Hisense U7K ULED mini-LED TV review: A set for all seasons

1 month ago

Hisense U7K Review

Hisense U7K ULED

MSRP $1,050.00

“The Hisense U7K is nan smartest TV bargain for astir people. Full stop.”

Pros

Effective HDR opposition and color
Very bully backlight control
Excellent anti-glare
Great for gaming

Cons

Poor off-angle viewing

I deliberation I recovered it. I deliberation I recovered nan saccharine spot for TVs for 2023. And it’s nan Hisense U7K ULED.

I admit I had immoderate beautiful precocious hopes for this TV going into this review. Not lofty expectations, conscionable precocious hopes. And I’m pleased to study my hopes person not been dashed.

Video review

The Hisense lineup and value comparison

We’ll commencement pinch a speedy refresher connected wherever nan Hisense U7K stands successful Hisense’s TV lineup — and nan TV marketplace successful general. In Hisense’s lineup, there’s nan UX, which is nan constricted edition, cost-no-object TV.

But for astir folks, nan existent flagship of Hisense’s TV lineup is nan U8K, and this U7K sits conscionable beneath that. You mightiness comparison nan U7K to TCL’s Q7, for example. It’s benignant of an upper-midlevel TV. Or you could opportunity it’s a lower-level top-tier TV. You cognize really there’s a beautiful good statement betwixt a medium-rare and mean steak? This TV treads a akin good line.

Size	U7K	U8K
55 inches	$550	$800
65 inches	$750	$1,100
75 inches	$1,000	$1,600
85 inches	$1,700	$2,000

Now, a speedy comparison based connected prices astatine nan clip of publishing, though these will apt alteration a spot complete time. Above is simply a breakdown of nan Hisense U7K prices astatine various sizes adjacent to nan step-up Hisense U8K prices astatine those aforesaid sizes. Generally speaking, you tin take to get a larger U7K for nan aforesaid value arsenic nan step-down size of nan U8K. So, nan 65-inch U7K costs astir nan aforesaid arsenic nan 55-inch U8K, and truthful on. Or, you could conscionable look astatine it from nan position that nan U7K is conscionable a much affordable than nan U8K.

I mention this because we’ll talk a small astir whether, fixed your budget, you mightiness beryllium amended disconnected getting a larger surface U7K aliases a smaller surface U8K.

Design and specs

The U7K sports an charismatic creation pinch amazingly coagulated build value that you don’t spot that often astatine this price. It has a stamped metallic backmost and coagulated feet that you tin position wide — arsenic we person them successful our photos — aliases much narrowly if you person a smaller stand. The TV comes pinch a backlit remote, and it’s sewage a reasonably robust speaker strategy built in, pinch a subwoofer connected nan backmost to adhd immoderate bass to nan alternatively mini down-firing speakers built into nan bottommost of nan chassis. For nan price, I deliberation you get a reasonably charismatic TV.

Like its cousins, nan U7K is moving Google TV.

Let’s correct immoderate misinformation I’ve heard retired location astir nan U7K crossed various regions globally: The U7K successful North America is not nan aforesaid arsenic nan U7K you’ll get successful nan U.K., Europe, Australia, aliases New Zealand. The variety successful specs and capacity for nan U7K is little than it utilized to be, but nan TV I’m reviewing is astir apt a spot higher capacity than what you’ll get elsewhere, truthful support that successful mind. There are different differences, too. For instance, nan U.K. type has a different guidelines and different remote. If you’ve heard that Hisense has unified specs for its TVs crossed world regions, that is not meticulous information. The disparity is reduced, but it’s still there.

Picture quality

Let’s dive into this TV’s image capacity successful nan conception I for illustration to telephone Numbers for Nit Nerds. I took astir of my measurements from nan TV’s filmmaker mode preset successful some SDR and HDR. This time, I utilized nan default colour somesthesia mounting of Warm 1 and worked from there, because that’s really nan TV is group up retired of nan box. Some of these measurements are a spot different if you prime Warm 2, but arsenic I’ll soon discuss, things looked beautiful coagulated earlier I did immoderate tweaking.

White equilibrium and colour accuracy

The achromatic equilibrium successful SDR Filmmaker mode was damn bully for a TV astatine this price. Errors were mostly successful nan agleam achromatic areas, pinch nan achromatic trending a small excessively cool, aliases blue. It was an easy hole by knocking nan bluish summation down successful nan 2-point achromatic balance, which resulted successful outstanding results. It was nan aforesaid for nan HDR achromatic balance, which, by nan way, must beryllium adjusted separately.

A chart showing colour measurements connected a Hisense U7K.

Color measurements connected a Hisense U7K.

Color accuracy retired of nan container was very bully for SDR and outstanding for HDR. The only rogue colors are greenish and cyan, and those weren’t importantly retired of whack, according to nan numbers. The brighter those colors got, nan much they strayed from accuracy. But nan errors are debased capable that astir folks will rarely, if ever, prime up connected them. I saw 97% of nan P3 colour gamut and 76% for BT.2020, and nan only notable colour errors were astatine nan brightest extremity of nan spectrum. That’s outstanding capacity for a TV of this price.

