Hisense - 55" Class H8F Series LED 4K UHD Smart Android TV

HiSense’s beginnings as a super-budget TV manufacturer have no doubt affected its brand image throughout the years. The company once known for barebones, cheap-as-can-be sets now competes in far higher end spaces, and puts out a wide variety of midrange TV sets year after year. The 2019 HiSense H8F line brings their in-house “ULED” display technology to market, using a special screen filter to enhance the image’s color and contrast closer to competing “quantum dot” TVs while still using common, inexpensive LCD panels to generate the image. Quite the far cry from an entry-level package! Gimmick or not, the ULED technology must be working, as the image quality on this TV is superb. It’s not the only thing that matters, but it’s the one thing that will make or break a budget TV set, and competing manufacturers would be wise to keep HiSense on their radar as this just may be the $500 55” TV to beat. - Unboxing and Setup Although the HiSense TV has a small frame and thin bezel, transport and unpacking should still be handled by two people. It’s workable by one large, determined person, but care should be taken at all times. The TV was well protected, with the box and packaging absorbing some aggressive handling by the shipping carrier. Assembly was as simple as attaching the legs to the base of the TV with the included screws. There are two positions for the legs to accommodate both narrow and wide surfaces, and VESA mounts are available for wall and specialty mounting. The Android TV’s initial setup sequence is very straightforward, and can be accelerated by pairing an Android smartphone that can synchronize account information, local network settings, and app preferences and data from the same Google account. After initial setup is complete, the TV will check for and install the latest Android TV operating system update. This was a fast process but unfortunately caused its WiFi to lose connection, which required a system reset and hard power off (disconnecting from the wall outlet) to fix. Once synchronized all my favorite streaming apps that have Android TV equivalents available were added to the TV, including NetFlix, YouTube, Hulu, and more. - Connectivity & Control All four HDMI ports on the TV are HDMI 2.0 compatible, meaning all will accept a 4K non-HDR signal at 60Hz or 4K HDR at 30Hz. A composite connection works well enough for legacy devices (though I rue the lack of component support), and an inbuilt TV tuner with coaxial input allows for over-the-air TV broadcasts without the need to use a separate breakout box. The USB 2.0 port can be used to power an antenna amplifier or connect a USB device for the Android TV OS to access as storage or input. Outputs for audio include an optical output that supports Dolby Digital (bitstream) and Dolby DTS, along with a headphone jack. It was easy to set the TV up to be the single receiving device for my home theater and use the receiver purely for audio, which was a welcome option as my receiver did not support any 4K or HDR features. I was concerned I would have to buy an expensive new receiver instead of a $10 optical cable. For internet and wireless connectivity, an ethernet jack (I believe Gigabit) complements WiFi both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and bluetooth 4.0 is supported for pairing wireless headphones or the included remote control. Once paired, the remote control no longer needs to point at the TV to control it, and the bluetooth range is plenty. I was also able to pair a bluetooth keyboard and game controller, which were perfect for some of the more niche Android TV apps I installed like a web browser and a game console emulator. Indeed, this level of connectivity can let the TV stand alone as its own HTPC if desired! The only downfall to all this connectivity is that there are no physical buttons on the TV, leaving the remote as the only way to power on the television. This is a very odd decision and somewhat concerning in the event the remote becomes lost or broken, as it would leave a user without a way to turn on the TV unless HDMI device control was previously enabled. - Picture & Sound Quality I didn’t expect much from a midrange set that undercuts the competition on cost, but I was still impressed by how great the image looks even after removing all post-processing and smoothing features by activating “Game” mode for both HDR and non-HDR sources (this also removes virtually all input lag). Color detail is excellent and well-balanced, with minimal color banding that’s hardly noticeable anywhere but in test images. Ghosting and motion blur due to response times are likewise small issues which can likely be further reduced with some settings adjustment. A full submenu for calibration options is available as well for professional tuning, though the presets are likely fine for nearly all users at this price point. With support for