The U8N also allows you to control the volume output of its optical port with the TV remote, making it much simpler to control older audio systems that don’t support HDMI ARC/eARC, like my original KEF LSX speakers. If you decide to settle for integrated sound, the U8N’s 2.1.2 speaker system offers some decent detail and a little extra bass power for its woofers.
The TV is well equipped on the gaming front, including VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and AMD FreeSync Premium Proto for smooth high frame rate gaming, as well as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) for low input lag. Games feel realistic and responsive, with impressive HDR performance. I like the variety of picture settings available, including Theater and Game modes, which provide rich contrast and vibrant colors for details like Kratos’ ruby red armor in God of war Ragnarok.
peak blinder
The U8N provides an almost intimidating level of image settings for making deep adjustments. The Maximum Brightness setting is the most confusing. When applying my usual picture modes during setup, such as Theater Night for Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and HDR Theater mode for HDR10, Peak Brightness was set to High by default, which really improves the overall picture. This can result in high black levels and hot reflections in content and menu bars, especially with HDR video, prompting my wife to call the U8N “the TV that hurts” at first.
There are some things happening here. Firstly, Peak Brightness is primed for daytime viewing in bright rooms with strong sunlight, allowing even the darkest scenes to stand out. Hisense also includes an adjustable automatic light sensor in the overall image settings, something that most reviewers tend to disable for consistent performance, but which is almost necessary to achieve maximum brightness. It does a relatively good job of controlling flashy brightness in low-light conditions, even if I don’t always love how it reacts in every environment.
Still, Hisense’s decision to quietly set maximum brightness to High (often without the light sensor engaged) in picture modes that are typically more restricted is confusing, even for someone used to researching picture settings. A colleague suggested that the TV’s default power saving mode (a dimming setting that includes the light sensor activated for maximum brightness) is the one Hisense expects most viewers to experience, since most people apparently They do not change the image settings. The light sensor is also usefully activated by default in some other modes, such as Dolby Vision Dark.
If you decide to use maximum brightness, which is necessary to achieve the TV’s highest brightness levels, I suggest starting on Low and turning on the light sensor for night viewing. This worked well for lighting challenging SDR content like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows during daylight hours, where darker scenes seemed to have even less pop than the U8K without the maximum brightness setting activated.
My brighter HDR test content often looked overcooked and oversaturated in this mode. That’s not surprising, considering the TV can reach over 3,000 nits, or triple the brightness at which most videos are currently mastered (although this baseline will change with the latest mastering tools). I usually left the HDR setting disabled, but it can be useful in brighter rooms, especially for the always murky Dolby Vision Dark mode. I couldn’t help but marvel at how vibrant and eye-catching some scenes looked with the stage on, like the monster scene in moana, where the golden shell of the giant crab Tamatoa comes to life in disco psychedelia.
Loose Jaw Show
Regardless of how you use the U8N’s picture settings, it’s capable of getting the signature beautiful picture we’ve come to expect from the series, with deep black levels, fabulous backlight control, very little “halo” around bright objects, and rich colors. that shine like jewels. at the light of the sun.
This is eye-catching performance, especially for high-quality 4K HDR productions like those on Netflix. Our planet. The coral scene from episode 4 looks incredible, with striking neon yellows, sapphire blues, and realistic sunlight shining over everything. From time to time, the TV tends to oversaturate the reds, especially when using the Warm1 color temperature, but it’s still incredibly beautiful. It’s the kind of image that makes you want to sit there, open-mouthed and dumbfounded, as the pretty colors and bright sparkles dance before your eyes.
