Hisense has truly stepped up its game in the home entertainment arena, diving deep into Mini LED TV technology. The brand proudly unveils an extensive line-up, featuring three distinct Mini LED TV series. These range from sleek 55-inch models all the way up to stunning 100-inch behemoths, making sure there's a perfect fit for every living room.

Among these innovative offerings, the U6KQT series stands out as a fascinating option. This series represents a bold move towards making high-quality Mini LED technology accessible to more budget-conscious consumers. It effectively strips back some of the more premium features, offering us a glimpse into the raw power and potential of Mini LED technology. Here, we see the significant impact that using ultra-small LED lights can have, showcasing how they elevate picture quality, even in a more affordable package.

Exploring the Hisense 65U6KQT: A Value-Packed Mini LED Adventure

Step into the world of vivid, dynamic viewing with the Hisense 65U6KQT, where cutting-edge Mini LED technology meets affordability. With a price tag that's hard to beat for a 65-inch screen—just £799 in the UK and a tempting $1599 in Australia—this TV is shaping up to be a real game-changer in home entertainment. It’s not just any TV; it’s a Mini LED marvel that promises an outstanding viewing experience without burning a hole in your pocket. Despite its attractive price, there are a few trade-offs to consider, but the value proposition is still strong.

In the US, the Hisense 65U6KQT is available for an astonishing $600. However, it's important to note that the US version sports some differences, most notably in its smart TV platform and the type of LCD panel it uses. Unlike its UK/Australian counterparts, which utilize the VIDAA system, the US model embraces Google TV. Moreover, it opts for a VA style LCD panel, distinguished here, rather than the IPS panel found in the UK version, marking an essential consideration for potential buyers across the pond.

Design

Stepping into the aesthetic realm, the Hisense U6KQT sports a look that's easy on the eyes, though it might not revolutionize the TV design landscape. The bezel, or frame, encasing the screen strikes a fine balance between slimness and visibility, capped off with a dark finish that's more about class than flash. Perched on blade-style feet, this TV presents a svelte profile head-on, though it's slightly more apparent from a side glance - not that it detracts from its overall sleekness.

The TV's back panel might seem a bit more robust compared to the ultra-slim designs out there, but it carries its own unique charm. With an intriguing blend of striped and smooth textures, the rear design adds a touch of sophistication, making it appealing even from behind - a rare feat for television sets. Wall mounters might note the depth, but it stands as no hurdle for the stand enthusiasts among us.

When it comes to build quality, the 65U6KQT holds its ground well, especially considering its price point. The mainly plastic construction feels light, indicative of the Mini LED technology within, yet remains reassuringly sturdy under hand.

In the realm of controls, the accompanying remote maintains the lightweight theme, crafted primarily from plastic. However, it distinguishes itself with a thoughtful layout, boasting direct access buttons to popular streaming services like Netflix, Freeview Play, Apple TV+, Pluto TV, Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube, and Rakuten TV, ensuring your favorite content is just a click away.

Features

Offering a blend of affordability and high-end technology, the Hisense 65U6KQT stands out for its combination of Mini LED lighting, local backlight dimming, and vibrant Quantum Dot colors. It brings a balance between cost and performance to the forefront.

With Mini LEDs, this model achieves superior light control compared to traditional LEDs, complemented by its local dimming system which boasts 192 separately controlled backlight zones. Though not the highest by Hisense standards, for an affordably priced Mini LED TV, it's an impressive feature.

The use of Quantum Dot color technology allows for a broader color gamut, enhancing the visual experience. Hisense's promise of up to 600 nits of peak brightness makes the 65U6KQT a compelling option for those looking for quality without breaking the bank. Find out more about its brightness capabilities here.

However, the 65U6KQT does have its constraints, notably its IPS panel and 60Hz refresh rate. The IPS panel may not deliver the deepest blacks compared to VA panels but excels in color accuracy from various viewing angles. Meanwhile, the lack of 120Hz gaming support is mitigated by features such as 120Hz gaming, VRR, and ALLM switching, enhancing the gaming experience within its capabilities.

