The first budget-friendly mini-LED TV is a winner for Hisense (2024)

The Hisense U6K is bringing mini-LEDs to the masses.

The U6K is the most affordable TV I’ve ever seen to offer mini-LEDs, and because of their inclusion, the U6K is able to tamp down on some of the performance-related quirks that typically haunt TVs in this price range. It’s not the brightest TV on the block, but it’s consistently bright enough for daytime viewing. Its superb contrast (and range of support for various HDR formats) also makes it a great choice for movie night.

Some concessions do have to be made at this price point, however. The U6K arrives with the same motion-related, red color-fringing I’ve seen on nearly all Hisense TVs in the past few years, and the overall design of the U6K feels a bit chintzy.

Still, the U6K ought to be celebrated for bringing mini-LEDs to an affordable price point. Their inclusion truly has a considerable impact on picture quality, and with any luck, the U6K will be the first in a long line of affordable mini-LED TVs.

About the Hisense U6K

The Hisense U6K is available in just three sizes ranging from 55 to 85 inches. Our review unit is a 65-inch model we received on loan from Hisense.

In recent years, Hisense TVs have hit shelves at prices lower than their MSRP. The U6K is no different, and we expect the 55-inch model to start at $499, despite its MSRP of around $580. Here’s how the rest of the series shakes out:

• 55-inch (Hisense 55U6K), MSRP $579.99 (everyday price $499)
• 65-inch (Hisense 65U6K), MSRP $799.99 (everyday price $649)
• 75-inch (Hisense 75U6K), MSRP $1,199.99 (everyday price $849)
• 85-inch (Hisense 85U6K), MSRP $1,799.99 (everyday price $1,399)

While we don’t expect there to be major differences in performance between these sizes, it’s worth noting that, typically, each size variant of a mini-LED TV series features a different amount of dimming zones. A difference in zone count could spell slight differences in how a TV performs.

However, while bigger sizes in an mini-LED TV series usually feature a higher number of dimming zones, the number of zones tends to increase proportionally to a TV’s size.

Hisense U6K specs

• Resolution: 4K (3,840 x 2,160)
• Display type: Mini-LED with quantum dots
• HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
• Dolby Atmos: Yes
• eARC support: Yes
• Color: DCI-P3 color space/8-bit plus frame rate control (FRC)
• Native refresh rate: 60Hz
• Smart platform: Google TV
• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR): Yes
• Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM): Yes
• Other features: Filmmaker Mode, Game Mode, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay, Apple Home

The U6K arrives with the Google TV smart platform baked right in. It’s a relatively straightforward software experience that offers plenty of flexibility for casual and heavy users alike, thanks to a vast library of downloadable software (should the pre-installed apps not suffice).

Like most smart platforms, Google TV is saddled with a hefty amount of sponsored and recommended content on its home screen, so you’ll have to get used to navigating around potentially unwanted content. Fortunately, the navigation process is pretty easy, as the user interface is intuitive and the software runs at a speedy clip.

Connectivity

Being a budget-friendly TV, the U6K doesn’t offer HDMI 2.1 support. If you’re looking for a TV that supports 4K gaming at 120Hz, you’ll have to spend up on a higher-end TV.

Here’s what you’ll find in a cutout on the back of its panel:

• 4x HDMI 2.0 (4K @ 60Hz, 1x HDMI ARC/eARC)
• 2x USB 2.0
• RF connection (cable/antenna)
• Ethernet (LAN) input
• Digital audio output (optical)
• 3.5mm headphone jack

Performance Data

Before testing each TV, we make sure the panel is on and receiving a continuous signal for at least 2 hours. Our 65-inch U6K received this standard warm-up time before any readings were taken. In addition, the TV received the latest firmware updates at the time of testing.

For both SDR and HDR tests, we’re using the TV’s Filmmaker picture mode. We’ve chosen this setting because of its accuracy, but performance may vary depending on which picture mode is enabled. For example, you might experience a brighter picture with a different mode enabled, but it may negatively affect color temperature and overall color accuracy.

For additional context, I conducted tests using Hisense’s Theater Day picture mode, but those tests are not reported below.

To get a sense of the TV’s average performance, we use a standard ANSI checkerboard pattern for most of our basic contrast tests. We also use white and black windows ranging from 2% to 100% to test how well the contrast holds up while displaying varying degrees of brightness.

