Hisense has pulled back the curtain on its 2021 TV lineup, and we're pretty impressed with what we've seen. With everything from quantum dot 4K Android TVs to 8K Roku TVs — not to mention the first North American model with Hisense's long-awaited dual-cell display technology — this is shaping up to be the best Hisense lineup we've ever seen.
It's also a solid counterpunch to rivals like TCL and Vizio, which have each made big strides with innovations like Mini-LED as we discovered in our TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R635) review, or the undeniable value seen in our Vizio OLED TV review. By beating TCL to the punch with an 8K Roku TV and getting the unique dual-cell technology into the U.S. market, Hisense proves that it's just as capable of innovation.
- The best TVs we've reviewed
- Our favorite Roku sets from TCL and others: Best Roku TVs
- TV buying guide: 9 things you need to know
Hisense has been staking out a claim as a smart buy for budget shoppers, but these latest announcements make it clear that Hisense is playing for more of the TV market than the company has targeted in the past. Here are the highlights of Hisense's 2021 TV lineup.
Hisense U9DG Series: Dual Cell is finally real
For several years now, Hisense has been showing off its dual-cell technology, an innovative approach to LCD panels that pairs a bright QLED-panel with a second LCD layer (essentially a lower-resolution monochrome LCD panel) tuned to block unwanted backlight. The goal is to eliminate haloing while delivering inky blacks and exacting mid-tones that rival OLED.
It's an exciting approach to backlight control, and after years of promising dual-cell technology, it's finally coming to shoppers this year. When paired with technologies like quantum dot color and what sounds a lot like mini-LED local dimming, the result should be pretty excellent.
Hisense claims contrast levels of 2,000,000:1 on a screen with 1,000 nits of brightness, which would leave even the brightest OLED displays in the dust. Add an anti-glare layer and we expect this to be one seriously good looking TV.
Aside from the dual-cell display, the U9DG is a richly featured smart TV, with Android TV, complete with built-in Google Assistant, a handy voice-enabled remote, and a slew of formats supported, including Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced (previously seen only on Sony TVs) and HDR 10 Plus (Samsung's Dolby Vision competitor).
The U9DG should also be great for gaming, with ultra-high speed HDMI (which we think is marketing speak for full or partial HDMI 2.1), and features like variable refresh rate (VRR) and FreeSync Premium, making it a decent gaming TV.
Hisense is only offering the U9DG in a 75-inch model, but it will begin selling this summer for $3,499.
Hisense U800GR: Here comes 8K Roku TV
Hisense had another surprise up its sleeve today (May 5), announcing the U800GR, the first 8K model from the manufacturer. It's also the first 8K model announced with Roku TV, beating TCL to the punch, even though TCL has had an all-but-announced 8K Roku model in the works for the last couple of years.
The premium 8K set offers a lot to love, from a 75-inch 120Hz panel to Roku's huge ecosystem of apps and support for Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound. With 180 local dimming zones, the U800GR should also deliver great HDR support. Automatic 8K upscaling should make any HD and 4K content look great on the big 7680 × 4320-pixel display.
The Hisense U800GR will begin selling this summer, with a 75-inch screen size for $3,199.
Hisense U8G: The top Hisense 4K smart TV
Hisense claims that its best overall TV is the new Hisense U8G. As the flagship model in the Hisense ULED line, it's got a full feature set and ticks all the right boxes for a great all-around model. To put it in Hisense's words, it's "Great for everything."
In addition to a 120Hz panel and quantum-dot color boosting, the 4K smart TV boasts full-array backlight with up to 360 dimming zones, peak brightness of 1,500 nits and Android TV for all of the expected apps and smart features. The U8G takes the smarts a step further with in-bezel microphones and hands-free voice control to take Google Assistant to new levels of convenience and smart home control.
