Best 48 – 50 Inch TVs
2023/11

Although the purchasing behavior has increasingly focused on larger TV screens in recent years, manufacturers continue to offer devices with diagonals in the 48 to 50 inch range for numerous product lines. The reasons for this can be a lack of space available among buyers, the intended use or simply a lower price. In order to keep you up to date, we have sorted them for you here and show which “small” televisions are currently the best on the market and which offer an above-average value for money.

No suitable TV included for you? In that case, why not use our TV buying guide or take a look at the tv toplist. There you will find a complete selection of listed TVs and can set filters based on your individual needs to find your perfect TV.

Best 48 - 50 inch TVs in comparison

Winner
Pos. 1
90%
LG OLED48C3PUA
LG
OLED48C3PUA
PRO
  • High contrast with perfect black
  • Extremely short response time
  • Next-Gen gaming with a lot of features
  • Best viewing angle stability
  • AI controlled sound adjustment
  • Wide range of sizes
CONTRA
  • Strong intervention through automatic dimming
  • HDR10+ missing
Pos. 2
81%
Samsung QN50QN90CAFXZA
Samsung
QN50QN90CAFXZA
PRO
  • High peak brightness level
  • Highlights are shown out well
  • Maintains a smooth image
  • Short response time
  • Broad range of gaming functions
CONTRA
  • Comes without a One Connect Box
  • No DTS Audio support
  • Dolby Vision is not provided
Pos. 3
72%
Samsung QN50Q80CAFXZA
Samsung
QN50Q80CAFXZA
Pos. 4
45%
Samsung ‎UN50CU8000FXZA
Samsung
‎UN50CU8000FXZA
PRO
  • Wide colour gamut
  • Game mode with low input lag
  • Smooth playback
  • Good upscaling of low resolutions
CONTRA
  • Does not have particularly good brightness
  • Without local dimming
  • Limited viewing angle
  • DTS support missing
  • Only 60 Hertz without VRR (except 85" variant)
Pos. 5
43%
Samsung
Samsung
PRO
  • Remarkable contrast
  • Deep blacks in dark scenes
  • Fast movements are captured well
  • Low input lag
  • Reliably removes jerkiness
CONTRA
  • A local dimming function is missing
  • Not a good brightness value
  • Narrow colour space
  • Without VRR support
  • DTS audio not available
  • Limited to 60 hertz
Pos. 6
43%
Samsung UN50CU7000FXZA
Samsung
UN50CU7000FXZA

A top talent in terms of brightness: Samsung QN90C

If you are looking for a high-performance TV below 55 inches for everyday use or as a bigger monitor, the Samsung QN90C is certainly not going to miss out. In addition to an enormous brightness that provides a more than sufficient HDR brilliance, the VA panel contains a matrix of Mini LEDs. This ensures a more precise illumination of objects with a great contrast ratio at the same time.

In terms of colorization, the display is supported by a wide spectrum of tones. Xbox Series X|S owners do not benefit from Dolby Vision Gaming, but have access to a wide range of the latest gaming features. There is also a possibility of boosting the display frequency up to 144 Hertz using a PC and thus utilizing the full potential of the TV. However, this option is particularly interesting for gamers who already have powerful hardware.

Samsung Neo QLED QN90C Motion Handling

Due to the rather poor viewing angle, you should avoid sitting sideways to the screen as much as possible. As long as you stick to this, the TV is suitable for long movie nights or eventful sports programs. The latter can be displayed even more clearly by activating the so-called interpolation.

Although its audio performance – as usual – is generally quite modest and hits your ears without much pressure, Samsung provides various additional functionalities here. These include a multiroom feature and Q-Symphony for pairing with a compatible soundbar. Dolby Atmos for three-dimensional surround sound encoding, plus an eARC port for native forwarding to a more powerful sound solution, are also part of the spec sheet.

Samsung The Frame
4K / UHD
Only 60 Hz
No HDMI 2.1

Consumers who focus primarily on the design of a television should take a closer look at Samsung’s The Frame 2023. Thanks to its slim and therefore rather unobtrusive style – similar to LG’s G3 – this TV can be hung almost flush against the wall. A key component of this idea is the “transformation” into a supposedly regular wall painting using the so-called Art Mode.

A matt display is intended to further enhance this impression and minimize reflections. As one of the few models, this TV has a One Connect Box. This ensures simpler cable management. The concept is rounded off by a rotating wall bracket, replaceable frame elements for color customization and a studio stand.

Fully-fledged gaming TV in a compact size: LG OLED evo C37

As in previous years, the electronics manufacturer from South Korea continues to build on its popular gaming range with a selection of screen diagonals that score at the lower end. So the LG OLED evo C3 is once again available in regions with less than 55 inches. As such, this model is an excellent quality solution for the evening hours or in dimmed light. However, this does also mean a rather limited recommendation for daytime use.

On the other hand, the TV is an interesting choice for PC gamers with powerful hardware or, of course, if you have limited space available. Please note: One new feature provided by LG is the modular stand. In this way, a compatible soundbar can be easily attached to the base unit.

LG OLED evo C3 Modular Foot Soundbar

However, this feature is restricted to screens larger than 48 inches. Regardless of this, we recommend supplementing the picture quality with a good soundbar or a full-fledged home theater system.

