Should I buy a Hisense TV? An overview of the budget smart TV brand

There are too many brands of TVs to follow these days and it can be difficult to know whether you should buy a Hisense TV or avoid the brand like the plague. It’s not one of the more well-known options like Samsung, Sony, and LG, but they’re also pretty expensive choices – so would you be better off with a cheaper TV from a brand like Hisense?

We have spent a lot of time with different Hisense TVs so we can tell you if the brand is the one you should pay attention to.

Compared to the mainstays of the industry, Hisense is still the newcomer to the block, but thanks to competitive pricing for decent specs, it has managed to establish itself in the market quickly. Don’t be fooled by its typically budget packages, because Hisense also offers top-of-the-line models that can rival the best – such as the Hisense U80G ULED 8K TV earlier this year.

With the impressive Dual-cell 4K TV, the 75-inch U9DG hitting the US at some point in the near future too, there’s never been a better time to review Hisense’s offerings, whatever your budget.

We’ll explain what sets Hisense TVs apart from the competition while giving you quick links to our Hisense TV reviews and all the best deals available today. Don’t forget to also check out our guide to all Hisense TVs of 2021 so you know what new models you can buy today.

Should I buy a Hisense TV?

Hisense is generally regarded as a low budget TV brand because it offers premium TV technology but at prices well below most of the competition. This means that if you are primarily interested in a particular type of HDR format or 4K resolution at the cheapest possible price, there’s probably a Hisense TV that’s right for you.

Hisense doesn’t just make televisions. The Chinese manufacturer also produces all kinds of electrical appliances, including refrigerators, washing machines and telephones. However, its line of televisions is one of the biggest parts of its booming business. And although it is state-owned – like many Chinese companies – Hisense has many international connections.

In 2015, Hisense licensed the famous Sharp brand, bought part of a Mexican TV production line, and began manufacturing TVs for the US and South American markets using the Japanese company name.

It’s important to note that just because Hisense offers reasonably priced TVs doesn’t mean that it isn’t a worthy competitor to brands like Samsung and LG in the premium TV arena. Although Hisense is known for its mid-range TVs, in 2021 it launched the Hisense U80G ULED 8K TV, the brand’s first 8K TV, which we found, delivers brilliant visuals and delivers the high-end features expected from flagship TVs in 2021.

So despite the brand’s affordable prices, there is no doubt that Hisense is a major player with a solid presence in the competitive TV market.

Hisense pricing and specs

Basically the panels used in Hisense TVs are decent. They tend to offer nice crisp images, decent black levels, and good color balance.

However, with the sets supporting HDR, don’t expect them to offer the same peak brightness as the more expensive sets from big brands. This means that images displayed on a Hisense TV may not have the same vividness as better HDR sets.

The Hisense TV price range is where it has a real edge over the competition, with the Chinese company firmly focusing on the mid-market – with occasional forays into more high-end hardware like the massive (and massively bright H75U9A) ).

Hisense flagship TVs have historically not been on par with the best TVs in the world, but that all changed when the brand released its first 8K TV in 2021, the Hisense U80G ULED 8K TV, which we believe was a fantastic 8K debut, delivering the high-end features expected of today’s flagship TVs – and after a soft launch in Australia, it’s coming to the US as well.

However, most Hisense TVs are still mid-range and significantly cheaper than their peers.

Further down the range, you will also realize significant savings. The bottom line is that while your TV might not be the talk of the town, it isn’t likely to disappoint, and the money you save can certainly be spent on getting great 4K content.

There is, however, an obvious tension between quality and affordability. Although the H55OB8UK is the cheapest OLED TV on the market, it lacks the processing intelligence to maintain consistent picture quality the same way its more expensive OLED competitors do – and it’s no surprise. after this model that Hisense completely abandons the technology.

You can expect DualCell TVs – which merge a grayscale 2K panel with a color-rich 4K panel – to take its place, with Hisense claiming it can deliver OLED-quality contrast at a lower price. We’ll be looking through 2021 to see if that’s the case, especially the new Hisense U9DG Dual Cell display announced in May, but it’s unlikely to be an OLED killer anyway.

Hisense Roku smart TVs: what are they?

Hisense also works with the Roku operating system on select bundles, including its incoming ULED lineup – ULED being Hisense’s own term for its high-quality LED TVs, with improved processing and improved color and contrast compared to its other sets. Roku ULEDs are only looking for the US at the moment, although the UK also got its first Roku Hisense TVs in time for Black Friday last year.

The Roku platform is the same as that included on the Roku streaming sticks and has a simple and easy to set up operating system, making it easy to select different streaming apps (of which there are a lot) as well as source inputs such as game consoles.

Roku aside, Hisense’s Smart TV operating system can also be a bit hit and miss in its various models. Some have a flashy Vidaa U operating system (don’t ask us why it’s called that), while others are content with a more prosaic Android TV platform – and even within those categories. , performance and application support may vary.

In 2020, Hisense TVs featured weirdly half-baked apps, including a ‘free’ TV streaming service that had just uploaded YouTube videos (in the UK at least) and a Vidaa Art mode that extracts landscape designs. by DeviantArt – rather than Samsung’s Art Mode museums and galleries on The Frame.

Fortunately, these operating system issues can be avoided entirely – if you have any – by using a streaming box or streaming stick such as Chromecast Ultra, Roku Streaming Stick +, or Nvidia Shield TV. Watching movies on a 4K Blu-ray player shouldn’t experience these issues either.

Hisense smart TV reviews

Perhaps more importantly, what did TechToSee do with the latest TVs from Hisense?

We’ve reviewed Hisense TVs in all sizes and price ranges – and you can check out our full thoughts with the links below:

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• For our top TV picks, our guide to the best TVs 2021 is here to help.