both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, the HiSense TV’s already good color reproduction serves as a great basis to add lighting intensity to the scene. The ULED technology uses true RGB pixels, arranged BGR, instead of the inferior, lower-resolution RGBW arrangement, and the results (using Game Mode to remove any artificial effects and post-processing) are incredible. I’m shocked by how clear and vivid the final HDR image is, capturing much more detail in the dark and bright areas of any image, with light sources appearing more as if they’re true light than a TV carrying a $499 MSRP has any right to. See the attached HDR image comparison, both captured on camera using the same settings (ISO 800, -1.5 EV) in a dark room. Details in the trees are much clearer with HDR, and the shadows and reflections on the car are less overblown with more richness in the car’s color. The difference is much stronger in person, of course, so see this set on display at your local Best Buy if you can. Even though the TV only has a peak brightness of 700 nits, even in a well-lit room high-brightness HDR effects were still brighter than the ambient light, and the local dimming zones helped drive some further contrast between light and dark areas of the same image. However, with only a few dozen local dimming zones, they are at times apparent and detract from the experience in exceptionally dark scenes. Built-in TV speakers are never great quality, and the HiSense is no exception. However, in a pinch the included speakers do get decently loud and seem to highlight speech over all other sounds, making it workable. Still, a distinct lack of bass and tinny treble mean an external receiver and speakers, headphones, or sound bar are highly recommended. - Android TV Having what’s nearly a complete but TV-optimized Android tablet experience built into a TV is a fantastic addition. Thousands of apps and games can be installed from the Google Play store and run without issue, and those willing to tinker with sideloaded Android apps from other sources can have a full HTPC experience directly on their TV. A quad-core MediaTek processor and 1.5GB RAM won’t win any awards for speed, but provide enough power to decode 1080p video (I did not have any 4K videos on my local network to test) and play less-demanding Android games. For those content with Play Store apps alone, nearly every major streaming service is available for viewing, and the Android TV optimizations will show video history and recommendations on Android TV’s home screen/launcher without the need to load the individual apps. The only glaring omission from the Google Play store right now is Prime Video, due to a protracted streaming dispute between Google and Amazon, but as of this writing (April 28, 2019) the companies have resolved the issue and an app is forthcoming. The only downside to the Google Play apps is that they do not appear to support HDR. I wasn’t able to get the Netflix app to display HDR no matter what combination of settings I tried, suggesting HDR content will require a separate HDR-capable device to show. - Software Issues Besides the aforementioned WiFi connection issue after updating the Android TV OS, I experienced a few software issues that marred an otherwise fantastic budget TV experience. On more than one occasion I lost audio output via the optical cable after changing device settings or inputs, which was fixed by opening the audio settings menu on the TV and re-selecting the appropriate output. A little software lag and stutter was evident when switching between applications, with the TV waiting to finish whatever it was processing in one instance before it accepted any further input from the remote a solid 15 seconds later. Further, not all applications downloaded from the Google Play store worked properly on the TV when they did on other (also MediaTek-processor based) Android devices, with slowdown and small graphical glitches being the most common issue I saw in games and emulators. Obviously these are at the very fringes of the typical user’s use for a television and didn’t sour my opinion as I have plenty of other devices hooked up to the TV to fulfill those wants. - Bottom Line Though a few quirks and design choices will take some time to adjust to, the Hisense H8F is still a terrific bargain made better, not worse, by the implementation of Android TV into the viewing experience. The video quality alone punches a class above its price point, acting as a quality option for entry-level HDR with results that will be sure to please newcomers and value shoppers alike. The brand has come a long way from the basic TV sets it sold at massive discounts a decade ago, and should not be overlooked simply because of that brand image. The H8F deserves consideration regardless of whether it’s a TV for a main room, den, bedroom, or patio, as it delivers on its promises with an affordable set that’s inexpensive, not cheap. Highly recommended!

