Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The Hisense H8G ULED TV is an affordable TV that manages to cram in some premium features including 4K, Dolby Visions and HDR10+ as well as the Android TV OS.

Pros

+
Affordable price
+
Dolby Vision and Atmos
+
Bright, colorful

Cons

-
Basic design
-
OS could be faster
-
No HDMI 2.1

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The Hisense H8G ULED TV is an affordable way to get a high-quality 4K television without the premium price that some screens demand.

Despite undercutting the competition, the Hisense H8G still comes in among the best TVs you can buy right now. That's thanks to the smarts of this ULED display which offers lots of brightness, making it ideal for daytime viewing while also offering rich colors. It is also capable of displaying Dolby Vision and HDR10+, which means the best quality picture feeds.

That low price does mean you're going to see other cuts elsewhere though, like in the design, lack of HDMI 2.1 and Android TV OS speed, but they're minor gripes with what you get for your buck here.

Read on to find out if the Hisense H8G ULED TV is for you.

Hisense H8G ULED TV review: Picture

Very bright
Rich colors
Dolby Vision

The Hisense H8G ULED TV is bright so don't let that 700 nits peak make you think it's low compared to the Samsung competition. Despite being lower brightness in the raw numbers, the Hisense H8G manages that power very well to offer plenty of punch but without affecting the color quality.

Tech Specs

Average price: $400 - $1,400
Sizes available: 50", 55", 65" and 75"
Screen type: ULED
4K ready? Yes
8K ready? No
HDR type: Dolby Vision
Audio type: Dolby Digital Plus
HDMI connections: 4
Other connections: 2 x USB, 1 x Ethernet, Digital and analog audio out, Headphone out, Composite in, Tuner.

Hisense uses its Quantum Dot Wide Color Gamut to offer very punchy colors which really do take advantage of that 12-bit color feed from Dolby Vision content on the likes of Netflix and Disney+.

Expect very intense details from the 4K resolution which employs that balance of color and brightness to bring images to life in impressive and immersive quality.

The smoothness is also worth a mention as this is a gaming friendly setup with great smooth motion. The MotionRate 240 helps with this to get that ultra smooth finish. This is still 60Hz just with some clever processing going on.

Hisense H8G ULED TV review: Sound

Clear dialogue
Virtual surround
Dolby Atmos

The Hisense H8G ULED TV packs in the latest Dolby Atmos sound support which is ideal for a surround system that can take advantage of it. The TV itself does a good job of creating virtual surround sound too.

The virtual surround sound does give a 360-degree feel to audio, as far as a screen with fixed speakers can do. That said, it does do well to bring out the voices on screen, something which is crucial especially if your TV is wall mounted where audio can sometimes be muffled.

There are plenty of audio modes that allow you to vary settings which are helpful as in its default setup this TV favors bass and vocals, ideal for movies and shows, but not mid tones, so it's not great for listening to music.

Ideally this TV will work well hooked up to one of best soundbars or a complete home theater system. A Dolby Atmos specific unit is how you'll really get the best out of the audio output on this TV.

Hisense H8G ULED TV review: Design and build

Google Assistant and Alexa
Android TV
Chromecast

While the physical design of the Hisense H8G isn't going to change the way televisions are made, it does looks decent. The bezel is minimal, the metallic stand is attractive and the thickness is kept to a minimum for a ULED. The remote still needs work as its very basic but you've got to make a saving somewhere. That said, the dedicated Netflix and YouTube buttons are welcome.

What is impressive is the software thanks to that Android TV OS onboard. That means this comes with a whole host of apps like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Hulu and more, with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. But it also means you get the intelligent Google Assistant or Alexa onboard.

As a result, voice search is a genuinely useful feature on this TV. Control your smart home and wider smart gadget world using the voice assistant you decide to set the TV up with. With Chromecast also built into the TV it makes a great new speaker addition to the room for music even without the TV on, or for slinging YouTube videos directly to the screen from your phone.

While Android TV is great and streaming works faultlessly, the skipping about through menus did lag at times which was a little worrying. Thankfully we never had a full-on crash problem, just a bit of waiting required at times.

The lack of HDMI 2.1 or eARC may be deal breakers for some that want to be future-proof. If you want the best out of a next-gen console with 120Hz refresh rates, for example, this TV won't be for you.

Should you buy the Hisense H8G?

If you want a top-end quality TV with impressive brightness, colors and smooth motion without the steep price tag then the Hisense H8G is ideal. Not only does it compete with the competition it even outdoes it on some levels with that Dolby Vision, Google Assistant and Chromecast all built-in.

If you want more future-proof features like HDMI 2.1 or eARC then you may want to look elsewhere.

Luke is a veteran tech journalist with decades of experience covering everything from TVs, power tools, science and health tech to VPNs, space, gaming and cars. You may recognize him from appearances on plenty of news channels or have read his words which have been published in most tech titles over the years. In his spare time (of which he has little as a father of two) Luke likes yoga, surfing, meditation, DIY and consuming all the books, comics and movies he can find.

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