Samsung Q50R QLED – Small but fine QLED?

In terms of finish and design, the Samsung Q50R is in no way inferior to its big sister model: As the Q60R’s optical miniature, it is also quite flat and stands on two feet. That’s why it only has a small footprint – perfect for those with limited space. Otherwise, it can also be attached directly to the wall with a vesa mount. Only the frame is slightly wider at 1.1 cm in relation to its overall size. The cable management is kept rather simple with a clip on the back of the foot.

The Samsung Q50R has a VAVertical Alignment, type of LCD Panel panel and thus brings a deep black and a relatively high contrast, so that it also delivers a good picture quality in the evening. Nevertheless, this is not enough to display HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) content impressively. It also has no local dimming feature. Its 4K resolution cannot be criticized in relation to its size, of course. It’s just questionable whether this is fully effective at 32 inches and a normal distance between seat and device.

Unfortunately, the VA panel ensures that the image quality decreases significantly when viewed at an angle, which is why it is best placed in front of the sofa – or as an additional monitor on the desk.

The model has a good response time of about 5.5 ms. There is a weakness in the backlight, which flickers at 240 HzHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. in a brightness below the maximum, but at 120 Hz in game mode. This is enough for movies, but not optimal for sports and gaming, as there can be noticeable duplication. If you’re searching for better alternatives for gaming, you should look around for a comparably large monitor.

The Q50R has a refresh rateHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. of 60 Hz and can’t remove JudderInconsistent time frame due to the input frequency not mismatching the TV’s frequency (e.g. 24p via 60Hz).

The Q50R is suitable for gaming in that it can be used as an additional monitor due to its size or connected to a console. The decisive point here is that it doesn’t have HDMI 2.1, but provides analogue inputs. That means it is perfectly suited for gaming with the Play Station or older consoles. The input lag is quite low with 13.1 ms in HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) and the ALLMAuto Low Latency Mode – Automatically detects connected consoles and keeps input lag as low as possible. is activated automatically when connected to the console.

Unfortunately the Q50R doesn’t offer any additional gaming features like the FreeSyncVariable Refresh Rate with AMD graphics cards or consoles variable refresh rateHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second., which all other QLEDs have. Thus, it doesn’t stand out from comparable entry-level TVs from Samsung.

The Samsung Q50R can’t convince with its sound. Dialogues can be clearly understood, but the bass is less balanced and strong. It also doesn’t have HDMI eARC, Dolby AtmosObject-based surround sound format with 3D-Sound from any direction or DTSMulti-channel-sound-system (Surround Sound) competing with Dolby Digital and won’t be able to thrill the enthusiast. But the rest convinces you, you can consider adding a soundbar to your setup.

With the usual interface for the Q-Series, the Q50R offers the integrated language assistant Bixby, but can just as well be connected to the Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant. Besides streaming services, such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, Apple TV is also pre-installed. Smart Home applications are controlled via Samsung SmartThings as the control centre. The TV is also compatible with AirPlay 2. It’s all done with the One Remote.

What’s missing are features like PVRPersonal Video Recorder, recording TV programs to a USB-Memory Device, Time-Shift and a Twin Tuner.