Hisense U6G ULED TV review

One minute review

The Hisense U6G may not offer all the fancy bells and whistles you expect from more expensive options, but still offers excellent picture quality for a TV in this price range.

That is, these features include support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, etc.. The TV offers up to 600 nits of brightness, which is fine for most situations, and while the panels on this TV aren't too cohesive, you won't really notice any dots or bloom under normal viewing conditions.

The TV comes with Android TV from Google, which becomes increasingly responsive as TVs get more powerful. Not bad at all here, though you may have to wait a second or two every now and then, for the most part you'll be able to get to where you need to be in a timely manner.

Starting at €500 for the 50-inch model, you can't do much better in this price range, especially if you like Android TV or plan to use an external streaming device. Most competitors do not offer local dimming, they are not as bright or offer inferior software experience.

Price and release date

• The Hisense U6G is the cheapest of the new Hisense range.
• It starts at €500 for the 50-inch model and is available now.

The Hisense H6G is the cheapest in the Hisense 2021 TV lineup. It starts at just €500 for the 50-inch model and goes all the way up to €1,100 for the 75-inch model. It is now available on the Hisense and Best Buy website.

Here are the full names and prices of the models:

• The 50-inch Hisense 6U50G is available for €499.99.
• The 55-inch Hisense 6U55G is available for €549.99
• The 65-inch Hisense 6U65G is available for €749.99
• The 75-inch Hisense 6U75G is available for €1,199.99.

Design

• The Hisense U6G looks relatively nice, but its design is a bit basic.
• The remote is a bit more in 2021, especially compared to a Roku TV remote or an Apple TV remote.
• The legs are made of plastic, but you will only notice it if you look closely.

The Hisense U6G may be at the budget end of the company's revamped TV lineup, but it still offers a solid design. No, it's not as fancy as a much more expensive TV might be, but the bezels are still relatively thin, the legs are sleek, overall the TV looks good. The glasses, feet, and everything else are made of black or dark gray materials, and they generally look good.

The feet themselves are plastic., unlike other TVs in this price range; however, it's not cheap plastic and should be able to hold the TV just fine. It doesn't look cheap from a distance or at a glance, so customers won't be able to tell plastic is involved unless they get up close.

On the back of the TV you will get all of your ports and connections. The TV offers a total of 4 HDMI ports, 3 of which face to the side and 1 to the rear. You'll also get optical out for audio, two USB ports for power, an Ethernet port, and AV ports. That's a solid selection of ports and more than enough for streaming devices, game consoles, and more.

The design of the remote is perfectly fine, but it's a bit dated. In a world of simplified Apple TV and Google Chromecast remotes, the U6G's remote control is a bit intimidating. You'll get full channel controls, software controls, Google Assistant controls, quick access buttons for 6 streaming services, volume controls and more.

Overall, the Hisense U6G and the remote have a solid design. This is a budget TV and you won't get a high-end design, but the design here will still look great in most homes.

(Image credit: Hisense)

Smart TV (Android TV)

• Android TV was slow and sluggish on everything except high-end TVs, but not bad on the Hisense U6G.
• Excellent integration with the Google product ecosystem and the integrated Google Assistant.

The Hisense U6G comes with Android TV, which fits perfectly into Google's ecosystem of products, and it's working pretty well right now. There have been years where Android TV performed sluggishly and poorly on all but the high-end TVs, but thankfully that has changed over the past year. Of course, streaming devices like the Apple TV 4K are always much more responsive, but you will be able to navigate to Android TV with relative ease.

The remote offers controls for your smart TV, but the way you control your TV out of the box isn't that smart. By default, it works by infrared, which means it requires a line of sight, but to use some of the smart features, like the Google Assistant, you will be prompted to pair the remote via Bluetooth. It's a little weird that you have to pair the remote manually and it really should pair right out of the box.

For the uninitiated, Android TV basically offers a row of apps at the top of the user interface., along with rows of content for each app below. It's a solidly designed interface, and if you've never used it before you'll get used to it.