Our peak brightness measurements are taken with sustained windows ranging in size from 2% to 100% (full screen) to represent the TV’s peak brightness over a sustained period of time. Specular highlights (like brief flashes of reflected light) might reach higher brightness levels, but not for sustained periods of time.

All of our tests are created with a Murideo Seven 8K signal generator and tabulated via Portrait Displays’ Calman Ultimate color calibration software.

I'll expand on our test results throughout the review, but for now, here are some key takeaways:

• HDR contrast (brightness/black level): 443.4 nits/0.054 nits (ANSI checkerboard)
• SDR contrast (brightness/black level): 433 nits/0.054 nits (ANSI checkerboard)
• HDR peak brightness (sustained): 659.1 nits (50% white window)
• HDR color gamut coverage (DCI-P3 1976 uv/10-bit): 96.51%
• HDR color gamut coverage (BT.2020 1976 uv): 73.6%
• SDR color gamut coverage (Rec.709): 99.4%

Before testing, I ensured that the U6K’s HDMI Format setting was toggled to Enhanced for the input in use. This setting can be accessed by pressing the remote control’s hamburger button (a button depicting three horizontal lines) and selecting HDMI Format from the list of options. I also disabled the TV’s Automatic Light Sensor via the Backlight menu.

From within the Backlight menu, I also set the U6K’s Local Dimming setting to High in order to make the most of its full-array local dimming functionality. During SDR tests, the Backlight Level was set to its maximum of 100.

For all tests, the TV’s Color Temperature was set to Low, and the following settings were disabled: Motion Enhancement, Motion Clearness, Noise Reduction, Digital Noise Reduction, and Active Contrast.

What we like

A surprisingly bright TV for the cost

The U6K is one of the brighter TVs you’ll find in its price range, making it a great choice for viewers with brighter living spaces (or those who do most of their viewing during the day). It’s obviously not packing as much power as a pricier mini-LED TV, but it makes the most of its hardware across all content types.

While higher-end TVs with more sophisticated display hardware tend to be at their brightest when showcasing small, concentrated highlights, the U6K is at its brightest when most of the picture is taken up by bright content. This means that tiny specular highlights (like a shimmer of light across the surface of water) aren’t as punchy as they might be on a fancier TV, but the overall picture brightness is higher than what I typically see at this price point. On the U6K, a small, 2% white window in HDR measures around 400 nits, while a 50% white window in both HDR and SDR clocks in at around 660 nits.

The tradeoff, then, is a reliably bright picture—regardless of content type—at the expense of slightly more cinematic expression. It’s a tradeoff I’m perfectly happy to make, especially at this price point, where it so often feels like shoppers on a budget are stuck with options that might be too dim for daytime viewing in brighter-than-average rooms. The U6K’s approach ensures that everything from cable broadcasts to Netflix is bright enough to enjoy under most conditions.

Mini-LEDs on a budget

In recent years, mini-LED TVs have been sought after among A/V enthusiasts. The smaller stature of mini-LEDs typically allows for a higher degree of contrast control. The more dimming zones a TV has, the better equipped it is at managing its light output.

Up until now, if you wanted a mini-LED TV, you were most likely going to spend at least $700 for the technology—and that was for a 55-inch model. With the U6K, Hisense seeks to bring the benefits of mini-LEDs down to a price point that most people can justify.

The U6K does a bang-up job of limiting light bloom whenever bright and dark picture elements meet. Clouds of light can still be seen in extreme scenarios (like subtitles on a black background), but the addition of mini-LEDs goes a long way toward preserving a clean look whenever most of the picture is dark.

Obviously, if you’re looking for the best possible mini-LED performance, you’ll have to spend a bit more; there are only so many dimming zones available at this price point, after all. But the U6K marks the beginning of a new era in budget-friendly TVs, and I’m excited to see Hisense bringing the technology down to a lower price range. With any luck, this will compel the competition to do the same in years to come.

Quantum-dot color

The U6K pairs its mini-LEDs with quantum dots. Just a few years ago, these color-enhancing nanocrystals were only available in higher-end LED TVs, but they’ve since made their way into the mid-range price bracket, and the U6K is all the better for taking advantage of them.

