Imagine sinking into your couch after a long day. You want to watch your favorite movie on a big, beautiful screen. But is a massive 50-inch TV a dream only for those with huge budgets? For years, getting a TV that size meant spending hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of dollars. It felt like a luxury item, not an everyday purchase.
Today, the game has completely changed, but the confusion remains. You see ads for “cheap” 50-inch TVs, but how do you know if they are any good? Do they have blurry pictures or terrible sound? Finding a great 50-inch television for under $500 feels like searching for hidden treasure. It’s tough to sort through confusing specs and figure out which brands actually deliver quality without breaking the bank.
This guide cuts through all that noise. We have done the hard research for you. By the time you finish reading, you will know exactly which 50-inch TVs offer the best picture, smart features, and reliability—all while staying firmly under that magic $500 mark. Get ready to upgrade your living room without emptying your wallet. Let’s dive into the best budget-friendly big screens available right now!
Top 50 Inch Tv For Under 500 Recommendations
- A treat for the eyes: Sharp 4K brings out rich detail on our 50" flat screen TV, while colors pop off in lifelike clarity with HDR10. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Explore a world's worth of TV: Dive into all kinds of entertainment and easily find your favorites or soon-to-be favorites.
- A ton of entertainment at the best price—free: Your go-to streaming destination for free entertainment, Roku has 500+ TV channels, with live in-season shows, hit movies, weather, local news, and award-winning Roku Originals.
- Home sweet home screen: Move apps around and make the Roku experience your own with a home screen that easily gets you to what you want to watch fast.
- Just keeps getting better: Get the newest apps, features, and more with automatic software updates.
- Get more from your TV – With 4K Ultra HD, enhanced brightness, and clear audio, the Fire TV 4-Series upgrades your entertainment.
- Vivid views – 4K Ultra HD and HDR10+ deliver bright, crisp visuals with improved contrast, so details look beautiful even in dark scenes.
- Speed, redefined – Jump right into what you love with Wi-Fi 6 support and a new quad-core processor. Apps open and load fast and the picture stays smooth.
- The new Alexa on Fire TV – Getting to what you love has never been easier. Talk naturally to find what to watch fast, manage your smart home, or dive into virtually any topic.
- Instantly On - Introducing our custom Omnisense technology. Built-in sensors wake the display when you enter to show your favorite artwork or let you start watching in a snap.
- Stunning 4K Ultra HD Resolution: Witness every detail with an impressive 3840 x 2160 resolution, offering four times the detail of Full HD. Experience vibrant colors, sharper contrasts, and lifelike clarity, whether you're watching a blockbuster or streaming your favorite shows. With HDR10 support, the RCA 50" 4K Smart TV enhances contrast and color accuracy, delivering visuals that truly pop.
- Smart Entertainment with Google TV: Simplify your entertainment with Google TV, a smart interface that brings all your favorite content together. Organize your apps, shows, and movies in one place, while Google TV's personalized recommendations introduce you to new favorites. From Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video to thousands of apps in the Google Play Store, this TV puts a world of entertainment at your fingertips.
- Built-In Google Assistant: Control your TV and connected smart devices with your voice. Whether you're searching for a specific movie, adjusting the volume, or turning off the lights, Google Assistant makes it effortless. Simply say "Hey Google" and let the TV handle the rest.
- Wide Viewing Angle for Group Watching: Enjoy consistent, high-quality visuals from virtually any seat in the room. With a 178° viewing angle, the RCA 50" ensures that everyone gets a clear, vibrant view, making it perfect for family gatherings or hosting friends.
- Enhanced Picture and Sound Quality: Designed to deliver a superior viewing experience, this TV features 3D Noise Reduction for clear images, a dynamic contrast ratio of 5000:1 for deeper blacks and brighter whites, and HDR compatibility for a cinematic look. Coupled with advanced sound features, every moment feels more immersive, bringing your content to life.
- Experience Every Detail in Stunning 4K – Enjoy a cinematic viewing experience with 4x the resolution of traditional HD TVs. The 50-inch 4K UHD display delivers crystal-clear visuals and razor-sharp detail, perfect for movies, sports, and gaming. With Dolby Vision and HDR+ technologies, you get enhanced contrast, brilliant brightness, and deeper color accuracy—bringing every scene to life with vibrant, lifelike clarity.
- Endless entertainment - Stream easy with instant access to top apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, Hulu, HBO MAX, ESPN+, YouTube TV, and more — all in one place. The Xumo Play app features 350+ free live channels and 70,000+ on-demand movies and shows across sports, news, entertainment, and more. No subscriptions or downloads required — just launch and start streaming.
