Verdict
An honest mid-range Mini LED TV from Hisense that’s able to wealthy, punchy colors, however suffers from common distinction and an absence of brightness. Think about aggressively priced options and the U6K struggles to face out from the group.
Professionals
- Good upscaling
- Dolby Imaginative and prescient help
- Simple to make use of sensible interface
- Adjustable ft design
Cons
- Not the sharpest 4K streaming efficiency
- Restricted brightness and distinction
- Flat audio
- No HDMI 2.1 help
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Mini LED backlight192 dimming zones for higher distinction and extra exact brightness -
Hello-View EngineOptimises distinction, movement, and backbone in real-time -
VIDAA UHisense’s sensible interface with entry to Netflix, Disney+ et al
Introduction
In the previous few years, Hisense has been on the up and up, rising as competitors for the extra established TV manufacturers with their worth oriented TVs.
However just lately they’ve encroached into the extra premium market within the UK, first with the A9H OLED, then with the U8K and U7K Mini LED TVs. The 65U6KTUK is one other Mini LED in its 2023 lineup, extra affordably priced however hoping to provide patrons that punchy HDR picture and all-round efficiency.
A funds winner or not fairly the sum of its components? Let’s discover out.
Design
- Backlight bleeding at wider angles
- Adjustable ft place
- Elegantly unassuming appears
Sensible is one phrase to use to the Hisense 65U6KTUK’s design. Elegantly unassuming are two extra that wouldn’t be misplaced describing the U6K’s appears both.
It options all of the hallmarks you’d anticipate from a TV in 2023: skinny bezels that don’t encroach on the display, adjustable ft placement (in direction of the center and out to the perimeters), and a slim(ish) depth of 75mm, aided by its Mini LED backlight, although, it’s not a lot thinner than the non-Mini LED A7G from a couple of years in the past.
Stood on its ft there’s a slight wobble that if I known as it deliberate could be beneficiant. It is perhaps the case of not tightening the screws to the fullest, however however, it’s not a problem until you’re brushing previous this display in a decent spot. There’s a slot at the back of the ft to push cables by way of and hold the realm behind the TV free from muddle.
It’s solely out there in 55- and 65-inch sizes (the latter is the one I’m reviewing). Regardless of the declare of broad viewing angles, that’s not strictly true, a minimum of not so with HDR content material. From straight on the Hisense U6K tends to be fantastic with stable black ranges and distinction.
At wider angles there’s backlight bleeding (a pale blue-ish mild in areas of the display), which is disappointing given the presence of the Mini LED backlight. Reflections are additionally distinguished – watch any darkish scene and you might even see your self in it too.
Software program
- Simple to traverse
- Freeview Play integration
- Chunky distant
The VIDDA U isn’t a TV UI that will get a lot point out, however I just like the simplicity of it.
Navigation from right here to there’s apparent, I didn’t expertise any lag or slowdown and whereas there are many paid / subscription on-demand apps, VIDDA additionally gives plenty of free channels with curated picks within the VIDDA Free part.
All the massive video streaming apps are included, and many of the huge 4 are offered of their optimum Dolby Imaginative and prescient / Atmos varieties, with Disney+ missing Atmos help (it’s solely as much as 5.1). UK viewers are additionally coated with Freeview Play, the likes of iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and others are current and accounted for.
On the highest row are icons that hyperlink to sources, settings, notifications, account, and so forth., and the menu offers explanations for what every setting does. Netflix nonetheless takes pole place by way of placement for apps, there’s a huge advert entrance and centre on this full-screen interface, and – in the meanwhile – directs customers to the app retailer, which isn’t too intrusive. Content material is the main target, and VIDDA U makes it simple sufficient to dive in and discover.
The Hisense 65U6KTUK comes with simply the one distant, and it’s not one I’m enamoured with. Button presses are stiff, some presses don’t all the time reply, and it’s sizable distant – a minimum of it’s not one you’d lose behind the cushions.
Buttons are properly laid out, however I want the distant wasn’t so chunky. There may be the choice of turning your smartphone right into a distant with the Distant Now app. It may be used to set the TV up throughout first boot up, however for no matter purpose it will not connect with the TV.
