The Hisense 50U6HF doesn’t have the DNA to compete with the LG OLEDs and Samsung QLEDs of this world, or any other expensive TVs on the market. But, despite costing thousands of dollars less, it still offers superb image quality for a TV in its price range.
Its core features include support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ alongside other HDR options. The 50U6HF features up to 600 nits of brightness, which is fine for most environments, and while panels on this TV may not the most consistent, under normal viewing you’ll not easily notice blooming or blotch image quality.
The Hisense U6HF QLED TV comes with Amazon’s Fire TV, which is the same responsive Smart TV platform baked into the Amazon Omni Fire TV, and it keeps getting more powerful. It’s an excellent option, and while you may consider competing Android TV, Roku TV, and Google TV platforms, Fire TV is still a winner.
The Hisense U6HF is only available in a single 50-inch screen size, but it offers some fairly premium specs including HDMI 2.1 ports and ‘Game Mode Plus’ setting that decreases input lag, increases response time, and reduces frame-rate issues on next-generation game consoles such as the Sony PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Most competitors at a similar price point offer various screen sizes, but either doesn’t offer local dimming, don’t get as bright, or offer inferior software. However, if you’re not on a tight budget, you might want to look elsewhere, maybe a bigger screen for the living room. Otherwise, if 50-inch is ideal for you and shopping on a tight budget, read on, to see how it compares to the latest and greatest TVs in the budget category.
Hisense 50U6HF Specs
- Screen size: 50 inches
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160
- HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
- Refresh rate: 60 Hz
- Ports: 4 (HDMI 2.1, 3 HDMI 2.0)
- Audio: 2 Channel [x 10-Watt]
- Smart TV software: Fire TV OS
- Size: 43.9.0 x 25.4 x 3.0 inches [w/o stand]
- Weight: 25.5 lbs [w/o stand]
Design
The Hisense 50U6HF sits at the upper-end of budget 50in TVs, but it offers a solid design, which isn’t common at this price point. No, it may not look as premium as its more expensive sibling, the Hisense 65U8G, but its bezels are still fairly slim, its legs are sleek and stylish, and in general, the U6HF looks good. The bezels, legs, and everything else are made from black or dark grey materials, and look good.
The V-shaped legs are made from plastic, unlike some TVs in this price range. However, it’s not some cheap plastic and should be able to at least hold the TV up perfectly fine. And, while you’re buying this TV for a pittance, it doesn’t look cheap from a distance or at a glance, so your guest won’t be able to tell the kind of plastic used unless they get up close and personal.
All ports and connections are located at the back of the TV. The TV offers a total of four HDMI ports, all are side-facing and one supports ARC. You also get an optical output for audio, one USB port for power, an Ethernet port, and an AV in ports. It’s a robust selection of ports, and more than enough for your streaming devices, gaming, and everything else.
The remote is generally fine, but we feel it’s beginning to feel a bit dated. In an era where Apple TV and Google Chromecast remotes have been fully stripped back, the 50U6HF feels a bit off in 2022. You’ll get full channel controls, software controls, Google Assistant controls, quick-access controls for six streaming services, volume rockers, and so on.
Overall, the Hisense 50U6HF QLED TV and bundled remote offer a dent design. This is a budget TV and we didn’t expect an overly premium design – but the design that is here will still look awesome in most homes.
Fire TV OS And Alexa
For you to get the most of Fire TV features, you’ll need to sign in with your Amazon account, which is very typical of Fire TV streamers, which are built around using your account for transactions like purchasing the app and renting media. However, on the Hisense 50U6HF, you don’t need an Amazon account to use the TV. There is an optional Basic mode that lets you use the TV as a TV, without access to most streaming features in the interface, but provides access to the TV’s varied inputs.
Still, most of us would want to use our Amazon account to access the full features of the Hisense 50U6HF Fire TV Edition, bearing in mind how robust it is as a smart TV platform. For instance, it lets you access most streaming services, including Amazon Video and Music, Hulu, Netflix, Sling TV, Spotify, and Twitch. Curiously, Google Play Movies & TV, as well as Google Play Music, are absent, and YouTube loads only via the Firefox or Silk web browsers.
