Hisense U8N  TV Review

Review updated Apr 11, 2025 at 04:23pm
Writing modified May 23, 2025 at 09:59am
Tested using Methodology v2.0.1 
Hisense U8N
8.3
Mixed Usage 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.4
Home Theater 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.5
Bright Room 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.2
Sports 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.2
Gaming 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

9.2
Brightness 
8.9
Black Level 
8.0
Color 
 353
 TV Settings
Notice: This TVs was replaced by Hisense U8QG
  1. Recommended in:
  2. Outdoor
  3. Best Sounding

The Hisense U8/U8N is a mid-range TV released in 2024 and replaces the popular Hisense U8/U8K. It's part of Hisense's ULED lineup, sitting above the Hisense U6N and Hisense U7N but below their flagship Hisense UX model. It has a new chipset and promises better brightness and contrast than its predecessor. The TV is packed with features like Dolby Vision, local dimming, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, up to 4k @ 144Hz, and VRR support. It uses the Google TV interface, which is loaded with apps and has other smart features like voice control, and the TV has a built-in 50W 2.1.2 channel speaker system. We bought and tested the 65-inch model, and it's also available in five different sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch, and a massive 100-inch model. Since the 75-inch model uses a different type of panel, we have a separate review for that size. 

Our Verdict

8.3
Mixed Usage 

The Hisense U8N is great for mixed usage. It looks great with the lights off thanks to its excellent black levels and vibrant colors. Fortunately, it performs great with the lights on too due to its fantastic SDR brightness and because it retains its color vibrancy and deep blacks. However, it only does an okay job reducing the intensity of direct reflections. Fortunately, HDR content is impactful due to the TV's incredible HDR brightness. It's also a great option for gaming due to its modern gaming features. The TV's viewing angle is pretty narrow, though, so it's best to sit as centered to the TV as possible.

Pros
  • Incredible HDR brightness for very impactful highlights.

  • Fantastic SDR brightness means it easily overcomes glare from indirect lighting.

  • Good upscaling and very good low-quality content smoothing.

  • Colors are vibrant, lifelike, and bright.

  • Very deep blacks with minimal blooming when local dimming is enabled.

Cons
  • Image degrades when viewed from the sides.
  • Direct reflections are a bit distracting.

8.4
Home Theater 

The Hisense U8N is great for a home theater. It has excellent black levels, so it delivers incredibly deep blacks with very little blooming around subtitles and highlights. You also get highly saturated colors that are mostly accurate in SDR. However, colors lack accuracy in HDR. The TV has incredible HDR brightness, so highlights really pop out. Unfortunately, HDR movies and TV shows are displayed brighter than intended by the filmmaker. If you're stuck watching low-bitrate content, the TV does a very good job removing artifacts. You also get good upscaling, so SD and HD content doesn't look too soft. There's some minor stutter that's most noticeable during slow camera movements, but most people won't notice this.

Pros
  • Incredible HDR brightness for very impactful highlights.

  • Good upscaling and very good low-quality content smoothing.

  • Colors are vibrant, lifelike, and bright.

  • Very deep blacks with minimal blooming when local dimming is enabled.

Cons
  • Image degrades when viewed from the sides.
  • Sub-par HDR pre-calibration color accuracy.

  • HDR content is brighter than the filmmaker intends. 

8.5
Bright Room 

The Hisense U8N is great for a bright room. It's easily bright enough in SDR to overcome glare from indirect light sources, so this is a TV you can use in most bright rooms. However, it only has okay direct reflection handling, so if you have a lamp or window placed opposite the screen, you will see it reflected on the screen during darker scenes. Fortunately, the TV barely loses color saturation, and blacks stay very deep in a bright room, so you don't have to worry about a washed out image when you turn your lights on.

Pros
  • Fantastic SDR brightness means it easily overcomes glare from indirect lighting.

  • Blacks stay deep and colors stay vibrant in a bright room.

Cons
  • Direct reflections are a bit distracting.

8.2
Sports 

The Hisense U8N is great for watching sports. Its fantastic SDR brightness means it easily overcomes glare in bright rooms, but you do want to avoid placing the TV directly opposite lamps or windows, since it doesn't do a good enough job reducing the intensity of direct light sources. Colors are well-saturated and accurate in SDR, so you get a vibrant image while watching the game. However, its viewing angle is narrow, so you need to be seated centered to the screen for the best image quality. The TV's gray uniformity is just okay, and you do notice some dirty screen effect during certain sports, but not everyone will be bothered by this. Fortunately, the TV's response time is good enough that you don't have to look at an overly blurry image. You get solid image processing too, so low-bitrate and low-resolution feeds still look pretty good.

Pros
  • Fantastic SDR brightness means it easily overcomes glare from indirect lighting.

  • Good upscaling and very good low-quality content smoothing.