I am a self professed TV image quality addict and this Hisense ULED 55H8F model provides $1,000 performance at about 1/3 the price. I compared, in my home, two other name brands, and this Hisense is the one we are keeping. I take the time to properly set up my TVs and wanted a bit larger 55 inch 4K HDR screen than the 50" 4K we have since 2015. I looked at 4K HDR for the past 2 years and finally prices came down on mid tier 4K TVs with HDR and all it's features. On to the review. Like many, I look at many pro reviews such at those on Rtings. So I was pleased with the specs and performance I saw. Upon unboxing the Hisense 55H8F ULED 4K TV, it was quick work to install the legs at the outer position of the conveniently provided location. The inner position is a plus if you have a narrow TV stand and the legs can be less than 30" apart if desired. First - - when the TV is first powered up . . make sure you select "Home Mode" rather than Store Mode in the box that prompts you Then it was on to initial set up. Advice - - be patient and take your time to allow the TV to install the latest firmware and streaming updates. So, after placing my Hisense. I powered it up and skipped some of the Google permissions, etc. . . . and went right to entering our WiFi information to connect to the internet. Do this . . FIRST. . . before making any settings, or entering any NetFlix, Amazon, or other information. It took about 8 minutes for the first update. I waited a few minutes and a notification box popped up on the screen showing another update was pending. I downloaded it also for another 8 minutes. The TV screen will go black, then back up and the TV will cycle off then to the Start Up screen a few times. I then waited a few minutes more to make sure there were no other updates. I then went to the Menu after connecting my antenna to the TV and Blu-ray player to HDMI-1 on the back of the TV. Next I selected "Channels" from the TV input which is available by pressing the "OK" button in the center of the remote. There is also a separate "Input" button on the top right of the remote control. I then entered the Menu to scan for local channels. It took about 3 or 4 minutes and came up with 45 channels. I viewed a few in the Standard and Energy Preferred Picture Modes and found those and all others to have WAY too high factory values for natural and close to correct colors along with Brightness and Contrast. I selected the Energy Saving picture mode first for settings since it already had more tame initial settings than the Standard or Vivid modes. I then connected to the Blu-ray player with a Spears & Munsil Test disc to make initial settings. HINT - - " Remember to select "APPLY PICTURE SETTINGS " TO " ALL SOURCES" in the main (bottom of items) Picture menu for this first run through using a test DVD or Blu-ray. It will save you time making the Picture Mode settings and establish a ball park starting point for all other Picture Modes and Input Sources. To start with, I recommend starting with a Backlight setting of Local Dimming OFF. Then set the Backlight in the 30 to 36 range. This TV actually has excellent Black Levels with the Local Dimming set to Off. . . I know .. I know. . . but even Rtings mentions this is best to start without the other effects of light bloom around bright objects. For initial settings this is what I went with. Only Backlight, Contrast , Color and Sharpness should be adjusted in the main menu. Changing the Brightness setting over or under the standard 50 setting is not advised. Initial Settings: Backlight 30 to 36 (Local Dimming Off) Contrast 48 Brightness 50 ( do not change) Color 33 to 38 (depending on back light setting or Pict Mode) Tint O (See Flesh Tone Adj in Color Tuner Calibration Menu) Sharpness 6 to 10 ( I liked 9 but prefer a crisp image) ADVANCED SETTINGS: Overscan Off Color Temperature Mid-Low ( I found Low too warm/yellow) Motion Enhancement : Custom - - - Judder 3 Blur 3 ( or less ) Motion Clearness OFF Noise Reduction Low ( or Off) Helps with 480p films ) Dig Noise Reduction Low ( or Off) Active Contrast OFF Color Space Native Calibration Settings: Color Tuner - Set Flesh Tone only - Initial setting was too red. Hue 3 Saturation -1 Brightness 0 White Balance - - 2 Point Only R Offset -2 G Offset 2 B Offset 1 R Gain -1 G Gain 2 B Gain 2 Gamma 1 RGB Only OFF The above setting are all initial and your TV may need slightly different values. With these settings, you can then adjust only Backlight, Contrast and Color to your liking by selecting different Picture Modes and apply these same basic settings in Standard, Sport, Vivid. . . etc. Use of the different Picture Modes is good for differences in viewing at Day or Night or Sports or just having a more vibrant picture by using the Vivid mode with higher Backlight and Color settings.

