Color me impressed!
It is like Christmas in September for me. I love messing with new tech, and last month I got a chance to review the latest TCL high-end TV. Now this month I am checking out its closest competitor with the brand-new Hisense U8N model. This is the first time I have ever used a Hisense TV, so I was extremely excited to see how it stacks up to both its closest competitors, as well as higher end sets that cost anywhere from double to triple its price. Needless to say, after a while with the latest set from Hisense I can say I am impressed. It stands toe-to-toe with the TCL, excelling in some areas even, and even gives some of the higher-end models a run for their money.
One of the most exciting things about a new TV is unboxing it and seeing what is in store for setting it up. The first thing I noticed about the U8N was the weight. This is one heavy TV box. The TV design is a solid block with a unique grid pattern on the backside. The speakers are all located at the top with a subwoofer in the middle. More on that later. The bezels around the sides and top are very thin, with a more pronounced bezel on the bottom. It is a decently thick TV with some heft to it.
This is by far, my favorite remote.
MSRP: $1499.99 (65-inch model)
Price I’d Pay: $1499.99
The stand is now center mounted and very heavy. This gives the set some nice stability. If you want to wall mount it, it has the standard 400×400 Vesa model, just make sure you get a good wall mount, as the weight of this set definitely makes a difference when wall mounted.
One of the dumbest things I love about a new TV is checking out the remote itself. The Hisense is by far my favorite I have used in a while. It has a nice, brushed metal finish that makes it stand out and look premium when compared to other remotes. The layout is familiar with a giant navigation circle in the middle as well as the standard hot key buttons at the top, complete with a favorites button that can be programmed. It also has a built-in microphone for use with Google TV and the most important feature, backlit buttons. This is such a huge quality of life feature that goes unappreciated on remotes and are missing from higher-end TV models.
We reviewed the 65-inch model, but it is worth noting that there are some big differences in models besides just the size. For example, each set has its own set of dimming zones, which can make quite a difference. I have to say if you are in the market for an LED TV, perhaps it is best to stay away from the 55-inch of the Hisense model. It only has 672 dimming zones. The 65 inch has 1600 while the 75 inch consists of 2000, which is the peak. Once you get into the bigger models it goes back down, so the sweet spot seems to be the 65- and 75-inch models. If you plan to go above or below those models, I would recommend checking out another brand.
Much like the TCL, the Hisense has adopted Google TV, which feels like it is quickly becoming the de facto for most TV manufacturers. The interface is nearly identical to the TCL and it is just as smooth. I experienced no lag when moving between the menus. The app store has literally anything you could possibly want or need. Even after multiple weeks of testing, this interface was still blazing right along with little to no issues. The picture quality of the built-in apps are also really nice. Not quite on the level of something like an Apple TV, but will suffice for just about any normal user.
Now let’s get into some of the hardware. First up let’s discuss inputs. This model has four HDMI inputs located on the left side of the TV when facing it. Two of these are 2.1 and support up to 144Hz, which is really nice. All four inputs support 4K resolution and everything below. It is worth noting that 1440p is only available when forcing the resolution. The eArc port is also not on one of the 2.1 ports, which is huge. Having to give up one of those 2.1 inputs for the eArc is such a detriment.
One thing I was not a fan of, especially if you intend to wall mount the TV, is that a few of the inputs are not on the side, they would be facing the back. These include the LAN port, one of the USB ports, and the Digital Optical Out. That makes them a pain if you need to hook or unhook anything after it is mounted. In addition to the HDMI ports, the side contains another USB port, an AV in (adapter sold separately), and finally a TV coaxial input. This mode does have an ATSC 3.0 tuner, which allows for NEXTGEN TV, which is super nice.
Sound continues to be an issue for TVs. Sure, they have gotten better, but I would rarely NOT recommend a soundbar to accompany your expensive purchase. The speakers in the Hisense deliver some decent sound, but I noticed a small issue with some content. It sounded like they were talking through a cellphone at times, which is not ideal. After some tweaking I made it sound better, but as with any type of these settings, most people are not going to dig that deep. I always recommend a soundbar, and with the U8N, that is no different. I do appreciate more TVs having a subwoofer though, and this one sounds pretty good.
OK, now it is time to get into picture quality. It is hard not to compare this to TCL’s 8-Series, not only because I just reviewed it, but also because these two TVs are so close in feature set, it is hard not to. The picture quality of the U8N is absolutely amazing. From the minute I powered it on (and turned off energy savings) this thing looked amazing. Much like the TCL, these higher-end LED sets are getting dangerously close to OLED black levels. As I have mentioned before, I am not a fan of dull and lifeless “accurate” settings. I love a bright, vibrant screen. The Hisense delivers this on nearly every level. Everything I threw at it looked incredible. Movies popped in HDR with some deep colors and great peak brightness.
This thing looks slick on the included stand.
Once again, they have managed to make HDR nice and bright. While not quite as bright as the TCL in any mode, it is still plenty bright enough for just about anyone. The contrast level on the U8N is outstanding, even beating out TCL by a decent margin. Blooming is a little more of an issue in darker scenes, but the colors pop a little more. So it is sort of a tradeoff depending on what is more important to you. Do you prefer ridiculous brightness? Then go for the TCL, if you want better contrast and colors, snag the Hisense. Either way, you cannot go wrong with this set. It simply looks incredible.
Now for my favorite part of any TV review, let’s discuss gaming. As mentioned, the set has two HDMI 2.1 ports, which covers Xbox Series S|X and PlayStation 5. If you are a PC gamer, you can also get up to 144Hz using one of these jacks. The lag input in game mode is excellent. It offers up less than 15Ms lag in both 1080p and 4K modes. Playing games like Overwatch felt fantastic and responsive. The U8N also supports all the forms of VRR including Forum VRR and Freesync. For Xbox users you can also enable Dolby Vision for gaming. Basically, if these consoles can do it, this TV can handle it. There is one small glitch I ran into when the 244Hz mode was enabled on PC with VRR that causes frame skipping, but I am sure that will get ironed out in future firmware updates.
The Hisense U8N is an amazing TV set that looks nearly as good as TVs double and triple its price. It is becoming harder and harder to recommend OLED to people on a budget as these LEDs are coming so close to reproducing those black levels and input lag. I found myself enjoying these a little better simply due to the increase in brightness and consumer-friendly prices. Each year they get better, and this is by far the best Hisense has delivered. I will keep them in mind going forward when recommending brands for sure. I really enjoyed my time with this set and cannot wait to see how it improves over time. And when next year rolls around I may be singing its praises again. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the market for an amazing set, at a much friendlier price tag.
Review unit provided by Hisense.
