The best 55-inch 4K TVs for 2024: OLED, QLED and more TVs for all budgets

The best 55-inch 4K TVs are a great size for those stepping into the idea of a big, beautiful home theater. 55 inches is the amount of space where 4K resolution, advanced HDR tech and super-smooth gaming features all really step into their own, on a screen big enough to show them off.

While you can now get plenty of screen tech packed into the best 50-inch TVs, 55 inches is where you're most likely to find next-gen OLED and QLED panels, because it's such a popular screen size, and balances price and scale so well. 

Because of all this, the best 55-inch TVs have the most choice for options among any size range, really – both on price and technology. The best OLED TVs all come in 55 inches, for example – in fact, practically every one of the best TVs does. This can feel overwhelming, but a) we're here to help whittle it down to the most worthwhile, and b) this fierce competition means you tend to find fantastic discounts on 55-inch TVs a lot of the year, as companies battle to stand out. 

We alluded to this before, but all of best gaming TVs come in 55-inch sizes too, so it's easy to find something ready for PS5. Oh, and if 55-inches still isn’t big enough for you, you can go all in with our list of the best 65-inch TVs and go big or go home with the best 75-inch TVs.

Written by

Written by

Matt Bolton

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Entertainment, and has over a decade of experience in tech publishing. He has been writing about the latest TVs and soundbars since 2017. The 55-inch TV list has had a few new additions and some re-arranging, particularly with, after some deliberation, the introduction of the Samsung S90C as the best OLED of 2024, due to its stunning picture and more affordable price for QD-OLED technology. 

The quick list

In a hurry and want to find out the best 55-inch TV for you? Check out our grid below. You can still get to more detailed reviews of every choice below if you're looking for more analysis and prices. 

The best 55-inch TVs of 2024

Best 55-inch TV overall

The S90C is Samsung's first attempt to make its exciting QD-OLED technology, first introduced in 2022, more affordable without compromising on any of the quality. It mostly succeeds, which is why it's our top recommended pick for most people.

Although not as bright as the S95C, the S90C still offers a fantastic, bright picture that is complimented with rich detail and deep blacks. The LG G3 also provides a brighter picture, but both it and the S95C are much more expensive than the S90C, meaning you still get a brilliant picture without blowing your budget. 

The S90C also carries excellent gaming features, with 4K 120Hz on four HDMI ports, VRR support and a dedicated game bar to make this an excellent choice for gamers who are looking to improve their gaming experience. However, like all other Samsungs on the list, it doesn't support Dolby Vision, but we feel the excellent picture quality and brightness more than compensate for this. 

You may not be getting all that QD-OLED can offer (look to the S95C for this) but with such a big price difference between the two, the S90C really shows its value. Marrying the brightness of QLED with the detailed blacks of an OLED for less money is a welcome thing and it's this reason that the Samsung S90C is our top overall pick that we think would suit most people looking for a new 55-inch panel.

Read our full Samsung S90C review

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The best budget 55-inch TV

The Hisense U7N is a mid-range mini-LED model in the company’s TV lineup and it offers impressive performance at a budget-friendly price, though it costs more in the UK than in the US. Bold colors and natural-looking detail are the main stories here, though it also has plenty of gaming features including 4K 144Hz support.

With a plain but solid design, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtrack support, and the Google TV (VIDAA in the UK) smart TV platform for streaming, the U7N is well-featured for a TV at its price. Along with 144Hz support, it offers Dolby Vision gaming, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia GSync, and ALLM. Its HDMI 2.1 port count tops out at two, but that limitation is to be expected from a budget TV.

In our Hisense U7N review, we said it “looked very good across the board, showing dynamic and vibrant colors.” Brightness was somewhat limited compared to higher-end mini-LED TVs, including the company’s own Hisense U8K model, and picture settings needed adjustment to get the best image quality, but we found it “hard to argue just how many bases the Hisense U7N covers at the price.”

At under $800 for a 55-inch model, the Hisense U7N brings high-level competition to other TVs on this list, including the Samsung Q80C we selected as our best mid-range 55-inch TV. If you want a mini-LED for less, the U7N is well worth the money.

