What are the best 50-inch HDTVs under $700?

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May 29, 2023

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Samsung KU6300 vs Hisense H8 vs Vizio D50u-D1

Specs

HDR10

Yes

Power consumption

48 W

Refresh rate

60 Hz

Ethernet

Contrast

5411 : 1

ARC

Yes (HDMI 3)

Backlight

Direct

Tuner (Cable/Ant)

Wall mount

Vesa 400 x 400

Borders

0.63" (1.6 cm)

Available sizes

40”; 50”; 55”; 60”; 65”; 70”

Low-end cutoff

89 Hz

HDCP 2.2

Yes

Composite in

Component in

Thickness

2.44" (6.2 cm)

Local Dimming

USB ports

Viewing Angle

26°

HDMI ports

5.1 Dolby Digital

Yes

Digital Optical Audio Out

5.1 DTS

Yes

4k @ 60 Hz

20.4 ms

Screen Finish

Semi-gloss

HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth

Yes (HDMI 1)

Max. volume

88.7 dB SPL

4k @ 60 Hz + HDR

20.4 ms

1080p @ 60 Hz

19.8 ms

4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4

36.7 ms

LCD type

Panel type

LCD

Dolby Vision

USB

HDMI

Viewing angle

Panel type

LCD type

Screen finish

USB 3

Local dimming

Reflection

SmartOS

5.1 Passthrough DTS

Max thickness

4K @ 60Hz

1080p @ 60Hz

Digital optical audio out

Apps

HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwith

Max volume

5.1 Passthrough Dolby Digital

Weight

Dimensions

Display Refresh Rate

USB Ports

HDMI Ports

HDR10

Yes

Power consumption

63 W

Refresh rate

60 HZ

Ethernet

Contrast

4152 : 1

ARC

Yes (HDMI 2)

Backlight

Full-array

Tuner (Cable/Ant)

Wall mount

Vesa 200x200

Borders

0.51" (1.3 cm)

Available sizes

50", 55"

Low-end cutoff

107 Hz

HDCP 2.2

Yes

Composite in

Component in

Thickness

Local Dimming

USB ports

Viewing Angle

HDMI ports

5.1 Dolby Digital

Digital Optical Audio Out

5.1 DTS

4k @ 60 Hz

Screen Finish

HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth

Max. volume

4k @ 60 Hz + HDR

1080p @ 60 Hz

4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4

LCD type

Panel type

Dolby Vision

USB

HDMI

Viewing angle

10 °

Panel type

LED

LCD type

Screen finish

Semi-gloss

USB 3

Yes (1)

Local dimming

Yes

Reflection

2.0 %

SmartOS

Opera TV

5.1 Passthrough DTS

Yes

Max thickness

3.00" (7.6 cm)

4K @ 60Hz

51.0 ms

1080p @ 60Hz

32.1 ms

Digital optical audio out

Apps

Netflix. Amazon, Vudu, Youtube

HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwith

Yes (HDMI 3, 4)

Max volume

85.9 dB SPL

5.1 Passthrough Dolby Digital

Yes

Weight

Dimensions

Display Refresh Rate

USB Ports

HDMI Ports

HDR10

Power consumption

Refresh rate

Ethernet

Contrast

ARC

Backlight

Tuner (Cable/Ant)

Wall mount

Borders

Available sizes

Low-end cutoff

HDCP 2.2

Composite in

Component in

Thickness

Local Dimming

USB ports

Viewing Angle

HDMI ports

5.1 Dolby Digital

Digital Optical Audio Out

5.1 DTS

4k @ 60 Hz

Screen Finish

HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth

Max. volume

4k @ 60 Hz + HDR

1080p @ 60 Hz

4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4

LCD type

Panel type

Dolby Vision

USB

HDMI

Viewing angle

Panel type

LCD type

Screen finish

USB 3

Local dimming

Reflection

SmartOS

5.1 Passthrough DTS

Max thickness

4K @ 60Hz

1080p @ 60Hz

Digital optical audio out

Apps

HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwith

Max volume

5.1 Passthrough Dolby Digital

Weight

36.6 pounds

Dimensions

47.6 x 15.1 x 30 inches

Display Refresh Rate

120Hz

USB Ports

HDMI Ports

Pros + Cons

Pro
Picture specifications can live up to premium standards

Compared to other sets in this price range, this TV offers fantastic picture quality. Its high contrast ratio and black levels is comparable to TVs twice as expensive, making it great for movie watching. Color banding is not a problem as the panel offers great gradation. Brightness is even and enough for watching in bright conditions like sunlit rooms. Motion is handled well, thanks to the fast pixel response time and image processing.

