Mini-QLED Has Arrived: Samsung's 32-inch Q50 TV Is Simply Amazing
The smallest QLED TV on the planet delivers for a reasonable price.
If you want a smaller TV for the bedroom but can’t live without QLED-driven picture quality, then this Samsung 32-inch Q50 TV could be your perfect solution.
Essentially, this particular TV, priced at a reasonable $500, is a shrunken down version of the Q60, so you know that you will be on the receiving end of a top-of-the-line viewing experience. The only real differences are that the Q60 gets a bit brighter, has a faster video processor and comes in larger sizes than just the 32-inch model.
Still, the Q50, the smallest 4K TV on the market, is a product to be reckoned with, thanks to its QLED technology and excellent overall image quality that boasts plenty-deep black levels. One shortcoming is that the image degrades somewhat when viewed at an angle.
This is basically an LCD TV with quantum dots, which are microscopic particles that when hit by light, emit a certain different colored light. The source of this light is the LED backlight, and that light must pass through more layers, such as the LCD layer, to produce the images on the screen.
Through years-long efforts in improving QLED TVs, Samsung has created a new refined aluminum compound that can make the quantum dots more efficient, and the natural ability to produce more accurate colors. This technology replaces the red, green and blue color filters that many older TVs used.
The Q50 delivers more than enough light output to work incredibly well with HDR, and you’ll surely enjoy the accurate colors and solid video processing, which will be a boon for hardcore gamers out there and lovers of intense action films.
If you need today’s cutting-edge capabilities, you’re definitely in luck. With Smart TV, you can seamlessly stream your favorite TV shows and movies directly from apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and more. This TV is also fully compatible with the SmartThings app, which enables you to control and monitor your TV and connected devices via your smartphone.
Moreover, the built-in Apple TV app enables you to buy, rent and watch diverse titles from Apple’s video library. You’ll also be able to stream content wirelessly from your iPhone or iPad.
The only real downside is the built-in digital assistant Bixby, and many have shared their frustrations with this. Bixby, unfortunately, doesn’t come close to the skills of Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, which can be found on rivals from LG to Sony. The latest generation of Samsung TVs, though, is able to respond to voice commands issued via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart speakers.
Ethen Kim Lieser is a Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek and Arirang TV. He currently resides in Minneapolis.