Best Advanced 55-Inch 4K TVs

A representative of the advanced 7 Series line from Hisense is a 55-inch 4K TV with Mini LED backlight and a QLED quantum dot filter. This combination provides the viewer with a truly bright picture: it reveals all the beauty of HDR content (up to 1300 nits), and confidently resists glare in basic conditions (500 nits by default + auto-adjustment using a light sensor).

Another important advantage of the image is the high contrast ratio (5000:1) combined with the operation of multi-zone (over 200 areas) local dimming. This ensures realistic black color and its shades, as well as the maximum positive emotions from watching movies. Further cinephiles will be pleased with compliance with IMAX Enhanced requirements. Minor image flaws include imperfect color accuracy within factory calibration and not the widest viewing angles.

The TV can grab the attention of gamers, as it supports a game mode with a 144 Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro adaptive sync. You can also count on quick response and minimal input lag (6 ms and 13 ms), a convenient Game Bar settings panel, and popular interfaces including HDMI 2.1 with ALLM and VRR features.

Ultra Motion 120 Hz mode is offered for watching sports and other dynamic content. Adequate sound quality is ensured by a 40-watt audio system with a 20-watt sub and Dolby Atmos. Smart functionality is revealed by the proprietary VIDAA OS with support for voice control and AirPlay 2, but still with a more modest set of apps compared to competitor smart platforms. The handy solar-charging remote control should also be highlighted.

Hisense 55U7NQ is a TV with an attractive price for its cool capabilities and image quality.

Not yet a flagship, but a high-class 55-inch television from Samsung is notable for its slim form-factor. Without the stand, the body thickness is only 4 cm. It also supports Ambient Mode+, which allows the display to blend with the wall decor or showcase family photos, artworks, etc.

Samsung QE-55S90D features the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor, whose AI algorithms enhance color depth and overall picture quality depending on the type of content displayed. The TV also operates on the proprietary Tizen OS and has become smarter than its predecessors. With support for the open Matter standard, the model can be integrated into a smart home system with almost any device, including Google, Apple, Amazon, etc. For control, a convenient remote with solar charging and familiar voice interaction is offered.

The TV is based on an OLED matrix with a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels. It’s Pantone certified, ensuring accurate color accuracy "out of the box". The screen's traditional strengths with organic light-emitting diodes include excellent contrast and a wide color gamut, perfect for watching movies and series. Additionally, it offers great viewing angles — ideal for big groups of sports fans. The great picture is complemented by decent acoustics with a subwoofer, proprietary synchronisation technologies Q-Symphony and AI optimisation.

By default, the screen refresh rate is 100 Hz, but the Motion Xcelerator function raises it to 144 Hz, providing smooth footage in games. Other gaming features include VRR options, ALLM, AMD FreeSync Premium, and a proprietary settings panel, where the aspect ratio of the picture can even be changed.

Samsung QE-55S90D — a cool OLED TV with extended smart functionality.

A representative of LG’s OLED line has the traditional advantages of TVs based on organic light-emitting diodes. Without backlighting, the model is slim (45 mm thick without the stand), and the solid central stand among other things is suitable for placing a proprietary soundbar. By default, users are offered a built-in 40-watt acoustics system with two subwoofers, Dolby Atmos support, and automatic sound tuning considering the room size.

Another feature of LG OLED55C4 is the well-proven webOS operating system with rich multimedia capabilities, including AirPlay 2 and voice control. By default, interaction with the TV is offered using the Magic Remote, which can be used as a pointer for the cursor.

On the 55-inch OLED screen, a true black color is displayed and the picture has reference contrast, as it’s possible to completely turn off individual diodes—pixels. Viewers are also treated to wide viewing angles, so taking the central position in front of the TV isn't necessary. Strong points of the picture include precise color reproduction ensured by successful factory calibration, as well as an extended color gamut. These parameters, including 100% DCI-P3 coverage, are confirmed by independent testing from Intertek.

The 120 Hz refresh rate and quick response time of the TV can be an additional advantage in gaming battles. Moreover, in tandem with a gaming PC using VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium (or G-Sync Compatible) adaptive sync, even higher rates can be achieved — 144 Hz, without tearing and other image artifacts. Gamers also have access to other profile features, including flexible Game Optimizer settings and a Game Dashboard.

LG OLED55C4 — a balanced OLED TV suitable both for a home theater role and as a gaming monitor.

A 4K TV from the brand Panasonic is based on the Fire TV operating system. This is not a proprietary development by the Japanese company, but an Amazon platform initially created for its TV boxes. The shell offers access to various media services, including Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and many others, and supports Alexa voice control. Accordingly, the Panasonic TV-55Z80A is ideal for integration into the Amazon smart home ecosystem, though thanks to AirPlay support, it also works seamlessly with Apple devices.

The TV has a 55-inch OLED screen with excellent contrast and a wide color gamut (featuring Wide Colour Spectrum technology). Users can expect cinematic video quality with natural black color and vibrant overall picture, especially in rooms with dimmed lighting. Also available is a film mode — Filmmaker Mode — without video post-processing, displaying as intended by the film creators. HDR content enthusiasts will delight in support for two advanced formats — HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Additionally, the model is suited for group viewing due to good viewing angles.

The Surround Sound Pro acoustic system does not offer record-breaking power (a total of 32 watts), but it includes a subwoofer and Dolby Atmos support for creating an immersive effect.

The TV’s readiness for gaming scenarios on a hardware level is confirmed by a 120 Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports with high bandwidth. There are also enough software features for gamers: they can count on smooth video without tearing, thanks to AMD FreeSync Premium or G-Sync synchronisation, automatic transition to gaming mode Game Mode Extreme with low latencies and additional settings.

The model’s downside is the range of apps available on Fire TV, which are still inferior to the leading operating systems. Nevertheless, the Panasonic TV-55Z80A is a truly solid choice capable of conquering not only fans of the Amazon ecosystem.

Close to flagship, the 55-inch TV brand Sony is a thin (less than 4 cm thick) OLED model with a high-class image processing processor Cognitive XR. The engine, in tandem with various "enhancers," is ready to upscale detail to 4K, optimize contrast, and color reproduction.

The main pride of Sony BRAVIA 8 K-55XR80 is, of course, the screen with organic light-emitting diodes. It guarantees excellent viewing angles and contrast that virtually approaches infinity, thus allowing the TV to display reference black levels. The strong points of the image include a wide color gamut, and Dolby Vision and IMAX Enhanced certification (plus the eponymous mode), which effectively emulate a real cinema.

Special mention should be made for the quality sound system of 50 W. It is presented by two regular and a pair of tweeter speakers, as well as a subwoofer. The sound quality is automatically adjusted considering various factors — the size and acoustic backdrop of the room, viewer's position.

Thanks to a refresh rate of 120 Hz and HDMI 2.1 ports with VRR and ALLM features, the TV is ready to form an exemplary tandem with a PlayStation console, another gaming console, or a gaming PC.

The model turns into a multimedia entertainment center with Google TV OS, brimming with popular streaming services "on board," the ability to install various apps and games (32 GB of built-in memory is allocated for them), and support for the Google Assistant voice assistant. Content from various smartphones is easily projected using Chromecast and AirPlay 2, and stable internet connectivity "over the air" is ensured by the Wi-Fi 6E module (802.11ax).

The TV's downside is high price compared to main competitors. In any case, the Sony BRAVIA 8 K-55XR80 is an excellent TV from a renowned manufacturer.