Summary
Hisense U8N review.. When talking about mini-LED televisions, TV enthusiasts like hearing the term “dangersously close to OLED.” This is particularly true when considering the fact that mini-LED televisions are cheaper than OLED televisions. I believe that this word will be used in reference to a number of televisions that will be released in 2024, including the Hisense U8N.
In order to prepare you for the Hisense U8N review, I would like to inform you about a little modification to the approach that I will be using for this review.
Hisense U8N review
In this review, we are going to continue to include a part titled “Nit Nerds,” in which I will go into metrics, measures, and other topics that are more in-depth and related to TV enthusiasts. That will not be altered. For the sake of a future comparison, however, I am going to set aside some of the most profound and specific information. The backdrop of a comparison to another television system lends more significance to a significant portion of that truly in-depth content. After reading this whole review, if you are a member of my Nit Nerd family and you discover that there is more information about this television that you want to learn, what are your thoughts? Have no fear! It is going to be discussed in a subsequent essay.
After that, let’s go on to discussing the Hisense U8N.
Do you have a limited budget?
Over the last several years, the Hisense U8 series has been somewhat of a success among TV fans who are on a budget. This is something that may not be obvious to people who do not watch televisions regularly. The visual quality that it consistently provides is so impressive that it raises questions about the pricing strategies that other manufacturers use for their televisions. A number of individuals who purchased the U8 series on my suggestion have said to me that they have the impression that they have stolen something due to the fact that the price-to-picture performance ratio is off the charts.
Furthermore, the Hisense U8N carries on that tradition. It does, in some respects, come perilously close to becoming an OLED. It is not the case in other respects. In any case, the Hisense U8N is a television that is worthy of being hyped up and should be taken into consideration.
Televisions, on the other hand, are about more than simply the quality of the image. Despite the fact that it is a fantastic offer, the U8N is still an investment that is made for the long run and requires a significant amount of money. I have a feeling that you desire to take pleasure in possessing this television since you are likely to engage with it rather often.
Easy to use interface, advanced mini-LED display?
Keeping this in mind, let’s begin with the nature of this television: it is a quantum dot-infused LCD television with a mini-LED backlight. Hisense refers to it as a ULED, although it is in direct competition with QLED televisions that are sold by other firms. In order to achieve both great brightness and deep black levels, the mini-LEDs that are included inside the U8N are tightly packed and divided into thousands of distinct dimming zones. This is done in an attempt to provide an outstanding contrast. Quantum dots not only assist the television generate a greater variety of colors, but they also contribute to the development of hues that are more vibrant.
Due to the fact that the U8N is powered by the Google TV platform, it is possible to access almost any streaming application that you could ever want. It is simple and quick to navigate the television, and Google TV makes it simple to pick up where you left off on programs or movies that you watch across a broad variety of applications (YouTube and YouTube TV are particularly well-integrated due to the fact that they are Google products). You have access to Google Assistant for voice search and information, and in order to utilize it, you can either use the remote control or activate a built-in microphone that is constantly listening for hands-free Google Assistant.
You will get a full-size remote control that includes the appropriate number of buttons, such as a button that is specifically designated for settings, a button that allows you to pick the input, buttons that allow you to control the volume, play/pause, and the menu, and a button that is devoted to the settings. There is also a profile hotkey that allows members of the family to go to their own Google TV profiles and YouTube accounts, ensuring that each individual receives their own feed and suggestions. The remote control also has a backlight, which allows you to see what you are pushing even when it is dark.
HDR 10, HDR 10 plus, Dolby Vision, and HLG compatibility are all supported by the U8N. For those of you who are gamers, it comes with two HDMI ports that are capable of supporting 4K resolution at up to 144 Hz. Additionally, it is validated as working with FreeSync Premium Pro and supports variable refresh rates. The U8N also comes equipped with an ATSC 3.0 tuner, which is the most recent standard for broadcast television.
The Hisense U8N is, in a nutshell, a fully-featured television that comes equipped with all of the bells and whistles that one would anticipate from a television of this level.
Quick, nimble, and quick to move?
It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the U8N is a TV that is quick and responsive. Despite the fact that I was clicking about with a lot of impatience, I did not feel any apparent latency as I navigated through the different programs and tiles. This is something that I much appreciate. I don’t like having to wait for a television to catch up to my clicks. You won’t find anything strange or odd about the apps; they load really rapidly. It’s basically a TV that’s really simple to use.
