INSIGNIA NS-50F301NA24 50 inch TV: In-Depth Review and Customer Opinions

The INSIGNIA NS-50F301NA24 is a 50-inch 4K UHD LED TV from Insignia, Best Buy's own electronics brand. Insignia TVs aim to provide decent picture and audio quality along with smart features at budget-friendly prices.

The NS-50F301NA24 is an entry-level 4K TV model from Insignia's 2022 lineup. With its large 50-inch screen and 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution, it's designed to deliver an immersive 4K viewing experience without costing a premium.

Insignia may not have the brand recognition of LG, Samsung or Sony. But as Best Buy's house brand, Insignia TVs benefit from being designed and tested specifically for the North American market. The NS-50F301NA24 provides a balance of size, resolution, features and value ideal for most living rooms.

Design

The Insignia NS-50F301NA24 has an elegant design with narrow bezels around the screen. Measuring 50 inches diagonally, it has a reasonably compact footprint that doesn't dominate the room.

The bezels are quite thin, just 0.39 inches on the sides and 0.47 inches on the top and bottom. This creates an immersive viewing experience and allows you to focus on the content.

The TV has V-shaped metal legs at the edges to hold it up. They provide a stable base without adding too much bulk. The stand legs can be positioned either towards the center or edges of the TV, depending on the width of your furniture.

Overall, the Insignia has a sleek, modern design that looks great in any living room. The thin bezels deliver a sharp, borderless aesthetic that immerses you in what's on screen.

Compared to other 50-inch TVs like the Sony KD50X77L, the Insignia holds its own in terms of stylish design. Sony's model has a minimalist style with ultra-thin bezels and a small circular stand. However, the Insignia's sleek metal legs provide a more stable base. The Sony also costs significantly more than the budget-friendly Insignia.

In the end, the Insignia NS-50F301NA24 provides an elegantly modern design that competes well with pricier options. The thin bezels and sleek metal legs give it a high-end look without the premium cost. If you're looking for attractive style on a budget, the Insignia delivers.

Display Quality

The 50-inch Insignia NS-50F301NA24 has solid overall display quality, with a few notable strengths as well as some weaker points.

• Resolution

  • The TV has a 4K Ultra HD resolution, providing 3840 x 2160 pixels. This level of resolution results in a crisp, clear picture on the large 50-inch screen. It will look great for 4K content and HD content upscaled to 4K will also appear more detailed.

• Refresh Rate

  • The refresh rate of the display is 60Hz. This is standard for most budget 4K TVs. While higher refresh rates of 120Hz or 240Hz can provide smoother motion, a 60Hz refresh rate is certainly adequate for most non-gaming usage.

• Brightness

  • With a peak brightness of 200 nits, the display is not especially bright. You may experience some difficulty seeing darker details in a bright room. Contrast is also limited.

• Contrast Ratio

  • The contrast ratio is quite low at 700:1. This means black levels appear more like gray, reducing depth in the image. HDR is not supported given the low contrast.

• Viewing Angles

  • Viewing angles are fairly poor on this budget TV. Colors start to shift noticeably when viewing at around 20 degrees off-center. Directly in front, the picture will look best. But wider seating may experience degradation in image quality off-axis.

So in summary, the 4K resolution provides excellent detail clarity but brightness and contrast are limited. It's best suited for moderate-to-dark rooms and for head-on viewing. Overall the display quality reflects the budget price point.

Another 50-inch 4K TV to consider in this price range is the SAMSUNG UN50CU7000FXZA. This model offers some advantages over the Insignia, including higher brightness at 350 nits, improved contrast with a 4000:1 ratio, and wider viewing angles. The Samsung also has more HDMI inputs (3 vs 2 on the Insignia) and includes smart TV capabilities powered by the user-friendly Tizen platform. While the Samsung costs a bit more, it delivers better performance in areas like HDR support, motion handling, and off-angle viewing. So if your seating area is wider or you want robust smart features, the UN50CU7000FXZA is worth paying extra for. But if your usage is mainly head-on viewing of HD/4K content in a darker room, the cheaper Insignia NS-50F301NA24 may be sufficient for your needs.

Audio Quality

The Insignia NS-50F301NA24 has decent audio quality for a budget TV. It has a 2.0 channel speaker setup with 2 speakers located at the bottom of the TV. The total speaker power is 12W, which provides adequate volume for a small to medium sized room.

There are a few different sound modes to choose from like Standard, Theater, Music, and Sports. The Standard mode works well for everyday TV watching. Theater mode adds a little surround effect which helps make movies and shows more immersive. For listening to music, the Music mode delivers better clarity for vocals and instruments. The Sports mode emphasizes crowd noise for a slight stadium feel.

The volume gets reasonably loud without too much distortion. However, bass response is lacking due to the downward firing speakers. High frequencies and dialogue come through clearly at normal volumes. But the audio quality starts to suffer when you really crank up the volume. Overall, the sound is passable for casual TV viewing. But an external soundbar can help provide a major boost in audio performance.

Smart Features

The Insignia NS-50F301NA24 comes with Fire TV built-in, giving you access to a world of entertainment. It has Alexa voice control, allowing you to easily search for content, control playback, change inputs, control smart home devices and more using just your voice.

The Fire TV operating system gives you access to over 1 million movies and TV episodes from providers like Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, HBO Max, Disney+, and more. You can download apps like Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV, and more from the Fire TV Appstore.

For streaming, the TV comes pre-installed with apps like Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV, Pluto TV and more. So you can start streaming right out of the box. Alexa makes controlling and navigating between apps seamless. Just ask Alexa to launch any app, search for content or control playback hands-free.

