“ perilously close to OLED . ” It ’s a phrase TV geeks eff to take heed when talking about mini - LED TVs — peculiarly when they be far less than an OLED TV . And it ’s a idiomatic expression I suspect we ’ll hear in regard to a variety of 2024 TVs , including the Hisense U8N.
Before I dig into the Hisense U8N , I want to recite you about a little alteration in strategy I ’m implementing for this review .
We ’re still going to have a “ Nit Nerds ” section of this brushup in which I plunk into metrics , measurements , and deeper TV partisan eccentric stuff . That wo n’t change . But Iamgoing to appropriate some of the crack - deep , nitty - gamey material for a next comparison . A lot of that really in - depth stuff and nonsense is more meaningful in the context of a comparison to another idiot box . So , if you are one of my Nit Nerd family , and you find that there ’s more you want to know about this telly after you ’ve read this whole review ? Worry not ! It will be covered in a future piece .
Ok , now countenance ’s talk about the Hisense U8N.
Video review
Premium, on a budget
For those who do n’t follow television set intimately , the Hisense U8 serial publication has been something of a hit for boob tube enthusiasts on a budget over the past few year . It has reliably offer motion-picture show caliber that punch so in high spirits that it telephone into interrogative sentence how other brands price their TVs . Several folks who buy the U8 series on my good word have told me they feel like they steal something because the price - to - picture performance ratio is off the charts .
The Hisense U8N continue that legacy . In some way , it does get mighty close to OLED . In other way , it does not . disregarding , the Hisense U8N is a hype - desirable telecasting that deserves your consideration .
Televisions are about more than just moving-picture show quality , though . Even though it is a great deal , the U8N is still a long - term investing that be a serious clod of change . You ’re likely to interact with this stage set a quite a little , and I distrust you desire to delight owning this TV .
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends
Advanced mini-LED, easy interface
With that in mind , let ’s take up with what this TV is : a mini - LED backlit , quantum back breaker - infused LCD TV . Hisense phone it ULED , but it competes directly with QLED idiot box marketed by other brands . The mini - LEDs in the U8N are obtusely pack and break down into thousands of single dimming zones in an effort to deliver both high brightness and deep black degree , which flux for awing contrast . The quantum pane serve enlarge the phone number of color the TV can acquire AND they help make for shining colour , too .
The U8N runs on theGoogle tv set platform , which means that just about every stream app you might want is usable . Navigating the TV is nonrational and soft , and Google TV makes it comfortable to pick up where you left off on shows or moving picture you ascertain across a wide array of apps ( YouTube andYouTube TVare particularly well - mix since those are Google properties ) . You have access to Google Assistant for voice search and data , and for that , you could either use the remote control or enable a build - in , always - listening microphone for hand - spare Google Assistant .
You get a full - size of it remote control that has just the correct amount of button , include a dedicated configurations button , an input picker button , and buttons for volume , channel control , play / suspension , and the menu . There ’s even a visibility hotkey that lease phratry members switch to their own Google television visibility and YouTube accounts , so everyone catch their own feed and recommendations . And the remote is backlit , so you could see what you ’re pressing in the darkness .
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends
The U8N supports HDR 10 , HDR 10 plus , Dolby Vision , and HLG . It has two HDMI input that back 4 K firmness of purpose up to 144 Hz ( for you gamers out there ) . It also supports variable refresh rate and is FreeSync Premiun Pro - endorse . The U8N also has an ATSC 3.0 tuner built in for the late broadcast TV measure .
In forgetful , the Hisense U8N is a full - featured TV with all the Melville Bell and whistling you should expect from a telecasting at this level .
Quick, snappy, and fast
I am pleased to cover that the U8N is a snappy and responsive TV . As I clicked through uncommitted apps and tiles , I experienced no obtrusive lag , no matter how impatiently I come home around , which is a big deal to me . I detest waiting for a video to catch up to my clicks . Apps load quick , too — there ’s nothing low-down or unexpected . It ’s just a super - easy to expend TV .
When you turn the volume all the way down , you ’re stuck with this silent picture .
I did observe one user - user interface quirk . It ’s a little thing , but it stuck in my craw . When you turn the book all the way down , you ’re stuck with this tongueless icon as if you ’ve pressed the mute clitoris on the television set . There ’s no way to get rid of this if your book is at zero . Fortunately , after reporting this irritation to Hisense , I was told it will be turn to in a outgoing update .
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends
One more quirk : While the television set does toss off up a Dolby Vision icon when watching Dolby Vision mental object , it does n’t do that for HDR 10 , and I ’m concerned this may cause folk to cogitate they are n’t getting HDR when they really are . you could verify the tv set is in HDR mode by surfing through uncommitted picture modes , which will be labeled as HDR , but that ’s a snatch too much clicking around for most folks , I fear .