Read our full Hisense U7N review

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The best 55-inch premium OLED TV

The Samsung S95D continues what it's predecessor, the Samsung S95C, did for OLED TVs in combining rich OLED picture quality with the brightness of QLED, called QD-OLED, to create a premium OLED experience. But, the S95D takes things a step further.

AI enhancements mean the S95D has unparalleled levels of detail, giving objects and people near photorealistic appearances. It also still carries the bold colors, superb contrast and deep black levels of its predecessor. As another bonus, it introduces new anti-reflection tech and a matte screen to all but eliminate pesky reflections, ending one of OLED's biggest issues. 

The S95D also carries a lot of the same great features of the S95C as well, including its plethora of gaming features, such as 144Hz refresh rate, ALLM, VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro – all across four HDMI 2.1 ports. It also features Samsung's Game Hub, which supports cloud based gaming from Xbox, Nvidia and more and serves as an extremely useful tool for gamers. 

It's not just internally but also externally that the S95D demonstrates its premium feel, with a trim profile, floating design giving it a modern appearance and its external connections box, which is ideal for those looking to wall-mount. 

Read our full Samsung S95D review

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The best 55-inch TV for sports

The Samsung QN90C offers an extra bright, detailed picture that makes it the perfect TV for daytime sport viewing and gaming. Not quite as bright as Samsung's flagship Neo QLED, the QN95C, it is more affordable and still delivers fantastic specs.

Speaking of gaming, the QN90C offers all the options gamers could want including 4K 120Hz support across all four HDMI 2.1 ports, VRR and Freesync premium. With a respectably low input lag time too, the QN90C is well suited to next gen gaming consoles to really get the best out of them.

With an anti-glare screen and an impressive brightness, the QN90C makes short work of bright rooms. It also looks good from any angle, making it ideal for big groups to watch TV during the day and with good processing power and colorful pictures, it's a definite top choice for sports fans.

As we mentioned above, the QN90C doesn't have the same brightness as the QN95C. But it's our choice for best mini-LED on this list due to the price difference between the two for not a great deal of difference in specs, other than brightness and the one-connect box. 

Although it doesn't deliver in terms of picture quality quite as highly as some of the other TVs on our list, namely OLEDs like the Samsung S95C or the Sony A95K, due to some backlight blooming issues, the surprising amount of gaming support and exceptional daytime viewing abilities make this an excellent TV. Those with bright rooms, this may be your choice. 

Read our full Samsung QN90C review

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The best budget 55-inch OLED TV

The LG B3 does exactly what you'd want in a budget OLED TV – it offers brilliant picture and performance, while saving you money. Now, it's not the cheapest set on this list by any stretch, but it does give you that OLED picture quality that other TVs can't offer, which is worth that bit extra if you can stretch your budget.

When we tested the B3, we were surprised at just how good it's picture quality was. Black levels were particularly crisp and textures were sharp, yet natural in whatever movies, TV shows or footage we threw its way. In our review, we found when testing some HDR demo footage from Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark Blu-ray that "Night scenes within cities looked crisp, with the lights of the skyscrapers standing out from the black backgrounds. Colors were also dynamic within scenes of nature, with bright blue skies seeming natural against the rocky landscape below." 

Gaming-wise, the B3 also performs incredibly well. Graphically intense moments (i.e. when there's a lot of movement occurring during a fast-paced action game) were a breeze for the B3, thanks to its 9.2ms input lag time (measured in 4K/60Hz) putting it up there with some of the best gaming TVs. It does only come with two HDMI 2.1 ports but apart from this, the B3 does support a lot of gaming feature. It has Dolby Vision gaming, 4K 120Hz support and a stack of other gaming features including AMD Freesync. 

The B3 isn't perfect, though. For one, its stand feels cheap and its audio quality doesn't match the picture performance, meaning you'll need to invest in a soundbar. But considering what the B3 does for such a low price point, and the fact that it has been found to be discounted, it's fantastic for those looking for a 55-inch OLED with money to spare.

