Hisense - 65" Class U8 Series Mini-LED QLED UHD 4K Smart Google TV (2025)

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The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Next best thing to OLED!

  • Tech Insider Network Member

  I want to start this review out by saying that takes a LOT for a TV to wow me, because I am simply spoiled by OLED's. Hisense has officially WOW'd me with this Micro-LED TV. There are so many positives to this U8 TV than there are negatives and really, those are just nit-picks. Okay, so with that being said - let's break this thing down! Note: I had so much more to say in this review, but the 1,000 word limit really had me shaving this down to fit, lol. Packaging and unboxing: Overall, it was pretty easy and I wanted to note that I LOVE how you can set the TV height depending on which screw set you assemble the stand on the back of the TV. The higher "H1" assembly is great if you plan on putting a Soundbar or something else in front of the TV, whereas the lower "H2" assembly is awesome if nothing at all is going in front or you have it on a bit higher of an entertainment center. Once you have the TV set up where you want it, there's the usual bezel/edge peel-off film. The only issue we had with this was around each corner of the bezel, there are blue segments that go INTO the bezel itself, that do not pull out/off with the film. We had to take something thin and run in-between to pull it out enough to grab it and remove. This was really the only annoyance we had. Oh! And I loved the screen-protector like film over the TV! We peeled it off, but it was very thick and very satisfying. I wish more TV's, Monitors and such would use a thicker film like this. Overall, the packaging, unboxing and assembly was a great experience! Build Quality: This thing is a TANK! I have ZERO concerns with stability and I can confirm that there is very little "wobble" with the TV, after setup. I also love how the stand sits square in the middle of the TV, and not near the ends. This makes it great for a wide variety of TV stands. The TV is a bit thick - it's about 1 and 3/4" thick, front to back. But overall, it's not too bad. It's very uniform and I love how it has a huge "heatsink" like module on the back of the TV. It looks super sharp and does a great job of keeping everything cool. There's only the usual bit of heat from the front-side of the TV, if you're standing right in front of it. The back is pretty cool, with very little feeling of heat. Both the TV bezel and Remote have a brushed metal look. The side and top bezels are super thin and if I had to compare, I'd say this TV has the appearance of more like a PC monitor than an actual TV, which I loved. Hisense spared no expense and making this a premium looking AND feeling TV, all the way around. Setup: For ports, we have 3 HDMI's, along with the usual ones: LAN, Digital Audio Out (Optical), ANT/CABLE, AV IN and headphones. I was bummed after seeing there were only 3 ports...but ALL of them are 4k@165hz. Additionally, the HDMI 3 port includes the eARC functionality. I'm using a Samsung Soundbar HW-Q950T with Dolby Atmos, which is connected to the eARC HDMI 3 port (it plays nicely with the TV, too!). Then, I've got the PS5 going into the HDMI 1 port. After plugging everything in, connecting all the things to HDMI and powering it up, we are greeted with the initial setup screen. It's all the usual Terms and Privacy agreements, sharing of info, etc. I also wound up downloading the Google TV app and I just used my Google account to sign-in and continue with the setup - this also included transferring Wi-Fi information over and such, which I thought was pretty neat. Overall, the initial setup, menu prompts, sign-ins, etc, took around 10-15 minutes. Nothing too terrible. After the initial setup and at the Home screen, I noticed something unusual..I was never prompted for a Software/Firmware update! So, I dug around and manually checked. Sure enough, there was an update available. There's a bit of initial feedback - Hisense...can we get the TV to automatically check for an update as part of the setup process? One cool thing I did notice was that, after the TV updated...the remote updated! I've...never had this happen with a TV before, haha. Picture Quality and Features: The first thing I did after immediately disabling any "Energy Saving" features, was to go over the HDMI for the PS5. The PS5 had already changed all of it's settings to accommodate the new Features of the TV! ALLM? Check. VRR? Yup. All the things. Every option was already enabled and/or set to Automatic. All I really had left to do, on the PS5 side was to calibrate HDR. But, before doing so, I popped into the TV Picture settings and changed it over to Game Mode. After doing this, I went in to set the Dynamic Tone Mapping to "HGiG"....only to discover there was no HGiG option? It was only On/Off for Dynamic Tone Mapping. On my OLED TV, I have