  • Colors are vibrant, lifelike, and bright.

Cons
  • Image degrades when viewed from the sides.
  • Direct reflections are a bit distracting.

  • Some noticeable dirty screen effect towards the center of the screen.

8.2
Gaming 

The Hisense U8N is great for gaming. It has great picture quality when gaming with the lights off, thanks to its excellent black levels, vibrant colors, and fantastic HDR brightness. It pairs very well with modern consoles and gaming PCs thanks to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 144Hz, and VRR. However, there's a minor response time issue with VRR enabled. It has decent pixel transitions, so there's some noticeable blur when action really ramps up in your favorite game, but it's not so bad that it's distracting. You also get a snappy gaming experience thanks to its low input lag, especially at higher refresh rates.

Pros
  • Incredible HDR brightness for very impactful highlights.

  • HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, up to 4k @ 144Hz, and VRR support.

  • Colors are vibrant, lifelike, and bright.

  • Very deep blacks with minimal blooming when local dimming is enabled.

Cons
  • Minor VRR issues around 100Hz and VRR doesn't work at 240Hz.

9.2
Brightness 

The Hisense U8N has outstanding brightness overall. Its SDR brightness is fantastic, and the TV easily overcomes glare in the brightest rooms. It also delivers incredible HDR brightness that makes highlights really pop out, even in rare content mastered at 4000 nits.

Pros
  • Incredible HDR brightness for very impactful highlights.

  • Fantastic SDR brightness means it easily overcomes glare from indirect lighting.

Cons
None
8.9
Black Level 

The Hisense U8N has excellent black levels. Blacks are incredibly deep and very uniform with local dimming enabled. The TV's local dimming feature also does a very good job at keeping blooming to a minimum.

Pros
  • Very deep blacks with minimal blooming when local dimming is enabled.

Cons
None
8.0
Color 

The Hisense U8N has very good colors overall. It has excellent HDR color volume, and it displays dark and bright colors very well in HDR content. Its SDR color volume is great too, so you can enjoy vibrant colors in both formats. The TV has very good SDR accuracy before calibration. However, its HDR pre-calibration is sub-par, so colors don't look the way they should, and the TV requires a proper calibration if you want accurate colors in HDR content.

Pros
  • Colors are vibrant, lifelike, and bright.

  • Very good SDR pre-calibration color accuracy.

Cons
  • Sub-par HDR pre-calibration color accuracy.

7.2
Processing (In Development) 

Note: We're in the process of improving our tests related to image processing, but this score should give you a general idea of how a TV performs overall with its image processing capabilities.

The Hisense U8N has decent image processing overall. It does a very good job cleaning up artifacts in low-bitrate content and a good job upscaling low-resolution content, so it's a good option when the quality of your content isn't ideal. There's some banding in bright blue color gradients, but all other gradients have almost no banding at all, which is great. Unfortunately, the TV has poor PQ EOTF tracking, and HDR content is displayed brighter than intended.

Pros
  • Good upscaling and very good low-quality content smoothing.

  • Very little banding in color gradients.

Cons
  • HDR content is brighter than the filmmaker intends. 

7.7
Game Mode Responsiveness 

The Hisense U8N has very good responsiveness in PC/Game Mode. It has good enough input lag at 60Hz that you don't feel a delay, but it's very low at higher refresh rates, so gaming at 120Hz and 144Hz feels very responsive. It has decently fast pixel transitions, but you do see some blur behind fast motion. The TV supports VRR for a nearly tear free gaming experience. However there's a minor issue when frame rates hover around 100 fps.

Pros
  • HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, up to 4k @ 144Hz, and VRR support.

Cons
  • Minor VRR issues around 100Hz and VRR doesn't work at 240Hz.

7.6
Motion Handling (Broken) 

We're in the process of fixing the way we evaluate a TV's overall motion handling. This section is currently broken, and the score isn't indicative of how well a TV handles motion overall.

  • 8.3
    Mixed Usage
  • 8.4
    Home Theater
  • 8.5
    Bright Room
  • 8.2
    Sports
  • 8.2
    Gaming

  • Performance Usages

  • 9.2
    Brightness
  • 8.9
    Black Level
  • 8.0
    Color
  • 7.2
    Processing (In Development)
  • 7.7
    Game Mode Responsiveness
  • 7.6
    Motion Handling (Broken)
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated May 23, 2025: 

      We mentioned the newly reviewed Hisense U8QG in the HDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy section.

    2.  Updated May 08, 2025: Converted to Test Bench 2.0.1. We did this to fix an issue with our scoring in the Supported Resolutions section, since TVs with a refresh rate higher than 144Hz were being penalized for not supporting 144Hz.
    3.  Updated Apr 11, 2025: 

      We wrote text for the new tests and rewrote text throughout the review after updating pre-existing tests and scores for Test Bench 2.0.