Read our full LG B3 review

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The best 55-inch TV for versatility

The LG C3 was our previous pick for the best TV for versatility and the new LG C4 now takes that mantle from its predecessor. LG’s mid-range OLED TV offers a compelling mix of features and performance and manages to do it at a price that’s easier on the wallet than flagship OLED TVs from LG and Samsung.

LG’s C4 has a new Alpha 9 AI Processor 4K Gen7 processor that, among other picture-enhancing features, provides a Brightness Booster that delivers a real increase in picture brightness over the C3. HDR support includes Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG, and the C4 has a new Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode preset that gives you a director-approved picture without having to fuss with picture settings.

With virtual 9.1.2-channel upmixing, the LG C4’s built-in 2.2-channel speakers do a more than adequate job of providing spacious Dolby Atmos audio, though you’ll get a better experience by pairing it with one of the best soundbars. The C4 is also a great gaming TV, with its four HDMI 2.1 ports providing 4K 120Hz pass-through, VRR, ALLM, and Quick Media Switching. And LG’s 2024 TVs are 144Hz-certified by Nvidia, making them a perfect option for PC gaming.

The LG C4’s picture brightness boost puts it on par with the Samsung S90C at the top of this list as the best overall 55-inch TV. We haven’t yet tested the new Samsung S90D to see how it racks up against the LG C4, but for now, the S90C remains our top choice since it rivals the C4 when it comes to performance and features and is widely available at a much lower price. 

Read our full LG C4 review

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The best mid-range 55-inch TV

The Samsung Q80C delivers phenomenal picture quality for its price. Although it doesn't have the brightness and color definition of Samsung's more premium mini-LED TVs, what it does with a QLED panel is astounding. In our review, we said it delivered a "mid-range masterclass" and thanks to this stunning picture and the extensive list of features it has, it lives up to that title. 

Although it doesn't reach the heights of Samsung's more premium mini-LED and OLED models, the Samsung Q80C is bright for the money, with peak brightness levels measuring at 929 nits. Not just a bright TV, it also has bold and vibrant colors that don't overwhelm, keeping a subtle tone at the same time. Black levels and contrast are also excellent, something that can falter in other QLED models. The Q80C's viewing angles may not be perfect, but almost evert aspect of its picture is superb.

Gaming is another strong point for the Q80C. It comes with plenty of gaming features that we look for including 120Hz across all four HDMI ports, (which will keep next-gen console owners happy) VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium and ALLM. It also comes with Samsung's Game Hub built-in, which provides cloud based gaming apps and collates everything gaming for easy access. 

The Q80C may not have the strongest audio in the world, but we were impressed at how clear dialogue was and how effective the Object Tracking Sound (OTS) system was, with the audio accurately following the action on screen. 

The Samsung Q80C sits pretty much at the halfway point in Samsung 2023 lineup; not quite a mini-LED or OLED but better than the LED budget screens. But, the Q80C is quite simply a brilliant TV for its price, living up to the name of a 'mid-range QLED marvel'.

Read our full Samsung Q80C review

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The best 55-inch TV for wall mounting

The LG G3 is an incredibly bright, incredibly impressive TV. To achieve this, LG added micro lens array (MLA) tech its already fantastic OLED Evo panel, as well as LG's latest generation of image processor. Combine all these elements together and not only do you get a substantial brightness increase, but also picture quality that's truly phenomenal, with spectacular contrast, detailed, true-to-life textures and vibrant colors. 

Although the LG G3 is an excellent TV generally, it's our top pick if you want a gorgeous-looking TV built for wall mounting. It has a sleek, bezel-less build that looks elegant when it's been mounted on a wall, and it comes with a special wall mount in the box that's designed to let it sit flush to the wall, with no unsightly gap. But if you don't want it on a wall, you'll need to buy an extra stand. With the G3 ranging in sizes from 55-inch to 83-inch (although the 83-inch has a less-bright panel so will perform differently), there’s an option here for nearly all home theater lovers. 