But the laundry-list of features doesn't stop there. The U8G has IMAX enhanced format support, Filmmaker Mode, Dolby Vision IQ with automatic light level optimization, and support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and FreeSync Premium gaming. HDR gets even better with both HDR10 and HDR 10 Plus, along with Dolby Atmos sound and out-of-the-box compatibility with WiSA wireless speaker systems.
The Hisense U8G comes in 55- and 65-inch sizes, with pretty decent prices. The 55-inch model sells for $949, and the 65-inch version goes for $1,299, and is available now through Amazon and Best Buy.
Hisense U7G: Made for gaming greatness
The Hisense U7G is focused a bit more on gaming, with HDMI 2.1 connectivity and plenty of features that are perfect for the new PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles.
The Hisense U7G is focused a bit more on gaming, with HDMI 2.1 connectivity and plenty of features that are perfect for the latest PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles.
The new U7G builds on the foundation of features and specs we saw in last year's Hisense H8G Quantum (65H8G) review, with quantum-dot enhancement, 1,000 nits peak brightness and 120Hz refresh rate that matches some of the best LCD TVs on the market.
Hisense then adds plenty of gamer-friendly features, from HDMI 2.1 connectivity to a package of features that Hisense calls Game Mode Pro. That includes automatic low-latency mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and FreeSync Premium for effortlessly smooth gaming experiences.
The set boasts Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10 Plus for top-notch HDR support, along with IMAX Enhanced format support and Filmmaker Mode. It has matching premium audio enhancements such as Dolby Atmos, eARC and comes WiSA Ready.
Coming in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes, the Hisense U7G will start at $749 and scale up to $1,399 for the largest model. The Hisense U7G will start selling later this summer.
Hisense U6G: More sizes, better pricing
The next step down is the Hisense U6G, which drops its price to less than $1,000 for most models, while offering a wider range of screen sizes.
The feature set for the U6G will sound familiar, but is no less impressive, with quantum dot color, Dolby Atmos sound, rich HDR support with Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10 Plus and HLG and a 4K panel with 60Hz refresh rate. The display is backed by up to 60 dimming zones, and promises 600 nits of peak brightness. The TV uses Android TV software, with built in Google Assistant and Chromecast capability, complete with a voice-enabled remote control.
The U6G series comes in several screen sizes, with 50-, 55-, 65- and 75-inch models. The Hisense U6G is available now through Best Buy, starting at $499 for the 50-inch model, $549 for the 55-inch, $749 for the 65-inch and $1,099 for the largest 75-inch model.
Hisense L5F Laser Cinema: Go huge with a 120-inch screen
If 75-inch models aren't big enough for your tastes, then the Hisense L5F Laser Cinema is the solution. A short-throw laser projector with 4K resolution and HDR capability, the L5F can project up to 120-inch images with theater quality.
The picture on the L5F Laser Cinema boasts a wide color gamut and smooth motion handling, all with built-in Wi-Fi and Android TV smart functions. The remote has a mic for voice control, complete with Amazon Alexa built-in, and Harman Kardon sound matches the picture with impeccable sound.
The Hisense L5F Laser Cinema projector is selling now for $4999 for the 120-inch option, and a smaller 100-inch projector for $3,799.
Other models announced: Hisense A6, R6 and R7 Series
Though not discussed in Hisense press event, the manufacturer hasn't forgotten the budget-friendly models that the Hisense name is known for. New Hisense models include the A6 Series Android TVs, and the R6 and R7 4K Roku TVs.
The Hisense A6 Series Android TVs offer budget-friendly models with plenty of smart features and screen sizes. The entire A6 line is on sale now, starting at $299 for a compact 43-inch model, and up to 75-inches for $849.
The R6 and R7 models will offer similar basic 4K features, with 60Hz refresh rates and basic HDR support, all running on either Roku TV software or Hisense's own VIDAA smart platform.
The Hisense R6 line will include 43-, 50-, 55-, 65- and 75-inch models, starting at $399 and up to $1,099 for the largest model. The similar Hisense R7 will also begin selling this fall, starting at $429 for the smallest 43-inch model and up to $829 for a 65-inch size.
