smart TV software, otherwise a set-top box may be purchased for a one-time fee
Adding A Sound System
TVs have built-in speakers that function well enough in the sense that you can understand dialogue, but beyond that they’re typically pretty underwhelming. With few exceptions, you can improve your movie and gaming experience greatly by getting an add-on speaker system, like a soundbar or a dedicated multi-channel home theater system.
If space is at a premium or your budget is limited, a soundbar is your best bet. Soundbars are long, thin, self-contained speakers that sit under or over your TV. Small and simple to set up, they’re less expensive than multi-speaker systems. Soundbars generally don’t separate the channels enough to accurately place sound effects, but they’ve become quite good at producing a large sound field around you. Here are some of our favorite soundbars.
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How Can I Set Up My New TV
Most TVs have an intuitive, user-friendly interface to help you set up your TV. The usual steps:
- For Wi-Fi users: Power on your TV, the TV should prompt you to set up a Wi-Fi. Moreover, check out the Wi-Fi setup in Settings -> Connections or Settings -> Wi-Fi
- For Ethernet users: Plug in the RJ45 cable, and power on your TV. Review the default settings or change it if you want to.
There are still options for you to play content via Bluetooth or Google Cast. In order to do that, turn on the Bluetooth or SmartCast on your phone, and look for the name of your TV.
To open an app on your TV, use the arrow keys on your remote to navigate and click OK button when you want to launch something
Best 55 Inch TV Under $500 To Buy Of 2022
TVs are hugely popular. Each TV has its own advantages and this is a matter of perfecting your setup to judge which one is right for you. There are a lot of different models on the market and some of them can be very expensive, but there are also plenty of affordable models out there. People often prefer to get a TV-sized size instead because it’s easier to place in desktops and tabletops. The quality of that small screen will be much better than a computer screen.However, now a cheaper and much sturdier 55-inch LCD offering roughly the same quality with an even better price is available for significantly less than half the cost. The big screen may be big, but we all know how important it is to have a crisp, high definition picture that allows us to maximize our productivity. It is important to be equally obsessive about maintaining technical insides as you are about your user experience. Without a good TV, it is impossible to have good experience when using it to consume the internet. This section is about the best 55 inch TV under $500 that you can buy today. Do you know what to look for when buying a new TV?
We may receive compensation when you click on links from our advertising partners that are featured on BestofTVS. Amazon Disclosure: Ocster is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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Lg Electronics 55uj6300 55
This TV measures 49.2 inches in width and 28.7 in height without a stand. However, the measurements are different from the stand present since it measures 49.2 in diameter and 30.9 inches in diameter. You also get to access your favorite apps and channels using the WebOS 3.5 feature that allows you to connect to the WI-FI. Therefore, you do not have to buy other devices to access the content that you need.
Additionally, the TV Gives you an excellent picture quality with mega contrast and color that brings out every detail of the picture. Furthermore, the TV allows watching the fast-moving scene without blurs. Therefore, you enjoy watching every scene of your favorite content with no distortions. It also comes with 3 HDMI slots, 2 USB slots as well as one Ethernet slot. Moreover, this TV set is compatible with most home theatres.
What We Like
- To USB slots
Our Verdict
This TV allows you to experience high-quality pictures and videos. You also get to access apps that require internet connection by connecting your TV to the WI-FI.
Q: How Much Should I Pay For A 55 Inch TV
55 inch TVs vary greatly in price. To decide how much you should pay for a new TV, be sure to consider your needs as well as the features you want in your unit.
Most 55 inch TVs are listed at about $400-$500. Within this price range, youll enjoy a basic TV with all the standard features. However, if youre looking for more premium features, you may have to plan to spend between $500 and $1,000. Determine which TV features are most desirable to you before you decide on a target price.
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How Wide Is A 55
Most 55-inch TVs measure between 48 and 49 inches wide. Because the frames around newer TV screens are typically quite narrow, 55-inch TV widths don’t vary much. Models with very slim frames are on the lower end — the 55-inch LG G1 measures 48.2 inches wide for example, while the slightly thicker-framed 55-inch TCL 4-Series is 48.7 inches wide. If you’re not planning to wall-mount the TV, you generally want the piece of furniture supporting the TV to measure at least as wide as the TV itself, and preferably a few inches wider. Refer to the manufacturer’s website for exact dimensions of a particular 55-inch TV.
Do You Need A 120hz Gaming TV
Until recently, most TVs that were considered gaming TVs did not offer a 120Hz refresh rate . One reason for this was price, and the second was that older games consoles couldn’t take advantage of it. Also, HDMI ports and cabling couldn’t handle higher resolutions and higher frame rates at the same time.
This is no longer the case. HDMI 2.1 ports built into many of the latest 4K TVs can handle not only 4K resolution, but 120Hz refresh rates too.
The biggest benefit to a 120Hz refresh rate is that itll make your gameplay smootherallowing games to look and feel better, especially when theres a lot of action happening on the screen. The higher refresh rate also improves your input lag, making you a more competitive gamer by reducing the reaction time between when you press a button and when that action impacts whats happening within the game.
However, with slower paced games, non-competitive games, or when you don’t expect your console or PC to be able to handle frame rates above 60, there’s much less of an improvement from having a TV with a high 120Hz refresh rate.