Options
- ALLM and VRR help
- Not compatibility with HDMI 2.1
- Voice assistant choices
For avid gamers there’s auto low latency mode on all HDMI ports, so you could possibly plug your gaming console or PC into any out there port. Variable Refresh Charge (VRR) can also be on each single port, bringing the advantages of a extra fluid image and decrease lag with a VRR enabled sport. Basically, enter lag is 16.5ms, which is stable however slower than what I measured on the A7G.
There’s Alexa and Google voice assistant smarts, however neither are native to the TV and require different appropriate units to be related to the U6K to make the most of any voice management. Hisense does present its personal choice with its ‘Hey VIDDA’ shout out from the distant.
Connectivity quantities to 3 HDMI inputs, fewer than I’d have favored they usually all help the HDMI 2.0 commonplace, which implies you gained’t get 4K/120Hz (the Hisense U6K’s display is locked to 60Hz anyway). HDMI 3 is compliant with the eARC commonplace, which permits for passthrough of full fats Dolby and DTS soundtracks to a appropriate soundbar.
There are two USB inputs, Ethernet, Satellite tv for pc / Antenna RF inputs, CI+ 1.4, digital optical out, 3.5mm audio output and an AV composite 3.5mm enter. There’s Wi-Fi (DLNA, Anyview Forged) and Bluetooth 5.1 for connecting to the TV wirelessly.
Image-wise the Hisense U6K has the Mini LED backlight that separates the display into smaller zones – I counted 176 zones, nevertheless it appears like I missed a row as data on-line signifies 192. These zones enable its processor to have extra exact management over distinction, brightness, and color inside these areas. The Hello-View AI engine chip dictates that efficiency in real-time, boosting the image, decision, and movement.
The Quantum Dot color panel assists in producing a variety of colors, whereas HDR help contains HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Although there’s point out of Filmmaker mode and HDR10+, neither of these modes have been current.
For audio there’s Dolby Atmos however don’t anticipate whizz-bang sonics with sounds showing above and to the perimeters of the TV – it actually quantities to improved processing and the flexibility to ship Atmos tracks to a soundbar that may cope with them with extra aptitude.
Image High quality
- Common distinction
- Restricted brightness
- Good upscaling efficiency
Although its product web page signifies as much as 600 nits of brightness, in actual world phrases, peak brightness with HDR content material hits 499 nits on a full-screen sample. On a ten% window, brightness hits 449 nits in Dynamic mode or 415 nits in Commonplace. Precise sustained brightness is decrease than these peak figures, too.
In easier phrases, the Hisense U6K isn’t the brightest TV out of the field with HDR10 and HLG content material. Small vivid objects (fires, automobile headlights, and so forth) aren’t provided with a large amount of brightness, and whereas from a head-on place black ranges could be robust, it’s the shortage of general brightness that leads to a median distinction in displaying the distinction between deep blacks and vivid highlights.
Watching HLG HDR content material on iPlayer and hues can look boring, distinction is much less pronounced, and complexions look on the pale aspect. It appears okay, however lacks pleasure.
It’s not the sharpest trying picture both. Regardless of some Dolby Imaginative and prescient help, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 on Disney+ can look darkish even within the TV’s Dolby Imaginative and prescient Vibrant mode. There are occasions when HDR colors lack punch on this set, however the lack of sharpness – a minimum of with streaming content material – doesn’t assist issues.
Retrieval of element in darker scenes is under par too. Watching the Rings of Energy on Prime Video (Dolby Imaginative and prescient) and in darkish scenes there’s black ranges the Hisense U6K can’t peer into.
Transferring to Babylon on 4K Blu-ray (HDR10) and there are cases of overly heat pores and skin complexions, a pink push that turns some characters beetroot pink within the scene the place the movie crew try to report sound for the primary time – there’s too a lot punch and saturation on this occasion – whereas black crush is obvious within the night-time sky and black fits of a lavish Hollywood celebration.
However when the Hisense U6K will get issues proper, it’s able to dazzling with its photographs. Whereas Babylon in HDR10 doesn’t have the best steadiness, in Dolby Imaginative and prescient it appears completely hanging. The wealthy reds, golden oranges, pinks, and blues come out robust, pores and skin tones are fleshed out extra naturally, blacks are richer and furnished with extra element. It brings out the stunning colors on this disc.
A 4K Blu-ray of Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity places in a transparent, sharp 4K image, however the HDR10 model can endure from crushed blacks in comparison with the Dolby Imaginative and prescient model on Disney+, which isn’t as sharp however options extra expressive pores and skin tones. It’s a slight pickle the Hisense U6K finds itself in.