    4.  Updated Apr 11, 2025: We converted the review to Test Bench 2.0. With this new methodology, we've added new tests to expand the scope of our testing, adjusted our scoring to better align with current market conditions, and added performance usages that group related tests together to give more insight into specific aspects of a TV's performance. You can find a full list of changes in the TV 2.0 changelog.

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    We tested the 65-inch Hisense U8N, but the results are also valid for the 85-inch and 100-inch models. The 75-inch model uses an ADS Pro panel, so it performs a bit differently than the other sizes, with worse contrast but a better viewing angle. The 55-inch model is advertised as having a peak brightness of 1800 nits, so it's not nearly as bright, and it has much fewer dimming zones. The 55-inch model also uses HDMI 3 as its eARC port, so you do lose a high-bandwidth port on that size if you plug in a soundbar. Our results aren't valid for either the 55-inch or 75-inch models.

    In Canada, the TV is known as the Hisense U88N, and it performs the same. There are similarly named international models, like the U8NAU in Australia, but these models perform a bit differently than the North American models, so our results aren't valid for them. Note that the 55-inch and 100-inch models use two feet instead of a central stand.

     Size US Model Local Dimming Zones Panel Type
    55" Hisense 55U8N 672 VA
    65" Hisense 65U8N 1,600 VA
    75" Hisense 75U8N 2,000 ADS Pro
    85" Hisense 85U8N 1,296 VA
    100" Hisense 100U8N 1,620 VA

    Our unit was manufactured in February 2024.

    Popular TV Comparisons

    The Hisense U8N is an impressive TV that is loaded with modern features. It's a TV that caters to almost everyone and performs excellently while watching all types of content or playing video games. It's most comparable to the TCL QM8/QM851G QLED, but it has better contrast, reflection handling, and is the more accurate TV. It's also comparable to more expensive models like the Sony BRAVIA 7 QLED and outperforms that TV in many ways, but it doesn't have the same level of image processing. Still, it's an affordable TV for what it does, and there are very few other TVs that deliver such excellent picture quality for a relatively low price. If you're looking for a fully-featured TV but don't want to spend the money for high-end offerings from Samsung, Sony, or LG, it's hard to beat.

    For more options, check out our recommendations for the best TVs for bright rooms, the best 65-inch TVs, and the best TVs for gaming.

    TCL QM7K
    55" 65" 75" 85" 98"

    The Hisense U8N is better than the TCL QM7K. The Hisense delivers noticeably better image quality due to its higher peak brightness and more colorful panel. Its image processing is also generally better than the TCL, with the exception of PQ EOTf tracking; the TCL follows the content creator's intent much more closely than the Hisense. Gamers will also appreciate the TCL's 1080p @ 288Hz support. 

    TCL QM851G
    65" 75" 85" 98"

    The Hisense U8N and the TCL QM851G are similar TVs, but the Hisense is slightly better overall. With local dimming enabled, the Hisense displays deeper blacks in a dark room due to its higher contrast ratio. The Hisense also has better accuracy in SDR and HDR, so it sticks closer to the content creator's intent. On the other hand, the TCL is the brighter TV overall, but it has slightly worse reflection handling than the Hisense, so the two TVs perform similarly in a bright room.

    Hisense U8QG
    55" 65" 75" 85" 100"

    The Hisense U8N and the Hisense U8QG are very similar overall. The U8QG has better contrast for deeper blacks, does a slightly better job cleaning up low-quality content, and gets brighter in its dedicated gaming mode. The U8QG also supports 4k @ 165Hz and 1080p @ 288Hz, and it has a USB-C alt-display port. However, 288Hz and VRR don't work when using the new port. On the other hand, the U8N has faster pixel transitions for smoother motion. In reality, these differences are minor, and you'd be hard pressed to notice a difference if you had the two TVs side by side.

    Hisense U7N
    55" 65" 75" 85"

    The Hisense U8N is better than the Hisense U7N. The U8N has better contrast for very deep blacks that are approaching OLED territory. The U8N also has better HDR brightness, so highlights in HDR really pop out at you in dark scenes, and very bright specular highlights even stand out in well-lit scenes. On top of that, the U8N has a wider color gamut and better color volume, so colors in HDR content are more vibrant, lifelike, and brighter. When it comes to bright room capabilities, the U8N has better SDR brightness and reflection handling, so it easily overcomes glare in even the brightest of rooms. However, the U7N has better PQ EOTF tracking, so it’s more accurate in HDR.

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    Video

    How We Test TVs
    How We Test TVs

    We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests are done with specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
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    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Brightness
    9.1
    HDR Brightness
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    934 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    654 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    420 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    2,595 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    3,691 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    2,792 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    1,492 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    912 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    2,589 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    3,626 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    2,775 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    1,488 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    910 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.065

    The Hisense U8 has incredible HDR brightness. Highlights really pop out during darker scenes, and the TV is bright enough that very bright specular highlights even stand out in well-lit scenes. Combined with its exceptional contrast, this TV provides a very impactful HDR viewing experience.