The Hisense H8F 55" TV is an amazing all-around Smart TV and display (more about that in a bit). In short, I'm very impressed with the quality of this television at this price point. 4K HDR prices are coming down, but with impressive viewing angles, brightness, local dimming, Android TV and four (4) HDMI 2.0a ports I think this TV represents a very good value. My unit was shipped to me; it was protected at all corners, wrapped thoroughly and arrived in excellent condition. This isn't a review of the shipping company, but I was impressed with the lengths Best Buy went to making sure my TV arrived in good shape. Picture: Subjectively, The full HD (3840 x 2160) HDR display is clear and wonderfully bright corner to corner. It easily overpowers the ambient light in my office from windows directly opposite the TV and the colors are remarkably vivid. Forgetting the marketing hype behind high refresh rates (the HDMI inputs top out at 60Hz and the panel can supposedly do 240Hz) motion is sharp and everything from action movies to games looks great. However the most impressive thing to me are the viewing angles. There is no angle I can view this TV from (except obviously from behind) where I don't get a bright, clear picture. I've tried tinkering with the default settings to squeeze a little more out of the TV, but honestly the default settings are almost as good as it is possible to get. Just about every conceivable setting is available so if you do like to tweak you won't be disappointed. Connectivity: As I already mentioned, the Hisense comes with four (4) HDMI 2.0a (60Hz) inputs as well as two (2) USB ports, an ethernet port and a single set of RCA inputs. There is also an RF antenna. Audio outputs are either a basic stereo "headphone" jack on the back or an optical digital output jack. Wi-Fi works well enough that I didn't bother running an ethernet cable and Bluetooth is also built in. I was able to pair a mouse and keyboard which work well both for initial setup (entering all those app passwords is so much nicer with a keyboard as compared to using the remote and on-screen keyboard) and for the built-in web browser. I personally won't be making much use of the latter because I'm using this TV as a monitor for the PC in my home office and I prefer my full browser experience. For the record, this TV works amazingly well as a monitor. I haven't noticed any lag or resolution issues (display scaling is your friend at 4K) - in fact I'm writing this review on it now. Android TV: As a die-hard Roku fan, I was curious about Android TV. So far I find it a little more of a challenge to navigate than Roku's simple channel list, but I can't deny that Android TV's channels allow me to dive right in to recently watched and suggested items much faster (assuming the apps are right about what they think I might want to watch). The interface is responsive and input lag is minimal to nonexistent. Overall, I think the interface and experience are good and provide more opportunities for customization. Most of the apps I expected to find are here (Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, CW, BBC America and more). The one odd omission is Amazon Prime Video, especially given that the TV can explicitly be set up to respond to control from a separate Amazon Alexa device (the TV itself is not a standalone Alexa-capable device). I've also tested downloading and playing a game (Crossy Road) and it works fairly well, but given the limited selection of games available for Android TV and the limited storage space (4GB) for downloading apps and games, I don't expect to do much gaming on the TV itself. It does work very well as a giant monitor hooked up to my PC for gaming, however and it will of course easily take one or more gaming consoles plugged into those HDMI ports. Voice Control: The Google Assistant is here and works very well. Depending on your preference it may be odd that you have to push a button on the remote to get it to listen but I personally like choosing when to activate the assistant. I don't have an Alexa device in my office, so I can't tell how well Alexa control of the TV works. Remote: The remote is very well designed and connects to the TV via Bluetooth so pointing the remote directly at the TV is not necessary. It has a good feel in the hand and is sturdy without feeling heavy. The Google Assistant button and microphone are there for voice control and work very well. The dedicated buttons on the bottom (Netflix, YouTube, Google Play and Vudu) are perfect for my most used apps but your mileage may vary. Sound: The sound from the Hisense H8F is very good for a set of built-in speakers. I set up a sound bar with a subwoofer for a little extra oomph but the built-in speakers are no slouch and can comfortably fill a good-sized room without distortion. Overall, I love this TV. It does amazingly well as a massive monitor for my home office PC and also works very well as a Smart TV and entertainment device. Build quality seems good and I look forward to getting many years of service from this TV (and I'm looking forward to seeing how Android TV matures as well).

