A 55-inch TV is, for most people, the happy medium—the largest set you can fit in a typical bedroom, dorm room, studio apartment and other smaller living space without it taking up too much room or becoming a distraction. You can get a cutting-edge OLED display that showcases a sharp and vibrant 4K picture in a 55-inch package. We think the Samsung S95D is the best 55-inch TV right now as it offers a great balance of detail and a wide viewing angle for larger spaces at a reasonable price.
The best 55-inch TVs give you a gorgeous picture and immersive experience when watching your … [+] favorite movies and shows.
Illustration: Forbes / Photos: Retailers
If you’re looking for a great picture at an affordable price, you should also consider the Hisense U6N, which hits the kind of brightness that only flagship TVs could manage a generation or two ago. Whether you’re looking to spend just a few hundred dollars or if you have the funds to invest in a top 55-inch TV that offers comfortable and quality viewing for years to come, our team of consumer tech experts has found incredible 55-inch TVs that fit into any budget.
Matte screen coating helps cut down on reflections
Cons:
Expensive
Not as bright as top LG OLEDs
Samsung’s S95D is the current pinnacle of its OLED screen technology. It’s brighter, more vibrant and has even richer colors than all of its predecessors—it gives the latest OLED TVs from its competitors a real run for their money. It doesn’t get quite as bright as LG’s top models in SDR, but the S95D is the undisputed king of colors. Samsung didn’t stop there, either. This generation of its flagship TVs brings with it a new matte screen to kill off reflections and glare from outside light sources, and its upscaling and processing is better than ever before.
This TV is also excellent for gaming, with a fast 144Hz refresh rate for PC gamers (and 120Hz for console play), with support for variable refresh rates to avoid screen tearing.
Best Budget 55-Inch TV
4K Picture At An Affordable Price
Best Buy
Hisense U6
Display type: QLED (Mini-LED) | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Smart TV OS: Google TV | HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG
Pros:
Affordable pricing
Incredible brightness
Supports all the HDR standards
Cons:
Refresh rate limited to 60Hz
Narrow viewing angle
If you want a great 55-inch TV without spending more than $500, the Hisense U6 is hard to beat. It’s an affordable TV that combines a layer of quantum dots with Mini-LED backlighting to great effect. It has fantastic contrast, with impressively dark blacks and bright highlights thanks to its Mini-LED brightness hitting over 500 nits in HDR mode. It supports all the major HDR standards, too, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, something neither Samsung or LG can claim with even their best TVs.
This TV does have a relatively modest refresh rate of just 60Hz, but that’s still plenty for more atmospheric gaming and with an uprated motion rate of 240, this TV should be plenty responsive for watching high-paced sports and other live TV. That impressively fast response time and almost no input lag makes the U6 TV perfectly fine for hobbyist competitive gamers.
Best 55-Inch OLED TV
Incredible Brightness For An OLED
LG
LG G4
Display type: OLED | Refresh rate: 144Hz | Smart TV OS: LG WebOS | HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Pros:
About as bright as OLED gets in 2024
Fantastic upscaling from the latest LG processor
Fast and responsive for gaming
Cons:
No support for HDR10+
Expensive
The LG G4 goes toe-to-toe with Samsung’s S95D and you could easily swap those two around as they’re within a whisker of each other in terms of picture quality, color vibrancy and brightness. But in certain modes, the LG rises above. It can output over 2,000 nits on small segments of the display, making highlights in HDR mode leap off the screen. As with all LG TVs, this model supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, which is great for movies and TV shows, though without HDR10+ support, its PC HDR gaming ability is more limited.
Still, whatever game you’re playing, it’ll be buttery smooth on the G4, with all four HDMI 2.1 ports sporting the full bandwidth, enabling 4K at up to 120Hz on consoles,and up to 144Hz on gaming PCs. After her hands-on test of the G4, Forbes Vetted technology editor Rebecca Isaacs crowned it the best gaming TV of 2024. “A gaming TV should be easy to pair devices with and quick to load, with low input lag, virtually zero buffering and no ghosting,” she said. “This TV ticks all these boxes and then some.”
The onboard LG upscaling processor is fantastic, making this TV excellent for watching older TV and movies, or old home videos. It also works natively with Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Homekit, helping you to integrate it into any modern smart home.
Best Value 55-Inch TV
Feature-Packed And Affordable
Amazon
TCL QM7 QLED Smart TV
Display type: QLED | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Smart TV OS: Google TV | HDR: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
Pros:
Excellent value for such an impressive TV
Supports all major HDR standards
Sky-high brightness
Cons:
Narrow viewing angles
TCL’s entire lineup of TVs offer impressive value, but none quite like the TCL QM7. It’s a mid-range TV at a very affordable price, but with some truly eye-catching specifications. Despite its affordable price, it’s still incredibly bright, promising over 2,400 nits at peak brightness with 1,500 local dimming zones, making this a fantastic TV for HDR movies and TV. It also supports all the major HDR modes, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, which neither Samsung or LG TVs can claim. It also has a fast refresh rate and response time for gaming, and its low input lag helps you play competitively locally and online.
Its only real downside is that the image quality does degrade at extreme angles, so the best experience with this TV is from right in front of it. It has full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth across its range of HDMI ports, making it capable of 4K 120Hz gaming on consoles and PC, and it enables eARC for custom A/V setups.
