PICTURE QUALITY This model had excellent high-definition picture quality. It did an excellent job displaying the finest HD detail. Color accuracy was very good, with images generally looking natural, though we did note that reds had a deeper, less accurate tone that we couldn't correct. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good, so images had depth and dimension, typical of most models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. Black levels are very good delivering fairly deep blacks with help from Hisense's very effective "Local Dimming," a backlight dimming feature designed to give greater depth and contrast to dark scenes. Any unwanted illumination side effects often introduced by such a feature were minimal (when viewing head on) so we left the feature on. With the feature off, black levels were quite hazy. (see "viewing angle" comments for other limitations on black level quality.) In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the TV did an excellent job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There was slight display nonuniformity that created brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from TV to TV. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were excellent on HD content; there was little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
VIEWING ANGLE This Hisense has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing LCD sets we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of the TV. If your family is seated in chairs off to the side of the TV, they'll see decent but compromised image quality.
When we moved off to the sides the horizontal viewing angle was good; the picture showed a slight loss of color, along with a moderate color shift. Black levels visibly brightened, reducing contrast. The effect of the local dimming feature also became more apparent with people and objects in dark scenes exhibiting a certain unnatural glow. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was very good. The picture showed minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE This Hisense UHD TV delivers full 4K picture detail, along with very good HD-to-UHD upconversion, but overall performance is limited by its 4K viewing options. All native 4K content we played on this model, including movies and test videos from our Sony FMPX10 player, was presented in full detail with excellent image fidelity when played back via the TV's HDMI input. This model supports video streaming of 4K programs via Netflix and YouTube, with images that were clean and finely detailed with no visible over-sharpening. Using the TV's USB port, we were able to play back 4K videos stored on a flash drive which were encoded in the MP4 and VP9 formats, but no support for HEVC encoded files. High-resolution photos were a mixed bag, with images showing full 2160 pixel vertical resolution, but horizontal resolution was cut in half, showing compromised fine 4K detail on our test images. With regular HD content, the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing was very good, with edges along diagonals of image content showing slight jaggies, just short of the best we've seen. Two of the TVs four HDMI inputs (HDMI3 and HDMI4) which claim to be HDCP 2.2 compliant failed to play content from our HDCP 2.2 player. This means non of the inputs will be able to connect to emerging 4K play back devices such as a 4K Blu ray player, which greatly limits this TV's connectivity and 4K viewing options. HDMI 3 and 4 are HDMI 2.0 compatible for play back of 4K at 60Hz.
MOTION BLUR This Hisense TV has only fair motion performance, with significant blurring on our motion tests. While this model's Ultra Smooth Motion feature does moderately reduce motion blur, it also activates a smooth-motion effect that removes film judder (the slightly jerky motion visible during camera pans on film-based content), giving movies a video-like appearance that some may not prefer. We turned the feature off. On typical program content, the blurring effect is often fleeting and may not bother most people. However, keen-eyed viewers may detect the loss of texture and detail on scenes with movement, especially in high-quality video such as a Blu-ray movie.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY Though not as mirror-like as on some LCDs, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. The screen is dark so it does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast even in a bright room.
3D PERFORMANCE The overall 3D effect was very good, on par with the better 3D displays. 3D images showed effective depth, with minimal levels of ghosting (left eye/right eye crosstalk) on our 3D test patterns and on a wide variety of 3D program content. We didn't see any increase in ghosting when viewing at off angles. In 3D mode, the display presented full 1080p resolution to each eye, showing all the detail from the best 3D content from Blu-ray disc.
SOUND QUALITY This TV has good sound quality; about average among the TVs we've tested. When watching a movie blockbuster, a concert, or TV show, it delivers decent performance but falls short of the better performers. With movies, dialog was generally clear sounding, though a bit muffled, while remaining well balanced with respect to background music and other sounds. Bass extension was decent, though a tad boomy, which added some fullness to the sound, and treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was a bit closed in. The speakers can play to fairly loud volume levels without obvious distortion, a plus if you'll be using this set in a larger room or noisy environment. Most will find this sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE Overall, we found the set easy to use. Setting up the TV for the first time was fairly straightforward, as was access to features and controls you'll probably adjust only once. Ease of access to features you typically use more often was very good. Also, the remote is very good, and the on-screen menu is moderately easy to navigate.
It lacks a dedicated menu button on the television console, so you can't access the menu if you lose the remote. The remote's major function buttons were sufficiently large and have high-contrast labeling, making them easier to see and navigate.
STAND ASSEMBLY Mounting the support stand to the TV is fairly straightforward, requiring the assembly of a few parts before mounting. The TV's stand extends to the far ends of the display, which means the table top you'll be setting the TV on will need to be at least as wide as the display itself.
INTERNET FEATURES This TV provides advanced Internet capability. Features include access to a library of applications via "Opera TV Store" and a full Web browser. Movie streaming services include: Netflix, Amazon, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora.
CONNECTIONS This TV includes four HDMI inputs, one shared connection between the component and composite inputs (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time), optical digital audio out, three USB ports, an Ethernet port, and Wi-Fi. Wireless connectivity includes: DLNA network file sharing. HDMI and analog cable connections made to the rear-facing panel will protrude beyond the panel's slim depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX The TV comes with: a printed user manual, an electronic manual in the TV's menu, a quick start guide, and a remote with batteries. ABOUT FIRMWARE VERSION: Our test results and picture settings are valid for the version of firmware indicated. If your TV's firmware differs from the one shown you either have an older or a newer version of firmware. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the TV's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware upgrades may be downloadable directly to your TV via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable), USB port, or memory card, depending on your TV's capability. You can check your TV's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by pressing the menu button on your remote and navigating to the appropriate submenu, typically under settings. Consult the user manual or manufacturer's website if further guidance is needed.
