The best 48 to 50-inch TVs

With many models having exceptional picture quality and prices gradually coming down, it isn't surprising that so many are investing in TVs capable of creating immersive, cinema-like experiences in our homes.

From reasonably priced mid-range sets from top brands, such as Samsung and LG, to the very best they have to offer, you’ll find something for your tastes in this size bracket.

But price isn’t everything. We’ve tested Don't Buy TVs that cost as much as £700, but we’ve also found Best Buys that beat models two or even three times the price.

Not sure about what size you want, check the Best TVs for our favourites from 43 to 65 inches.

Best 48 to 50-inch TVs

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How big is a 48, 49 or 50-inch TV?

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.

• 48-inch TV: 65.3 x 107 x 26.1cm (H,W,D)
• 49-inch TV: 71.8 x 110.1 x 26.2cm (H,W,D)
• 50-inch TV: 71 x 111.8 x 25.6cm (H,W,D)

How to check if a 48 to 50-inch TV is the right size for you

According to our research, this size bracket is the most popular. More visitors to the Which? website look at 50-inch sets than any other screen size. 

Smaller 43-inch 4K TVs are available and of course there are bigger ones, too. 48 to 50 inches is far from the biggest size but it could still be too big or too small for your room. We recommend sitting nine or 10 feet from a 48 to 50-inch TV. Sit closer and you should probably choose a smaller TV, or a bigger one if you sit further away. 

Use our TV screen size tool to work out the size of TV that will best suit your room.

What features do the best 48 to 50-inch TVs have?

If this is the right size for you, here are some key things to look out for:

• 4K ultra-HD: there's no reason to buy a HD TV. 4K make up the overwhelming majority of what's available, don't tend to cost much more than HD models and do a better job of displaying HD content anyway.
• Sound quality: there’s a huge disparity in sound quality across modern flatscreen TVs. While a Best Buy sound bar will improve your experience of any TV, the sound shouldn’t be so bad that you’re forced to splash out on one. We test every TV with both music and dialogue to ensure our Best Buys not only look great but sound great, too.
• High Dynamic Range: you’ll now find this picture technology on most 4K sets. It should give deeper blacks, brighter whites and more subtlety of tone in between, but you need HDR content to make use of it. Hundreds of hours of HDR content is available on streaming services and pricier 4K TVs will have more advanced formats. These aren't necessarily must-haves though. Our reviews always detail the HDR formats supported and how well they are utilised.
• High-end display tech: though not a must, you'll see a lot of OLED and QLED TVs in this size bracket. If you want the best picture quality it's worth considering them, but they do cost more than LCD TVs on average.