Best 55-Inch TV For Gaming
Ultra Bright And Fast OLED
LG
LG C4
Display type: OLED | Refresh rate: 144Hz | Smart TV OS: LG WebOS | HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Pros:
Bright and vibrant OLED picture
Fast refresh rate and input lag for competitive gaming
Much more affordable than the G4
Cons:
Risk of burn-in
Not quite as bright as flagship models
LG makes fantastic TVs for gaming, and its top-tier OLEDs are the best of the best. However, where the G4 is arguably the absolute pinnacle of LG TVs, the C4 is so close, at such a similar price, that it makes a very compelling case for itself at this size. It’s ultra bright, and has that gorgeous OLED contrast that delivers truly inky blacks in dark environments–perfect for atmospheric games. It has a high refresh rate: 120Hz for consoles and up to 144Hz for gaming PCs. That, combined with its low input lag, makes this a fantastic TV for competitive gaming, both online and in couch gaming sessions.
There is the risk of burn-in with OLED TVs like this, but only if you play games with a static HUD on screen for hours and hours at a time, and even then, LG’s latest generation of OLEDs have reams of technologies for reducing the risk. It offers support for Dolby Vision for HDR gaming and movie watching, and it has G-Sync and Freesync support to avoid screen tearing on consoles and PC.
Best Premium 55-Inch TV
Superior Picture Quality At A High Price
Best Buy
Sony Bravia XR A95L OLED 4K
Display type: OLED | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Smart TV OS: Google TV | HDR: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
Pros:
Beautiful picture offering 4K resolution with 120Hz refresh rate
Supports Google TV OS with Google Assistant
Built in Bravia Cam for video chatting from the TV
Cons:
Expensive
When you purchase the Sony Bravia XR A95L 4K HDR OLED, you’re paying a premium for the Sony brand name, but you’re also getting impressive performance in terms of display and sound features. It uses the Sony Cognitive Processor XR to deliver enhanced picture quality. And because it’s an OLED display, you also get vivid, accurate colors that provide an added level of depth and realism to the picture.
Thanks to Google TV support, you get Google Assistant built into the panel. For Apple fans, Apple AirPlay 2 is also integrated along with Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced and Netflix Adaptive Calibrated mode. When you’re not watching 4K content, Sony’s XR Upscaling uses AI to upgrade lower-resolution content with a blur-free picture, making it great for sports and gameplay. It also offers enhanced PlayStation 5 game console support.
Forbes Vetted contributor Jon Martindale is a tech journalist with a background rooted in PC hardware. He enjoys sharing his passion for the latest tech by reviewing hardware and accessories, including guides on the best Windows laptops and 4K monitors.
This article and its updates are overseen by consumer tech editor Rebecca Isaacs. Isaacs has worked as a tech journalist for over five years and regularly attends trade shows and tech conferences to report on the latest products to hit the market.
To keep our advice up to date, we routinely update this guide. It was last reviewed and refreshed in September 2024 by Martindale.
How We Chose The Best 55-Inch TVs
We relied on the vast expertise of the Forbes Vetted tech team, including firsthand testing of some models, to recommend only the best 55-inch TVs. We also dove deep into research and consumer reviews.
We looked at models from top brands, including Sony, Samsung, LG and more to see what stood out from the pack.
We relied on our own rigorous testing, including of the LG G4 and the Samsung S95D. Almost every TV on our list was tested firsthand by Isaacs.
We extensively researched each model on this list. Features we reviewed include screen type, refresh rate, operating system and smart features. To make the cut, each pick had to present an excellent value, balancing features and cost.
Furthermore, we extensively examined customer reviews to ensure the majority of buyers were happy with their purchase. We only included top-rated models.
We also made sure to include a variety of price points and specifications to offer a solid 55-inch model suitable for every type of TV watcher and every budget.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which TV Brand Is The Best?
There is no one answer to this question. The heavyweight TV manufacturers–including Sony, Samsung, LG, TCL and Hisense–specialize in varying areas and offer consumers different experiences.
Today’s modern TVs have to meet specific standards to appeal to consumers. These include a range of display sizes, quality resolution, a reasonable response time and refresh rate, connectivity and the ability to tap into streaming services and smart features.
However, different brands interpret these in numerous ways to stand out from the crowd. For example, Hisense is known for providing large display sizes at affordable price points, whereas Samsung constantly delivers high-quality displays and crisp viewing experiences. It really depends on your home’s needs. If you’re looking for further reading, we compiled our top picks for TV brands.
Are OLED TVs Worth It?
OLED TVs are often more expensive than their QLED counterparts, and for good reason. While QLED displays rely on backlit technologies, OLED display pixels individually generate light.
OLED displays are able to deliver outstanding levels of contrast and deep blacks beyond what quantum dot displays can provide. However, this isn’t to say QLED TVs can’t also deliver crisp, gorgeous imagery–indeed, if OLED focuses on contrast, QLED specializes in color accuracy. Also keep in mind that many OLED TVs work best in darker living areas whereas QLEDs can display a bright picture no matter the time of day.
If you’re wondering whether investing a few more hundred dollars into an OLED model in comparison to a QLED display, you should instead consider the environment your TV will be in. If having a truly cinematic experience is most important, go for an OLED. If you want a TV more suitable for casual viewing in a busy environment with varying light levels, a QLED is your best bet.
Should I Invest In An 8K TV?
The first 4K TVs hit the market roughly a decade ago, and yet they are still one of the most popular options today. Despite making their debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) years later, 8K TVs have not been widely adopted. One problem is that few content providers actually offer native shows, broadcasting and films in 8K, and so there seems to be little point in investing in a TV of this caliber.
The 8K’s high level of pixels and vastly improved resolution on 4K mean that you can watch a television screen and be treated to a clean, crisp display while sitting farther away, but to enjoy this benefit, you will also need a reasonably large TV. Overall, selecting a 55-Inch TV with 8K will not be a cheap venture.
However, as we witnessed with the gradual adoption of 4K, 8K resolution models will eventually become the norm. Unless you have thousands of dollars to spare, it might be worth waiting a little longer.
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