A 50-inch TV is often the sweet spot for living rooms, offering a noticeably bigger screen than budget 43-inch models without the cost or space requirements of larger sizes. In early 2026, this category has become especially competitive. Thanks to wider adoption of Quantum Dot (QLED / QNED) panels, improved backlight control, and more refined smart TV platforms, you can now get a genuinely impressive 50-inch TV for under $500 without major compromises.
This guide highlights the five best 50-inch TVs under $500, focusing on real-world picture quality, contrast performance, color accuracy, motion handling, smart TV usability, and overall value. Rather than chasing headline specs, these picks prioritize what actually improves everyday viewing for streaming, movies, sports, and casual gaming.
1. Best Overall 50-Inch TV Under $500 — Hisense 50QD7QF
The Hisense 50QD7QF, part of Hisense QD7QF, takes the top spot thanks to its rare combination of QLED color performance and local dimming at this price level. Local dimming gives it a clear advantage in contrast, black level depth, and HDR impact compared to most edge-lit competitors under $500.
In real-world use, the QD7QF delivers richer blacks, brighter highlights, and stronger scene separation, making movies and darker content look more cinematic. The Quantum Dot layer ensures vivid, saturated colors, while brightness levels are high enough to handle moderately bright rooms with ease.
Motion handling is solid for sports and TV viewing, even though it uses a 60Hz panel, and gaming responsiveness is more than adequate for casual console play. The TV runs Fire TV, which is fast, familiar, and well integrated with Alexa for voice control and smart home features.
Why it’s great
- QLED panel combined with local dimming
- Strong contrast and HDR performance for movies
- Bright, punchy colors for streaming
Best for: buyers who want the best overall picture quality and contrast under $500
| Hisense 50QD7QF (50-inch Hisense QD7QF) Prices | |
| Walmart.com (N/A) | Amazon.com… |
2. Best Balanced QLED TV — TCL 50Q651G
The TCL 50Q651G , part of TCL Q651G, earns second place by delivering one of the most well-rounded viewing experiences in this category. While it doesn’t include local dimming, its QLED panel and strong brightness tuning make it an excellent all-purpose TV for mixed content.
Colors look lively and accurate, especially for streaming services, while contrast remains solid for an edge-lit design. TCL’s processing helps maintain consistent brightness and clean motion, making this TV reliable for sports, cable TV, and everyday viewing.
One of the biggest strengths here is Google TV, which remains one of the best smart TV platforms available. App support is excellent, navigation is smooth, and long-term software support makes it a future-proof choice.
Why it’s great
- QLED panel with strong brightness and color
- Very balanced picture quality across content types
- Excellent Google TV smart platform
Best for: viewers who want the best overall balance of picture quality and smart features
| TCL 50Q651G (50-inch TCL Q651G) Prices | |
| Walmart.com… | Amazon.com… |
3. Best Movie-Focused TV — Vizio M50QXM-K01
The Vizio M50QXM-K01 is the most cinema-oriented and performance-focused TV in this lineup, standing out with a rare combination of full-array local dimming and a native 120Hz panel at this price point. These features give it a clear advantage in contrast, motion clarity, and overall picture depth compared to most sub-$500 competitors.
Thanks to its local dimming backlight, the M50QXM delivers deeper blacks, stronger contrast, and better-controlled HDR highlights, making it especially impressive for movie watching in dim or dark rooms. The Quantum Dot layer keeps colors vibrant without looking oversaturated, while improved shadow detail helps dark scenes retain more depth and realism.
The 120Hz panel also provides smoother motion for sports and fast-moving content, and makes this TV a stronger option for console gaming than most 60Hz models in this price range. Vizio’s SmartCast platform is simple and responsive, and while it isn’t as polished as Google TV or Tizen, it remains easy to use for viewers who prioritize picture performance over smart-platform extras.
Why it’s great
- Full-array local dimming for deeper blacks and better contrast
- Native 120Hz panel for smoother motion and gaming
- Strong HDR performance for movies
Best for: movie lovers and sports fans who want better contrast and smoother motion than typical budget TVs
| Vizio M50QXM-K01 (50-inch Quantum Pro) Prices | |
| Walmart.com… | Amazon.com… |
4. Best Comfortable & Balanced TV — LG 50QNED82AUA
The LG 50QNED82AUA, part of LG QNED82A, focuses on comfort, consistency, and usability rather than pushing brightness or HDR extremes. Its QNED panel technology produces natural-looking colors and stable image quality, making it well suited for long viewing sessions.
While it doesn’t use Mini-LED or aggressive local dimming, LG’s image processing does an excellent job with upscaling, motion smoothing, and color consistency, especially for cable TV and lower-resolution content. Viewing angles are also slightly better than many competing models.
LG’s webOS platform remains one of the most intuitive and user-friendly smart TV systems, with fast navigation and excellent app support.
Why it’s great
- Natural and comfortable color reproduction
- Smooth processing for everyday TV
- Excellent webOS smart experience
Best for: viewers who value ease of use and relaxed, consistent picture quality
| LG 50QNED82AUA (50-inch LG QNED82A) Prices | |
| Walmart.com… | Amazon.com… |
5. Best Samsung Smart TV Experience — Samsung QN50Q7FAAFXZA
The Samsung QN50Q7FAAFXZA, part of Samsung Q7F, rounds out the list by prioritizing refinement and smart TV polish. Its QLED panel delivers clean, accurate colors and solid brightness for everyday viewing.
Samsung’s tuning emphasizes image stability and color accuracy, particularly for SDR content and broadcast TV. HDR performance is respectable, though not as contrast-heavy as models with local dimming.
The standout feature here is Samsung’s Tizen smart platform, which remains one of the fastest, most reliable, and best-supported smart TV systems available.
Why it’s great
- Clean and accurate QLED picture quality
- Excellent Tizen smart platform
- Reliable long-term usability
Best for: users who prioritize a polished interface and hassle-free daily use
| Samsung QN50Q7FAAFXZA (50-inch Samsung Q7F) Prices | |
| Walmart.com… | Amazon.com… |
Quick Buying Tips for 50-Inch TVs Under $500 (Early 2026)
- Local dimming makes a real difference
It improves contrast and black levels, especially for movies and HDR content, and is one of the most meaningful upgrades at this size and price. - Most TVs under $500 use native 60Hz panels
This is perfectly fine for streaming, movies, and everyday TV viewing. A native 120Hz panel is still rare in this price range and mainly benefits sports, fast motion, and gaming. - Smart platform quality affects daily enjoyment
Google TV, Fire TV, webOS, and Tizen are all solid—choose the platform that best fits your app preferences and ecosystem.
Quick Summary
In short: Hisense delivers the best overall picture quality thanks to local dimming, TCL offers the strongest balance of features and usability, Vizio excels in movie contrast, LG focuses on comfort and ease of use, and Samsung leads in smart TV refinement.
| Rank | Model | Display Type | Smart Platform | Best For | Check Price |
| 1 | Hisense 50QD7QF | QLED + Local Dimming | Fire TV | Best overall picture quality | Amazon.com… |
| 2 | TCL 50Q651G | QLED | Google TV | Best balanced option | Amazon.com… |
| 3 | Vizio M50QXM-K01 | QLED + Local Dimming (120Hz) | SmartCast | Best for movies | Amazon.com… |
| 4 | LG 50QNED82AUA | QNED | webOS | Comfortable everyday viewing | Amazon.com… |
| 5 | Samsung QN50Q7FAAFXZA | QLED | Tizen | Best smart TV experience | Amazon.com… |