Hisense has just taken the wraps off its new 8K flagship ULED TV, the Hisense U800GR, which costs significantly less than other 8K TVs on the market.
Available starting December 8, the 75-inch model will come in at $2,699.99 at Best Buy and Amazon - around $1,000 less than the 75-inch Samsung QN800A and $2,500 less than the Samsung QN900A, Samsung’s two latest 8K TVs.
The only 8K TV we know about with a comparable price tag is the TCL 6-Series 8K Roku TV (R648) that was released earlier this year and shares many of the same specs as Hisense’s U800GR.
According to a press release sent to TechRadar, the U800GR comes with 180 local dimming zones - frighteningly fewer than its 4K flagship Hisense U9DG that has upwards of 2,000,000 - and will support both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
The TV has a native 120Hz refresh rate plus auto low latency game mode and Variable Refresh Rate technology as well as at least two HDMI 2.1 ports.
Analysis: Cheaper, but maybe not better…
As folks will be quick to point out, Samsung’s 8K TVs are so expensive because they use Mini LED instead of a traditional LED backlight. That gives them better lighting control and contrast than other LED TVs and puts them closer to OLED in terms of black levels. That would make a world of difference on a TV of this size.
Also, because we’re not expecting native 8K content anytime in the near future, there’s also the challenge of upscaling sub-8K content - something we’ve noticed Hisense has had problems with in the past with its 4K models.
That’s not to cast aspersions on the new U800GR - as there’s every reason to believe that it will be competitive with other 8K TVs on the market - but it’s something to take into consideration before you leap into line to grab one at Best Buy.
- On the hunt for a new flatscreen? Check out our guide to the best TVs