This mute symbol will remain on your screen even if you reduce the volume down to its lowest possible setting.
One peculiarity of the user interface was discovered by me. Even though it’s a little, it managed to become stuck in my head. If you lower the volume all the way down, you will be stuck with this mute symbol, just as if you had clicked the mute button on the television. If your volume is set to zero, there is no way to get rid of this annoying condition. The good news is that once I informed Hisense about this inconvenience, I was informed that it would be resolved in an upcoming version.
There is one more peculiarity: the television does display a Dolby Vision indicator when it is playing material that is compatible with Dolby Vision; however, it does not do the same thing for HDR 10, and I am afraid that this may lead people to believe that they are not receiving HDR when in fact they are. You may check if the television is operating in high dynamic range (HDR) mode by browsing through the possible image modes, which will be branded as HDR. However, I believe that this will be a little too much scrolling about for the majority of people.
Fit, finish, and the quality of the sound?
In our video demonstrating the unpacking of the Hisense U8N, I demonstrated how the pedestal-style stand can be positioned at two different heights. A lower option is available for a more streamlined appearance, and there is a raised option available if you are utilizing a soundbar. In addition to that, I demonstrated the stability as well as the wire routing. I also identified the subwoofer drivers that are located on the rear of the television.
What does it all sound like, though?
The TV has a wonderful sound. Even though the standard for the sound quality of the built-in TV speakers is quite low, the U8N really sounds better than the majority of televisions now available on the market. The depth and presence of the bass are comparable to those of some of the subwoofers that are found in soundbar systems that are quite affordable. The fact that it is so nicely integrated with the down-firing speakers of the television makes it seem like it has more bass in certain respects. I have not yet used the television that is placed on the wall to test the sound. However, when taken as a whole, it sounds far better than I believe any of you will be anticipating it to be. Therefore, if you decide to get this television, you should be ready for a nice surprise whenever you play your favorite music video or movie.
Additionally, the television is capable of providing crisp language, but you shouldn’t anticipate much in the way of surround effects or stereo separation from it. In spite of this, the television, on the whole, offers a loud and powerful sound that will not force you to rush out to the shop to get a soundbar because the sound that is built into the television is so bad.
Let the nit nerds go to work!
The Hisense U8N was put through its paces by me using a SpectraCal C6 that was calibrated to an X-Rite i1Pro 2 with the use of Calman Ultimate by Portrait Displays. Utilizing the default parameters in the Filmmaker Mode photo preset was the first step I took in the measurement process. On top of that, that one particular aspect is of the utmost significance.
The default Filmmaker option setting, which is normally a highly purist-oriented and accurate image option, was activated on the U8N when I tested it. Additionally, the TV’s automatic light sensor was activated, and the Auto White Balance function was activated as well. From the point of view of a purist, this is not a good thing (at least, I believe that was the notion initially). On the other hand, I believe that this may be a good concept for the majority of people. When it comes to Filmmaker Mode, one of the most common complaints is that it is often too dark or that it does not have enough brightness. This is due to the fact that Filmmaker Mode is intended to appear good when people are watching television in a completely dark room, which is something that the majority of people do not do.
It is possible that Hisense will decide to modify this particular component of their implementation of Filmmaker Mode; in the event that it does, I will update this description. However, for the time being, I will add that while I do enjoy the concept that a user may pick Filmmaker Mode on the U8N and not be destined to an extremely gloomy image, I believe that this sort of interpretation of a picture mode preset should be better left to the TV’s Theater Day and Theater Night modes. I may be considered a purist, but Filmmaker Mode was developed by purists just for purists.
However, why not just let things be?
In addition, it is essential to be aware of the fact that the Warm 1 color temperature setting, which is the default option in Filmmaker Mode, is extremely accurate in the majority of regards, but the Warm 2 color temperature setting is inconsistent. It has always seemed strange to me that Hisense would make Warm 2, which is typically a warmer color temperature setting on other manufacturers, the cooler of the two possibilities rather than the normal setting. When it comes to the two-point white balance, the blue channel on the H8N stands out as very forceful. This causes the whites and grays to seem to be more brilliant, extremely cool, and very sharp, and it also gives the impression that it is brighter to the eyes. The Filmmaker mode setting, on the other hand, does not seem to be providing you with the results that you should be receiving from it from an accuracy aspect. It has been brought to my attention by Hisense that in the event of yet another update in the future, this option may be reversed, resulting in Warm 1 being somewhat colder than Warm 2.