    These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

    • HDR Picture Mode: Filmmaker Mode
    • Local Dimming: High
    • Peak Brightness: High
    • Brightness: 100
    • Contrast: 50
    • Black Level: 0
    • Dark Detail: Off
    • Gamma: ST2084
    • Active Contrast: Off
    • Dynamic Tone Mapping: Off
    • Color Temperature: Warm 1

    Unfortunately, the TV has an inconsistent bug that greatly lowers its brightness. We don't know what causes it, but if you find the TV much dimmer than it's supposed to be, you can fix it by restarting the TV or switching the input setting from 'Enhanced' to 'Standard' and then back to 'Enhanced.'

    8.8
    HDR Brightness In Game Mode
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    779 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    683 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    282 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    2,046 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    3,035 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    2,443 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    1,348 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    837 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    1,898 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    2,891 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    2,383 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    1,347 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    835 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.059

    The TV is slightly dimmer in PC/Game Mode, but it's barely noticeable. Highlights still pop out during darker moments in games, and it's still bright enough that very bright specular highlights stand out in well-lit scenes. Combined with its exceptional contrast, this TV provides a very impactful HDR gaming experience.

    These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

    • HDR Picture Mode: HDR Game
    • Local Dimming: High
    • Peak Brightness: High
    • Brightness: 100
    • Contrast: 50
    • Black Level: 0
    • Dark Detail: Off
    • Gamma: ST2084
    • Active Contrast: Off
    • Dynamic Tone Mapping: Off
    • Color Temperature: Warm 1

    Unfortunately, the TV has an inconsistent bug that greatly limits its brightness. You can read about it in the HDR Brightness section

    9.3
    SDR Brightness
    Real Scene Peak Brightness
    887 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    2,147 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    3,188 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    2,504 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    1,407 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    868 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    2,023 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    3,034 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    2,446 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    1,402 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    867 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.059

    The Hisense U8 has superb SDR brightness and easily overcomes glare in even the brightest of rooms.

    These measurements are after calibration with the following settings:

    • Picture Mode: Theater Night
    • Local Dimming: High
    • Peak Brightness: High
    • Brightness: 100
    • Gamma: 2.2
    • Color Temperature: Warm 1
    • Active Contrast: Off

    If you need a TV that gets even brighter than this, check out the TCL QM8/QM851G QLED.

    Black Level
    9.3
    Contrast
    Contrast
    277,100 : 1
    Native Contrast
    6,969 : 1

    The Hisense U8 has exceptional contrast. Its native contrast is great, but with local dimming enabled, the TV's contrast approaches OLED territory. Blacks are extremely deep, and they stay that way when bright highlights are also on screen.

    It's worth noting that with local dimming and peak brightness on 'High', the minimum brightness of the cave is 277 nits instead of the 200 nits we typically target. 

    8.0
    Lighting Zone Precision

    The TV has very good lighting zone precision, but there's some noticeable blooming around bright objects and subtitles when displayed against a black background.

    8.0
    Lighting Zone Transitions
    Local Dimming
    Yes
    Backlight
    Full-Array
    Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV
    1,600

    The TV has very good lighting zone transitions, but it does struggle a bit with very fast-moving content. There's minimal haloing, but the leading edge of quick-moving objects is visibly dimmer.

    9.0
    Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

    There's slightly more blooming when the TV is set to PC/Game Mode, but outside of that, there's no noticeable difference in dark scene performance.

    8.8
    Black Uniformity
    Std. Dev.
    0.193%
    Native Std. Dev.
    0.591%

    The TV has excellent black uniformity. With local dimming disabled, blacks are a bit cloudy and blueish. With local dimming enabled, blacks are deep and uniform across the screen, with only a bit of blooming around bright objects on a dark background.

    Color
    8.0
    SDR Color Volume
    CIELAB DCI-P3 Coverage
    93.20%
    CIELAB BT.2020 Coverage
    69.40%

    The Hisense U8 has great SDR color volume. It covers the vast majority of the DCI-P3 color space, and only struggles slightly with some reds and yellows. Its coverage of the wider BT.2020 color space is okay, but it struggles more with most lighter shades. 