Fit, finish, and sound quality
In ourHisense U8N unbox video , I showed you how the pedestal - expressive style viewpoint can be place at two acme . There ’s a recruit option if you ’re using a soundbar , and a downhearted choice for a sleeker look . And I picture you the stableness and the cable management . I also point out the subwoofer drivers on the back of the boob tube . But how does it all sound ?
The TV voice great . Admittedly , the bar for built - in TV loudspeaker speech sound is set pretty low , but the U8N really does sound better than most TVs on the market . The depth and the presence of the bass voice rival some of the subwoofer you regain in cheap soundbar systems . In some slipway , it ’s actually better basso because it is so well integrated with the television set ’s down - sack speaker unit . I have n’t tested the sound with the TV mounted on a paries . But on a stand , it sounds far better than I think any of you will be expecting . So if you get this tv set , be prepared for a pleasant surprisal when you crank up your favorite music video or moving picture .
The TV also does well at deliver clear dialogue , but do n’t expect much in the way of surround outcome or stereo separation . Still , the TV , on the whole , has a heavy , robust sound that will not have you rush back to the store for a soundbar because the construct - in auditory sensation is so terrible .
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends
Nit Nerds, activate!
To test the Hisense U8N , I used a SpectraCal C6 profiled to anX - Rite i1Pro 2usingCalman Ultimate by Portrait Displays . I started measuring by using the default option configurations in the Filmmaker Mode picture preset . And that footling detail right there is exceedingly authoritative .
When I test the U8N , the default Filmmaker Mode preset — typically a very purist - orient , accurate exposure mode — had the TV ’s automatic light sensor turn on , with Auto White Balance also turn on . From a purist ’s view , this is not safe ( at least , I retrieve that is the perception ) . But for most folks , I actually think this could be a good melodic theme . One of the principal complaint about Filmmaker Mode is that it is often too grim , or that it lacks vibrancy . That ’s because Filmmaker Mode is designed to look right if you are reckon the video in a pitch - black way , and most folks simply do n’t do that .
Hisense may prefer to modify this expression of its carrying out of Filmmaker Mode , and if it does , I ’ll update this review . But for now , I ’ll add that while I do like the thought that a exploiter can select Filmmaker Mode on the U8N and not be condemn to an overly dark motion picture , I call back that sort of reading of a photograph mode preset could be best left to the goggle box ’s Theater Day and Theater Night modes . Call me a purist , but Filmmaker Mode was created by purists , for purists . So why not leave it be ?
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends
Warm 1 being accurate and affectionate 2 being inaccurate is true across the Theater Day and Theater Night options as well . So , if you need accurate white-hot correspondence and more exact coloring material , the Warm 1 vividness temp setting is your friend .
Here come the measurements . In SDR , the default Filmmaker mode setting order the local dimming and and peak brightness mise en scene at high ( which , again , seems to buck the intention of Filmmaker Mode ) . With those nonremittal preferences , tip brightness in SDR measured at over 1,300 nits for a 10 % windowpane .
Two - stage snowy balance came in look awesome , with delta error of less than 3 for both the 30 % and 100 % stimulus measurements . That is great . And as we tracked the grayscale , errors stayed below the visible threshold on my sample distribution .
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends
Color accuracy in SDR was also very good . We see some minor fault in Blue and Cyan , but nothing to get puzzle out up over considering this is a stock moving-picture show mode put without calibration .
As for HDR , here ’s the newsworthiness I know a lot of you want to read : Peak brightness from a 10 % white window came in at over 3,500 nits . Full - screen white measure out a solid 1,000 nits . Without a question , this TV can get extremely vivid . That ’s going to be a trend here .
The white balance in HDR was not nearly as accurate as it was in SDR . As we creep up to those super - bright levels , the television set ’s white balance skew heavily in favour of blueness . This does not intend that your TV will look blue — it just means that white will have a very cool color temperature . Some folk music like that in the bright whites , but it ’s just not technically accurate , so I need to head that out . This can be corrected by a calibrator , though .
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends
This video delivers a lot of wow factor and visual impingement .
Color accuracy was very respectable in HDR as well . We see some seeable errors in the most challenging color , but nothing to be upset about . We ’re still talk excellent performance , especially for the damage of this TV . And , in conclusion , if we look at DCI - P3 and BT.2020 color gamut insurance coverage , we ’re look about 98 % and 83 % , respectively .
But from a measure perspective , I think the HDR performance skew a little out of doors of what I was hoping to see – especially because I like to consider of the Hisense U8 serial publication as the budget videophile ’s dream . And I still think it is , though we ’ll want to see how the competitor does around this price power point . But there ’s no doubt about it : The U8N has character . And when we put the scientific discipline swot tools forth and get to see ? This TV delivers a lot of wow factor and visual wallop .
