Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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The LG C2 OLED is one of the best TVs we've ever seen. It's spectacular for movies and games, especially if you don't have a bright living space. Read More
The Sony A95K is not only the best OLED we’ve ever tested, it’s also the best TV. Its near-perfect picture quality outshines a handful of minor flaws. Read More
The Hisense U8K is a bright, colorful, competitively priced TV overflowing with value. Read More
The Samsung QN90B Neo QLED is a dazzling, premium TV whose stunning brightness allows it to perform at a high level in bright rooms. Read More
The 2022 TCL 5-Series combines impressive performance, improved brightness, great gaming support, and Roku OS to be the best budget pick available. Read More
When it comes to TVs, 55 inches is one of the most popular screen sizes for a reason. Not too big and not too small, 55-inch TVs feel luxuriously large without entirely dominating your living room.
If you want the best 55-inch TV money can buy, go with the LG C2 OLED (available at Amazon for $1,296.99) . With its excellent contrast, rich features, and next-gen gaming support, you really can't go wrong.
If the C2 isn’t right for you, we spend hundreds of hours testing great 55-inch TVs in every price bracket. You’re sure to find the best one for your budget.
The LG C2 combines the unbelievable performance of an OLED with an array of exciting features.
The A95K is the best TV we’ve ever seen.
The Hisense U8K offers great performance for a price most people can justify.
The Samsung QN90B is one of the brightest LED TVs we’ve reviewed this year.
The TCL 5-Series (2022) provides great performance and a nice collection of features for under $500.
Incredible contrast
Vivid, accurate color
All the gaming features you’ll need
So-so smart platform
Not as bright as competitive OLEDs
Incredible contrast
Dazzling color
Fantastic gaming support
Sluggish, cluttered software
Raised black levels in ambient light
No Dolby Vision support
Incredible contrast
Sensational color
Ready for next-gen gaming
Lackluster stand design
Occasional pink tint during off-angle viewing
QD-OLED is a game changer
Excellent gaming TV
Superb design
No Dolby Vision
Might need to be calibrated
Minor color artifacts
Excellent color and contrast
Elegant design
Not as bright as other OLEDs
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports
Bright, colorful picture
Built-in Roku smart features
Class-leading gaming features
Not enough A/V customization settings
Out-of-the-box picture is too cool
Chunky, ho-hum design
Bright enough for daytime viewing
Great smart platform
Accommodating design
Moderate light bloom
Narrow viewing angle
Offers mini-LEDs for less
Bright enough for daytime viewing
Excellent quantum-dot color
Motion-related color fringing
Narrow viewing angle
Lackluster design
Our lab is outfitted with much of the same equipment you would find at a factory that manufactures and calibrates televisions.
Reviewed has been testing TVs for over a decade. Our current Home Theater expert is Michael Desjardin, a Senior Staff Writer who has been a member of the tech team since 2014. Michael takes picture quality seriously, but he also understands that not every TV is a good fit for everyone.
John Higgins, Reviewed’s A/V and Electronics Senior Editor, is an ISF Level III-certified calibrator. He has been covering all manner of home theater electronics for two decades—from TVs and gaming gear to speakers and headphones.
We measure things like peak brightness, black level, hue, and so on.
The average person's viewing experience is very important to us, so when we test TVs, we spend a lot of time just using them like the general public would. We stream video, use smart features and watch movies on a Blu-ray player. We also check out the ports, remote, and on-set buttons. Basically, we evaluate anything that might be relevant to the daily experience of using the TV.
But our testing process doesn’t stop there. Our lab has much of the same equipment factories use to manufacture and calibrate televisions so we can gather enough esoteric data that would satisfy even curious video engineers. Overall, we weigh our performance tests based on how the human eye prioritizes vision—brightness first, then colorimetry, and so on.
Everyone wants to get the most out of their home entertainment experience. The seemingly endless options can make shopping intimidating, though. There are some things to think about when you’re shopping for the best smart TV available, especially if you’re on a tighter budget.
What’s the best size for a TV? That really depends, and it’s more complicated than “bigger is better.”
Some factors that come into play are the size of the room where it will go and the viewing distance. A smaller TV, even one with 1080p resolution, can be the perfect fit for a kitchen, but if you’re going to be relaxing and watching tons of movies, you’ll want a bigger 4K TV.
Additionally, you should be aware of your wall space. Make sure to check the width of the room if you plan to wall mount. If you plan on using a TV stand, find out how big of a set your stand can support. Some TVs sit on central pedestals, while others have feet mounted to either side.
One thing to remember: If you buy a TV that's a little too big for your space, you can usually move furniture around to create a better viewing environment. That’s harder to do if you buy one that's too small. A 55-inch TV will complement most living rooms nicely.
Our recommendation is to buy the best TV that fits your budget. Make sure you know what features are most important to you. Don’t pay for ones that you don’t need or want. Gamers with new systems have different needs than someone who is using their TV to stream their favorite shows. The same goes for cinephiles.
For people looking to spend less money, our favorite 55-inch TV under $500, the TCL 5-Series S555 (2022), is a serious budget win. For those who have more to spend, it’s hard to beat our best upgrade pick, the Sony A95K, which will give you the absolute best picture money can buy. Regardless of your budget, though, you should be able to find a quality TV.
When shopping for a 55-inch TV, you’re likely to see a lot of different terms—LED, LCD, QLED, OLED.
LED refers to Light Emitting Diode, while LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. These technologies are used together, so you may see them referred to interchangeably. LEDs are the backlights used in LCD TVs. They shine through a layer of a semi-solid substance called "liquid crystal," which gets its name for its ability to morph in reaction to electrical volts and allow light to pass through.
Essentially, QLED TVs are LED TVs with quantum dots. The addition of quantum dots allows the displays to produce rich colors, especially those that rely on combinations of red and green, better than LED TVs without quantum dot technology.
OLED, or Organic Light Emitting Diode, is a different panel technology than LED/LCD. An OLED TV combines the backlight and display arrays, using sub-pixel strata that produce light and color individually. There’s now also QD-OLED, which combines OLEDs’ amazing contrast with quantum dots vibrant colors.
Michael Desjardin graduated from Emerson College after having studied media production and screenwriting. He specializes in tech for Reviewed, but also loves film criticism, weird ambient music, cooking, and food in general.
John is Reviewed's Managing Editor of Tech. He is an ISF Level III-certified calibrator with bylines at ProjectorCentral, Wirecutter, IGN, Home Theater Review, T3, Sound & Vision, and Home Theater Magazine. When away from the Reviewed office, he is a sound editor for film and musician, and loves to play games with his son.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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