Five Affordable 4K TVs in 2020 49-50"

In the 2020 model range of the Chinese manufacturer Hisense, which in the recent past absorbed the well-known Toshiba brand, the TV belongs to the basic solutions. He got a very tempting price tag, as for a 50-inch diagonal.

Hisense 50A7300F is built on the basis of a 10-bit matrix (8 bits + FRC), which is capable of reproducing the smallest shades of colour, forming a very saturated image. Good contrast ratio (4,000:1) will provide realism and uniformity of colour in darkened scenes with the lights off in the room, which is very useful for moviegoers. The image detail is also at a height, and if the original content is worse than 4K, then the MSD6886 processor will perform scaling.

HDR support allows you to add juiciness to the picture — when playing HLG and HDR10+ standard content (support for the latter, by the way, is rarely found in low-cost models). However, it is not necessary to count on the wow effect, since the peak brightness parameters here are not too high (250 cd/m2). Limited viewing angles can also become a problem: if you are not in front of the screen in the centre, the picture fades, and the colours are noticeably distorted.

The TV is running OC VIDAA U 4.0. The shell responds quickly to user commands, is simple and intuitive, has a lot of popular multimedia services out of the box, including YouTube and Netflix. But the general set of applications for installation is still small against the background of analogue platforms.

Among other features, it is worth highlighting the multimedia remote control and the so-called smart control with the Alexa voice assistant, the basic audio system 2.0 at 16 watts, the presence of Bluetooth v 4.0 and digital tuners of current standards. The only thing missing is Wi-Fi 5, because the "fourth" does not always cope with 4K streaming.

Hisense 50A7300F is a good choice for those who want a large screen, high—quality picture and comfortable control with a limited low-cost.

The TV, which joined Samsung's Series 7 line in 2020, belongs to the initial 4K models and acts as a direct replacement for the Samsung UE-50NU7002 50 " two years ago.

The "smart" potential of Samsung UE-50TU7002 is revealed by the well-known Tizen platform. It works smoothly, adapts flexibly to the needs of the user, will please with an abundance of pre-installed services and multimedia applications available for download. It is so intuitive that even a traditional remote control without a microphone should not cause trouble when operating.

A small number of physical interfaces (2 HDMI and 1 USB) compensates for Bluetooth v 4.2. Wi-Fi 5 will allow you to do without wires when streaming videos with Ultra HD resolution. And AirPlay 2 will help owners of Apple gadgets to transfer content to the TV and conveniently control its playback.

The 50-inch Samsung UE-50TU7002 screen "can" reproduce 4K HDR content, and support for the HDR10+ standard is provided, which provides even more cool colour reproduction against the background of the usual HDR10. Attention is drawn to the excellent contrast ratio and the uniformity of black colour close to the reference: the viewer in a dark room will be able to enjoy the most realistic picture in films.

The disadvantages of the image are not the most impressive peak brightness, but the disadvantages are small viewing angles.

The basic frame rate of 60 Hz is programmatically "accelerated" by the Picture Quality Index technology. It will provide an index of dynamic scenes up to 1300 fps, which is designed to increase the smoothness of the video sequence in both action films and games. Also, a game mode with minimal input delay values (input lag) is offered especially for gamers.

Two speakers with a power of 10 watts each are responsible for a decent sound. The absence of the DTS codec (Dolby Digital Plus only) has become familiar to Samsung in recent years, but other manufacturers are gradually abandoning it.

Samsung UE-50TU7002 is a good TV from a proven brand for watching movies or games.

The low-cost 49-inch TV of the Korean manufacturer LG, despite its status, offers users interesting chips peculiar to more expensive models. These include support for AirPlay 2 technology, the presence of Bluetooth v 5.0 and the ThinQ AI function, which allows you to turn the LG 49UN7100 into the central link of an eco-smart home system.

A nice bonus of the equipment is the proprietary Magic Remote. This is the so-called aeropult, which acts as a pointer to quickly control the cursor on the screen. In addition, it is equipped with a microphone, which makes it possible to "command" the voice.

LG 49UN7100 received an IPS matrix with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. Its main feature is excellent visibility: a realistic picture and high detail do not disappear anywhere if you look at the screen not at right angles. This feature will be very useful when watching movies or sports broadcasts together.