Warm 1 is correct, however Warm 2 is not accurate, and this holds true for both the Theater Day and Theater Night settings as well. If you want your white balance to be exact and your colors to be more accurate, then the Warm 1 color temperature option is your best buddy.
This is where the measurements come in. Another thing that appears to go against the purpose of Filmmaker Mode is the fact that the default option for Filmmaker mode in SDR sets the local dimming and peak brightness settings at a high level. According to the default settings, the peak brightness in SDR was estimated to be more over 1,300 nits for a window size of 10%.
With delta errors of fewer than three for both the thirty percent and one hundred percent stimulation readings, the two-point white balance came out looking absolutely fantastic. That is incredible. In addition, when we were monitoring the grayscale, mistakes on my sample remained below the threshold that was noticeable.
In addition, the color fidelity in SDR was quite pleasing. However, given that this is a stock image mode option that has not been calibrated, there are some small anomalies in the blue and cyan colors, but there is no need to get worked up about them.
As for high dynamic range (HDR), I have some news that I am sure a lot of you are interested in reading: the peak brightness from a 10% white window was measured to be over 3,500 nits. One thousand nits was the measurement for the full-screen white. Without a shadow of a doubt, this television has the capability of reaching an exceptionally high brightness. A pattern like that is likely to emerge here.
Not even close to being as precise as it was in SDR, the white balance in HDR was not very good. When we get closer to such very light settings, the white balance of the television begins to tilt considerably toward the blue color. This does not mean that your television will have a blue appearance; rather, it just indicates that white will have a color temperature that is quite cold. That is something that some people like doing in the brilliant whites, but it is not technically correct, and I feel the need to bring that to your attention. In spite of this, a calibrator is able to rectify the situation.
There is a lot of visual impact and wow factor that this television provides.
In high dynamic range (HDR), color accuracy was also extremely good. There are some obvious mistakes in the colors that are the most difficult to draw, but there is no need to be irritated about them. We are still talking about an outstanding performance, particularly considering the cost of this television. In conclusion, when we consider the color gamut coverage of DCI-P3 and BT.2020, we find that the former is around 98%, while the latter is approximately 83%.
A lot of heat is being generated by the EOTF tracking, which stands for electro-optical transfer function. Without a doubt, this television is very bright in high dynamic range (HDR). It is not a problem for the majority of people. As a matter of fact, there are others who would say that it is desirable for HDR to be enhanced a little bit. (Editor’s note: I brought this to the attention of Hisense engineers while testing a new U9 model that was announced at a Hisense event in New York City. They informed me that the television should NOT track high on the EOTF curve. This may indicate that there is a bug that has not yet been resolved, but Hisense is now aware of it and is looking into it.)
However, when it comes to measurements, I believe that the high dynamic range (HDR) performance is a little bit off from what I was wanting to see. This is particularly true when I consider the Hisense U8 series to be the dream of the budget videophile. Despite the fact that we will want to watch how the competition performs around this pricing range, I continue to believe that it is possible. Nevertheless, there is no question about it: the U8N has personality. The question is, when will we put down our scientific geek instruments and start watching? There is a lot of visual impact and wow factor that this television provides.
Return to the standard review?
If you are just joining us after skipping the Nit Nerds part, the most important things to take away from this are that the Hisense U8N has the potential to be a very accurate television in SDR, but it has a tendency to behave a little bit erratically when it comes to the brightness in HDR, which I believe the majority of people are going to find more appealing. This television has a lively personality. Your eyes will be blown away by the image since it has a great deal of vitality, power, and spirit. Despite the fact that it is one of the brightest televisions available on the market — definitely one that costs less than $4,000 — it manages to do so with an aura of refinement, which is something that I like.
Simply said, it is difficult to not like watching this television. Everything in 4K, whether it be HDR or not, takes on a stunning appearance. Each and every one of your preferred streaming providers is going to seem just stunning.
In addition, I am ecstatic to report that even cable and satellite television with a lesser quality come out looking fantastic! The U8N looks to be performing a very excellent job of cleaning up the color banding and blockiness that is shown on lower-quality content. This is in contrast to that which is seen on less expensive televisions. When compared to the U8K, which was released in 2023, the U8N represents a significant improvement.