Brightness

Now, for everyone’s favourite part: highest brightness. Interestingly, successful SDR Filmmaker Mode, nan highest brightness retired of nan container was astir 530 nits — and that’s astatine astir 80% connected nan brightness setting. That’s measurement excessively agleam for nan Accuracy Police. But for astir folks, that benignant of SDR brightness is gonna beryllium precisely what they want, truthful while it doesn’t look to fresh nan volition of Filmmaker Mode, it’s a smart move for making customers happy.

A fjord pinch glacially greenish waters shown connected a Hisense U7K.

You tin propulsion nan brightness down for SDR if you watch successful a acheronian room — aliases you tin usage nan embedded ray sensor to make those adjustments based connected really agleam aliases acheronian your room is. But I request to make a large woody retired of this: If you want nan champion brightness this TV tin provide, you really request to move that ray sensor off. I recovered that while it does a decent occupation of adjusting nan brightness depending connected your room, it messes astir pinch nan achromatic equilibrium successful a measurement I don’t attraction for. So I move it disconnected and time off it off.

The communicative astir highest brightness successful HDR is benignant of interesting. In lawsuit you’re caller to my TV reviews, Hisense TVs historically outperform their claimed highest brightness. That was existent of nan U7G and U8G 2 years ago. It was existent past twelvemonth pinch nan U7H and U8H. And it was moreover existent of nan U8K we reviewed earlier this year. For instance: Hisense would people 1,000 nits highest brightness connected nan box, and nan TV would handily outperform that by punching up to, say, 1,300 nits.

A chart showing brightness arsenic measured pinch a Calman divice connected a Hisense U7K.

That has not been nan lawsuit for maine pinch this circumstantial U7H TV sample, but I deliberation I person an outlier here. My readings for highest brightness successful HDR pinch a 10% achromatic model came successful astatine astir 750 nits. And erstwhile I moved nan trial shape to a 25% window, it bumped up to 850 nits.

That’s short of Hisense’s declare of 1,000 nits — arsenic I said, I expected nan TV to outperform Hisense’s claims. Ditching nan achromatic model for nan Spears & Munsil highest HDR item pattern, I saw astir 600 nits.

An municipality scenery shown connected a Hisense U7K.

Now, I usually don’t do this, but I checked a fewer different reviews from reviewers I respect, and they were correct astatine astir that 1,000-nit highest connected their trial bench. I’ve rooted astir successful each nan settings and made judge nary eco aliases powerfulness redeeming settings were on, that nan section dimming is group to precocious arsenic it should be, and I moreover toggled move reside mapping connected and disconnected conscionable to spot what happened. This sample is conscionable not arsenic agleam arsenic those I’m seeing reviewed elsewhere. I don’t deliberation location is thing incorrect pinch nan TV, I conscionable deliberation that’s really this sample behaves. Hisense tells maine they besides deliberation this sample is an outlier, for what it’s worth.

I’m not excessively worried astir it, though, because perceptually, there’s not a ton of quality betwixt 850 nits and 1,000 nits. The mean image level of this TV tracks precisely arsenic expected, pinch astir 550 nits of full-field brightness.

Motion and processing

This TV flawlessly performs 3:2 pulldown for judder-free, 24 frames-per-second (fps) movie and TV playback, though location is nan predictable stutter successful agleam areas connected slow panning shots owed to nan TV’s fantabulous pixel consequence time. The U7K does person a achromatic framework insertion (BFI) characteristic and it is, arsenic expected, very flickery and I can’t guidelines it. But that’s existent for almost each TV I review. Still, if you want BFI, it’s available.

A metropolis skyline astatine sunset shown connected a Hisense U7K.

Upscaling is very respectable connected this TV successful general, and awesome for nan value of nan TV. It handily outperforms nan TCL Q7 successful position of sharpness erstwhile upscaling 720p content, though there’s little of a quality from 1080p content. In fact, image processing wide is beautiful stellar. You will spot immoderate colour banding connected low-bit-depth sources for illustration YouTube or Sling TV, and unfortunately, nan soft nuance characteristic doesn’t look to person overmuch of an effect. I spot nary betterment pinch this connected low, medium, aliases high, truthful I conscionable near it off.

Blooming power is very good. I’d opportunity nan TCL Q7 is conscionable somewhat amended successful that 1 area, but you’d ne'er cognize it without putting nan 2 broadside by side. Black levels are mostly excellent, and opposition is outstanding for a TV astatine this price.

