When it comes to picture quality, the Hisense 75U9DG LED TV is among the greatest we’ve ever seen on an LED TV.
- Stunning contrast
- Colors that are broad and accurate
- Strong game performance with hands-free Google Assistant
- Expensive
- Only 75 inches are available
- Out of the box, the whites are somewhat off
HISENSE 75U9DG SPECS
| Panel Type | LED |
| Screen Size | 75 inches |
| Resolution | 3,840 by 2,160 |
| Video Inputs | RF, USB, Composite, HDMI |
| HDR | Dolby Vision, HDR-10 |
| HDMI Ports | 4 |
| Streaming Services | Yes |
| Screen Brightness | 1189.23 nits |
| Black Level | 0.01 cd/m^2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 198,206:1 |
| Refresh Rate | 120 Hz |
| VRR | Yes |
| Input Lag (Game Mode) | 6 ms |
| AMD FreeSync | FreeSync |
| Nvidia G-Sync | None |
Because most of the top manufacturers are concentrating on OLED or MicroLED/DVLED, it’s tempting to believe that’s the future of TV technology, but Hisense is taking a different approach to provide the finest possible picture on its flagship screen. The 75U9DG employs “dual cell” technology, which lays two LCDs on top of each other over an LED array lighting system to regulate the amount of light that is emitted far more precisely than a single LCD and LED array can. The results are astounding, with practically OLED levels of contrast, a peak brightness far greater than an OLED panel can achieve, and lots of detail across the board, all for a fraction of the cost of any MicroLED or DVLED TV. The Hisense 75U9DG is still rather pricey at $2,999.99, and it’s only available in 75-inch sizes, but its picture quality is outstanding, winning it our Editors’ Choice award for big-screen TVs as well as our TechX award for its groundbreaking dual-panel technology.
A Magnificent Beauty
The Hisense U8G is the inspiration for the 75U9DG’s attractive appearance. Like the U8G, the top and sides of the screen are framed by a thin black band, and the screen sits on gray triangular metal feet. A beveled silver bar on the bottom of the screen is a significant feature to the 75U9DG’s design. It stands out more than the U8thinner G’s bezel, and it complements the TV’s design without being distracting, despite the fact that it appears to serve no purpose. While there are grille holes in the bezel, no sound comes out of them; each channel’s tweeter and full-range speaker driver are installed inside towards the front of the panel, while two subwoofer drivers are exposed on the back. The TV’s far-field microphones are housed in a narrow black strip beneath the silver bar, along with a switch to turn them off.
All connectors on the 75U9DG are on the left side of the rear of the TV, with the exception of the right-facing port for the power cord. A 3.5mm composite video input, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an antenna/cable connector face left, along with four HDMI ports (one eARC, two 4K120), two USB ports (one USB 3.0), a 3.5mm composite video input, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an antenna/cable connector. On the back, there’s an optical audio output, an Ethernet port, and 3.5mm serial and service connections. On the lower left corner is a four-way joystick for navigating menus, adjusting volume, and using the remote finder feature.
The remote is the same as the one that came with the U8G. It’s a simple black plastic rectangle covered in rubber buttons, rather than a piece of metal or a smaller profile to give the remote a more premium feel. This isn’t a significant deal; thanks to a visible, simple-to-find circular navigation button towards the top, it’s still sensibly put out and easy to use without looking at it. Above the pad are buttons for power, input, and Google Assistant, while below it are menu buttons, volume and channel rockers, and specific service buttons for Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, Peacock, Tubi, and YouTube. A microphone, a chime for the Remote Finder function, and an indicator LED are all located on the top of the remote. It links to the television via Bluetooth, so you don’t have to point it towards the screen to use it.
Hands-Free Google Assistant on Android TV
Google’s sophisticated and feature-rich Android TV platform powers the 75U9DG. Amazon Prime TV, Apple TV, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Twitch, and, of course, YouTube all have extensive app ecosystems. Google Cast is also available for Android TV, allowing you to mirror the screen of your Android phone or tablet, as well as any Chrome tab, to the TV.
Google Assistant, Google’s speech assistant, is also included with Android TV. The 75U9DG’s far-field microphones allow you to summon Google Assistant simply by saying “Hey, Google,” followed by a command, without touching the microphone (though if you’re concerned about privacy, you can disable the hands-free mic on the TV and access the voice assistant by pressing and holding the Google Assistant button and speaking into the remote). You can use Google Assistant to control your TV, search for content across several services, obtain basic information such as weather and sports scores, and control smart home devices. It’s a strong and simple-to-use voice assistant, and the 75U9DG’s hands-free feature allows you use it as a smart display.
However, Android TV isn’t Google’s newest smart TV platform. Google TV was first released with the Chromecast and is now available on Sony’s latest televisions. It offers a more streamlined, content-focused experience, although Google has been updating Android TV on a regular basis to improve its own user interface. Regardless, both Android TV and Google TV have the same functions, so you’re not missing out on much other than somewhat more appealing menus.