The TV market is saturated with many offerings from different brands and Hisense is one of those. Honestly I had never heard of the brand until a few days ago so I wasn't really sure what to expect from this make of television. The Hisense brand is not a household name but do not let that fool you into thinking that this television is anything less than good. I have had the pleasure of using this television for the past few days. I installed it in my bedroom and it looks wonderful. To those who wish to wall mount this the VESA measurements are 300 X 200. It is a lightweight TV at 30lbs. For those who own an Nvidia Shield TV this is a familiar experience because it is Android. setup is a breeze you can set it up on your mobile device and it takes a few minutes. I use an Android device I do not know if using an iPhone makes any kind of a difference. :::Pros & Cons::: Pros: - Android Smart platform - A plethora of streaming services and apps - Plenty of I/O - Thin bezels - Light weight - Metal housing & not plastic for that premium look and finish - ULED panel which is an LED but better quality IMO. Cons: - Weird Vesa mount size 300 X 200 :::I/O::: The H8F has a lot of inputs & ports. It offers the following: - X4 HDMI (1 is ARC) - X1 Component - X1 3.5 MM headphone jack - X1 Digital optical port - X2 USB ports; 1 USB 2.0 & 1 USB 3.0 - RF Antenna jack for cable TV input - X1 Ethernet port - Built in Dual band Wireless NIC - Built in bluetooth (supports headphones & gaming controllers) like Xbox controller or any other controller that has bluetooth. :::Picture & Sound::: :Picture: The Hisense H8F UHD supports motion rate 240, 4K, HDR 10, Dolby Vision (which is better than HDR10) It is slowly becoming the standard and can be found on streaming services like Netflix & Amazon Video. The picture clarity is good and can stand toe to toe with the televisions in its current price range. You will need to change the settings from "Standard" to "Enhanced" in order to enjoy all the features this television has to offer. It took me a while to figure out why my Xbox One X & Playstation 4 wasn't showing HDR10 compability. This was the issue you manually need to enable the features in the settings for each device that is plugged into any of the HDMI ports. Once you have enabled all the features you will notice the picture clarity. I disabled the motion enhancement because I do not like it. I changed a few other settings and my television looks great. I have Netflix UHD package and didn't realize that HDR & Dolby Vision do make a difference when you are watching TV & movie shows. There is not a whole lot of settings for you to fine tune the picture like you would find on some of the competitors brand but this has plenty. You honestly do not need to make changes to picture settings out of the box. :Sound: You have many options such as Headphones, Bluetooth, Optical, and HDMI. The speakers are alright they are 20 watts and won't provide a theater like experience but it will suffice for most. Me personally I went with a Soundbar with ARC and it was immediately recognized and I did not have to do anything but change the settings from PCM to Dolby Digital. This Television set also supports Dolby Digital Plus for those who have a high end sound system or soundbar. I was really surprised to find that this TV has bluetooth. I connected my Bluetooth Headphones and it sounds great. I did not notice any audio delay coming from my Sony soundbar or my Headphones. For those who like simplicity do yourself a favor and get a soundbar with HDMI and use the ARC which is typically HDMI 1. It will allow you to use your main remote to control the volume of your soundbar. The platform is Android TV so there is a lot of smart functionality built in. You have access to a lot of streaming services like Crunchyroll, VRV, Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, HBO Steam link, Amazon Prime video is not there but I hear that it may soon become available. :::General Thoughts::: I honestly am surprised with this Hisense TV it is packed with features and options that you do not find on other Television sets unless you were to buy a higher end model. I am no expert on visual fidelity but it looks great, sounds good and won't cost a small fortune. The Hisense H8F will provide the best value for your hard earned money.

Around the world, Hisense is the 3rd largest maker of TVs. Hisense TV’s in the US are more of a budget buy. This new H8 series TV from Hisense, is trying to change that and move up the ladder. I opened the box of well protected Hisense H8F. The TV is extremely light for a 55 inch. Actually, I was able to take the Hisense H8F out of the box all by myself. I also carried it up the stairs and into the loft. I was really surprised because I would say I am average wingspan and strength. I see this as a positive. TVs made only a couple of years ago were thought to be better if they had some weight to them. Technology has changed that belief. Hisense has done a great job building tech advancements in their TVs recently. But there are some other things that are a little disappointing into the new H8F. Let’s see some of the positive/negative features: • Dolby Vision HDR is an essential processing program on the Hisense H8F. TV’s at a budget don’t have Dolby Vision HDR. Most of higher end 4k TVs do have it. This is incredible process that brings out the best in brightness and