Hisense has been on a roll with affordable Mini-LED TVs in 2023 — but the newly released Hisense U6K model takes the cake.
The TV, which just went up for sale earlier today at Best Buy and Amazon, comes in a 55-inch screen size for $500; a 65-inch version for $649; or a 75-inch version for $848 (links to Amazon).
Until this $500 Hisense model, the TCL 6-Series held the title of world’s cheapest Mini-LED TV with the award-winning TCL 6-Series R646 model.
According to Hisense, the U6K has over 200 local dimming zones as well as a peak brightness of 500 nits for improved contrast as well as support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision Gaming and Dolby Atmos.
So what’s the catch?
The only issue that we can see looking at the specs sheet is that the TV only comes with HDMI 2.0 ports instead of HDMI 2.1. That might sound like a minor issue, but it prevents consoles hooked up to the TV from passing a 4K/120Hz signal.
Hisense wouldn’t be the first TV maker to produce an otherwise excellent TV with its HDMI ports as a potential issue — the LG A2 OLED produces an otherwise beautiful picture quality but is hamstrung by its 60Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.0 ports.
While the lack of HDMI 2.1 ports may not make the Hisense U6K the best gaming TV, its affordability and promise of better contrast should make it one of the best budget TVs.
We’ll find out for sure once we put it through Tom’s Guide’s rigorous tests — a process that should only take a week or two. Need an affordable Mini-LED TV that’s already proved its mettle? Check out the aforementioned TCL 6-Series Mini-LED TV.
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