Review: Hisense U8K

With great power comes great responsibility. That’s just one of the lessons I learned from Spider-Man over the years, or, in this case, his various uncle Bens. I think any Ben Parker would be proud of Hisense’s latest model in the U8 TV series, the U8K (65U8K), which leverages its powerful mini-LED backlighting system for nuclear-level brightness alongside responsibly tempered local dimming control for excellent contrast and black levels. The result is dazzling, flagship-like performance at a mid-tier price.

Like its predecessor, the U8H (8/10, WIRED Recommends), the U8K also sports an intuitive, if slightly sluggish, Google TV interface for simplified navigation, and offers quick setup and a relatively stylish design.

While not without flaws, this affordable TV pushes the limits at both ends of the picture spectrum for a breathtaking experience that was unprecedented in its class just a few years back. Frankly, there aren’t many better-performing bright-room TVs on any budget.

Once you’ve hoisted the surprisingly heavy U8K display from the box (mine was a 65-inch unit, but it comes in 55 and 75-inch sizes too), the TV is a breeze to set up. A pair of interchangeable feet snap on with just a few screws in your choice of wide or narrow stances, to fit a variety of TV consoles. The TV’s slim charcoal bezels provide a snazzy overall look, though the high-standing, extra-long feet do give off a slight duck-on-skates vibe. I appreciate their versatility, but the U8K looks more premium if you mount it.

The Google TV smart interface is also graciously simple, offering a host of smart features like Google Assistant voice control and support for Apple Homekit and AirPlay 2, and Amazon Alexa. Using the Google Home app should have you up and running in minutes, especially if you’ve used Google TV in the past. I love features like automatic login for apps using your Google history and the ability to use Google Photo albums as screensavers.

Having spent a lot of time recently with the Google TV OS on other TV models from Sony and TCL, I was somewhat surprised to find Hisense’s version more sluggish and jerky at times, even after a couple of firmware updates over the first few days with the TV. Still, it’s not a major detriment, and I’m hopeful that Hisense will continue to refine its implementation as time goes on—this is an early model of the U8K after all.

When it comes to other features, the TV is as loaded as you’d expect at this price. You’ll get the full fleet of HDR (High Dynamic Range) formats for high brightness and voluminous color, including HDR10+, HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma), and Dolby Vision. The latter includes Dolby Vision IQ, designed to adjust the contrast and brightness based on your room’s ambient light. I turned those settings off for my review in order to get a baseline for the TV’s overall performance, but it’s there if you need it.

I found the need to tweak a few more settings than usual as I broke in the U8K over a week or so. If you want to watch older content on funky broadcast channels like MeTV, for instance, you’ll need to go into the settings and dig up the Screen mode under Picture to change from the default Wide to Auto. Otherwise, your favorite Magnum P. I. eps will look all squashed and warped. On the other end, if you want to connect newer 4K content sources to HDMI inputs 1 and 2, you’ll want to click the Menu button and change the settings from Standard, designed for older input sources, to Enhanced to get the full bandwidth for 4K HDR.

Photograph: Hisense

Speaking of bandwidth, two of the U8K’s four HDMI inputs support HDMI 2.1. This allows for the kind of advanced gaming features we’re starting to see as standard in newer TVs. You’ll get VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and AMD FreeSync Pro, allowing for tear-free gaming at up to 144-Hz refresh rate, and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) for quick input response in fast-paced shooters and other games.

The one issue I’ll raise here is that, like a lot of TVs (including Sony’s pricey A80L OLED), one of the TV’s 2.1 ports doubles as the eARC port. That means if you want to connect a receiver or soundbar for high-resolution audio formats like DolbyTrue HD and Dolby Atmos, you’ll be giving up one of your precious gaming ports. On the bright side, while I always recommend an outboard sound solution, the U8K has decent onboard sound, with a bit more beef than most TVs thanks to its backside woofer and a relatively expansive soundstage.

Photograph: Hisense

As mentioned above, this TV is bright. Like crazy bright. Hisense claims a conservative 1500 nits peak brightness in HDR, just as it did with the U8H, but some measurements put the TV well above that number, into the 2,000 nits range or higher. Add in the TV’s mini-LED backlighting for excellent contrast control thanks to smaller dimming zones, and quantum dots for voluminous color, and it all translates into a searing spectacle that delights across content.

I started my viewing in earnest by queueing up Moana on Disney+ in Dolby Vision HDR, and whoa, I have never seen this eye-popping film so, well, eye-poppingly awesome. Vivid colors meet blindingly bright spectral highlights in images like the neon crab’s golden backside. The lava monster’s bursting lava bombs were, to quote my wife, “almost too bright.”

If it actually becomes too bright, you can always switch out of one of the brighter Dolby Vision modes for Dolby Vision Dark, which is meant to be subtler and more accurate overall. The U8K is one of the few TVs that actually works across content in Dolby Vision Dark, which is often too dim on TVs with lesser muscle.

To my surprise, I was able to see clear detail with Dolby Vision Dark in challenging moments like the night campfire scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, even with moderate daylight pouring in. The U8K does a splendid job making black levels and shadow detail pop in even these tough scenes. What’s more, as long as you’re sitting on-center, it does so without the kind of haloing or blooming around bright images that have long plagued LED displays.

The control this TV provides across the spectrum is stunning. And it’s not just those spectral highlights that pop. The TV offers excellent overall brightness, including when you call up 1080p content in SDR (Standard Dynamic Range). That’s true even when using the dimmer but (for my money) most natural-looking Theater Night mode.

The most impressive example was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Volume 2. The film is loaded with dark corridors and night scenes with wizards dressed in pitch-black robes, all of which came through clearly. When the good wizards create a shield around the castle, its luminous sheen sparkles with an almost startling gleam that seems to hit levels you’ll only see with HDR-mixed content on many pricier OLED screens. As the dark wizards plan their hilltop attack, you’ll see rich details like the deep greens of Voldemort’s robe, while the obsidian floors in Malfoy’s mansion are unctuous even with moderate light in the room.

The TV does betray its midrange price status in some areas. Its off-axis viewing isn’t as good as you’ll likely see in some of the top QLED TVs from Samsung. Move off center, and it’s quick to show paler colors and blooming around bright images. Motion handling with film content can sometimes be a little jolting—it's telling that most U8K TV modes start off with motion handling on. Turning on the Film mode under Motion Enhancement helps a little, but you can’t fully eliminate it without getting the dreaded soap opera effect.

Those points aside, this is a strikingly great-looking TV that is well worth its price point. Last year’s U8H is likely a solid alternative if you’re looking to save some cash, and TCL’s QM8 is also a top contender, albeit at a higher price point. But the U8K is a serious ringer from Hisense, offering picture quality that far outdoes its mid-tier status.