Hisense 55U8H

The Hisense U8H LED TV is a midrange television that offers flagship-level performance and a wide range of features at an affordable price. The U8H features a 55-inch LED panel with a resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels and supports both Dolby Vision and HDR-10 for enhanced picture quality. It has four HDMI ports and comes with streaming services built-in.

One standout feature of the U8H is its Google TV platform, which provides access to popular streaming services and comes with hands-free Google Assistant and Google Cast support. This allows users to control their TV using voice commands and easily cast content from their mobile devices. The U8H delivers exceptional contrast and color reproduction, with a high contrast ratio of 198,226:1.

Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the U8H's gaming features and performance. It has a refresh rate of 120 Hz and an input lag of only 8.1 ms in Game Mode, making it highly responsive for gaming purposes. It also supports AMD FreeSync Premium for smoother gameplay on compatible devices.

In terms of picture quality, the U8H performs well with both SDR and HDR content. It delivers a peak brightness of 711 nits with an SDR signal and 842 nits with an HDR signal. The black levels are excellent, resulting in a high contrast ratio. The U8H's color accuracy is generally good out of the box, with slightly oversaturated SDR colors.

Design-wise, the U8H has a sleek and modern look with thin bezels and a minimalistic remote control. It also features far-field microphones for hands-free voice control with Google Assistant. The U8H is a solid option for those looking for a high-performance TV at a reasonable price.

In comparison to previous versions, the U8H offers improved gaming features with a lower input lag and support for AMD FreeSync Premium. It also comes with the Google TV platform, providing access to a wider range of streaming services and enhanced voice control capabilities. Overall, the Hisense U8H is a highly recommended TV for its price range, offering excellent picture quality, gaming performance, and a user-friendly interface.

Preview of the official model Hisense 55U8H

An extensive breakdown of the hardware specifications

A quick shortlist of the main features for Hisense 55U8H

The most important key feature of the Hisense U8H LED TV is its exceptional picture quality, with high contrast and vibrant colors.

• Flagship-level performance: The U8H offers flagship-level performance at an affordable price.
• Wide range of features: The TV comes with a wide range of features, including Dolby Vision and HDR-10 support, multiple video inputs, and streaming services built-in.
• Google TV platform: The U8H uses the Google TV platform, providing access to popular streaming services and hands-free Google Assistant and Google Cast support.
• Gaming features and performance: The TV has a 120 Hz refresh rate, low input lag in Game Mode, and supports AMD FreeSync Premium for smoother gameplay.
• Affordable price: The U8H offers impressive performance and features at a modest price, making it a great value option in the market.

What you should be aware of

The main downside of purchasing the Hisense U8H LED TV is occasional light bloom, which can affect image quality in certain lighting conditions. Other potential downsides include:

1. Confusing pricing strategy: Hisense's pricing strategy for the U8H can be confusing, with both suggested retail prices and "everyday" prices being specified for the TV. This can make it difficult for consumers to determine the true value and compare prices accurately.

2. Slightly oversaturated SDR colors: While the U8H's color accuracy is generally good out of the box, some users have reported slightly oversaturated SDR colors. While still within acceptable limits, this can result in colors that appear slightly unnatural or exaggerated.

3. Slight skewing in HDR colors: The U8H's HDR colors exceed the DCI-P3 color space, but there is some slight skewing in certain shades. This means that certain colors may not be reproduced as accurately as others, leading to a slightly imbalanced or less precise color representation in HDR content.

4. Increased input lag without Game mode: The U8H boasts a low input lag of 8.1 ms in Game Mode, which is ideal for gaming. However, when Game mode is turned off, the input lag increases to 86.5 ms. This can result in noticeable delay between input commands and on-screen response, which may impact the overall gaming experience.

5. Limited availability of streaming services: While the U8H comes with streaming services built-in, some users have reported that certain popular streaming services may not be available or supported on the Google TV platform. This can limit the range of content and options available to users, depending on their preferred streaming services.

Overall, while the Hisense U8H LED TV offers impressive performance and features at an affordable price, it is important to consider these potential downsides before making a purchase decision.

To TV or Not to TV: Making an Informed Decision

The Hisense U8H LED TV is a solid choice for those seeking a midrange television with flagship-level performance. It offers impressive picture quality with excellent contrast and color reproduction, ensuring accurate and vivid display of both dark and bright scenes. The TV's gaming features and performance are also noteworthy, with a high refresh rate and low input lag in Game Mode. The Google TV platform provides easy access to popular streaming services, and the inclusion of Google Assistant adds convenient voice control capabilities. While there may be occasional light bloom and the pricing strategy can be confusing, the U8H remains one of the best value options in the market, offering impressive performance and an array of features at an affordable price.