    Volume ΔE³ DCI-P3
    Coverage
    BT.2020
    Coverage
    L10 91.16% 71.03%
    L20 92.63% 71.36%
    L30 93.10% 72.03%
    L40 93.09% 74.29%
    L50 93.08% 75.10%
    L60 92.78% 72.86%
    L70 93.18% 64.01%
    L80 93.44% 62.32%
    L90 93.78% 64.52%
    L100 94.85% 83.81%
    Total 93.20% 69.40%
    8.9
    HDR Color Volume
    1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
    86.0%
    10,000 cd/m² BT.2020 Coverage ITP
    51.9%
    White Luminance
    1,953 cd/m²
    Red Luminance
    381 cd/m²
    Green Luminance
    1,433 cd/m²
    Blue Luminance
    127 cd/m²
    Cyan Luminance
    1,532 cd/m²
    Magenta Luminance
    480 cd/m²
    Yellow Luminance
    1,776 cd/m²

    The TV has outstanding HDR color volume. The TV displays a wide range of colors at high luminance levels, and dark saturated colors are displayed well due to its exceptional contrast.

    8.1
    SDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
    White Balance dE 2000
    3.54
    Color dE 2000
    2.01
    Gamma
    2.12
    Color Temperature
    6,535 K
    Picture Mode
    Theater Night
    Color Temp Setting
    Warm 1
    Gamma Setting
    2.2

    The Hisense U8N has very good pre-calibration SDR accuracy. Gamma is close to our target of 2.2, but most scenes are displayed a bit brighter than intended. The white balance is okay, but there is too much red and blue in brighter shades of gray. Color accuracy is great, but whites, lighter yellows, lighter cyans, and darker blues have minor inaccuracies. Fortunately, the color temperature is essentially perfect.

    9.6
    SDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
    White Balance dE 2000
    0.26
    Color dE 2000
    0.92
    Gamma
    2.19
    Color Temperature
    6,530 K
    White Balance Calibration
    20 point
    Color Calibration
    Yes

    The Hisense U8 has fantastic SDR accuracy after calibration, but the TV is a bit difficult to calibrate since higher grayscale values don't do much at all. Still, any issues with white balance are gone, color temperature is still essentially perfect, and gamma is even closer to our target of 2.2, with only bright scenes still being a bit too bright. Color accuracy is outstanding, with only minor errors that aren't noticeable to most people.

    See our full calibration settings.

    5.6
    HDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
    White Balance dE ITP
    17.18
    Color dE ITP
    19.9
    Color Temperature
    7,381 K
    Picture Mode
    Filmmaker

    Unfortunately, the TV has subpar HDR color accuracy before calibration. Blues are significantly overrepresented in most shades of gray, making the TV's color temperature drastically too cool. Overall, the TV's color accuracy is mediocre; all colors are off target, and warmer tones are undersaturated.

    If you want better color accuracy out of the box, consider the newer Hisense U8QG.

    7.3
    HDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
    White Balance dE ITP
    8.80
    Color dE ITP
    7.70
    Color Temperature
    7,076 K

    The TV's color accuracy after calibration is just decent. Its white balance is good now, but its color temperature is still noticeably cooler than 6500K. The accuracy of colors is much better now, especially with greens and blues, but warmer colors still have inaccuracies throughout. 

    Processing
    5.4
    PQ EOTF Tracking
    See details on graph tool
    600 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0145
    1000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0153
    4000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0156

    The Hisense U8N has poor PQ EOTF tracking. Unfortunately, everything is displayed brighter than intended. With content mastered at 600 and 1000 nits, there's a small roll-off near the TV's maximum brightness, but the roll-off isn't necessary since the TV is more than bright enough to display content mastered at those nit levels. With content mastered at 4000 nits, the roll-off helps to preserve details in incredibly bright highlights.

    7.9
    Low-Quality Content Smoothing
    Smoothing
    8.0
    Detail Preservation
    7.5

    The TV has very good low-quality content smoothing. It does a great job at smoothing out artifacts in low-bitrate content while still preserving details.

    7.5
    Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

    The Hisense U8 does a good job at upscaling low-resolution content like DVDs or lower-resolution streams. Details are clear enough, but finer details are a bit hard to make out.

    Sharpness processing was calibrated with no over-sharpening for low-resolution content, with the following settings:

    • Sharpness: 13
    • Super Resolution: On
    8.0
    HDR Native Gradient
    100% Black To 50% Gray
    8.0
    50% Gray To 100% White
    8.0
    100% Black To 50% Red
    8.0
    50% Red To 100% Red
    10
    100% Black To 50% Green
    8.0
    50% Green To 100% Green
    8.0
    100% Black To 50% Blue
    8.0
    50% Blue To 100% Blue
    6.0

    The TV has very good HDR gradient handling. There's noticeable banding in brighter blues, but all other colors have minimal or no banding at all.