Likewise, app support is pretty good. Android TV is compatible with most major appsincluding Netflix, Hulu, HBO, YouTube, and more, and there are even recommendations based on shows and movies you've already seen.

(Image credit: Hisense)

Image quality

• The Hisense U6G supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 + and HLG
• For basic use, the U6G offers excellent image quality, although it doesn't have the most consistent panel.

Hisense's ULED technology has been a success, ULED TVs offer vivid colors and deep black levels on a budget, and the Hisense U6G is no exception. The TV offers 4K resolution, supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG, and 60 local dimming zones to ensure deeper, more natural black levels.

The H6G is at the lower end of Hisense's new TV lineup, but it still offers excellent picture quality for a TV in its price range.

The TV offers a variety of picture modes for different viewing preferences. Out of the box, you'll get seven HDR modes, including a game mode and a sport mode. Most of the time I kept it on standard HDR, which provided more than enough brightness for my usually dark living room. If you feel comfortable doing so, we recommend that you experiment with the display modes to find the best one for your situation.

Then, What are the pros and cons of buying the lowest-end TV in the new Hisense lineup? Well, while 60 dimming zones is fine, it's no wonder, and you'll get more from Hisense's more expensive offerings. This should reduce blooming - on the U6G, there was blooming around bright objects, especially near the edges of the screen. You'll get a more consistent experience. On the U6G there were spots, again mostly near the edges.

But the truth is, without an eagle eye, and on regular viewing, you're unlikely to actually notice these issues, and given the price range, the TV still displays wonderfully bright, vivid, and contrasting images.

Now the TV only offers excellent picture quality. I mean, pay a little more and you can get the U7G, which has the 120Hz panel, HDMI 2.1, and VRR technology that might appeal to gamers. If you are looking for bells and whistles, the Hisense U6G is not the TV for you, but if all you care about is a good viewing experience, you'll get it here.

Viewing HDR compatible content like Tiny World from Apple TV + has been an immersive and beautiful experience. Viewing low resolution content is also a decent experience. The TV's upscaling tech is pretty good, and while not surprising, you'll definitely forget that you're not watching 4K content as long as the original source is around 1080p.

(Image credit: Hisense)

Audio performance

• As with most TVs in this price range, if you can afford it, you should get a soundbar or a pair of speakers to use with this TV.
• Still, the speakers aren't terrible, although they don't offer a ton of bass or much detail at the high end.

The Hisense U6G is a visual powerhouse in the price range, but what about the audio? Well, it gets the job done, but as is often the case with budget TVs, if you can afford to buy a pair of speakers or a sound bar, you should.

Now That doesn't mean the audio quality here is terrible.. It is now, and in fact, without having a previous generation Hisense TV to compare the U6G to, it looks like Hisense's budget TVs are getting better.

The speakers on this TV can make a lot of noise, so much so that I've rarely gotten past level 15, except for testing purposes. At higher volumes you will experience some distortion, but in normal listening it's not too bad. You won't get a lot of bass or detail in the high end, but as mentioned, the speakers here will get the job done in a pinch.

Should you buy the Hisense U6G ULED TV?

(Image credit: Hisense)

Buy it if ...

You just want excellent image quality

If you just want solid picture quality without too many extra bells and whistles, this TV is the way to go. It looks great, it supports the major HDR standards and more.

You are a google fan

The Hisense U6G doesn't just look great, it also has Android TV built-in. This means it will integrate with the rest of your Google devices and has the Google Assistant built in, which you can use to control all your connected smart home devices.

Don't buy it if ...

You are a player who wants the bells and the whistles

A step up will bring you the Hisense U7G, which gives you a 120Hz panel with variable refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 support, and more. It costs between €200 and €300 more expensive than the U6G, depending on the size you want, but for some it will be worth it.

You have more money to spend

Let's be clear: the Hisense U6G is one of the best TVs in this price range, but if you have a lot more to spend there are better options. Some of these options are from Hisense itself, while others are from Vizio and Samsung.