Comment

Pro
Good viewing angles

With 20° of viewing with no colour distortion, this is a good TV to use as a computer monitor. Because you'll be sitting close to it, the angle when looking at the far edges of the display are much more angled than when looking dead-on at the middle of the display. This means you'll notice much less colour shifting than other TVs with poorer viewing angles.

Comment

Pro
Good for bright viewing conditions

The maximum brightness of the set is 420 nits, which is good for bright viewing conditions or for bright scenes on screen. Since the TV does not have proper HDR support, HDR content does not take advantage of this, however.

Comment

Pro
Multiple resolutions and input modes

The set supports all the popular resolutions up to 4K at 60Hz refresh rate. The input lag for FullHD and 4K resolution, is surprisingly low even when receiving HDR signals, making this a great gaming monitor. In addition, chroma 4:4:4 sub-sampling rate is supported as well, meaning that the monitor will not show any artifacts or blurred out details when editing documents, pictures or browsing the web.

Comment

Pro
Multiple sizes versions exist

There are several sizes available to suit various needs and budgets.

Comment

Pro
Good input access

Since the TV has all the inputs ordered neatly in one side, they can be reached easily even when the TV is mounted to a wall.

Comment

Pro
Sharp, clear text in PC mode

Chroma 4:4:4 input is recognized in PC mode, so text will look sharp and clear.

Comment

Pro
Very dark blacks

A pure black screen measures just 0.024 cd/m², which means that when black colours or loading screens appear, they will truly look black (instead of the dark purplish glow which lower quality screens produce when displaying black colours). The deviation of black level across the TV is great as well - at half a percent the screen will appear extremely uniform with no bright spots. This helps it achieve a very good contrast ratio of 4500:1.

Comment

Con
Wide color gamut not supported

The TV has a 10-bit panel but it does not support a wide color gamut, so there won’t be a visible difference when it comes to HDR content.

Comment

Con
No support for signals above 60 Hz

The TV supports signals up to 4K resolution and 60Hz with HDR support, meaning that most formats are supported except for 1080p at 120Hz.

Comment

Con
Color distortion and brightness loss at higher viewing angles

The monitor is best viewed directly as the viewing angle of the screen is really shallow and colors start to get distorted at 35 degrees. There is a noticeable brightness loss at 31 degrees.

Comment

Con
High response time means longer delays

Gamers require the fastest response possible so they aren't even a frame behind their opponents. The response time on this TV is 18.7. For comparison, computer monitors geared towards gaming often offer 5ms or lower response time. 16ms is commonly thrown around as the total delay before it can become noticeable. This 18.7ms delay plus mouse delay will be considerably over the 16ms threshold.

Comment

Con
Thick design

The bezel of the TV is made out of glossy plastic and it's 1.6 cm thick. The thickness of the TV itself is 6.2 cm, so it will stick out from the wall a bit.

Comment

Con
Large footprint

The stand is made of plastic and t’s quite wide and reaches far towards the back, so this TV has a large footprint.

Comment

Con
Problems displaying HDR content

While HDR content is supported by the TV, it lacks the ability to properly display it. The KU6300 will display HDR content with less highlights and without the extra color data found in HDR compared to a standard signal. So although it can read and display HDR signals, you won’t be able to take full advantage of it.

Comment

Con
There may be a need for an external sound system

The TV is loud, with a maximum volume of 89dB. However, since the sound distorts at high volumes, it is advisable buy an external sound system for larger rooms.

Comment

Con
No display port

Display port is a port used to deliver high amounts of data, and more favourable than HDMI for very high resolution high fps gaming.

Comment

Con
Good sound for its price

Low end frequency response cutoff is at a decent 90Hz, but there is a drop between 10-15 kHz at low volumes. Overall the response is average, but better than almost any budget TV.

Comment

Con
Reflections are noticeable

The semi-glossy screen does not handle reflections well. Although direct reflections are seen clearly, ambient lightning reflections aren’t too noticeable.