HGiG enabled and while not AS bright as Dynamic Tone Mapping "On" would be, it's way more accurate for Game HDR content. For the Hisense U8, I'm not sure if "Off" is equivalent to HGiG, as the TV info popup for this setting says "Adjust the brightness (On) and gradation balance (Off) in real time by analyzing the luminance levels of HDR content". So, a little clarification on if "Off" is equivalent to HGiG or not would be helpful. As far as overall picture settings (for HDR Game Mode, PS5), really the only other thing I needed to change was to set the "Local Dimming" option from Medium to High, which really improved the brightness, as Game Mode did seem to have a bit of a loss of Brightness (as it does in most TV's). For non-Game Mode, I set SDR on the Home Screen and TV apps to "Theater Night" mode. For HDR 10+, I set that one to Theater and I left Dolby Vision the as-is. One thing I did notice was that when changing Picture Modes on the TV's Home Screen and Apps, it would fudge-up my setting for the PS5, over on HDR one and I'd have to go back and change it to HDR Game Mode (it'd be set for Theater or something...). I found out thru Trial and Error, when changing Picture Modes to also change the "Apply Pictures Settings" option to "Current Source", instead of "All Sources" (or inputs). I do love that it supports 165hz, as well! Even my OLED only does 120hz, which is fine. The PS5 only supports 120hz, anyway. BUT...having 165hz is a nice future-proof option, in case next-gen consoles support higher than 120hz OR if you plan on connecting a PC to the TV! Also, of all the games I've tested (Black Ops 6, Khazan, Elden Ring, Demon's Souls, Expedition 33, Blue Prince and Vampire Survivors), I noticed zero input lag and all screen scrolling and camera rotations were 100% smooth at 60+ FPS. Amazing Game Mode and gaming features! Overall, the picture quality of the TV is excellent and true-to-life colors, needing very little out-of-box calibration. I did look a few things up when setting the picture settings, but most things I found were for the 2024 model, as this one is so new, there's not a lot out there on it, just yet. But, I imagine most of what works for the 2024 model applies here, as well, since this seems to just be a 2025 "refresh" of that model. The TV gets very bright, without losing color accuracy. I also want to note here: As an OLED-snob, the black levels on the TV are EXCELLENT! I've found no indications of hues around any text on the screen while on a black screen and I've even launched several games that I know are bad for this - the Demon's Souls remake and Elden Ring are quick tests for this on PS5. Both providing great black levels with no light fringing at all. Very, very impressive. Remote and Quality of Life: I did want to talk about the Remote, as this is something I usually don't touch on in TV reviews. As I said before, the Remote has the brushed metal look and goes in line with the build quality of the TV. I also like how it automatically lights up when you pick it up to use it, as well as the ability for the firmware to be updated. My only major gripe with the remote is...it seems like a lot of "wasted space? The entire bottom 1/3 of the remote is empty. When tapping the Menu button while on HDMI 1 with PS5, it pulls up a quick menu at the bottom of the screen. Within this menu, several icons over, there is a "Game Bar" feature. I love this! It shows if VRR is enabled or not, what the current refresh rate is (60, 120, etc), as well as other Game-related features and quick settings. You can even change the Theme or set it to "Auto", so it's green for Xbox, blue for PlayStation, etc. So cool! However, what's NOT cool is...you have to hit Menu, scroll over to it and click it. Every. Single. Time. That said, the remote really needs to have a few extra buttons. One for the Game Bar (or even perhaps maybe HOLDING the menu button for a few seconds would enable it, something like that?) and an "Info" button. There is no quick way to view the current Picture information. We need an "info" or "display" button that pops up a quick window that shows all of this information - Picture Mode, VRR, FPS/Refresh Rate, HDR or SDR, etc, etc. Thus, a small overhaul to the UI and/or a Remote Firmware update with some "quick" functionality would be fantastic! Conclusion: Overall, minor Remote/Quality of Life nit-picks aside, I give this TV a solid 5 Stars. It's earned every single one of them. It's the first Hisense branded TV I've ever owned and certainly won't be my last! The build quality, brightness that the Mini-LED offers and picture quality, along with all the other features and functions it packs makes it a worthy contender against even OLED TV's! While this will be used primarily as a Gaming TV about 80% of the time (and the primary focus of my review, here), it is also an EXCELLENT Media and Movie TV. It's great for Mixed Usage, but it really shines for Gaming!

