Always hard to know where to start when buying a new TV. Technology evolves so quickly that it can be silly to spend so much. But if you just buy the cheapest monitor from a big box store, you’ll probably have a hard time watching darker episodes of the movie. Game of Thronesand it can break a lot sooner.
That’s why mid-range options like the new Hisense U8H best bet for most people. It has Android TV onboard for all your apps, a bright and colorful display, and mini LED backlighting for deeper black levels. Aside from some slightly uncomfortable feet, it’s become one of my favorite new models for most people.
On the label
Hisense may not be familiar with a brand name like Sony or LG, but that doesn’t mean it makes inferior products. I am a fan of its laser projector and TV for many years now. It has a “best for most” philosophy that puts it somewhere along with Vizio and TCL.
This year’s U8H is the second premium TV in Hisense’s lineup, but it’s still under a thousand dollars for the 55-inch model, making it a direct competitor to TCL 6-Series and Vizio M-Series Quantumboth have similar specifications.
Photo: Hisense
The star of the show is the mini LED backlight with 528 local dimming zones. This means that the backlight can adjust brightness specifically for each part of the screen, helping those dark scenes really stand out. The mini LED is also super bright and helps the TV achieve really great colors thanks to its high dynamic range.
Just like the other models in the price range, you’ll get AMD FreeSync and low input lag (the amount of time from when you pull the trigger on your controller to when # exasperation420 in Call of Duty gets stuck. explode into bits). That means the TV serves as a pretty decent gaming monitor and works well for online console gaming.
On the screen
Physically, there’s not much to write about except for the wobbly legs of the TV. It was a relatively simple black rectangle with thin borders… and two stork-like feet. Mounts can be placed close enough to the inside of the TV’s edge that they fit in a normal TV stand (thanks God). But unless your TV stands are 20 inches deep, they’re too long and pointed for you to put the soundbar in front of them. Currently, about half of the pins are hanging off the back of the TV stand so I can fit it in soundbar there anymore. I want to stick with the wall (or consider an aftermarket stand).
Other than that, the U8H is indeed a very convenient monitor to set up and practically use, especially for anyone with a Google account. With most TVs, I recommend getting an external dongle; This is one of the few places I don’t have. The Android TV operating system is incredibly easy to navigate and makes signing in to apps with your phone super simple.
The inclusion of Google’s operating system also means you get Chromecast built-in, making it easy to play videos from your phone or computer on your TV, or show off to family and friends after a trip.