    Game Mode Responsiveness
    8.4
    Input Lag
    1080p @ 60Hz
    14.6 ms
    1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    109.0 ms
    1080p @ 120Hz
    6.1 ms
    1080p @ Max Refresh Rate
    4.1 ms
    4k @ 60Hz
    14.4 ms
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    14.4 ms
    4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    108.4 ms
    4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
    116.9 ms
    4k @ 120Hz
    6.1 ms
    4k @ Max Refresh Rate
    5.3 ms
    8k @ 60Hz
    N/A

    This TV has low input lag when set to PC/Game Mode, which ensures a very responsive gaming experience. However, it's higher at 60Hz, so stick with higher refresh rates when possible.

    9.5
    Supported Resolutions
    Resolution4k
    480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
    Yes
    720p @ 59.94Hz
    Yes
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    1080p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1080p Maximum Refresh Rate
    240 Hz
    4k @ 60Hz
    Yes
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    4k Maximum Refresh Rate
    144 Hz
    8k @ 30Hz Or 24Hz
    No
    8k @ 60Hz
    No

    The TV supports all common resolutions up to 4k @ 144Hz on two of its four HDMI ports. Unfortunately, 1080p @ 240Hz only works properly with VRR disabled.

    8.5
    Variable Refresh Rate
    Native Refresh Rate
    144Hz
    Variable Refresh Rate
    Yes
    HDMI Forum VRR
    Yes
    FreeSync
    Yes
    G-SYNC Compatible
    Yes
    4k VRR Maximum
    144 Hz
    4k VRR Minimum
    < 20 Hz
    1080p VRR Maximum
    144 Hz
    1080p VRR Minimum
    < 20 Hz
    VRR + Local DimmingYes

    The Hisense U8 Series supports all three VRR formats, so it has great compatibility regardless of the source. Unfortunately, with 1080p @ 240Hz and VRR enabled, the TV's built-in frame counter shows 72Hz, there's bad frame skipping and desaturated colors, and chroma 4:4:4 isn't displayed properly. With VRR disabled, 1080p @ 240Hz works without issues.

    Unfortunately, like the Hisense U8/U8K, the TV's response time behaves differently with VRR enabled. It's more aggressive with refresh rates above 100Hz, which leads to a faster response time but with more overshoot errors. When the TV hovers around 100Hz, the rapid changes in behavior when it goes above and below that threshold are distracting. There are no issues when running at a fixed refresh rate. The Hisense U9N doesn't have any of these issues, so check it out if VRR performance is important to you.

    7.1
    CAD In Game Mode @ Max Refresh Rate
    Transition At Max Refresh
    transition-game-max-0-31
    0 to 31
    Avg. CAD
    194
    Best 10% CAD
    85
    Worst 10% CAD
    370

    The TV's CAD at its maximum refresh rate of 144Hz is decent. It's slowest when transitioning from blacks to near blacks, which leads to some black smearing. It also overshoots RGB values when exiting a dark state, which leads to some inverse ghosting. Outside of that, motion looks pretty smooth when gaming, especially for an LED model. 

    7.1
    CAD In Game Mode @ 120Hz
    Transition At 120Hz
    transition-game-120-0-31
    0 to 31
    Avg. CAD
    197
    Best 10% CAD
    95
    Worst 10% CAD
    314

    The TV's CAD at 120Hz is satisfactory. It's at its slowest when going from bright states to near blacks. It's also a bit slow when exiting dark states, which leads to some noticeable blur. However, there's very little overshooting, so you don't see inverse ghosting.

    6.4
    CAD In Game Mode @ 60Hz
    Transition 60Hz
    transition-game-60-0-31
    0 to 31
    Avg. CAD
    268
    Best 10% CAD
    107
    Worst 10% CAD
    410

    The TV's CAD at 60Hz is unremarkable. Transitions are slow almost entirely across the board, which leads to noticeable blur behind fast motion. Additionally, there's blur due to the nature of a slower 60Hz refresh, so motion isn't clear when gaming at 60 fps. 

    PS5 Compatibility
    Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1440p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1080p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    HDR
    Yes
    VRR
    Yes

    The TV is fully compatible with everything the PS5 offers, like 1440p @ 120Hz and 4k @ 120Hz, as well as HDMI Forum VRR. It also supports Auto Low Latency Mode, so you don't have to worry about manually switching to PC/Game Mode to get the lowest input lag.

    Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
    Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1440p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1080p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    HDR
    Yes
    VRR
    Yes

    The TV is fully compatible with everything the Xbox Series X|S offers, including 1440p @ 120Hz, 4k @ 120Hz, HDMI Forum VRR, FreeSync Premium Pro, and Dolby Vision gaming. It also supports Auto Low Latency Mode, so you don't have to worry about manually switching to PC/Game Mode to get the lowest input lag.

    Motion Handling
    7.1
    Stutter
    Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
    32.3 ms
    Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
    7.3 ms

    Due to the TV's quick response time, there's some noticeable stutter when watching movies or TV shows, and it's most apparent in slow panning shots.