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  Posted 1 month ago by Namdnas

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  A Feature Packed TV that Offers 165Hz

  • Tech Insider Network Member

  The Hisense 65in U8 is a TV that packs a punch with all the features it has to offer and I will give you a nice breakdown of everything I love about this TV and what it has to offer. From the moment I unboxed it, the U8 has that premium look. The frame is sleek and minimal, though relatively thick at 1.8in compared to other TVs on the market. The stand is very solid with some weight to it and gives off a polished and modern vibe, and it doesn’t take up too much surface area which is nice if you have a narrow stand. The first thing that blew me away was the Mini-LED Screen. This Mini-LED panel has 5,000 nits of brightness and comes with Dolby Vision, which allows for some serious bright vibrant colors and I was genuinely shocked at just how good the blacks were and the overall contrast is stunning. This TV is perfect for rooms with a lot of natural light coming in and has a special coating to help fight against glare ( though you will still have some glare in really dark scenes in movies or shows). I’ve owned several OLEDs and thought nothing could come close in terms of blacks, but the U8 proved me wrong and Mini-LEDs are getting really close. I didn't notice any significant amount of backlight bleed in the corners that can happen with LED TVs but since this is my first Mini-LED TV, I feel like that helps the issue since there's more local dimming zones in the TV. Another standout feature that honestly shocked me was the quality of the speakers in that they are some of the loudest and best sounding built-in speakers I've heard on a TV. I never had to go above 20% on the volume control because anything over 20% was too loud, so kept it at around 17%. The U8 comes packed with a 4.1.2 Multi-Channel surround sound with Dolby Atmos for those truly immersive movies. On top of that it has a built-in Subwoofer on the back of the TV that adds some extra Bass (you have to dig into the advance audio settings to turn it on). That being said I had the sub turned on when I was using the TV in my bedroom on the stand and it sounded great. But when I got around to Wall mounting the TV and watching a bass heavy action movie, the sub started to shake and rattle a little too much for my liking. So, if you plan on using the built in sub I would only turn it on if you plan on using the U8 with the stand and turned off if wall mounting. One of the biggest selling points for myself with the U8 is the Game Mode and the ability to get 165Hz refresh rate. I hooked up both my PS5 Pro and my 4070 laptop to the TV and both were great for gaming. The Game Mode UI is very slick and gives all the information you want when gaming, and it supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which allows you to get that buttery smooth, tear free gaming, high FPS and low Input lag. One feature I didn’t expect to care about, but now love that Hisense went and added, is the new USB-C/DP port. I’ve been able to connect my laptop directly via USB-C, and it works flawlessly for both video and power. It’s an awesome option for anyone who wants to use the TV as a giant second monitor or even run presentations or content from their laptop without needing an HDMI adapter. I really hope more TV brands going forward start to add this to their TV’s. The rest of the ports on the TV are 3x HDMI 2.1 ports at 165Hz with 1x being eARC, 2x USB-A, Ethernet, Digital Audio Out, Headphone jack and AV Input. This TV is ready for any setup thrown at it, whether it's gaming consoles, PCs, streaming boxes, sound systems, you name it. That being said, with the recent announcement of the new Switch 2 being able to output 4K 120Hz, I kind wish there was a 4th HDMI port for those who might have all three consoles and a sound bar, so you might have to make a sacrifice or play musical chairs with the ports. The U8’s operating system is powered by Google TV and it's by far my favorite UI of all the TV’s on the market. It's easy to navigate, customizable, and snappy. There’s almost no lag between switching and launching apps, and the very layout is intuitive. It does come with the ability to pair it with smart home assistants in Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple Home. I love this ability so I can control the TV with my voice when I want to turn the TV on or off when I’m not near the remote. Speaking of remotes, Hisense have gone and made my favorite remote to date with its stylish silver brushed aluminum and backlit buttons which is great for when it's dark and want to see what button you are pressing. And if you ever lose your remote just open the Hisense app and you can ping the remote. Pros and Cons Pros: Brilliant picture with high brightness,5,00 nits 165Hz refresh rate makes it excellent for both gaming and smooth media playback VRR, ALLM, AMD FreeSync to get the most out of your consoles USB-C port makes connecting laptops and devices Full HDMI 2.1 support for high-end gaming consoles and PCs Google TV UI Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Sleek design Built in Subwoofer Cons: Only 3x HDMI 2.1 ports; more would be nice for multiple next-gen devices Built-In Subwoofer rattles when wall mounted Navigating settings can be annoying where certain settings are hard to find. Overall, the Hisense U8 65in is a serious TV that punches well above its competition. Whether you’re a gamer, a Movie buff, or just someone who wants a smart TV, it's one of the most well rounded TV’s I’ve tested in recent years and you can't go wrong with this TV.