- Universal search and voice search - Instantly discover what to watch across all your favorite streaming apps with powerful universal search. Say goodbye to app-hopping — use the included voice remote to search by title, genre, actor, or keyword. Just speak into the remote and find your next watch faster without typing or navigating through multiple menus.
- More ways to play and connect - Stream or mirror content directly from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac with Apple AirPlay. Enjoy music, view photos, or surf the web on the big screen with ease. Built-in WiFi allows you to connect to the internet wirelessly — no need for a hardwired connection or external service box. Plus, built-in Bluetooth lets you wirelessly pair soundbars, headphones, or speakers for immersive, high-quality audio—no messy cables or setup required.
- Connectivity is King – Packed with 3 x HDMI, 1 x USB input, 1 x Composite Video, 1 x Optical Digital Audio inputs for maximum flexibility. A full array of inputs to connect your cable box, game console, streaming stick, sound bar, DVD/Blu-ray player or a digital antenna for local channels.
- Brilliant in every way – A 4K QLED display combines stunning visuals, smart features, and fast performance so you can get the most out of your TV.
- Picture perfect views – Scenes leap off the screen and look beautiful in any light with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Adaptive.
- Speed, redefined – Jump right into what you love with Wi-Fi 6 support and a new quad-core processor. Apps open and load fast and the picture stays smooth.
- Instantly On - Introducing our custom Omnisense technology. Built-in sensors wake the display when you enter to show your favorite artwork or let you start watching in a snap.
- The new Alexa on Fire TV – Getting to what you love has never been easier. Talk naturally to find what to watch fast, manage your smart home, or dive into virtually any topic.
- 【4K UHD with HDR10 & Dolby Audio】This 50-inch smart display delivers 3840 × 2160 UHD resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate for sharp, smooth visuals. HDR10 enhances contrast and color accuracy, while Dolby Audio provides clear, immersive sound for movies, shows, and everyday entertainment.
- 【Built-in Google TV OS】The built-in Google TV platform puts your favorite streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video all in one place. With Google Cast built-in, easily cast content from your phone, tablet, or laptop to the big screen.
- 【Voice Control with Google Assistant】Control your TV with simple voice commands to open apps, adjust volume, or search for content. Just press the Google Assistant button on the remote for quick, hands-free control and a more convenient viewing experience.
- 【Smooth Visual Effects】HDMI ports with eARC support make it easy to connect gaming consoles. MEMC technology reduces motion blur for sports and fast-action scenes, while ALLM mode delivers smooth, responsive gameplay for immersive gaming sessions.
- 【Flexible Connectivity for All Your Devices】Includes 3 × HDMI 2.1 ports (with 1 eARC), 2 × USB inputs, and multiple audio/video connections. Easily connect game consoles, Blu-ray players, sound systems, set-top boxes, AV receivers, and more to create a fully customized home entertainment setup.
- Stunning 4K Quantum Dot Display (QLED) - Makes movies, shows, and live sports pop in brighter, richer, and more lifelike colors.
- Advanced HDR - Scenes leap off the screen in deep, realistic color with Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive. HDR10 and HLG are also supported.
- Adaptive Brightness - Fire TV automatically optimizes the brightness of movies and shows through a built-in sensor that detects the lighting in your room.
- Bolder contrast - Experience deeper darks and brighter whites with full array local dimming in 48 individual zones enhancing contrast.
- Fire TV Ambient Experience - Turns your TV screen into a canvas for displaying over a thousand pieces of free artwork, personal photos, and more.
- This product is a Commercial grade television and only supports Youtube You would need an external media player for consumer apps such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.Voltage: 120 Volts
- TV dimensions With stand – 43.9” L x 9.83” D x 28.09” H Without stand – 43.9” L x 2.35” D x 25.36” H Ports HDMI – 2 USB – 2 RF – 1 (Terrestrial) & 1 (Cable) Wi-Fi 5 & Bluetooth Supported
- 50-Inch display features a super crisp and clear picture that is 4X more powerful than the resolution of full HD Crystal UHD takes your content to the next level by providing more accurate and smoother colors
- With the Samsung Pro TV app on your phone or tablet, create dynamic content on your time. With a super-easy guide to walk you through the setup, advertising your business has never been simpler or more convenient
- Your customers want to know exactly how it looks With Samsung’s Pro TV with high dynamic range, you can showcase every detail in a wide spectrum of colors With 16/7 operating time, you can depend on your TV to play what you want, when you want it
The Ultimate Buying Guide: Snagging a 50-Inch TV Under $500
Finding a great 50-inch TV without breaking the bank is totally possible! You just need to know what to look for. This guide helps you find the best bang for your buck in the sub-$500 range.
Key Features to Hunt For
When shopping for a budget-friendly 50-inch TV, focus on these must-have features. These elements really control how good your viewing experience will be.