darkness. Every picture on screen is maximized to produce the best! You need a 4k player with Dolby Vision and a TV with Dolby Vision as well. I have everything going into my A/V receiver and have Dolby Vision pass through. That is about as a simple you get to set up Dolby Vision. Included is a picture from the H8F playing “MI: Fallout” in 4k with Dolby Vision. The picture captures some of the great aspects from this technology, but you really need to see it in person to truly appreciate it. • As good as the 4k is, and as great as the Dolby Vision is, watching Cable in SD/HD is simply not at that level. The screen has a lot to be desired in Cable. I have had no prior poor experiences through Cable with other 4k and non 4k TVs at all. The edges of people or objects tend to get a little fuzzy at times, the blacks are not true black and the brightness is somewhat over bearing because the presets don’t quite do well with Cable. This was a little disappointing to me, but I don’t watch a lot of Cable, so I rely on the Hisense H8F for 4k programming and 4k Bluray movies. I am fine with that decision. • Built in 4K resolution is absolutely amazing on the H8F. With 4k comes 4k upscaling of blurays. Amazing how the picture that is produced from just a Bluray disc looks almost like 4k (not quite 4k, but I don’t think most people will be able to tell the difference). The 4k movies are played in 4k with a 4k player. It is almost off the charts as for picture detail and sharpness. I watched “The Great Wall” in 4k which has amazing richness of color. In “Avengers: Infinity War,” in 4k, there is so much going on with color saturation, movement and detail, but the Hisense can handle 4k Dolby Vision without any problems (as stated earlier). • 4 High speed HDMI inputs (4 is considered a lot of connections). Connect up to four peripherals like a 4k player, etc. I have my 4k player connected and cable box as well. • There is a Google Assistant built in. Just sign in on your network your TV is on. You can give commands by voice that the Google Assistant will perform. This is especially nice feature most TVs do not have. • I love the super thin bezel. It is almost all TV screen action and programs without the bezel thickness on sides, top and bottom. I would recommend wearing gloves if you have to move your Hisense H8F. It is a great way not to get fingerprints on screen. • The motion rate is 240 Hz for smooth transitions from sports activities or car chases on your H8F. I found this especially helpful while watching the NBA playoffs. • On the Hisense H8F has a feature called ULED. Now this is not OLED/QLED which works organically different to put images on the TV screen. ULED is still LED LCD screen. It works with 64 dimming areas of brightness and darkness to create a picture that sharpens color and contrast area on the screen. It also helps if you have your TV is in a bright room. The screen will adapt to the light and make it visible to see the TV. • 2 USB inputs for camcorders other device that uses USB connections have been added to the Hisense H8F. This is a nice touch to have 2 USB ports. • The Hisense H8F has presets for your TV’s screen appearance. Presets like Vivid, Game, Energy Conservation are just a few available for you to choose. Now if you are not happy with any of the presets you can manually go into picture section and modify settings like sharpness, brightness, Tint and Color to name some categories. This is great because everyone sees somewhat differently. • With its Android TV interface you can stream your favorites shows or movies from a very larger variety. I will be honest, I didn’t use this much because I only stream a small number of sites. These sites were already on the remote! Talk about easy to get your streaming going. • I was trying to put the Hisense H8F on a center stand rather than the 2 feet on the bottom. I have to admit it is tough to put on those 2 vertical bars that rest on the center stand part. It just wasn’t working and it looked terrible. Part of the fault goes with center stand and some for how there is bow when connecting the vertical bars. I don’t have a huge entertainments TV stand. But I thought I would look at putting on the feet and hoping they would go over the edge of the TV stand. I was shocked and happy to see that Hisense has 4 “feet” applications. There are 2 near the edge of the TV and 2 which can sit closer to the center. I put on the 2 feet closest to the center and it worked like magic. What a thoughtful thing to do. I have had Samsungs, Sony, LG and even Sharp TVs that are more expensive and have better picture quality on TV. While the Hisense did not quite make the upgrade to those brands, it has made some major strides upward and did upgrade from last year’s model. Overall I am incredibly happy with the 4k movies and upscale blurays. And of course I am extremely happy about the very affordable Dolby Vision on this Hisense H8F. The only real thing that disappointed me was watching Cable TV on this Hisense H8F. I played around with all the picture settings and just could never get it right. It is not completely impossible to watch TV, it just is not as nice that it could have been. Overall I am going to give the Hisense H8F a 4-star rating because the H8F adjustments just aren’t enough for watching Cable TV. The great, is the tech found on higher priced models now available on the H8F including Dolby Vision.

