I tested the Hisense U7SG ULED — and its great colors and surprisingly powerful sound make it a smart value pick

It’s hard to make one of the best TVs under $1,000. The competition is stiff and, for this kind of money, performance has to be top-notch. In short, a model costing a grand needs to justify the investment.

After spending a day with the 65-inch Hisense U7SG ULED Mini-LED Google TV, I think it makes a solid case for itself, even if it’s not perfect in every respect (see: black levels and contrast).

In spite of some tough competition from TCL — and Hisense itself — the U7SG ULED Mini-LED Google TV is one of the better mid-range models on the market in 2026. I’m not crowning it the best 65-inch TV in its class, but its excellent audio quality and $899 sale price help it stand out from the crowd.

Hisense U7SG review: Pricing and availability

Hisense's 2026 U7 series has essentially replaced the U8QG series as the company's top mainstream Mini-LED TV line this year. Meanwhile, the new RGB Mini-LED UR8 and UR9 lines occupy the pricier tier above it. Below the U7SG sits Hisense's U6SF and U6SF Pro tier — as well as last year's budget QD7 line (which I reviewed and liked), that’s currently hovering around $500.

The U7SG lineup ranges in screen size from 55 to a whopping 100 inches. Here’s a full breakdown:

• 55-inch Hisense U7SG (55U7SG): $1,298 MSRP | $699 on sale
• 65-inch Hisense U7SG (65U7SG): $1,499 MSRP | $899 on sale
• 75-inch Hisense U7SG (75U7SG): $1,998 MSRP | $999 on sale
• 85-inch Hisense U7SG (85U7SG): $2,499 MSRP | $1,399 on sale
• 100-inch Hisense U7SG (100U7SG): $4,498 MSRP | $2,498 on sale

Among other TV makers, the 65-inch U7SG lands right alongside last year’s TCL QM7K (lately hovering below $800 for the 65-inch model), with a 144Hz panel and Bang & Olufsen-tuned audio). For a bit more, the 2026 TCL QM7L is also a strong rival. The Samsung QN70F lands in similar territory, but doesn't hold up, based on my review.

Hisense U7SG review: Design

The front facade of the Hisense U7SG features a scarcely visible bezel of just a few millimeters thick and little to no branding. In this case, the text is not for the TV maker, but the tiny words "TUNED BY DEVIALET" in the lower-right corner that reflects a vaguely defined partnership with the French luxury acoustic manufacturer.

Whatever that means, this TV does have a powerful sound system, evidenced by the which you can see more of on the rear of the TV—but I'll say a lot more about audio below.

The U7SG measures 2.3 inches deep and gives you the option of either using an included large central pedestal or wall-mounting, with VESA standard screw holes in the 400 × 300mm arrangement. The audio settings allow you to configure the sound system for table placement vs. wall mounting.

Hisense U7SG review: Ports

The Hisense U7SG has the full complement of connections you'd expect from a performance model. That starts with four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting the highest-grade inputs: up to 4K/120Hz for sources such as the PS5, Xbox Series X, and many gaming PCs; and up to 4K/165Hz for the most-capable game PCs. The panel has a 165Hz native refresh rate to make full use of that.

HDMI port 3 supports eARC, which can output high-end digital audio signals such as Dolby Atmos to a soundbar or home-theater system. (The U7SG also decodes Dolby Atmos internally to feed its powerful built-in sound system.) It also features a standard optical digital audio S/PDIF output.

There are two USB ports (5 volt, 0.5 amp and 5V, 1A) — should you want to connect a hard drive, USB stick, or alternative smart TV stick from Roku or Amazon. But with a fully (even overly) equipped Google TV operating system and Wi-Fi 6E, there may not be much use for such. That argument is even stronger for the old-timey wired LAN Ethernet port.

You can attach a cable or satellite box or a terrestrial antenna via the RF-in port. Inside, it connects to an ATSC 3.0 tuner supporting the NextGen broadcast standard for 4K resolution, HDR, and wider color gamuts. Check this map to see which broadcasters support the standard in your area.

How we test

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom's Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set's performance. For our technical tests, we set the TV to Filmmaker mode (which may go by different names depending on the TV maker). It is usually the most accurate out of the box color. We take measurements using a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays's Calman TV-calibration software. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester for determining the TV's gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer but usually include anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our "How we test TVs" page.

Hisense U7SG review: Performance and test results

*As measured in Filmmaker mode

I can sum up the Hisense U7SG visual performance as: Solid in both dark and bright rooms — except for black levels, and shadows, which are too bright. Our test results bear all this out.

In the TV's Filmmaker mode, which is most faithful to the original content, the one outlier is color accuracy, but not by a meaningful amount. We measure this as Delta-E: the difference (or delta) between the colors in test signals we send to the TV and how they measure onscreen. A lower number is better.

We read a Delta-E of 3, indistinguishable from the average of 2.92 for 2025 and 2026 models (which range from 1.44 to 6.98). In practical terms, the Hisense U7SG aced the colors in clothing, furnishing, and the challenging variety of skin tones in "Bridgerton" (Season 1, Ep 3, 17:00-19:00 minutes). The Netflix stream kicks the TV into Dolby Vision IQ image mode — the right call. It also rendered the lush tones of the Bruno Mars "Risk It All" music video on YouTube, without overdoing it.

Overall, colors appeared nearly identically on the Hisense U7SG and the TCL QM7L, which just earned an Editor's Choice.

On most TVs, Filmmaker mode (or equivalent) tends to be rather dim and only watchable in a dark room. It's not the case here, as Filmmaker was perfectly fine in a bright room. (The dual-layer Anti-Reflection & Glare-Free coating seemed to do its job in the latter case.)