Resolution Matters Most
- 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition): Almost every new 50-inch TV today offers 4K. This means super sharp, clear pictures. Make sure the TV says 4K. Don’t settle for 1080p (Full HD) on a 50-inch screen anymore.
- HDR (High Dynamic Range): HDR makes colors pop and shows brighter whites and darker blacks. Look for support for HDR10. It makes movies look much better.
Smart TV Capabilities
A “Smart TV” connects to the internet. This lets you watch Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube easily.
- Operating System (OS): Check which system the TV runs. Roku TV, Google TV, and Amazon Fire TV are popular choices. They are easy to use.
- Voice Control: Some models let you use a voice remote (like Alexa or Google Assistant) to change channels or search for shows.
Connectivity
You need ports to plug in game consoles or soundbars.
- HDMI Ports: Look for at least three HDMI ports. If you game, look for an HDMI 2.1 port if possible, but HDMI 2.0 is fine for most people in this price range.
Important Materials and Build Quality
While you won’t get premium metal frames at this price, the materials still matter for how long the TV lasts.
Screen Type
Most TVs under $500 use LED or direct-lit LED panels. These are affordable and bright. Higher-end TVs use OLED, but you won’t find that under $500.
Stand Design
Check the stand. Does it look sturdy? Some cheaper stands wobble easily. If you plan to hang the TV, check if it supports the standard VESA wall mount pattern.
Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
A TV’s picture quality is affected by more than just resolution. These technical terms explain picture performance.
Picture Quality Boosters
- Refresh Rate: This is how smoothly motion appears. Aim for a 60Hz native refresh rate. Higher refresh rates (like 120Hz) are rare under $500, but 60Hz is good enough for most TV shows and casual gaming.
- Local Dimming: This feature controls the brightness of small sections of the screen. It helps create deeper blacks. Many budget TVs lack this, but if you find it, the picture quality increases significantly.
Quality Reducers to Watch Out For
- Viewing Angles: Cheaper panel types (like standard VA panels) look best when you sit right in front of them. If you watch TV from the side often, the colors might look washed out.
- Motion Blur: Fast action scenes (like sports) might look slightly blurry on budget processing chips.
User Experience and Use Cases
Who is this TV for? Knowing your main use helps you choose the right features.
Casual Viewing and Streaming
If you mainly watch Netflix or cable news, the standard 60Hz refresh rate and good 4K resolution are perfect. Focus on the Smart TV interface being fast and easy to navigate.
Gaming
For casual gaming (like playing on a Nintendo Switch or older consoles), the 60Hz refresh rate works fine. However, serious gamers looking for the latest features like 120fps might need to spend a little more. Make sure the TV has a “Game Mode” to reduce input lag (the delay between pressing a button and seeing the action on screen).
Placement
A 50-inch screen is great for medium-sized living rooms or large bedrooms. Since these budget TVs tend to be brighter, they usually handle rooms with some ambient light well.
10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about 50-Inch TVs Under $500
Q: Can I really get a 4K TV for under $500?
A: Yes! Most major brands offer 50-inch 4K models right around the $350 to $499 mark, especially during sales events.
Q: Are these budget 50-inch TVs good for watching sports?
A: They are generally fine. Look for a 60Hz refresh rate. If the TV has poor motion handling, fast plays might look a little blurry, but for casual viewing, it works well.
Q: What does “Smart TV platform” mean?
A: It means the TV has built-in apps like Hulu and Netflix without needing an extra streaming stick like a Fire Stick. Roku and Google TV are the most common platforms.
Q: Will a cheap 50-inch TV have good sound?
A: No. Most budget TVs have thin speakers that sound weak. Plan to buy a separate soundbar later if good audio is important to you.
Q: What is the biggest picture quality trade-off I make under $500?
A: The biggest trade-off is usually contrast and black levels. You might not get the deep, inky blacks you see on more expensive sets.
Q: Should I worry about the TV brand?
A: Yes, a little. Stick to known brands like TCL, Hisense, or the budget lines from Samsung or LG. They offer better warranty support than very unknown names.
Q: Do these TVs support modern gaming consoles like PS5 or Xbox Series X?
A: They usually support 4K resolution, which is great. However, they often lack the full HDMI 2.1 features needed for 120Hz gaming.
Q: How important is HDR if the TV is cheap?
A: HDR is nice, but on budget sets, the effect is minimal because the screen isn’t bright enough to show the full range of colors HDR offers.
Q: What is the best way to mount a 50-inch TV?
A: Use a VESA-compatible wall mount. Make sure the mount supports the weight of the specific model you buy. Always secure it into wall studs for safety.
Q: How long should a 50-inch TV at this price point last?
A: With normal use, you should expect 4 to 6 years of reliable service from a reputable brand.