The Hisense U8GQ TV series replaces last year's U8QF which offered beautiful images. Will the new models be up to the task? In any case, their technical sheet is interesting on paper mentioning a Full LED panel, HDMI 2.1 inputs, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. We were able to test the 65-inch version and here are our impressions.

A giant in consumer electronics, the Hisense brand offers a large number of products, including televisions. It is the only manufacturer to offer the 4 consumer display technologies that are Laser TV, LED TV, Mini-LED TV and OLED TV. It is the second category that interests us today with the test of the most high-end version of the manufacturer, the U8GQ series available in 55 and 65 inches. Equipped with a QLED panel with Full Array backlighting with the possibility of displaying high brightness, according to the manufacturer, this model also offers HDMI 2.1 inputs, the specifics of which we will see. Powered by the Vidaa UI system, it provides access to several of the most popular streaming platforms, but is that enough to rank among the very best TVs on the market? We wanted to test it out to tell you more about this model in a comprehensive review.

HiSense 65U8GQData sheet

The test copy was loaned to us by the brand in 65-inch format.

HiSense 65U8GQDesign

The design of the Hisense 65U8GQ TV lives up to its rank. It is clearly reminiscent of a top-of-the-range model with finishes that do not suffer from any manufacturing or assembly problems and that look good in a living room.

The TV is held by a self-assembly stand which is in three parts. This is Y-shaped with a front part that protrudes about 16 cm, as at the rear, which makes it difficult to place a soundbar exactly in front. It can always be placed on the front branches of the foot, but it then holds in balance unless you tinker with a support underneath to ensure its perfect stability. The television placed on a piece of furniture requires a width of at least 100 cm for the 65-inch version. Count about 37 cm deep. The foot protrudes about 16 cm at the back. There is a cable management system only at the level of the central leg which can accommodate them to organize their escape towards the back of the furniture. Unfortunately, there are no other guides behind the screen to perfectly manage the wires. Note, despite everything, the possibility of hanging it on a wall via a VESA400 standard support.

The TV is about 7cm thick at its thinnest part. The rear part is covered by a large plastic cover that returns to the beveled edges to give it a little more finesse. In the center, we can see a woofer which will take care of the bass. Note that two speakers are directed upwards, in the center, as on the Panasonic JZ2000, in order to satisfy Dolby Atmos soundtracks, in theory. No loudspeaker is present to ensure side effects as is the case on the latest Panasonic models. The other speakers on the Hisense 65U8GQ are built into the thickness of the TV and directed downwards.

Hisense 65U8GQ connectors

The power cable (not molded) plugs into the left of the TV when viewed from behind. All the other connectors are joined on the right in two poles with some sockets oriented vertically while others are horizontally which can make hanging on the wall a little more difficult, because the screen will be slightly offset because of the sockets Cables. The "horizontal" sockets are the Ethernet connector, the optical audio output and an HDMI socket. The vertical sockets, directed towards the outside of the device are: two USB ports, an Antenna, a Satellite, three HDMI inputs, an analog audio/video input and a headphone output. All HDMI sockets are 2.1 standard. Despite this, be aware that they support the VRR, ALLM, eARC functions, but not Ultra HD signals at 120 Hz although it is a 100/120 Hz panel. of each socket: “4K@60Hz”. Note that the TV is Bluetooth and also has Wi-Fi 802.11n to establish a wireless connection with a router at home. Note the ability to access Google and Amazon Alexa assistants as well as the Vidaa system assistant.

HiSense 65U8GQImage

The Hisense 65U8GQ television benefits from a 100/120 Hz IPS LCD type panel capable of displaying a 10-bit Ultra HD definition (8 bits + FRC) with a Full LED backlight system. It has 120 dynamically managed zones.

It offers fairly wide viewing angles even if they are set back compared to an OLED model, the benchmark in this area. The anti-reflective filter is satisfactory insofar as it can erase weak light sources placed in front of the screen, but it does not manage to open the large bay window bathed in the sun in the middle of the afternoon. It allows to attenuate more light than on OLED panels, real mirrors.

The level of scaling is quite correct with fairly well-done upscaling since it gives the feeling of having an image of a certain depth without it being completely smoothed, which allows you to take full advantage of content that are not Ultra HD. Of course, the television will give everything it can with sequences in 3840×2160 pixels. Using an IPS panel, the TV offers images that are generally quite low in contrast. With Local Dimming disabled, we were able to achieve a native contrast ratio of 1000:1 in Cinema Night mode. If the function is activated, we do not climb much higher. Next door, we tested a mini-LED model which offers much deeper blacks and whose zone management is much better controlled. On the Hisense model, there are 120 zones. We are entitled to an impression of veil, when we compare the two TVs side by side. In addition, we could see that the homogeneity was not extraordinary. Indeed, the four corners are often lighter than the rest of the image which is a bit of a shame. This can be seen especially with monochrome content.

The famous blooming effect, a sort of luminous halo surrounding light objects on a dark background, is quite visible here, especially around subtitles and other menus displayed over video content. The television is capable of producing a very good motion compensation and this can be seen in particular on DTT content which does not suffer from artefacts, which is a good thing.

For HDR content, the TV is able to detect footage using Filmmaker mode and automatically switch with the corresponding settings. On the other hand, we found it annoying that this function is only available for content received via an HDMI input, thus not being able to take advantage of it when watching films or series on streaming platforms, for example. Some televisions, especially from LG, also offer this feature, but which can be activated with streaming content. The Hisense 65U8GQ is compatible with HLG, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and IMAX sources.