So I put this up in place of another Hisense TV (55H7C). Fairly lightweight and easy to hook up . It has 4 HDMI reports an optical port and a couple of USB ports. Nice to have enough You have a couple choice on where to mount the feet if you use the stand. You can mount outer spots or inner placement. Nice option. I hung it on the wall by myself. This was my first Google TV experience, and it went fairly smoothly, however I did encounter a problem when trying to set up through my smart phone. It would not see my Wi-Fi network. So I abandoned that and just set it up via the TV itself. The setup screen shows a microphone on the remote however there was no such button. Instead of a microphone you have a blue green red and yellow dot on a button , that is your microphone button . I will say the colors are better. Flesh tones etc. Nice improvement. Picture Quality: Not superb when I play through my Dish Network. My 1080P Samsung is still much sharper and smoother. However, if you play a Blue Ray or 4K content the picture is fantastic. I think these 4K TV’s are just a little ahead of there time still since most broadcast is only 1040 still. Menus operation: You do get a lot of nice menus that allow you the ability to dig in to picture settings, sounds settings etc. The android interface works nicely. All apps seem to work smoothly. The remote has nice shortcuts to Netflix, YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu. Sound is pretty good for this style TV not that I used it much, I simply plugged into home theater system as I suppose most people do. Back to Google TV and Google Play. I downloaded a couple games. Pretty fun. I was able to download an accompanying remote app to use my smart phone as the remote.. Worked smoothly, no delay that I experienced. Bottom Line, Nice 4K Smart TV for the money. HiSense is picking up it’s game. I give it a 4 star only due to standard HD picture could be a tad bit better for me…..But I would recommend you go view it for yourself at a local Best Buy…. Other than that, Nice TV.

So, this is my second Hisense TV. My first experience was a hisense h4 I believe. Bought about 2 yrs ago. Entry level. Didn’t like but man has hisense stepped up their game up massively. First I’ll start with the tv design. It is just like the rest. Well built with peg stand legs that can be set to a wide stance(for wide tv stands) or connected closer together for smaller stands. Very smart on hisense for this as I have a smallish tv stand in my bedroom. Now on to what we all care about, the picture quality. This is not a one answer response. See I could say the picture quality is out of this world(which it is)*. But you are getting different experiences with 1080p-4K-4K HDR AND 4K DolbyVision. So I have to say while viewing 1080p this tv is good at best. At least in my experience. The picture seems grainy and pixelated. May be due to upscaling. But not the end of the world because watching 4K is great. Watching 4K Dolby Vision and hdr is AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL! It’s really night and day (see pics). I tested on Netflix FYI. Brightness is very solid and darks are great. Very even backlighting as well. Local dimming helps out a bit. This has a very good panel for this price point. Now the sound is good not great. But that’s almost every tv at any price point. I use a sound bar anyhow. Android tv/OS is pretty cool. First timer here. I like that you can play android games on the tv, although it will eat up storage and I don’t have much time to play. But Cool extra. The remote I love. They took it back to the days when tv remotes had the dedicated Netflix button but now with YouTube, google play and vudu which is dead. I would have selected Hulu. But it’s fine. WiFi signal seems good. No drops thus far. Quick load times. Chromecast is built in.i only use that feature to push my YouTube videos from my phone to the big screen. In all honesty this has to be one of the best priced TVs on the market for what you get. Good luck. You won’t regret this budget mid level tv.

I recently received this TV and set it up to replace my seven year old 50“Plasma. This size of this TV is nearly the same as the old plasma though this screen size is 5” larger. The Hisense has a very good picture for a budget 4K TV and the HDR colors pop with 4K content. The H8F comes loaded with apps and the operating system is supplied by Google. The apps are simple, responsive and loading quickly. You have deep picture menu settings that allow you to dial in the picture to your liking. You can also calibrate each input independently or use the same setting for all inputs. Once the setup is done then you can run the channel scan if you are connecting to cable or an antenna without a set top box. Once you plug the TV into power it starts the set up routine. This set up goes through the google user agreements Wi-Fi log on, as well as the inputs set up. The remote has a full lay out to provide you with complete control of the TV, but is not back-lit. One feature on the remote is the ability to speak command into it. The remote also has short cut buttons for Nextflix, YouTube, Vudu and Google play. The media apps picture quality on my Fios gigabit connection was clear and crisp. When watching 4K content on the YouTube app the detail was stunning. If you are looking for a budget 55”4K TV, this one is for you.