Not surprising at all, while the Fire TV OS is ideally based on Android, rarely do you see Amazon and Google get along much on content. The Fire TV includes access to the Alexa voice assistant, which you can easily use on the Insignia Fire TV Edition by pressing the microphone button on the remote and speaking into it. Sure, it may not be as handsfree as the Echo or Echo Spot, but it’s still functional out of the box with the press of a button.
Picture Quality
Hisense’s Quantum Dot QLED technology has been a hit – QLED TVs offer bright, vivid colors and deep black levels on a budget, and the 50U6HF is no exception to that rule. The TV provides a 4K resolution, support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, and 32 local dimming zones to ensure deeper, more natural black levels.
The bad news, however, is that the TV is limited to a native 60Hz refresh rate and can only reach a peak brightness of around 600 nits – a significant deal less than other 4K HDR TVs that often reach or exceed the recommended 1,000 nits required for prime HDR playback. Nonetheless, this is a budget TV so we can’t expect premium specs, but it still offers an excellent image quality for a TV in its price range.
The TV offers a range of image modes for different viewing preferences. Out of the box, you’ll get seven HDR modes, including game mode and sport mode. Most of the time, you might keep it on HDR Standard, which offers more than enough brightness for dark living rooms.
So, what are the trade-offs for buying this solo TV in Hisense’s new range? Well, while 32 dimming zones is fine, it’s not amazing – and you’ll get more on Hisense’s more expensive offerings. This should make for less blooming – on the 50U6HF there’s some blooming around bright objects, especially near the edges of the display. Still, you get a consistent experience.
But the truth is that without a keen eye, and in regular viewing, you’re unlikely to really notice these issues, and given the price range, the TV still displays beautifully bright, vivid, and beautiful images.
Audio Quality
The Hisense 50U6HF is a visual powerhouse in the price range, but its audio is a typical case with budget TVs. If you afford to buy a pair of speakers or a soundbar, you should do so. That’s not to say that the audio quality here is terrible, and if we can compare it with previous-gen Hisense TV, it does seem like Hisense’s budget TVs are getting better.
Hisense 50U6HF Review: Verdict
If you just want a solid 4K image without too many extra bells and whistles, the Hisense 50U6HF is the way to go. This 50-Inch 4K Quantum Dot QLED Smart Fire TV is a very capable TV, with all the features gamers and movie lovers alike look for. With HDMI 2.1 and support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+, the TV has the specs; it produces good color, sharpness, and brightness, all at a very reasonable price.
However, if you can spend a bit more, we saw better overall picture quality in our Hisense U6HF (also available in 55-inch screen size), it offers a decent Android 4K Smart TV, 1500-nit HDR10+ screen with Dolby Vision, a 120Hz refresh rate and Game Mode Pro. But if you want to balance price and performance, the Hisense 50U6HF Fire TV could be the TV for you.
Should you buy the Hisense 50U6HF
Yes. At a lower price with similar-if-not-identical specs, the Hisense 50U6HF looks like a decent alternative to what’s already in the market from competitors like Insignia, Toshiba, and even Hisense itself. Though it is available in only one screen size, we feel like it’s a TV that will win many hearts for its price and performance combination.
Recommended Configuration
Hisense 50-Inch Class U6HF Series ULED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (50U6HF) - QLED, 600-Nit Dolby Vision, HDR 10 plus, 240 Motion Rate, Voice Remote, Compatible with Alexa, Black
The Review
Hisense 50U6HF
The Hisense 50U6HF is a solid all-around QLED TV, with good brightness and color, at a competitive price. With Quantum Dot technology, you get good color, sharpness, and brightness at a very affordable price.
PROS
- Excellent image quality
- Fire TV is solid
- Good color and sharpness
- Inexpensive
CONS
- Remote is a bit dated
- You’d need to buy a soundbar
Review Breakdown
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ARS RATING