Dual-Cell Technology’s Potential
The 75U9DG is a 4K native resolution LED-backlit LCD TV with a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and hybrid log gamma high dynamic range (HDR) content (HLG).
We put TVs through their paces with a Klein K-80 colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G signal generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman software, utilizing calibration methodologies developed by the Imaging Science Foundation.
Because of its panel technology, the 75U9DG is distinctive and intriguing, as previously said. It employs two LCD panels layered on top of each other above the backlight instead of a single LCD screen backlit by an LED array. The top panel creates the 4K image, focusing on pixel-level color control, while the second layer acts as a filter, allowing for more fine contrast and brightness adjustment than LED array dimming alone. According to Hisense, this implies the 75U9DG has 2,000,000 local dimming zones, compared to hundreds or thousands on single-LCD-panel TVs.
The 75U9DG’s dual-panel construction allows it to get exceptionally bright while maintaining near-OLED black levels. The TV has a peak brightness of 352.374cd/m2 with a full-screen white field out of the box when using an SDR signal in Theater Day mode. This isn’t groundbreaking, but it reaches a brightness of 933.345cd/m2 with an 18% white field and a black level of only 0.007cd/m2.
With an HDR signal in HDR Theater mode, the numbers are even more stunning. The TV’s full-screen peak brightness is just 424.146cd/m2, but with an 18 percent field, it can reach 1189.234cd/m2. With a black level of 0.006cd/m2, a contrast ratio of 198,206:1 is achieved. Only the TCL 65R648 (600,000, although once you hit six digits, you’re dealing with black levels so low and/or brights so high that effective contrast differences become substantially tougher to notice) has a better contrast ratio on a non-OLED TV. Also, with my 18 percent fields or other white boxes on dark backgrounds, there was no obvious light bloom. This is a common problem with LED TVs with array backlighting, and it demonstrates how well the dual-cell approach works.
Color performance is also impressive on the 75U9DG. The color values of the TV in Theater Day mode with an SDR signal are compared to the Rec.709 broadcast standard color space, and in HDR Theater mode with an HDR feed are compared to the DCI-P3 digital cinema color space. While whites lean somewhat yellow-green and magentas lean little red, all primary hues, including cyans and yellows, virtually precisely hit their goals in both circumstances. The TV almost flawlessly covers the DCI-P3 color space right out of the box, with the exception of the LG C1P‘s stronger whites.
Planet Earth II from the BBC looks excellent on the 75U9DG. The greens of the vegetation, as well as the blues of the sky and water, appear to be rich and varied. Fine elements such as fur and scales may be seen clearly in both bright and dark light. With this type of 4K HDR nature programming, the TV displays a lot of contrast and a wide color gamut. Because the Active Contrast option is turned off by default in Theater Day mode, the picture appeared dark at first; changing it to Medium or High results in a much brighter, more visually pleasing (but probably less accurate) picture.
On the 75U9DG, Deadpool has a similar impact. Even in the somewhat cold overcast lighting of the opening scenes, the red of Deadpool’s suit appears vivid and true. The flames appear to be exceedingly bright later in the blazing lab combat, although plenty of shadow detail can be observed in the same shot.
The 75U9DG’s superb contrast is notably noticeable in The Great Gatsby. The dark blacks and whites of the party scenes absolutely pop, with white balloons and jackets popping, and black suit cuts and textures immediately discernible without being washed out.
Gaming-Friendly
When it comes to gaming, the 75U9DG is no slouch. Automatic low latency mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR), and AMD FreeSync are all available on the 120Hz TV.
In Game mode, the 75U9DG has a lag of only 6 milliseconds when measured using an HDFury Diva HDMI matrix. Because of its responsiveness, the 75U9DG is considered one of the best TVs for gaming. Just make sure you’re playing in the correct mode, because in Theater Day mode, lag climbs to 114.3ms.
The Best LED Television
The Hisense 75U9DG is a fantastic television. It’s huge and bright, but it can also generate deep blacks with plenty of detail for strong contrast. Its color performance is likewise remarkable, and Android TV means it comes with a slew of functions, including Google Assistant with voice control. It’s the greatest LED TV we’ve tested, and it’s deserving of our Editors’ Choice award for its excellent picture quality, while its dual-cell panel receives our TechX award for its revolutionary display technology.
If you need a screen larger than 75 inches, the LG C1 and Sony A90J have screens ranging from 48 to 83 inches, but they’re also more expensive, and while their OLED panels generate endless contrast thanks to perfect black levels, they can’t get as bright as the 75U9DG. The Hisense U8G series is also a good option at a lower price, albeit its color and contrast aren’t quite as good as the 75U9DG. TCL’s 4K 6-Series is another good value option, while the 8K 6-Series has an even better picture and 8K resolution.
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