The U6K covers an impressive 96% of the HDR color gamut (DCI-P3)—quite impressive for a $500 TV. In its most accurate SDR picture mode, the U6K carries a DeltaE (a measurement that ascertains perceptible color error) of around 4, which is pretty good, considering a measurement of 3 represents the threshold of what most viewers will notice. Its white point is noticeably cooler than it ought to be (even in its warmest color temperature setting), but I suspect that most people won’t be bothered by this, as it’s only noticeable in side-by-side comparisons.

It’s a decent gaming option for the price

The U6K isn’t a powerful gaming machine, but it’s more gaming-focused than many of its competitors. While most TVs in this price range support Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), the U6K takes it a step further with its support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), a feature that dynamically adjusts the display’s refresh rate to limit visual artifacts during gaming.

The U6K doesn’t support 4K gaming at 120Hz, but this isn’t something that should be held against it; for higher-level gaming support, you’ll have to shop for a TV in a higher price bracket.

If you’re a casual gamer with one or more current-gen consoles and you’ve already made peace with the fact that newer, 4K titles will be limited to 60Hz, the U6K is a sensible companion.

What we don’t like

Motion-related color fringing

Unfortunately, the U6K suffers from an issue I’ve seen in several Hisense TVs released in the last few years. A ghostly, red-colored fringe can sometimes be seen along the edge of people or objects in motion. I notice it along the edge of waving hands, swinging baseball bats, and cheekbones moving across the frame. The most frequent place I see the color fringing is in the shadow bordering a character’s hairline, particularly in darker sequences with warmer lighting.

Thankfully, it’s not persistent; it’s a subtle effect that doesn’t linger, and the colors and luminance of a given scene seem to determine whether or not it’s visible in the first place. But the potential to notice it is always there, whether you’re watching a Blu-ray, streaming a movie on Netflix, or just jumping around on YouTube, and it’s more prominent in sub-4K content, like older, full-HD Blu-rays.

I’d love to get to a point where this picture quirk isn’t something I expect to see on a Hisense branded TV, but the U6K won’t be the TV that finally shakes it.

Narrow viewing angle

Like most budget-friendly LED TVs with VA-style panels, the U6K begins to lose contrast and color saturation as soon as you move away from a direct, head-on viewing angle.

Because the U6K uses a fairly aggressive dimming algorithm to make the most of a modest number of mini-LED zones, the more distracting side effect of off-axis viewing comes in the form of light bloom. Bright picture elements against dark backgrounds (especially subtitles and title cards) are saddled with a pale, blue cloud of light if you’re sitting at a 30° angle or beyond.

Its economical design lacks polish

If there’s one area where the U6K wears its budget-friendly approach on its sleeve, it’s in the overall design of the TV. The chassis features a blend of thin plastic and clangy metal, and there’s a considerable amount of wobble due to the nature of the feet that hold the panel in place.

Its remote control gets the job done, but does so with no style whatsoever; the buttons are squishy and it doesn’t sit flat on a surface.

Most people shopping in this price range aren’t likely to be bothered by the U6K’s humble fit and finish, but I’d like to see a bit more care in the design of Hisense’s most affordable TVs.

Should you buy the Hisense U6K?

Yes, it’s one of the best value-forward TVs of the year

With the U6K, Hisense has officially thrown down the gauntlet in the arena of affordable TVs. This $500 TV in 2023 feels like a $700 TV in 2022, and I suspect that many of Hisense’s competitors will follow suit by bringing mini-LEDs to some of their more affordable offerings in 2024. This will likely be its claim to fame.

But the U6K is more than just a milestone; it’s also a really good TV for the price. It doesn’t showcase HDR as well as, say, the TCL QM8 or last year’s TCL 6-Series, but it offers a reliably bright picture no matter the content. Thanks to its implementation of mini-LEDs, it’s also considerably better than its predecessor, the Hisense U6H.

It’ll be interesting to see how the U6K stacks up against competitively priced TVs like the Samsung Q60C and the TCL Q6. Both of these competitors don’t use mini-LEDs, but they might offer better picture processing than the U6K, given the histories of all parties involved.

Still, if you’re able to set aside the U6K’s quirks, you’ll find a reliably bright TV with solid picture quality. It’s one of the best value-forward TVs of the year, especially if you’re upgrading to 4K for the first time.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.