This 55” Hisense TV is very nicely designed, when I opened the box, I was surprised how thin it is, the top half of the TV is approximately 1/2” think, while the lower half varies from 1-2”. The brushed metal bezel around the TV gives it a nice polished look, it is very thin, approximately 1/2”. Overall, the design is very nice, right down to the sturdy metal legs, the only assembly needed to get this TV setup.
When I shop for a TV, I look for a nicely design exterior, wired and wireless cat 5 connection, good color, sharp images and good dark levels for movies. I also look for features such as built in media player and a few popular apps such as Netflix and Amazon. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this TV, I’ve heard of the company in passing, but never considered buying one; I typically stay with the mainstream brands when shopping for a TV.
To setup the TV, I just needed to plug in the cat 5 (wireless connection is available as well) and screw in the over the air antenna. I tested this with Netflix and OTA TV programming.
Initially the picture had what I call a “soap opera” look to it. I recall my existing TV had this same look until I turned off the motion setting. This was the case on the Hisense as well. To turn this off, goto SETTINGS - PICTURE - ADVANCED PICTURE OPTIONS - MOTION ENHANCEMENT”. Once I turned it off, the image looked normal.
This edge lit local dimming TV is no slouch when it comes to features, these include:
- wireless and wired network connections
- media player - plays music, videos and photos off a USB or connected DLNA device
- Apps, approximately 20 poplar apps (Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Accuweather, VUDU, Fandango Now)
- 4 HDMI, 3 USB ports, 1A/V component (shared RCA composite)
Optical and earphone audio output
The image quality looked very good overall, bright, good colors, very clear the dark colors were detailed as well. I compared the Hisense to a 5 year old 58” plasma TV I currently use. Streaming various colorful nature documentaries from Netflix, the Hisense seemed about the same as far as color and sharpness as my plasma. I then put on two movies with more dark scenes, “The Matrix” and “Star Wars Rogue One”. In The Matrix, the coloring was very good, black levels were very dark. In the Rogue One, the color of the skin tones on the Hisense seemed a bit off, I preferred the color that my plasma had. I had it in theater mode and then tried adjusting the settings so it would be closer to the plasma. It got close, but couldn’t get to the same levels. Had I not been comparing it to another TV, I probably would not have noticed it. If I had to rate the image quality on a scale of 1-5, I would give this TV a solid 4.
Sound quality is decent, I suspect most people would use a sound bar or external speakers and a receiver. Even if you don’t the TV sound is very good. Some options in the setup for simulated surround sound, sound settings for wall mount and equalizer.
Overall, this is a very nice TV; with its extensive list of features, video quality and price, this is a very competitive TV. If you’re shopping for a TV, Hisense might be a brand you might want to stop and take look at. The company does need to work on their marketing efforts in the US. Even their website states “we’re Hisense, the biggest (4k TV, smart TV and other products) company you’ve never heard of”.
Pros:
- Apps, media player, picture quality, design of TV
Cons
- remote control is more on the basic and boring side.