Performance

The pros

Now that we’ve sewage nan method specifications covered, let’s speak much broadly astir this TV’s performance. I’ve mislaid count of really galore hours I’ve spent watching this TV — conscionable normal, mundane content, from TV shows to YouTube, to unrecorded sports, to streaming movies and 4K Blu-rays. Here’s nan takeaway:

I deliberation nan Hisense U7K is nan smartest TV bargain for astir people. I person already recommended it to respective friends and a mates of extended family members, and each personification who has bought it went retired of their measurement to email aliases matter maine to show maine really thrilled they are pinch their caller U7K TV.

A hillside covered successful brilliantly colored trees successful autumn show connected a Hisense U7K.

The U7K’s capacity is bully capable to fulfill a video enthusiast connected a tighter budget, and acold amended than astir folks will beryllium expecting erstwhile they return it home. It offers awesome colour accuracy retired of nan container — truthful agelong arsenic you usage Filmmaker Mode aliases Theater Day aliases Night. It retains HDR highlights good – this TV rolls disconnected gently, it does not difficult clip. It’s superb and vibrant for each kinds of content. It upscales your cable, satellite, aliases DVD postulation well, and nan personification interface is coagulated and reliable — astatine slightest for now.

The mobility solution is rather bully connected this TV. I watched a batch of fast-moving sports, and I was ne'er disappointed pinch speedy camera moves up and down nan hoops tribunal aliases shot field. Movies looked great. TV shows were flawless.

It is, successful my opinion, nan champion worth successful TV.

The crippled mode is fantabulous connected this TV. Game mode image capacity is really not each that acold disconnected from much meticulous image modes, positive it offers a nosy gaming dashboard and supports FreeSync VRR and refresh rates up to 144Hz if you’ve sewage a PC that tin support that. And it moreover sounds beautiful decent, considering astir TV speakers conscionable sound downright awful.

The TV conscionable ticks each nan correct boxes. It is, successful my opinion, nan champion worth successful TV. It hits that saccharine spot of capacity and price. You tin salary more, but you won’t get a batch more. And you tin salary less, but you will get a batch little than this TV offers. I mean, that’s why I’m going to make this a go-to proposal to anyone who is not a nit nerd.

The cons

The TV is not perfect, though. While it has outstanding anti-reflection connected it, which minimizes glare, and is simply a bully TV for daytime viewing wherever you person immoderate sun coming into nan home, nan off-angle viewing is not good. Now, to beryllium fair, astir TVs astatine this level and moreover supra this level don’t person bully off-angle performance. The 2nd you measurement disconnected from dormant halfway successful beforehand of this TV, nan opposition and colour commencement washing out. But again, that is par for nan course. Hisense could amended nan off-angle by utilizing an IPS panel, but nan achromatic levels, blooming, and halo issues would return a mini hit. Speaking of which, I judge nan 75-inch type of this TV does usage an IPS sheet – truthful it will person amended off-angle viewing, and pinch much dimming zones. Its achromatic levels and blooming power should still beryllium beautiful good, moreover pinch an IPS sheet – possibly conscionable not arsenic fantabulous arsenic we spot connected nan 55-inch and 65-inch models.

The apical correct area of a Hisense U7K showing nan thickness and bezel.

Also, this TV – and this whitethorn conscionable beryllium a bug, I’m checking pinch Hisense – kept reducing nan highest brightness to 78 successful HDR via HDMI sources. I can’t fig retired why.

The bottommost line

If you’ve been wondering if possibly nan Hisense U7K mightiness beryllium nan correct TV for you, I 100% propulsion my afloat weight down this TV. It has been awesome to unrecorded pinch this TV for a mates of weeks, and I deliberation astir of you are going to emotion it.

Now, for those of you who see yourself a much casual nit nerd – for illustration you bask nan company, but you’re not a card-carrying personnel – you mightiness beryllium wondering if you are amended disconnected getting nan U7K aliases nan U8K. And to anyone who is having a reliable clip deciding betwixt nan two, here’s what you request to know:

A small, tree-covered land encircled by vibrant turquoise waters shows connected a Hisense U7K.

The U8K is simply a brighter TV. It has a brighter mean image level, and its HDR highlights are besides brighter. It’s sewage a spot much punch to it, and erstwhile there’s much ambient light, it tin support nan cognition of opposition and colour vibrancy conscionable a spot amended than nan U7K. If you watch during nan time a lot, and you want nan champion imaginable acquisition erstwhile watching during nan day, past I deliberation nan U8K is worthy nan upgrade.

But for astir folks, including would-be TV enthusiasts who do astir of their watching successful a dim-to-dark room, aliases tin astatine slightest make it dim aliases acheronian erstwhile they want, nan U7K is each you really need. It’s specified a delightfully, amazingly awesome TV. It’s amended than nan TCL Q7, and while not arsenic awesome arsenic nan TCL QM8, it gets mighty adjacent for a batch little money.

My last connection to you is: Buy pinch confidence. The Hisense U7K gets 2 thumbs up from me, and I’m looking guardant to recommending it to astir folks who telephone for TV buying advice.