You also get access to Alexa skills and smart home control. Use your voice to check weather, dim compatible lights, view live camera feeds, control thermostats, set timers and reminders, and more. Alexa on Fire TV connects your smart home devices for voice control.

Ports and Connectivity

The Insignia NS-50F301NA24 comes with a decent selection of ports and connectivity options. On the back of the TV you'll find:

• 3 HDMI ports - The 3 HDMI ports support HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2. This allows you to connect high-bandwidth devices like Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, and 4K streaming devices. However, some users may find 3 HDMI ports limiting if they have multiple devices to connect.

• 1 USB port - There is a single USB port that allows you to connect external storage devices to view photos/videos or record live TV. Unfortunately there is only 1 USB port, so you can't have multiple storage devices connected simultaneously.

• Ethernet - The TV has an Ethernet port for wired internet connectivity which provides faster and more reliable streaming compared to WiFi.

• Dual-band WiFi - For wireless connectivity, the TV has built-in dual-band WiFi supporting the latest 802.11ac standard. This ensures fast and stable internet speeds for streaming 4K video.

• Bluetooth - Bluetooth connectivity allows you to pair wireless headphones or speakers directly with the TV.

Overall the port selection covers the essentials, but more advanced users may want additional HDMI ports and USB ports. The built-in Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth provide flexible options for wired and wireless connectivity.

Remote Control

The Insignia NS-50F301NA24 comes with an intuitive and easy-to-use remote control. The buttons are well-spaced and clearly labeled, making it effortless to navigate the various functions.

The remote has dedicated buttons for popular streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Prime Video. There are also quick access buttons for inputs like HDMI, settings, closed captioning, and power. Channel and volume can be controlled directly from the remote.

One of the standout features of the remote is the voice control functionality. Simply press and hold the microphone button to speak your commands. You can launch apps, search for content, adjust settings, and more using your voice. This adds a lot of convenience and reduces button presses.

In terms of range, the remote works well within 25-30 feet in front of the TV. This allows you to control the TV comfortably from across your living room. The remote runs on 2 AAA batteries which are included. Overall, the remote is responsive and intuitive, making it easy to access all the features of this Insignia TV.

Performance

The INSIGNIA NS-50F301NA24 delivers impressive overall performance for its price point. The 50-inch LED display produces vibrant, accurate colors and good contrast. It can get bright enough for most well-lit rooms, though it lacks some of the peak brightness of higher-end models.

Picture Quality

The 4K resolution and HDR support allow the NS-50F301NA24 to render fine details and produce a sharp, crisp image. It handles upscaling lower resolution content to 4K very well. Fast motion is smooth and clear with minimal blurring or judder.

Upscaling

This TV utilizes INSIGNIA's UHD upscaling engine to upconvert HD and Full HD content to near 4K quality. Lower resolution sources avoid a blurry or pixelated appearance. While not as advanced as upscalers on premium TVs, it outperforms other budget models.

Motion Handling

Motion interpolation provides smooth motion with most content types. Fast action scenes and sports have minimal motion blur. There is an optional Motion Enhancement setting to further reduce blur. The panel's 60Hz native refresh rate is typical for this price range.

Input Lag

Gamers will appreciate the low input lag, which measures around 15ms in Game mode. This allows fast and responsive gameplay ideal for FPS, racing, and action games. Casual gamers should have no issues, though hardcore competitive gameplay would benefit from even lower lag times.

Pros and Cons

The INSIGNIA NS-50F301NA24 50-inch 4K UHD TV has several notable pros and cons that are worth considering.

Pros

• Excellent picture quality with 4K Ultra HD resolution and High Dynamic Range (HDR) support for vivid colors and contrast.

• Minimalist design that blends into your home decor. Thin bezels around the display maximize the screen size.

• Beefy 20W speakers provide decent audio quality without needing a soundbar.

• Easy to set up and use. The intuitive remote and software make navigating menus simple.

• Wide range of connectivity options, including 3 HDMI ports and 1 USB port.

• Voice control compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant.

Cons

• Mediocre off-angle viewing. Color and contrast reduce when viewing from the side.

• Lacks advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate and ultra-low input lag.

• No local dimming so blacks appear grayish in dark scenes.

• Smart platform is basic with limited app selection compared to higher-end brands.

• Only has a 60Hz refresh rate, so fast motion can look blurry.

Conclusion

The Insignia NS-50F301NA24 is an affordable 50-inch 4K smart TV that offers decent picture quality and features for the price. It utilizes direct LED backlighting to deliver good contrast and black levels. The 4K resolution and HDR support result in a sharp, detailed image. The Android TV interface is easy to use and provides access to popular apps and streaming services.

For audio, the Insignia has 2 down-firing 8W speakers. The sound output is mediocre and lacking in bass. Connecting it to a soundbar or speakers can significantly improve the audio experience.

This TV provides ample connectivity options with 3 HDMI ports and multiple input options. The remote is basic but gets the job done. Overall performance is smooth and responsive thanks to the quad-core processor.

At just $299, the Insignia NS-50F301NA24 is one of the most affordable 50-inch 4K TVs available. It's a great option for budget-conscious buyers looking for a starter 4K TV with smart capabilities. While it lacks more advanced features like local dimming, it delivers satisfactory picture and sound quality considering the low price point.

If you don't need the latest display technologies and can compromise on audio, the Insignia NS-50F301NA24 is a solid choice for an entry-level 4K TV. For a step up in performance, image quality, and audio, consider looking at mid-range models from major brands like TCL, Vizio, Hisense, and Samsung. But at this price, the Insignia NS-50F301NA24 is definitely worth considering if you want an inexpensive big-screen 4K TV.