The LG G3 is perfect for gamers. There are extensive features on offer here, including 4K 120Hz support on all four 2.1 HDMI ports, Dolby Vision gaming at 120Hz, VRR, and ALLM. Pair all of these excellent specs with intuitive Game Dashboard menu and extremely useful Game Optimizer picture mode, and it’s hard to fault. The only slight downside is built-in sound is just fine, but you'll just need to invest in one of the best soundbars to match the excellent quality of this TV's picture. 

Read our full LG G3 review

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How to choose the best 55-inch TV

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How we test the best 55-inch TVs

We use the same methods to test the best 55-inch TVs as we do across all our other TV buying guides. This testing criteria is broken down by picture quality (looking at particular elements such as contrast, color and so on), audio quality of built-in speakers,  gaming features, smart TV platform, ease of use, design and value for money. We base our testing on subjective opinion and objective measurements of the picture quality, which we take using specialized equipment. 

Firstly, we’ll run in the TVs across various types of AV sources, such as broadcast, streaming and 4K Blu-ray. During this time, we’ll cycle through the different picture presets found on each set, such as  Standard, Movie and Sport, to establish what we see as the most accurate for that set. We then watch the same movies, TV shows and so on again, making notes of how they compare to each other.

When analyzing picture quality, we’ll use a mixture of sources such as 4K Blu-ray and streaming to look at color reproduction and accuracy, contrast and black levels, and textures. We’ll then use lower-resolution sources such as broadcast TV and DVD to test a TV’s upscaling effectiveness. 

We’ll also look at how a TV handles black uniformity (how well it can display dark tones across the screen evenly), especially on LCD based models. This is when we consider how effective the backlight is and if it suffers from any backlight blooming. We’ll also test motion, not just for 24fps movies but also for sports viewing, looking out for judder and blur – and seeing how effective a TVs motion settings are for reducing this. 

After we’ve conducted subjective tests surrounding picture quality, smart TV platform, sound quality and so on, we move onto objective tests using specialized equipment to measure color accuracy, brightness, grayscale and more, recording results through Portrait Displays' Calman calibration software. 

The first area we will usually test is brightness. We use a test pattern generator and colorimeter to measure a TV’s brightness levels across a variety of window sizes, from 1% all the way to 100% (full screen brightness). The more significant window sizes include 10%, which will usually tell you what a TV’s peak brightness is and how HDR highlights will look, and 100%, which will indicate the TV’s full screen brightness and how it can handle longer periods of brightness across the whole screen (which is often important when viewing sports). Full screen brightness generally also tells us how effective a TV will be at handling reflections. We do these tests to not only test a TV’s backlight, but also to measure our results against any figures claimed by the manufacturer. Brightness tests are conducted in light controlled rooms to prevent any external light sources affecting results. 

Color reproduction, in both SDR and HDR, is also tested as we look at each TV’s accuracy to its source and how wide a color gamut it can display on screen. We won’t just look at color though, we also look at grayscale to test how accurately a TV can display black tones and just how effective its contrast is as well. 

When it comes to gaming tests, we use the Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI input lag tester to test the latency time that a TV’s processing adds when displaying video games. We’ll also test the effectiveness of a TV’s Game Mode (if it has one), which is often used to adjust the TV’s settings to its most optimum when gaming. We also look out for a number of features such as how many HDMI 2.1 ports a TV has and whether it supports VRR, 4K 120Hz, ALLM and more. 

When conducting these tests, we aim to keep everything as consistent as possible in our TV testing lab but it’s worth noting that some reviewers will work in different environments with different setups. In those instances, we always make sure that our reviewers have the same level of equipment and conduct the same tests. 

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Latest updates to the best 55-inch TV list

June 3, 2024
Replaced LG C3 with new LG C4 as "Best for versatility" due to improved picture brightness and gaming features.

May 3, 2024
Replaced Samsung S95C with Samsung S95D for best premium OLED, due to improved picture/features.

March 28, 2024
Added testing data graphs for all TVs, to make it easy to compare them in key areas.

March 5, 2024
Expanded the 'How We Test' section to give more detail on how the TVs in this guide are tested.

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