It’s on extra assured floor with SDR and upscaling lower than 4K content material. Watching a DVD of Sin Metropolis and whereas it appears processed with an absence of fantastic element (and a slight inexperienced tone to some blacks), there’s much less noise and fuzziness than I anticipated with some decently delineated edges and features.
A DVD of Zodiac reveals up the identical qualities with barely fuzzy edges, tender textures, and slightly blurriness with motion – the Hello View processor has issue defining objects within the background of pictures which look jagged, however there’s nothing overly egregious right here with the upscaling, particularly for a 65-inch TV.
Colors look pure and correct when viewing in Cinema Day mode however in different cooler modes reminiscent of Commonplace, Dynamic and Sport, blue and inexperienced tones are exacerbated to the purpose the place the entire picture appears unnatural. Stick to Cinema Day and it’s a way more correct and balanced image.
It’s a step up in readability, sharpness, and element with Blu-rays of Spider-Man and Kong: Cranium Island. Spider-Man is a showcase of excellent, principally natural-looking colors although reds can look slightly vivid. There’s nonetheless that facet of it trying barely processed regardless that I’ve turned off the movement smoothing, however the movie’s inherent movie grain isn’t handled as noise, there’s plenty of readability and element, and black ranges are strongly outlined in SDR.
Cranium Island is one other winningly vibrant efficiency with wide-ranging and assorted colors; mixture of deep, saturated colors and lighter, subtler ones for an enticing picture. The Hisense U6K places in a greater balanced SDR image than the Amazon Fireplace TV Omni QLED.
The set’s movement processing wants some tweaking – Commonplace could be noisy with quick digicam strikes, however play with the settings and a stable compromise could be discovered with Judder set at 3 factors and Blur at 2.
General there’s a good image efficiency to be wrung from the U6K, however there are caveats.
Sound High quality
- A number of modes to select from
- Flat efficiency
- Good vocal readability
The Hisense U6K pumps out audio from its two-channel speaker system in a crisp tone, offering good readability to voices. Whereas there’s bass, there’s not a lot of it, the general efficiency lacks depth and extension, which isn’t surprising from a flatscreen TV.
There are a number of modes to select from, however the Theatre mode brings essentially the most engagement – the presentation is slightly bolder and energetic, wider too in addition to spacious, with a good steadiness between music, dialogue, and results in a movie reminiscent of Kong: Cranium Island, however very like attempting to run away from a 104ft gorilla, there’s no escaping it’s a flat and skinny soundstage.
The Music preset sounds the largest and most energetic, Speech mode induces slightly sibilance with its sharp tone, with the Commonplace mode okay, however for essentially the most half the Hisense U6K’s sound is unremarkable, and at quantity degree 50 it doesn’t really feel vastly loud. It’s the kind of efficiency the place budgeting for a soundbar ought to be thought-about.
Newest offers
Do you have to purchase it?
In the event you watch Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material
The Hisense U6K is a good Mini LED TV and performs finest with Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material.
Ultimate Ideas
The Hisense 65U6KTUK is a reliable TV, an reasonably priced effort that’s a 7/10 in most facets however with the appropriate content material it will probably dazzle.
Although it’s armed with a Mini LED backlight, its HDR efficiency is proscribed by its lack of brightness. And although it has Dolby Imaginative and prescient to help the picture, with streaming content material there’s a common lack of sharpness that makes for barely boring footage. Give the Hisense U6K a 4K Blu-ray and it will probably flourish with wealthy colors however there are caveats with its common distinction and restricted black ranges.
Different choices embrace the aggressively priced TCL C845K, Amazon Fireplace TV Omni QLED, and even Hisense’s personal U7K mannequin. You’re not missing for selection and once you have a look at what else is accessible, the Hisense U6K doesn’t fairly stand out from the group.
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We take a look at each tv we assessment completely over an prolonged time frame. We use business commonplace exams to match options correctly. We’ll all the time let you know what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to assessment a product.
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Examined with actual world use
FAQs
Regardless of being listed as supporting HDR10+, the UK model of the Hisense U6K doesn’t seem to help it. Our suspicion is that the US model does embrace it, in addition to Filmmaker mode, which can also be absent from the UK model.