Moiré, on the other hand, seems to be the U8N’s processing weakness, and it is this weakness that causes it to be vulnerable. There are certain very thin line designs that it may have difficulty with, such as those seen in a plaid garment. However, it does illustrate that there is still some potential for development in Hisense’s picture processing, even if it appears less when the information is of a better quality. Take into consideration, however, that we are now in the zone of torture tests, where the majority of televisions will break down. It is only a matter of determining the extent to which they disintegrate. In spite of this, the color, contrast, and vitality of the U8N seem to be exceptional.
When it comes to motion, Hisense offers a film motion preset that performs an excellent job of eliminating judder in video that is 24 frames per second (fps). On this television, I have not had any problems when viewing movies. Those fast-moving sports seemed to be sturdy. The areas of the picture that were destroyed were huge blocks of color that occurred during very rapid movements. It was possible to see some blurring and blockage occurring as a result of the fact that the bit rate of the signal was not keeping up with the requirements of the content. Due to the fact that it is very difficult for a television to clean up, I am unable to sanction the U8N for this. I will state, however, that the motion-smoothing technology that is included in this television may be activated. And despite the fact that it will include motion-smoothing artifacts, it will also allow you to create sports that seem smoother, which is something that I believe people will love.
Because I am not a serious player, I would rather not comment on games myself; I prefer to let others do it. Nevertheless, I performed some light gaming, and both SDR and HDR seemed to be functioning well in game mode. I was unable to detect any significant input latency with the games that I played, and considering that the U8 series has a reputation for having very low input lag, this should not come as a surprise. Specifically, I did not try gaming with a really high frame rate when the resolution was quite high. This TV, on the other hand, will be a huge hit with casual gamers.
Is it in close proximity to OLED?
To be clear, the Hisense U8N is not an OLED television; nevertheless, it comes perilously close to becoming one in a number of important respects. A chunk of my review consisted of setting up the LG G4 OLED TV below the U8N and doing some direct comparisons between the two set-ups. Over the course of its existence, the U8N’s backlight control has been nothing short of remarkable. With all of the zones that it was attempting to handle, I was a bit worried that it may become slow, but contrary to my expectations, it has not been. There has been no discernible latency at all. Not only are the black levels exceptional, but the performance in low-light conditions has been quite impressive. Despite the fact that I have not yet completed the torture testing, I am extremely hopeful that the U8N will be able to compete with other televisions, even those that cost far more than it does. The reason for this is because, in the end, the most significant parts of image quality for the majority of viewers are the contrast, color saturation, blooming, and halo control, and at this price, it is almost impossible to believe that these features are available.
In the event that you had never had an OLED television before, the U8N may give you the impression that it was one, with the exception of two variables.
To begin, there is the HDR material that has been unduly boosted, as I noted previously. Nevertheless, what is the one factor that really keeps this television from slamming OLED at a price that is half as much? The off-angle viewing is the problem.
As a result of the VA-type LCD screen that the U8N utilizes, the ideal viewing window is quite narrow. If you want to experience all of the rich and profound goodness that it has to give, you actually need to sit right in front of it. The saturation and intensity of the colors are drastically reduced when you move too far off to the side or sit too far off to the side. I believe that the dense mini-LED technology and high dimming zone count are responsible for Hisense’s ability to avoid creating excessive levels of backlight bleed. This means that Hisense deserves some credit for its performance. However, there is no way to get past the reality that the U8N is not able to keep up with OLED when it comes to its ability to stand up effectively at extreme angles.
This should not come as a surprise to aficionados of television. However, what about mini-LED televisions? In terms of black levels and general contrast, I can confidently say that the U8N is one of the OLED-like televisions that I have evaluated up to this point. These televisions are simply astonishing.
Still a dream come true for videophiles on a budget? It is without a question that it has the potential; the hardware is there, but the software simply has to catch up. I am going to hold off on making a decision until Hisense has completed the changes that were discussed before. In a few instances, I do wish that the measurements were a little bit more precise. However, if I were to remove my geek hat and just talk to the rest of the world about this television? Taking a look at it is really incredible. It is without a doubt one of the fantastic deals of 2024. Perhaps even the greatest deal of the year to purchase.