    9.0
    24p Judder
    Judder-Free 24p
    Yes
    Judder-Free 24p via 60p
    Yes
    Judder-Free 24p via 60i
    No
    Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
    Yes

    The TV gives a judder-free experience with 24p sources like a Blu-ray player and native apps. It also removes judder from 60p sources like some streaming devices and gaming consoles. Unfortunately, it doesn't remove 24p judder from 60i sources like some cable TV boxes, although you can use the 'Motion Enhancement' with 'Judder Reduction: 1' to remove judder from 60i sources without introducing noticeable interpolation or artifacts.

    7.5
    Response Time
    Transition At 60Hz
    transition-60-0-31
    0 to 31
    First Response Time
    9.4 ms
    Total Response Time
    9.4 ms
    Worst 10% Response Time
    21.1 ms

    The Hisense U8 has a good response time for minimal blur behind fast-moving objects when watching content, but it's slower when coming out of dark states, so there's some black smearing in dark scene transitions.

    Flicker
    Flicker-Free
    No
    PWM Dimming Frequency
    7,800 Hz

    The Hisense U8 uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to dim its backlight, which introduces flicker that can bother people who are sensitive to it. Fortunately, it flickers at a very fast 7,800Hz in all picture modes and at all brightness levels, so it's not noticeable.

    Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
    Optional BFI
    Yes
    Min Flicker For 60 fps
    120 Hz
    60Hz For 60 fps
    No
    120Hz For 120 fps
    Yes
    Min Flicker For 60 fps In Game Mode
    120 Hz

    The Hisense U8 TV supports backlight strobing, more commonly known as black frame insertion (BFI). The feature is designed to improve the appearance of motion by strobing its backlight and reducing the amount of persistence blur. Unfortunately, it can only insert black frames at a 120Hz refresh rate, and the image is blurry with some image duplication.

    Motion Interpolation
    Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
    Yes
    Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
    Yes

    This TV has an optional motion interpolation feature to improve the clarity of motion, but it doesn't work very well. Even slower-moving scenes have some noticeable artifacts present. In faster-moving scenes, the TV really struggles, and there are distracting artifacts and haloing.

    Reflections
    6.5
    Direct Reflections
    See details on graph tool
    Peak Direct Reflection Intensity
    42.0%
    Screen Finish
    Glossy

    The TV has adequate direct reflection handling. It lessens the intensity of direct light sources, but your lamp, wall light, or window is still quite visible on the screen.

    9.3
    Ambient Black Level Raise
    See details on graph tool
    Black Luminance @ 0 lx
    0.00 cd/m²
    Black Luminance @ 1000 lx
    0.26 cd/m²

    The TV has exceptional black levels in a bright room. Black levels are barely raised in a room with ambient lighting, so they remain deep and impactful.

    8.3
    Total Reflected Light
    Total Reflected Light Intensity
    7,863% ⋅ pixel
    Diffraction Artifacts
    Yes

    The TV does a great job with total reflections. Its glossy screen finish significantly reduces the intensity of indirect reflections, but direct reflections do cause some noticeable light banding. 

    8.0
    Ambient Color Saturation
    See details on graph tool
    Low-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
    71.64%
    Mid-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
    58.58%
    High-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
    51.49%

    The TV has very good color saturation in ambient lighting. Colors barely lose any saturation in a room with the lights on, so you get vibrant colors regardless of your viewing conditions.

    Panel
    6.1
    Viewing Angle
    Color Washout
    23°
    Color Shift
    23°
    Brightness Loss
    31°
    Black Level Raise
    17°
    Gamma Shift
    18°

    The Hisense U8N has a mediocre viewing angle, so it's not suitable for a wide seating arrangement. As you move off-center, there's significant gamma shifting, color shifting, and brightness loss, and colors look increasingly washed out as you move further away to the sides.

    Look at the Hisense 75U8N or the Samsung QN95D if you need a TV with a wider viewing angle.

    6.7
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    3.781%
    50% DSE
    0.168%
    5% Std. Dev.
    0.472%
    5% DSE
    0.087%

    The TV has okay gray uniformity, but there's some dirty screen effect towards the center of the screen and vignetting in the corners.

    Panel Technology
    TypeLED
    Sub-Type
    VA (except 75")
    Subpixel Layout
    BGR

    The TV uses a BGR (Blue-Green-Red) subpixel layout instead of the traditional RGB layout. For video or gaming content, this doesn't cause any issues, but for PC monitor use, it can be a problem as it impacts the text clarity, although not everyone will notice this.

    The TV uses quantum dots to achieve high color peaks with excellent separation between blues, greens, and reds. This gives the TV great color purity and allows it to display a very wide color gamut.