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Tcl 50s425 55 Inch 4k Smart Led Roku TV
With nearly 40,000 good reviews on Amazon and still counting, TCL 50S425 50 Inch 4K Smart LED Roku TV is truly the best TV of all times when the price is an important factor, and the best TCL TV. The TV comes with an LED display of the resolution 2160p or 4K, featuring roughly 8 million pixels on a single panel of 5 sizes: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch.
Taking a first look at the TV, youll instantly notice the very thin bezel around the TV, somehow even thinner than some model from Sony or Samsung with a doubled price. HDR compatibility feature is present out of the box, along with the support for not one, but two AI assistants, the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Therefore, you can either control your TV from any Android Smartphone, or Fire lineups from Amazon.
Thats another reason for the very affordable price you see on Amazon. The smart TCL TV is powered by Roku platform, which means it comes with all the benefits of the Roku TV, including over 500,000 movies and TV episodes, free TV channels in the US and everything. There are 3 HDMI ports, and Ethernet port, and the standard set of Wi-Fi, USB that all other smart TVs have.
- Resolution: 4K
- Size: 43 inches to 75 inches
- The price is beautiful
- Lots of ports: Ethernet, 3xHDMI, and standard Wi-Fi
- LED display
- Smart TV with Roku platform
Are Cheap TVs Worth The Price
Budget-priced TVs can be very appealing, especially if you haven’t yet made the jump to 4K and are daunted by $1,000-plus price tags. Be careful when you see a great deal on a TV, though, even if it says 4K HDR. It could be a steal, or it could be a disappointment.
Performance among budget TVs varies wildly, and trends toward the mediocre. You’ll find a few very good deals, like the TCL 6-series that manages to combine excellent picture quality with a low price. You’ll also find a sea of cheap TVs that don’t measure up.
Don’t count on big names to be reliably high-quality in their budget lines, either. While companies like LG, Samsung, and Sony can make some incredible flagship TVs, their inexpensive models generally aren’t any better than baseline models from more budget-centric brands like Element, Hisense, and TCLâand they’re usually a bit more expensive. As always, our reviews can help you find a screen that doesn’t trade quality for price.
For the top budget-friendly models we’ve tested, head over to our story on the The Best Cheap TVs.
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How Big Is A 55
Each TV has a different sized bezel and stand, so there will always be slight differences in the height, width and depth of a TV.
We’ve taken the average size of the models we’ve tested so you can get a good idea of how much space one will take up.
- 55-inch TV: 77.1 x 123.3 x 27.1cm
- 58-inch TV: 81.2 x 129.8 x 26.2cm
How Did We Choose These 55
Aside from screen size, I chose a variety of models at different price points to help find options to fit almost any type of budget. I also looked for features that have come to be expected as standard for home entertainment, such as: HDR support, streaming capabilities, 4K upscaling, and voice controls.
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The Resolution Of The Screen
What is a resolution? A resolution is how detailed an image is. An image at SD resolution features somewhat around 640×480 pixels for two edges, while an HD image features at least 1280×720 pixels. 4K or Ultra HD screens consist of at least 3840×2160 pixels. The more pixels a screen contains, the more detailed you would see in the image. An unreadable word on an SD screen can be seen very clearly on an 8K screen, so people will try to put more and more pixels on screens.
- HD TV
These are usually so much cheaper than 4K and 8K, but if youre thinking of buying one, youre gonna have to accept the fact that the world will move on to newer technologies in a year or two. The brands arent likely to produce TVs this kind anymore, because it would not be profitable due to the reduced customers demand and the reduced 4K production cost.
- 4K TVs
4K TV is actually the most popular we see in stores nowadays, because its beautiful, smart, and sometimes more affordable than HD TVs. 4K content is now being made by creators and broadcasters. They are trying to do that over Youtube, digital cables or even over the air. 4K will be the new standard of the world in a few years. And you dont want to be left behind.
What Size TV Do I Need
Only you can answer this question after balancing up your budget, requirement, and available space. However, one thing we can tell you about is the recommended viewing distances.
Heres a rough guide to give you an idea of the minimum distance you should have from your TV:
40-inches – 80 inches
50-inches – 100 inches
55-inches – 108 inches
60-inches – 120 inches
75-inches – 150 inches
Screen Resolution guide:
Ultra HD/4K: 3840×2160
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Upgrade For The Best Possible Performance: Best Oled TV
Buy an OLED TV if:
- You want the best possible image quality, regardless of price: OLED TVs can produce the best HDR image quality of any TV currently available.
- You watch TV in a room where you can control the lighting: In a bright room, an OLED TV might reflect a lot of light, which obscures the picture. If you are looking for a TV for a dark room, or a home theater setup, OLED TV is the perfect choice.
- You want your TV to look as nice off as it does on: An OLED TV usually has an attractive metallic design that will look great in your living room.
Buy another type of TV if:
- You largely watch TV in a very bright room: OLED TVs cant compete with LCD models in overall brightness, which can easily overpower reflections and direct light.
- You arent looking for the best possible picture quality: An LCD TV can provide a great image at a much lower price.
Why we like it: The LG C1 offers superb image quality, is brighter than previous OLED TVs, supports the leading HDR and HDMI 2.1 standards, and has an extremely thin and attractive design. Its WebOS smart-TV platform is easy to use and supports all of the major video and audio streaming services. Videophiles will like that the C1 gives them more control over the image than competing OLED TVs do, while the Filmmaker Mode makes it easy for anyone to get an accurate image.
Available sizes: 48, 55, 65, 77, 83 inchesHDMI ports: four