TVs keep getting bigger, and large screen sizes are becoming more affordable. This doesn’t necessarily mean a 65-inch (or larger) TV is right for you, though. If you have a smaller space or a limited budget, a 55-inch TV might be in your personal Goldilocks zone. I’m a certified TV calibrator and THX home theater expert, and I’ve tested and evaluated every TV line mentioned on this list. I put TVs through a full battery of tests, including in-depth measurements of brightness, contrast, color accuracy, color range, and latency, using specialized equipment. If you’re looking to get the most value for your money, the Hisense U8N is the best TV available in 55 inches, while the LG Evo G5 is our favorite high-end OLED model. But this list includes a range of premium and budget-friendly options to accommodate every buyer.
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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
- Incredibly bright picture with strong contrast
- Wide colors
- 144Hz native refresh rate with VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
- Supports Apple AirPlay, Google Assistant, Google Cast
- Blacks aren’t as deep as they can be on OLED TVs
- Gaming mode can cause clipping in highlights
The Hisense U8N is the best value out of all the current TVs we’ve tested. It offers the brightest picture we’ve ever seen and a generous feature set including hands-free Google Assistant as well as Apple AirPlay and Google Cast support, all at a very reasonable price. You can get deeper and more detailed shadows with an OLED TV, but you’ll be spending two to three times more.
This should be one of the first TVs you consider if you’re looking for a quality television for a reasonable price. It’s as simple as that.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
55 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, USB, Composite, RF
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
2755 nits
Black Level
0.01 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
393,571:1
Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Input Lag (1080p120)
7.4 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync Premium Pro
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Best OLED TV
LG Evo G5 OLED TV
- Incredibly bright
- Wide, accurate colors
- 165Hz VRR with AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
- Sleek design
LG’s sleek Evo G5 is the brightest and best-looking OLED TV we’ve tested. It produces a stunning picture with wide, accurate colors and pixel-perfect black levels, and it offers plenty of gaming features.
This is the OLED TV to spend money on. It’s one of the priciest you’ll find in this size, but the picture quality justifies it.
Panel Type
OLED
Screen Size
55 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, USB, RF
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
1608 nits
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Input Lag (1080p120)
12.9 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync Premium
Nvidia G-Sync
G-Sync Compatible
Learn More
Best Cheap TV
Hisense U6N
- Excellent color performance
- Very strong contrast with deep blacks
- Feature-packed Google TV interface
- Supports Apple AirPlay and Google Cast
- Hands-free Google Assistant voice control
- Affordable
- Irritating LEDs when the microphone is muted
The Hisense U6N series offers strong picture quality for the price (along with helpful Google TV features including hands-free Google Assistant). It makes compromises on contrast, but its color performance is excellent. If you’re on a budget, it’s the TV to get.
The U6N is for shoppers who want the best TV for as little money as possible. You can go cheaper, but we don’t recommend it; the U6N easily offers the top picture quality for the price.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
55 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, Composite, USB, RF
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
700 nits
Black Level
0.01 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
233,333:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Input Lag (1080p120)
3.6 ms
AMD FreeSync
None
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Best Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED
- Bright picture with balanced color and strong contrast
- Hands-free Alexa integration
- Supports Apple AirPlay 2
- 120Hz with VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
- Color gamut isn’t as wide as competitors
- Can suffer from light bloom
The Fire TV Omni Mini-LED is Amazon’s best TV. It’s also reasonably priced, at well below $900 for the 55-inch model. It has a bright mini-LED backlight, hands-free Alexa, Apple AirPlay 2, and 144Hz VRR with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.
The Fire TV Omni Mini-LED is a good choice if you want an inexpensive television that still puts out plenty of light and is loaded with features. Running Amazon’s Fire TV platform, it’s especially compelling if you prefer to use Alexa to control your smart home devices.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
55 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, RF, USB
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
1623 nits
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Input Lag (1080p120)
6.4 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync Premium Pro
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Best Roku TV
Roku Pro Series TV
- Bright, colorful picture
- Simple, accessible smart TV platform
- Hands-free voice search and TV control
- Works with Roku smart home devices
- No full voice assistant
- Remote no longer has a headphone jack
Roku started making its own TVs last year, but it really found its groove with 2024’s flagship Pro Series. The Pro Series represents a huge jump its predecessors with a mini-LED backlight system that lets it get very bright, along with gamer-friendly features like 120Hz VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.
The Roku Pro Series is the best Roku-powered TV currently available, and should be appealing if you want a TV with a simple, accessible interface focused almost entirely on finding and watching what you want to watch. It doesn’t have a full voice assistant (though you can control a limited selection of Roku smart home devices with it), but it’s an uncluttered, easy-to-use experience.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
55 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, USB, RF
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
1621 nits
Black Level
0.01 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
1,621,000:1
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync Premium Pro
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Best for Pictures
Samsung The Frame QLED TV
- Striking, customizable design that resembles a hanging painting
- Matte screen reduces glare and adds to the painting effect
- Strong color performance
- Poor contrast
- Very expensive for the picture quality
The Frame is another Samsung lifestyle TV, with a drastically different concept from The Serif. This TV is designed to look like a hanging painting, with customizable bezels that give the impression of a picture frame. It doesn’t have the brightest or most colorful picture out there, but it can blend in with your home decor, especially with its low-light ambient mode running.
This is a TV for any room where you don’t want it to look like there’s a TV in it. Put it on the wall, and when you aren’t watching it you can enjoy some unobtrusive art instead of a big black box.
Panel Type
LCD
Screen Size
55 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, USB, RF
HDR
HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
475.65 nits
Black Level
0.1 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
4,757:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Input Lag (1080p120)
9.5 ms
AMD FreeSync
None
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Best Outdoor TV
SunBriteTV Veranda 3 Series
- Ruggedized for outdoor use
- Wide, accurate colors with Dolby Vision support
- Android TV provides phone mirroring, streaming media, and voice control
- Low input lag
- Expensive
- Doesn’t include a stand
- High black levels
You should never mount a regular TV outside because extreme temperatures or any amount of rain can destroy it. You need to get a TV designed for use outdoors, and SunBriteTV’s Veranda 3 is one of the best. It’s pricey, but that’s what you can expect to pay for the necessary weatherproofing and still get a good-looking picture.
This is one of the best TVs to get if you want something to put in your backyard or on your deck. There are a few cheaper outdoor TVs available, but their pictures aren’t nearly as good.
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
55 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, Composite, RF, USB
HDR
HDR-10, Dolby Vision
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
722.53 nits
Black Level
0.2 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
3,631:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Input Lag (1080p120)
8.6 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
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The Best 55-Inch TVs for 2025
Compare Specs
Buying Guide: The Best 55-Inch TVs for 2025
TV Tips For New TV Buyers
A note on the individual TV models above: We generally test one screen size of a given TV line and extrapolate its performance to other screen sizes, barring any significant differences in specs. We expect similar performance between screen sizes, and for reference, we note which specific model is tested in the linked review. If there isn’t an italicized statement below the first paragraph clarifying this, then the 55-inch screen size is the one that was tested.
How PCMag Tests TVs
Finally, if you aren’t sure what size screen is right for you, our guide can help you determine which one is best. While you’re at it, be sure to read up on the best cheap TVs, the best TVs for gaming, and the best TVs overall.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-04-10 16:36:00
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