The 7 Best 55 Inch 4k TVs - Winter 2020
Reviews

The LG OLED55B9 is the best 55 inch TV we've tested so far. OLED TVs have gained popularity in recent years, largely due to OLED's capacity to turn each pixel on and off individually, resulting in pure blacks and an infinite contrast ratio. This TV is no exception and it delivers outstanding picture quality. It doesn't get any better if you like to watch TV in the dark, where black is black, period.

That’s not all. With excellent reflection handling and decent peak brightness, this TV performs just as well in a bright room. Motion handling is also outstanding thanks to the nearly instantaneous response time; coupled with low input lag and support for variable refresh rate, it’s every gamer’s dream come true.

Not all is good, though, as we need to address OLED's most common concern: temporary image retention and permanent burn-in. This is the result of cumulative exposure to static content, but we don't expect it to occur with normal varied content. That said, it may not be as good a choice to use it as a monitor or for long gaming sessions, as those usage scenarios often involve a lot of static user interface elements that are displayed for an extended period. LG has implemented some measures to prevent burn-in, such as screen savers and ABL (Auto Brightness Limiter), but some may find the latter a little too aggressive.

Overall, this is an excellent TV and it gets our top recommendation for the best 55 inch TVs.

Deep saturated colors are aesthetically pleasing but not always the most accurate; if you care about color accuracy but don’t plan on calibrating your TV, the Sony XBR55X950G is the best 55 inch TV for color accuracy. This TV has the most accurate color reproduction out of the box that we’ve tested so far. This TV can get seriously bright, which is great for HDR, as it brings out the highlights. Motion handling is excellent, and although the input lag is a little bit high for competitive gaming, it’s perfectly fine for casual gaming. With a high contrast ratio and good black uniformity, this TV is suitable for viewing in dark rooms. Unfortunately, there are some downsides: this TV has mediocre viewing angles, which isn't ideal for a wide seating arrangement, and it doesn’t support any variable refresh rate technology.

Overall, if color accuracy is important to you, this TV is the best you can get, and it's one of the best 55 inch TVs for the money.

The best budget 55 inch TV that we've tested so far is the Hisense 55H9F. Although it's significantly cheaper than our other recommendations, this TV still brings a whole lot to the table. It performs well in both bright and dark rooms, thanks to its outstanding contrast ratio and excellent peak brightness, and combined with the TV's impressive color gamut, HDR content truly stands out with vibrant colors and highlights that pop. As for gaming, it's a bit of a mixed bag. While input lag and response time are superb, this TV doesn't support variable refresh rate technology and the panel is limited to 60Hz.

Unfortunately, like most VA panels, viewing angles are rather poor, which is not ideal for wide seating arrangements or for watching a big game with friends, but on the bright side, this TV runs on Android, which means that you have access to the incredible amount of apps available on the Google Play Store, and the TV can be voice-controlled via the Google Assistant.

If you're looking for a great budget TV, the Hisense 55H9F is highly recommended.