50-inch vs 55-inch TV
4.4 × 2.5 in11.1 × 6.2 cm
A 55-inch TV is 4.4 in (11.1 cm) wider and 2.5 in (6.2 cm) taller than a 50-inch TV, and has 21% more screen area.
Measurements
| 50-inch | 55-inch | |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 43.58 in110.7 cm (1.11 m) | 47.94 in121.8 cm (1.22 m) |
| Height | 24.51 in62.3 cm | 26.96 in68.5 cm |
| Diagonal | 50 in127 cm (1.27 m) | 55 in139.7 cm (1.4 m) |
| TV | Sit between |
|---|---|
| 50-inch | 5 ft and 6 ft 9 in |
| 55-inch | 5 ft 6 in and 7 ft 5 in |
What to know
Diagonal sizes undersell the difference: area grows with the square of the diagonal, so going from 50 to 55 inches (10% longer diagonal) adds 21% more picture.
If your seat is fixed, pick the size whose recommended range includes your viewing distance. Measure from your eyes to the screen, not from the sofa to the wall.
Questions people ask
Is 55 inches much bigger than 50 inches?
Yes. The 55-inch screen is 4.4 in (11.1 cm) wider and has 21% more area.
Which is better for a small room, 50 or 55 inches?
Use the viewing distance: a 50-inch TV suits about 5 ft to 6 ft 9 in, a 55-inch TV about 5 ft 6 in to 7 ft 5 in.
Related sizes
Sources and method
- Geometry of a 16:9 rectangle (width = diagonal × 16 ÷ √337)
- SMPTE EG-18-1994, viewing angle recommendation (30° minimum)
- THX home theater viewing angle recommendation (40°)
Imperial and metric values are converted with 1 in = 25.4 mm exactly and rounded only for display. Found a mistake? Report it and we will correct the page.