There are so many different models in the TV market, finding the best TV for your space can be overwhelming. Your first thought is that bigger is better, but that’s not always the best bet. “Big” is relative, and you’ll want to make sure you pick a size that’s not going to awkwardly overwhelm the room. To help you find the right model for smaller spaces, we’ve rounded up the best 55-inch TVs of 2023 below.
Most modern 55-inch televisions come with plenty of features and are smart TVs, so you can enjoy streaming your favorite shows and films on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, Disney Plus and more. And higher-end examples offer all the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect, including full-array local dimming, OLED screens, 120Hz refresh rate, 4K UHD resolution, high dynamic range, a plethora of HDMI ports and even high-end gaming features — including variable refresh rate — to go with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. The list below represents some of our favorite 55-inch TVs right now.
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Other TVs we’ve tested
LG C3 series OLED TV: The C2 from 2022 and C3 from 2023 were basically identical in our tests. Since the price difference between the two LG OLED TVs remains hundreds of dollars, we’re recommending the C2 over the C3 for now. Read our LG C3 OLED TV review.
Sony KD-X80K series: Sony is a prominent brand and its higher-end TVs like the X90J do well in reviews, but the entry-level TV in its 2022 lineup, the X80K, didn’t make the list. It costs around the same as the TCL 6-Series and Samsung Q60 TVs, and had a worse picture than both, with lighter black levels and contrast. It’s definitely not a bad TV, and we liked its Google smart TV system, color accuracy and connectivity, but you can definitely do better for the money. Read our Sony KD-X80K series review.
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series: One of many Fire TVs available for sale, this one is typical of the breed: so-so image quality and a smart TV system that lags behind Roku and Google TV. If you’re a big fan of Alexa voice or see this TV at a really low price it might be worthwhile, but otherwise go for the TCL 4-Series. Read our best budget TVs roundup.
How does CNET test TVs?
Our TV reviews follow a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process honed over nearly two decades of TV reviews. Our primary TV test lab has specialized equipment for measuring light and color, including a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer, a Murideo Sig-G 4K HDR signal generator and an AVPro Connect 8×8 4K HDR distribution matrix. We use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to evaluate and calibrate every TV we review. In every CNET TV review, three or more similar TVs are compared side-by-side in various lighting conditions with different content, including movies, TV shows and games, across a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming to HDR. Our reviews also account for design, features, smart TV performance, HDMI input and gaming compatibility and more.
Read more: How We Test TVs
55-inch TV FAQs
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