The TV is capable of displaying HDR content (two standards: HDR10 and HLG), but, as with Odnoklassniki in the price segment, the overall increase in picture quality "rests" on moderate brightness. The traditional disadvantage of IPS matrices has also not disappeared anywhere, therefore, due to the low contrast, black colour may look like grey, which means that the image quality in the dark will not satisfy a demanding viewer by 100%.

Among the various image modes, gaming deserves special mention. For him, a low input lag and the absence of "lags" with a quick change of the video sequence in dynamic scenes are stated.

The 20-watt acoustics work with the Dolby Digital codec. It is better for audiophiles to replace it with a progressive multi-channel soundbar: solutions up to the 7.1 format are compatible with the model. By the way, you can connect the audio system through an optical output, and via HDMI or Bluetooth.

The webOS platform, which has proven itself as one of the most stable and convenient, will help you quickly log into Netflix, Disney + or YouTube, and install other relevant multimedia services.

The 4K TV LG 49UN7100 is able to become a favorite for those who are interested in wide viewing angles and good equipment with a reasonable price tag.

The 2020 debutant stands out from other solutions of the Dutch manufacturer by the lack of Ambilight background lighting. Probably, such a move is due to the desire to lower the price of this entry-level 4K TV.

The important advantages of Philips 50PUS7505 against the background of Korean competitors include support for all current HDR formats, including Dolby Vision. Therefore, the TV is able to play literally any content with an extended dynamic range. And the brightness level is quite acceptable, as a result, the HDR video looks better here than on many models of the same price segment.

Regardless of the broadcast content, the image on a 50-inch TV pleases with high contrast and detail (the Upscaling function improves less clear video, for which the powerful P5 Perfect Picture processor is responsible). The visibility is not perfect, but it is quite acceptable, and the PPI technology should increase the smoothness of the video sequence without the dominance of artifacts, "squeezing" the refresh rate up to 1500 fps from the 60-hertz matrix.

If from the point of view of hardware, the Philips 50PUS7505 acoustics are unremarkable: 2 speakers of 10 watts each, then thanks to the Dolby Atmos multichannel decoder, the user can still count on the effect of volume sound. But you will be able to fully enjoy the sound if you buy an additional audio system.

The set of interfaces is quite familiar: 2 USB, 3 HDMI, mini-Jack (3.5 mm), optical output. And to connect to the Internet, in addition to the LAN port, Wi-Fi 4 is offered. The latter should be attributed to the shortcomings of the model, because it may not have time to download streaming video with a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels.

A proprietary Linux—based operating system, Saphi, is offered as a Smart TV. It does not cause complaints in terms of speed or ease of movement between menu items. But the overall set of applications is still limited. If YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are really not enough for you, then it's probably worth looking at the older versions on Android TV.

Philips 50PUS7505 is suitable for those who want an "omnivorous" TV from the point of view of HDR standards without overpayments.

Sony has long relied on Android TV and uses only this smart platform in its TVs. Sony KD-49XH8096 is no exception — a 49-inch 4K model, which is listed in the corporate line as a junior solution.

The TV uses the current version of Android TV 9.0, which is notable for smooth and fast operation, an abundance of available applications, not perfect, but improved customization options against the background of previous generations. The smooth operation of the platform is possible not only with Google technology, but also with Apple devices (thanks to AirPlay 2).

And the user also has a multimedia remote control with voice control and support for two assistants to choose from — Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Sony KD-49XH8096 is equipped with an X1 4K HDR processor, a matrix with a 50 Hz refresh rate and Edge LED backlight. Thanks to them, the TV is characterized by moderate contrast indicators and high colour accuracy: the picture does not need to be adjusted much, because initially people's faces and various objects look very natural and believable. And large viewing angles with good uniformity of grey tones make the model an excellent choice for sports fans.

The TV, unlike its 2019 predecessor, is Sony KD-49XG8096 49 " — supports not only HDR10 and HLG, but also Dolby Vision format. Peak brightness values are already above average, which means that you can unlock almost all the potential inherent in HDR content.

Decent audio accompaniment to the video sequence is provided by 20-watt acoustics with Dolby Atmos and DTS decoders. There are also 4 HDMI ports on board, Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth v 4.2 modules, a modern digital tuner and 16 GB of memory for installing applications.

Against the background of the main Korean competitors, buying Sony KD-49XH8096 will cost more. But in return, a picture is offered without critical flaws and really convenient management.