Comment

Con
Frame rates limited at 60Hz - poor for gaming

Gaming in 120Hz allows the TV to show more frames each second, delivering more up-to-date graphics than 60Hz TVs. 120Hz TVs will show refreshed screens twice as much, letting the gamer see their enemy up to a whole frame quicker. While not a con for the average gamer, high intensity FPS (first person shooter) gamers require extremely high refresh rates.

Comment

Con
Noticeable distortion at high volumes

Harmonic distortion is minimal at low volumes, but the sound gets significant distortion at high volumes.

Comment

Pro
The best picture quality at its price.

The contrast levels are great even in dark environments. Brightness is average compared to other sets in its price range, but there should'nt be any problems in bright conditions like sunny rooms. Colors and shadows are look natural with almost no color banding. However, it doesn't upscale lower resolution videos well, making it look blurry and undetailed. Although this TV can playback HDR content, the actual result will not be as impressive as on the more expensive high-end models, lacking the really bright details and dark shadows.

Comment

Pro
Can play HDR

The TV can display HDR content, but it won't look as good with higher-end TVs that support a wider color gamut and have better contrast ratios.

Comment

Pro
Vivid scenes

The TV's decent black levels and contrast ratio of 1:4100 results in vivid scenes and sits above other TVs in this price range.

Comment

Pro
Reflections are barely noticeable

Reflections aren’t that noticeable since the screen has a semi-gloss finish.

Comment

Pro
Remote control has basic functionality dedicated streaming services buttons

Remote control comes with basic functionality and with dedicated buttons for the popular streaming services, so they are easily accessible even for users that have not used smart TV functions before.

Comment

Pro
Compatibility with emerging technologies

The H8 supports 4K resolution, HDR, video streaming and HDMI 2.0 ensuring compatibility with the latest devices and emerging standards in streaming. For those with outdated TVs, this set is a worthwhile upgrade if you plan on acquiring streaming services and the latest media hardware without spending a fortune on a new set.

Comment

Pro
Good overall sound quality

Harmonic distortion hardly becomes noticeable even in high volumes. Though not fantastic, it actually fares better than most of its competitors in its price range.

Comment

Pro
Wide range of applications with Opera TV

It uses an Opera TV platform that offers a wide range of applications, all the most popular streaming services are available.

Comment

Pro
Suitable for use in sunlit rooms

There should not be any problems watching this TV in bright rooms as the brightness tops at 350 nits.

Comment

Pro
Built-in wi-fi

Wi-fi is built in, so there's no need to lay a cable from your router.

Comment

Con
Average, cheap-looking design

The design is average and feels cheap and plasticky, the only exception being the stands which has a different finish and gives it a somewhat modern look. The remote control feels really cheap.

Comment

Con
Slight color oversaturation

Color reproduction is decent with no visible gradient banding due to its 10 bit panel, but the colors will have a tendency to be slightly oversaturated.

Comment

Con
Very narrow viewing angle

Viewing angle is very narrow; color shifts are noticeable even at shallow angles.

Comment

Con
Very thick

The TV is thick, measuring 7.6 cm: quite bulky when compared to other TVs.

Comment

Con
Difficult to fit on some TV tables

The stands have a nice finish, compared to the rest of the TV, but they are wide apart, meaning that it will be stable, but will not suit all TV tables.

Comment

Con
Average sound quality

It has average sound quality and modest loudness measuring only at 86dB. The frequency response is average for a TV, as the lows are cut off at 106Hz and there is a noticeable dip in the higher frequencies.

Comment

Con
Issues with HDR content

The TV lacks a wide color gamut and sufficient brightness to properly display HDR content.

Comment

Con
Application availability and updates rely on 3rd party developers

The Opera TV store, which is used on this TV, is fairly popular but application availability and updates are heavily reliant on third party developers rather than the manufacturer.

Comment

Con
Average motion handling

Much like other TVs in this price point, motion handling is rather average with noticeable judder especially for discerning viewers.

Comment

Con
Limited amount of ports

The set has only two HDMI 2.0 ports and two HDMI 1.4 ports, which may limit the number of devices you can connect to the TV.

Comment

Con
Some glitches in application handling

Although it's fast, responsive, and easy to use, it sometimes suffers from glitches and the apps have a habit of crashing. In some cases, the TV simply freezes and you'll need to restart the TV.

Comment