Aside from this, the TV offers you a wide range of features including HDMI 2.1 in four versions at full bandwidth, the innovative Quick Media Switching functionality and, for the first time, official DTS:X passthrough support. LG understandably continues to rely on the more than proven webOS 23 operating system including the Magic Remote as a fast and smooth navigation tool.

Affordable QLED alternative: Samsung Q80C

The Q80C by Samsung is the top model in the konventional QLED range and therefore also the most powerful television in this series. The 50-inch version includes a viewing angle robust IPS panel based on so-called Direct LED backlighting. This ensures that you don’t have to worry about diminishing picture quality from larger angles and can easily sit in front of the TV even in larger groups.

Due to the comparatively low price, the quality in terms of black level is at a manageable level. However, it only becomes really noticeable in darkened rooms and dark scenes. Its HDR brilliance is also rather average. In terms of coloration, however, the display scores with a wide color space thanks to the integrated quantum dots, which provide a decent range of tonal values.

Although there are some gaming functionalities such as the AMD FreeSync feature for minimizing screen tearing and a gaming mode that ensures reduced input times, HFR support with a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz is not available on the smallest option.

However, Samsung’s well-known Gaming Hub, which provides you with plenty of cloud gaming possibilities, is included. This allows you to play games independently of a console, as long as you have stable internet access. As usual, navigation takes place via the in-house Tizen OS. This gives you lots of apps and an extensive selection of streaming options.

Tobias

tvfindr Editorial

[email protected]

As a studied technology journalist Tobi likes to write regularly about the colorful world of TV sets & Co. Further interests: Music, cars, gaming, soccer

Table of contents

It all comes down to size

48 – 50 inch TVs as all-rounders

When buying a TV, the size is unfortunately always important, because there is not always enough space or the TV should not be given so much importance. Small sizes like 48 – 50 inches are also ideal as a monitor in the streaming basement or as a second device in the bedroom. The possibilities are numerous and manufacturers often offer a small version of their best-sellers to fill just that niche.

Furthermore, the distance to the TV has to be right, since not everyone can call a huge living room their own, and the wrong distance leads to not being able to enjoy the picture well. For 48 – 50 inches, a seating distance of about 2 meters is recommended.

In most cases, the smaller TVs have the same technology built in as the larger ones, but they are not automatically cheaper by any stretch due to their smaller size. Since they are so versatile, they are often still quite expensive in comparison, which is why it is always worth taking a look at current deals.

Questions about TV with 48 - 50 inch

With a seating distance of 3 meters, the TV should be at least 48 inches. The recommended distance is two meters for sizes 48 – 50 inches.

The screen diagonal for 48-inch TVs is 1.2 meters on average, and a few centimeters more for 50-inch. The width of 48 – 50 inch TVs is more than 1.1 meters.

TVs in sizes 48 – 50 inches are already available for less than 500 Dollars and even OLED TVs are already available for less than 1000 Dollars.

TVs of this size consume an average of 80 or 130 watts, depending on the content shown. HD content always requires more power than linear TV. This puts the 48 – 50 inch TVs in EU energy efficiency class G. However, this does not mean that the TVs are power guzzlers, but that the limits have been tightened significantly in 2021.

Smaller TVs are especially popular for gamers because they deliver a crisp picture and you can easily fit the small size in the bedroom, small apartments or streaming basement.

That depends on the usage. Gamers who want to use the new consoles on the TV should definitely look for HDMI 2.1 connections, a low response time and a low input lag. If you want to use it primarily for watching movies and series, the contrast is important, which should be correspondingly high, as well as the brightness and the supported HDR formats. A TV with a not quite as high peak brightness is sufficient for the bedroom.

Best 48 - 50 inch TVs in comparison
Winner
Pos. 1
90%
LG OLED48C3PUA
LG
OLED48C3PUA
PRO
  • High contrast with perfect black
  • Extremely short response time
  • Next-Gen gaming with a lot of features
  • Best viewing angle stability
  • AI controlled sound adjustment
  • Wide range of sizes
CONTRA
  • Strong intervention through automatic dimming
  • HDR10+ missing
Pos. 2
81%
Samsung QN50QN90CAFXZA
Samsung
QN50QN90CAFXZA
PRO
  • High peak brightness level
  • Highlights are shown out well
  • Maintains a smooth image
  • Short response time
  • Broad range of gaming functions
CONTRA
  • Comes without a One Connect Box
  • No DTS Audio support
  • Dolby Vision is not provided
Pos. 3
72%
Samsung QN50Q80CAFXZA
Samsung
QN50Q80CAFXZA
Pos. 4
45%
Samsung ‎UN50CU8000FXZA
Samsung
‎UN50CU8000FXZA
PRO
  • Wide colour gamut
  • Game mode with low input lag
  • Smooth playback
  • Good upscaling of low resolutions
CONTRA
  • Does not have particularly good brightness
  • Without local dimming
  • Limited viewing angle
  • DTS support missing
  • Only 60 Hertz without VRR (except 85" variant)
* Prices incl. VAT, plus shipping costs. Please note that prices shown here may have changed in the meantime. All data without guarantee. Most of the time, these are so-called affiliate links. If you click on such an affiliate link and buy through this link, we get a commission from the relevant online store or provider. The price does not change for you.