The images turn out to be rather bright in general. We were actually able to find a peak in brightness of 910 cd / m² in HDR Night mode out of the box, without any particular adjustment. This measurement was observed on a window of 10% of the total surface of the screen. With a 25% window, the television produces a higher brightness since it has been measured at 1180 cd/m² which means that it is able to offer a very bright image if there is a minimum of surface concerned. The lightest areas should therefore be as large as possible to get the most out of the slab.

In terms of colorimetry, the television offers an image which seems rather satisfactory at first glance, even if it is slightly green with a very slight icy effect when compared to the same sequences on a perfectly calibrated television. Out of the box, we were able to measure color fidelity that could be optimized. Indeed, in SDR with the Cinema Night mode activated, the average Delta E was observed at around 3.65 which is barely satisfactory. The average associated color temperature is 6718 K which is too cold compared to the target value of 6500 K. darker and they are too light on the lightest grays.

For HDR content, we cannot say that the colors are faithful. Indeed, we measured an average Delta E of 5.01 which is clearly higher than the target value of 3. The colorimetric spaces are quite wide since we measured 96% for the DCI-P3 space and 75% for the BT2020, the most demanding.

HiSense 65U8GQGaming

On paper, the Hisense 65U8GQ television is rather well equipped for gaming and in particular to accompany powerful PCs as well as the latest game consoles such as the Xbox Series X or the PlayStation 5. But, in reality, if the TV offers 4 HDMI inputs 2.1 and a 100/120 Hz panel, we must not lose the idea that they do not support the display of Ultra HD signals at 120 Hz, limiting the frequency to 60 Hz with this definition. However, it is possible to have Full HD at 120 Hz. No problem for the support of VRR, ALLM and eARC technologies in order to limit image tearing, optimize response time and obtain a high definition audio feedback for an external system.

The TV offers a Game mode in its settings. This can be activated on other image modes, which allows you to choose the one that best meets your expectations in terms of colorimetry.

Regarding the display delay time, it is not very good since we measured a delay of 35.5 ms which corresponds to a little more than two frames of delay between the moment when the player will press the button on the controller and where the action takes place on the screen. This may pass for casual players, but the most demanding will find fault with this point. Samsung, LG and Panasonic are doing much better with display delay times of around 10 ms for the first two and 14.4 ms for the Japanese manufacturer on the 2021 TV series, such as the JZ1000 or the JZ2000, for example. example. 14.2 ms is the display delay time we measured on the A7GQ series.

HiSense 65U8GQAudio

The TV relies on a 2.1.2 channel audio system. It is compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats which is not so common. It offers two ceiling-firing speakers for intended overhead effects. There are also two downward-firing speakers, this time along with a woofer fitted to the rear of the display. The manufacturer promises a power of 60 Watts. So much for the technical and physical data of the set, on paper.

In reality, the observation is much more nuanced since the whole thing is sorely lacking in roundness and does not offer a really enveloping sound. We expected to take advantage of several effects, especially in height, but in the end, they are very timid, far too much for our taste. We do have a spatialization effect, but not enough to offer a truly immersive audio environment. In short, it can be quite suitable for accompanying basic TV programs, but if you want to go further, the TV speakers and its general audio management are not capable of it and you have to look instead for a sound bar to better accompany it.

HiSense 65U8GQInterface

Like all of the brand's televisions, the Hisense 65U8GQ TV is powered by the proprietary Vidaa system. While several manufacturers have joined Google to offer Google TV, Hisense continues to believe in its entertainment interface to such an extent that Vidaa has become a full-fledged company for two years now in charge of developing the system and more particularly the ecosystem to integrate as many products manufactured by Hisense as possible. The idea, in the long term, is that the brand's devices can interact with each other, via Vidaa. Vidaa's graphical interface is quite similar to that offered by Android TV and now Google TV, but with fewer applications available. However, we can count on the most popular streaming applications.

The very good news is that Hisense TV users will very soon be able to update their system in order to accommodate new, highly anticipated applications: Canal+ is coming in September, Disney+ and OCS are scheduled to land by the end of year and AppleTV Plus will be available in the first quarter of 2022.

After a fairly thorough examination of the menus, we still found some small inconsistencies. Indeed, for example, a function makes it possible to automatically detect sports images to adapt the rendering of the image, but this is found in the System menu then Advanced parameters, whereas the Filmmaker content detection function is available in the Image menu (which makes more sense, from our point of view).

Similarly, to modify the characteristics of the HDMI inputs, you must also go to the System menu. Finally, to adjust the image to a specific mode, you must go through the Adjustment menu. If it is immediately available for content other than DTT, in the latter case, it is relegated to the very bottom of the list, which means that it is not seen at first glance. In our opinion, putting this menu at the very top would make a lot more sense.

If you want to know more about the Vidaa UI system, we suggest you read our test of the Hisense 55A7GQ TV in which we give a little more detail about it.

The remote, large with a microphone, but not backlit

The remote control that comes with the TV is quite large. Not as much as those that come with Panasonic TVs and fortunately not as heavy. This one rather plays the card of finesse and almost refinement with a main part in metal. The general ergonomics are satisfactory, but we regret (still) the absence of a backlighting system to facilitate handling. Several keys are dedicated to direct access to the Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and Rakuten TV platforms. There is also a button to launch the Facebook Watch channel (original) and another that can be customized (next to the key to activate the microphone). Because, yes, like several remote controls, this one takes advantage of a microphone to pick up voice commands from users.

HiSense 65U8GQConsumption

In terms of power consumption, we measured what the TV consumed while streaming a series, "The 100" on Netflix (HD 5.1) for 4 hours with sound and picture settings set to Daytime Cinema . Under these conditions, which we will reproduce for all future television tests, the Hisense 65U8GQ consumed 109 Wh, which is quite significant.

HiSense 65U8GQPrice and release date

The Hisense U8GQ series is available in 55 and 65 inches for respective prices of €899 and €1459.