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  Posted 1 month ago by Ian L

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Excellent Value, Great for Gaming

  • Tech Insider Network Member
  • Top 1000 Contributor

  The Hisense U8 TV is somewhat of a hidden gem amongst modern TVs. While it doesn't feature OLED technology like some of the higher-end TVs do, it does feature Mini-LED tech that is absolutely superb. It's very bright, has local dimming, plenty of features for gaming, and surprisingly good sound for a TV. * Setup Unboxing and setting up the TV was very simple. Especially if you're familiar with Google TV already. If you have an android phone, you can simply scan the QR code, select the apps that you use, and the TV does the rest. It's very simple to get going. Physically setting up the TV is equally easy. If you're using the included stand, you prop the TV up on the styrofoam that's inside the box, and attach a couple of screws. An extra bonus, the stand is adjustable to two different heights, which isn't something that's always an option. * Features This is where the U8 really shines. One of the headline features is the very fast refresh rate options. The panel can go up to 165Hz, which is outstanding. Especially if you're doing any gaming on the TV. It also includes VRR, so you don't have to worry about when you drop a few frames on your game. It also includes ALLM to help increase response times, and it has an AI setting that will adjust picture settings based on detected content, which actually worked pretty well in my experience. If you have a Google Home setup, the TV can be a great addition to that as well. Working very well with the Google Home ecosystem. * Picture Quality Everything I tried on the TV looked superb. From movies, TV shows, Streaming, Gaming with multiple titles, everything looked excellent. The bright picture is an absolute standout of this TV. It also supports all the HDR formats as well. Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, all work on this TV. Another feather in the cap of this, since some manufacturers don't support all of them. I was also impressed by the viewing angles, and how the TV did not reflect much either. Having something on while doing other things, moving around and viewing from different angles wasn't a problem at all. * Sound Finally, the sound quality was really impressive on the TV. Typically, I am not overly fond of built-in speakers on TVs, since they tend to fall short on quality. These actually sound great. The way they mimic surround sound, much like a soundbar is pretty impressive. The bass also stood out to me. It was evident that Hisense had taken some time to ensure that audio quality was as good as the picture. If you're in the market for a new TV, this is an excellent value in this size range. It has all the modern features that you would ask for, and not breaking the bank on its price. Pros: Great value, excellent picture quality and features, great sound, excellent for gaming Cons: I kind of wish it had more HDMI inputs

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  Posted 1 month ago by dustinw