    Inputs
    Input Specifications
    HDMI4 (2x HDMI 2.0, 2x HDMI 2.1)
    HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
    48 Gbps
    ATSC Tuner
    3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
    USB Ports2
    USB 3.0
    Yes (1)
    Audio Out 3.5mm1
    Wi-FiYes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz)
    Ethernet Speed100 Mbps
    Composite In1 (Adapter Required, Not Incl.)
    Digital Optical Audio Out1

    The TV has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on HDMI ports 3 and 4, with both supporting up to 4k @ 144Hz. Fortunately, HDMI 1 is the eARC port, so you don't lose a high-bandwidth port when you plug a soundbar into the TV. The TV supports all HDR formats and has an ATSC 3.0 tuner, so you can watch over-the-air 4k content.

    Note that the eARC port on the 55-inch model is HDMI 3, so you do lose a high-bandwidth port on that size if you plug in a soundbar.

    Audio Passthrough
    ARC/eARC Port
    eARC
    eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
    Yes
    eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
    Yes
    eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
    Yes
    eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
    Yes
    eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
    Yes
    eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
    Yes
    eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
    7.1
    ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
    Yes
    ARC: DTS 5.1
    Yes
    Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
    Yes
    Optical: DTS 5.1
    Yes

    The TV supports eARC, which lets you pass high-quality, uncompressed audio to a compatible receiver or soundbar through an HDMI cable. It supports all major audio formats, so you don't have to worry about compatibility with external sources.

    HDR Format Support
    HDR10
    Yes
    HDR10+
    Yes
    Dolby Vision
    Yes
    HLG
    Yes
    Design
    Style
    CurvedNo

    The Hisense 65U8N has a premium design overall. It has thin bezels on the sides and the top, with a slightly thicker bottom bezel. Unlike 2023's Hisense U8/U8K, the TV uses a central stand instead of two feet.

    Stand

    The TV comes with a metal center-mounted stand that doesn't require a large table to place the TV on. The stand can be adjusted into two different positions. The lower position lifts the TV about two inches above the table, which brings the screen very close to your table. The higher position lifts the TV about 3.54 inches, so most soundbars fit underneath without blocking the screen.

    Footprint of the 65-inch stand: 15.75" x 11.42".

    Note that the 55-inch and 100-inch models use two feet instead of a central stand.

    Back
    Wall MountVESA 400x400

    The back is made of plastic and has a grid-like pattern that resembles a lot of Sony TVs. Most of the inputs are side-facing, but they're close enough to the edge of the TV that they are accessible when it's wall-mounted. A USB, Ethernet, and optical port are located in a recessed cutout that faces the back. Unfortunately, these aren't accessible if you have the TV mounted flush to the wall. The TV has a built-in subwoofer near the top, and you can funnel cables through the TV's stand to help with cable management.

    Borders
    Borders0.35" (0.9 cm)
    Thickness
    Max Thickness2.83" (7.2 cm)
    8.5
    Build Quality

    The TV has great build quality. It's mostly made of plastic, but it's sturdy and well-built overall. The new center-mounted stand provides good stability, and there are no glaring issues with the TV's design. Our unit did have some pixel level smudges, but these aren't noticeable from a normal viewing distance.

    Smart Features
    Interface
    Smart OSGoogle TV
    Version12
    0.0
    Ad-Free
    Ads
    Yes
    Opt-out
    No
    Suggested Content in Home
    Yes
    Opt-out of Suggested Content
    No

    Unfortunately, like almost all TVs on the market, the smart interface contains ads, and you can't disable them.

    Remote
    Voice ControlYes

    The TV comes with Hisense's newly designed backlit remote. It has buttons for popular streaming services, and you can use the built-in microphone to switch inputs, change apps, search within apps, and ask for the weather and time. Unfortunately, you can't change the settings on the TV using the voice controls.

    TV Controls
    Mute Switch
    Yes

    There's a single button on the bottom center of the TV that can be used to switch inputs and power the TV on/off. There's also a small switch that you can use to turn on/off the TV's built-in microphone.

    In The Box

    • Quick setup guide
    • Remote
    • 2x AAA batteries
    • Power cable
    • Extra screws
    Misc
    Power Consumption57 W
    Power Consumption (Max)248 W
    FirmwareV0000.01.00U.O0627
    Sound Quality
    7.1
    Frequency Response
    See details on graph tool
    Low-Frequency Extension
    80.00 Hz
    Std. Dev. @ 70
    2.82 dB
    Std. Dev. @ 80
    3.52 dB
    Std. Dev. @ Max
    6.44 dB
    Max
    92.3 dB SPL
    Dynamic Range Compression
    4.39 dB
    Digital Room CorrectionYes

    The Hisense U8 has a decent frequency response. Thanks to the built-in subwoofer, the TV produces a bit of bass, but it's still not enough for impactful bass to be felt. The TV gets quite loud, and dialogue is clear and easy to understand at moderate volume levels, but the sound becomes unbalanced near and at its maximum volume. You'll want to stick to moderate volume levels for balanced sound.