That is not a good sign, however. The Hisense U7SG’s screen never got as dark as it should. I tested this on the HDR10 Blu-rays for "Blade Runner 2049" (Chapters 5 and 6), "Sinners" (Chapters 9, 10, and 12 — and also with Dolby Vision). I also viewed some challenging photos I have taken over the years — including a nighttime shot of a bright neon sign against an almost-black background. I saw more gray than black or near-black areas than with other TVs.

Lab results offer a hint here, too. HDR Brightness for the U7SG (using the 10% window method) came in at 2866.9 nits. It's not the brightest for newer 65-inch LCDs, but it's well above the average of 1683.5. High HDR brightness is often a good thing for expanding dynamic range, but in this case, it may be the cause of lightening what should be darker parts of images.

In a well-lit room, you are unlikely to notice this much, though. Standard dynamic range brightness in Filmmaker mode for the Hisense U7SG is on the dim side at 185.4 nits — below the Filmmaker-mode average of 372.4 nits for newer 65-inch LCDs, and in the lower half of that range. However, some newer blindingly bright TVs have pulled that range and average way up.

One of the most important modes is Game, where the TV harnesses the latest technologies. The U7SG’s panel natively supports the highest possible frame rate of the day: 165Hz. Input Lag (in game mode) is a zippy 9.8 ms. That's better than the average of 10.98 ms for newer 65-inch LCDs, and just half a millisecond off the best score of 9.3 ms. Translation: This TV is as well-equipped for gaming as it can be.

Hisense U7SG review: Audio

The Hisense U7SG’s audio is a big step above what I've heard on other TVs, and here's where specs say something meaningful. The 2.1.2-channel spec translates to two standard stereo speakers (where most built-in TV sound systems stop), one subwoofer (or at least a powerful bass driver), and two height channels for spatial effects like rain or a helicopter overhead—channels supported by Dolby Atmos.

The 50 Watts of power seem to make a difference, too. Most TVs provide just 20 Watts, total. Better sound systems go to 40W. I don't know if "Tuned by Devialet" had a real effect, but I do know that this TV sounds great. It fills the room with spacious sound in music and thundering bass in high-action scenes. I think you could skip the soundbar with this TV — a nice, slimming bonus for wall mounting.

The U7SG delivers on the rich potential of Bruno Mars's "Risk It All." This TV really accents the bright Latin Trumpet sounds, the resonant guitar strings, and the soulful crooning. (Sometimes too much.) I had to crank down the Bass Boost setting from its default 0 to -3 so the thumping wouldn't overpower everything else.

Default Bass Boost was fine for other content, however. It captured the foreboding sounds of the "Blade Runner 2049" Blu-ray (Chapter 5) without default Bass Boost hurting dialogue. It also pleasantly accented the foot stopping, punches and gunshots in the "Sinners" Blu-ray (Chapter 10) without harming the music. In contrast, I didn't notice much difference between the Standard and Theater audio modes.

Hisense U7SG review: Interface and remote

On the surface, the U7SG’s UI will look similar to any other Google TV: At the top is a massive, highly graphical carousel of promoted content. ("Masters of the Universe" got big billing at the time of my review.) That element, plus a "Top Picks for You" section consumed about 75% of the screen, leaving just enough room at the bottom for a side-scrollable row of installed-app icons.

Scrolling down, you see sections such as "Continue Watching," "Top Free Movies on Google TV Freeplay" (nice), collections like "The World of Christopher Nolan" … and a big, fat ad for some vague business service I couldn't even decipher.

Then I found a setting called Apps Only Mode that switches Google TV to a minimalist layout a la the Best Roku TVs. You still see the promoted content up top, but below that is just a scrollable screen of big rectangular icons for each installed app. You can get there by going to Settings (top of the home screen) > Accounts & Profiles > Apps Only Mode. That mimics the minimalist style of Hisense's own content selection — a separate section accessible from a button on the top of the home screen that features hundreds of free (ad-supported) channels.

You might also dig into Google's privacy settings — which often have tracking on by default. Most of these controls are under Settings > Privacy. There you can decide whether to toggle on or off or adjust data-collecting items such as Location, Microphone, Cameras, Usage and Diagnostics, Ads, Voice Assistant, and App Permissions. You might also go to Settings > Advanced System > Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. (In the default setting, Google can.)

Gemini voice control has not been upgraded to the new capabilities that let you adjust TV settings with natural-language comments such as "my screen is too dark." But it provides the solid navigational capabilities I've seen in other Google TV models. For instance: I asked for Matt Damon movie recommendations, and where I could stream each. It found "Good Will Hunting" when I asked if he'd won any Academy Awards. When I asked about "The Odyssey," Gemini explained that it's only in theaters at the moment.

The remote control is rather chunky, favoring more buttons than fewer. They include shortcuts to apps including Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+KiD, and Free TV. In an era of sleek, black designs, this bulky, grayish model with a metal four-way directional ring looks like a throwback.

Hisense U7SG review: Verdict

Were it not for the muddy blacks and shadows, I'd have no qualms praising the Hisense U7SG. But even with those drawbacks, I think this TV is solid, especially for the price. Colors are great, sound is amazing, and gaming prowess are top-notch. Google TV is a good OS (with the right adjustments). If you don't hunker in the dark for a lot of your TV viewing, you probably won't notice this shortcoming much.

Still, there are some competitors worth mentioning around the same price. The TCL QM7L is the top contender, but the 65-inch model will run you $1,199 — $300 more than the Hisense U7SG when both TVs are on sale. There’s also the Samsung QN70F from last year that’s cheaper (the 55-inch model starts at $697 on Amazon) but I think the Hisense has it beat in pretty much every category.

In the right viewing environment, the Hisense U7SG delivers value in spades, making it a top contender for TV enthusiasts looking to get a big-screen TV on a moderate budget.