In comparison to its direct competitor, TCL’s C745K, the 65U6KQT holds its ground with its Mini LED lighting and Quantum Dot color technology, despite having a lower refresh rate for gaming.

The integration of the Hi-View picture processing engine, now with AI elements, enables the 65U6KQT to adapt and optimize picture quality dynamically. This is especially evident in its color management and HD content upscaling capabilities.

Powered by Hisense’s own VIDAA platform, the smart features of the 65U6KQT are both intuitive and content-rich, offering a wide array of streaming services under a simple, user-friendly interface.

For its price range, the 65U6KQT offers a solid array of connections, including three HDMIs, showcasing its value as an accessible yet feature-rich option for consumers.

Unveiling Vibrant Visuals: A Closer Look

Exploring the visual prowess of modern TVs, we find ourselves dissecting the capabilities of Mini LED technology combined with ample local dimming zones versus the inherent contrast limitations of IPS screens, specifically in models like the UK 65U6KQT. The reality is, despite technological advancements, achieving the coveted deep blacks and contrast akin to the best VA LCD screens remains a challenge for IPS displays. This discrepancy becomes apparent in darker scenes, which tend to portray a less convincing depth, appearing somewhat flat and greyish.

Comparing side by side with the TCL 55C745K, differences in black level depth and scene contrast become evident. While the Hisense model doesn’t draw attention to blooming—the unintended halo effect around bright objects—due to its generally lighter black levels, the contrast in scenes with a dynamic range of bright and dark elements fails to impress as the backlight struggles to balance the extremes.

Color representation poses another obstacle. The Standard preset, while delivering a generally pleasing visual experience, often pushes colors, especially reds, to an unwarranted intensity, leaving other colors looking lackluster. Dynamic mode exacerbates this saturation, veering towards an unrealistic portrayal. The HDR Day and Night presets aim for a more balanced color palette but fall short, appearing washed out and not adequately leveraging the TV’s local dimming capabilities, which affects the overall depth of scenes.

When placed against the TCL C745K, the Hisense consistently finds itself overshadowed in terms of brightness, color consistency, and detail sharpness, revealing a softer image quality potentially rooted in its contrast handling.

Yet, it’s not all dim for the Hisense. Bright scenes radiate with an energetic boldness when using the Standard preset, and the TV’s performance in handling motion, especially in movie content, stands out—an area where it even surpasses its TCL counterpart, despite lacking 120Hz support for gaming.

In conclusion, while the Hisense 65U6KQT showcases moments of brilliance, particularly in its price segment, its inconsistent color performance and the constraints of using an IPS panel limit its potential, positioning it as a commendable choice but with evident areas for improvement.

Sound Excellence

The Hisense 65U6KQT stands out for its impressive sound capabilities, managing to deliver a volume and clarity that exceeds expectations, even with its modest 20W output power rating. It showcases a dynamic range that brings action scenes to life, ensuring no detail is lost in the most intense moments.

This TV's sound performance defies its physical boundaries, with sound effects accurately projected beyond the frame of the TV. This is particularly evident when enjoying content mixed with Dolby Atmos, where the 65U6KQT provides a convincing illusion of vertical sound depth, adding an immersive dimension to your viewing experience.

It also scores high on bass response, reaching lows that many TVs in its price range struggle with, without compromising sound quality. While it's true that the higher frequencies could be sharper, the overall sound performance of the 65U6KQT is so satisfying that considering a soundbar becomes a pleasant possibility rather than a necessity.

Our Take

Discovering Hisense's endeavor to present large-screen Mini LED technology to a broader audience is indeed fascinating. While their 65U6KQT aims to shake things up, it falls slightly short of hitting the perfect balance. Nevertheless, it’s a bold move that showcases the brand's commitment to innovation and accessibility in home entertainment.