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends
Resume normal review
If you ’re just rejoining us after skipping the Nit Nerds subdivision : The key takeaways are that the Hisense U8N is capable of being a very accurate video in SDR , but it likes to get a bit spunky with the brightness in HDR , which I intend most family are give out to wish a lot . This TV is zesty . It ’s got a band of vim , energy , and heart to the picture , and it will daze you . It ’s one of the brilliant TVs on the market — certainly under $ 4,000 — but it handles that brightness with an air of sophistication , which I abide by .
It ’s hard not to simply love watching this goggle box . Anything in 4 K — HDR or otherwise — search fantastic ! All your pet streaming services are going to look outstanding .
And I ’m thrilled to account that lower - resoluteness cable and satellite goggle box also look striking ! less television set will really show a lot of colour banding and blockiness on grim - quality computer programing , but the U8N look to be doing a pretty telling occupation of clean it up . In most meaningful respect , the U8N is a step up from 2023 ’s U8K.
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends
The U8N does seem to have an Achilles ’ bounder in its processing , though , and that ’s Moiré . It can struggle with super - all right line pattern , like you might see in a plaid jacket crown . It shows less with gamey - resolve content , but it does demonstrate that there is still a little way for improvement in Hisense ’s image processing . For circumstance , though , consider we are now in torture test territory , wheremostTVs will fall asunder . It ’s just a question of to what degree they fall apart . Still , the U8N ’s color , contrast , vibrancy all look outstanding .
As for question , Hisense has a pic motion setting that does a whole job of lose weight judder in 24 frames - per - 2d ( Federal Protective Service ) content . I ’ve had no matter watching movies on this video . Fast - gesture sport looked upstanding . Where the icon fell aside was in large engine block of vividness during superfast motion . You could see some blur and blank out creeping in because the signal ’s scrap pace was n’t keeping up with the demands of the content . This is near unacceptable for a TV to strip up , so I ca n’t punish the U8N for this . I will say , though , that you may hire the question - polish tech in this TV . And while it will bring in motion - smooth artifacts , you could get smoother - looking sports that agency — I guess folks will appreciate that .
I ’m not a hardcore gamer , and I prefer to get out gaming comment to others . But I did some chance gaming , and both SDR and HDR looked self-colored in game modality . I was n’t able-bodied to sense any notable input meanwhile with what I played , and historically , the U8 series has super - low input lag , so that ’s no surprisal . What I did not test was super - high frame charge per unit gaming at high resolution . But everyday gamers will be throb with this TV .
Nearly as good as OLED?
The Hisense U8N is n’t an OLED television set , though it does get dangerously close in some key way of life . I had the LG G4 OLED boob tube set up beneath the U8N for a portion of my evaluation and did some direct comparisons . The U8N ’s backlight dominance so far has been nothing short of outstanding . I was a little concerned with all the zones it was assay to grapple that it might get sluggish , but it has n’t been . Any stave has been indiscernible . The black levels are superb , and the low - luminance public presentation has been surprisingly good . I have n’t gotten to the torture exam just yet , but I am very optimistic that the U8N will hold its own against the competition — even against TVs cost much more . Because , in the end , the most meaningful aspects of picture quality to most spectator — the line , color saturation , blooming and halo mastery — are , at this terms , border unconvincing .
If you ’d never own an OLED tv set before , the U8N could fool you into believing it was one — save for two component .
First is the overly brightened of HDR content I mentioned earlier . But the one thing that really prevents this TV from slam - dunking organic light-emitting diode at half the terms ? It ’s the off - angle showing .
The U8N has a reasonably tight optimum viewing window due to its VA - type LCD panel . You really need to sit skag - dab in front of it to get all the ample , mysterious goodness it can provide . When you tread or sit too far off to the side , color impregnation and counterpoint plumb precipitously . Hisense pay back some redemption points for not produce rank amounts of backlight bleed , which I ascribe to the obtuse mini - LED organisation and mellow dim zone count . But there ’s no getting around the fact that where organic light-emitting diode holds up well at uttermost angle , the U8N ca n’t quite keep up .
For telly partisan , this comes as no surprisal . But as far as mini - LED television receiver go ? I imprecate the U8N is one of the most OLED - same TV I ’ve tested to date in footing of inglorious degree and overall contrast . It ’s a truly singular television .
Is it still a budget videophile ’s aspiration ? I ’m going to reserve judgement until Hisense is done make the aforementioned updates , but there ’s no question it has the potential — the hardware is there , but the software just needs to get up . I do wish well that a few measurements were a bit more fastidious . But if I take off my nerd hat and just verbalize to the earth about this TV ? It ’s freaking awesome to behold . It ’s well one of the honorable buys of 2024 . mayhap eventhebest buy of the class .
