Unfortunately, although it has a great response time, there are some noticeable motion artifacts with some content, and it can't get very bright in HDR.
Our Verdict
Overall, the Samsung Q50R is a good TV for most uses. It's good for watching sports or TV shows in a bright room, as long as you don't like to move around. It has excellent gaming performance, with low input lag and a fast response time. Unfortunately, it isn't as good for watching movies in SDR or HDR in a dark room, as it has only decent black uniformity and no local dimming feature.
- Deep blacks.
- Impressive low input lag.
- Image degrades at an angle.
- Noticeable motion artifacts.
This is an adequate TV for watching movies in a dark room. It has an excellent contrast ratio, so blacks appear black in a dark room, but it has only decent black uniformity and lacks a local dimming feature, so some clouding can be seen in dark scenes. Unfortunately, it can't remove judder from any source.
The Q50R is a good TV for watching TV shows during the day. It has good reflection handling and decent peak brightness, so glare shouldn't be an issue in most rooms, but the image degrades at an angle, so it isn't great if you like to move around with the TV on. It has a huge selection of streaming apps, and almost all of the most popular streaming services are available.
The Samsung QN32Q50RAFXZA is a good TV for watching sports during the day. It has good reflection handling and decent peak brightness in SDR, so glare shouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, the image degrades when viewed at an angle, and since it's only available in a 32" size, it isn't a great TV for watching the big game with a group of friends.
This is an excellent TV for playing video games. It has outstanding low input lag, resulting in a very responsive gaming experience, and it has a great response time. Unfortunately, it doesn't support any advanced gaming features like FreeSync, and some motion artifacts can be seen, due to the backlight flicker.
The Q50R is a decent TV for watching movies in HDR in a dark room. It has an excellent contrast ratio, resulting in deep blacks, but it has only decent black uniformity, and lacks a local dimming feature. It can display a wide color gamut, which is important for the latest HDR movies, but it can't get very bright, so small, bright highlights don't stand out.
The Samsung QN32Q50R is a great TV for HDR gaming, mainly due to its excellent gaming performance. It has outstanding low input lag, for a responsive gaming experience, and a great response time, so there is very little blur behind fast-moving objects. It has an excellent contrast ratio and can display a wide color gamut, but it can't get very bright in HDR, and doesn't have a local dimming feature.
This is a great TV for use as a PC monitor. It has outstanding low latency and it supports most of the common resolutions, and can display chroma 4:4:4 properly in all of them, which is important for clear text. Unfortunately, the image degrades when viewed at an angle.
Changelog
- Updated May 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Feb 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Oct 02, 2019: Review published.
- Updated Sep 26, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 32" QN32Q50R, version FA01, which is the only size available at this time. We don't know if there are any plans to release other sizes of this TV.
In the E.U., this TV is known as the QE32Q50R, and we expect our review to be valid for that model as well, except for some minor regional differences, including the tuners.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung Q50R doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.
| Size | Short Model Code | Full US Model Code | Panel Type | Refresh Rate | Notes |
| 32" | QN32Q50R | QN32Q50RAFXZA | VA | 60Hz |
The Q32QN50RA we reviewed was manufactured in August 2019.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Samsung QN32Q50R is by far the best 32" TV on the market, but it's also significantly more expensive. See also our recommendations for the best 32" TVs and the best small TVs.
The Samsung Q60R is much better than the Samsung Q50/Q50R QLED. The Q60R is noticeably brighter, has a much faster response time, and it can remove judder from all sources. The Q60R also has a 120Hz panel and can accept 120Hz signals. The Q60R is only available in larger sizes, ranging from 43" up to 82", whereas the Q50R is only available in 32".
The Samsung Q50/Q50R QLED is much better than the TCL S325. The Samsung has a much higher native resolution, better contrast, and a much better color gamut. The TCL has better viewing angles, and it can remove judder from 24p sources.
The Samsung Q50/Q50R QLED is a bit better than the TCL 4 Series 2019, but it's only available in a 32" size, whereas the S425 is available 43- to 75-inch sizes. The Q50 is brighter, has better gray uniformity, and can display a wide color gamut.
The LG UM7300 and the Samsung Q50/Q50R QLED use different panel types, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The Q50R is better-suited for use in a dark room, as it has much better contrast. The UM7300 doesn't look as good in a dark room, as blacks appear gray, but the image remains accurate when viewed at an angle. Whereas the Q50R is only available in a 32" size, the UM7300 is available in sizes ranging from 43" to 65".
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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