The 65-inch Hisense U8QG is on sale for $1,300 off during the Best Buy Presidents Day sale event, bringing the price down to just $860.
If you’re versed in modern TV technology, you might know the difference between OLED and QLED, and probably how Mini-LED fits into the ecosystem of television research and development. You may also have heard about QD-OLED and Micro-LED as envelope-pushing technologies that will change our viewing experience forever.
But have you heard of ULED?
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According to Hisense, ULED (or Ultra LED) is the company’s proprietary “ultimate viewing experience… which combines 20 different patents to create the most vivid and realistic viewing experience.” It deploys these technologies in four key areas: Ultra Local Dimming, Ultra Wide Color Gamut, Ultra 4K Resolution and Ultra Smooth Motion Rate.
TV marketing nomenclature may be more complicated, because while you won’t find Hisense’s competitors using the term “ULED” to describe their new models, the 2025 Hisense sub-flagship U8QG also classifies itself as a mini-LED and QLED (quantum dot) television. So many labels.
Yet most consumers want to know just a few things: How do all these labels translate into performance and price? And how is this model better than others? I tested a 65-inch Hisense U8QG Head over to our Louisville laboratory to find out.
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Setup and Hardware Overview
Setting up the U8QG involved the usual task of assembling the stand and connecting the unit to our network. Although the assembly process wasn’t terrible, it definitely required four hands (two people) to do it safely, and it helped that my assistant was my lab manager and an engineer.
Still, we consulted the quick start instructions to use the four screws attaching two plastic components to the heavy iron plate that serves as the U8QG’s legs—which looked like it could deflect a 50-caliber bullet.
With that light, this TV won’t fall over if your cat suddenly jumps off the wall or your kids get too close to the centerpiece of your living room.
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The remote came with fresh batteries (always a plus), and I’m always pleased with remote controls that light up when you pick them up, as this one does. It also has an ambient light sensor and a Find My Remote feature, in addition to having a voice remote linked to the TV’s Google OS.
I enjoy the sturdy feel of this remote, which has a brushed metal finish but is clearly made of plastic. Specifically, this remote represents the width of the TV by approximately two inches. This TV isn’t super-sleek, but the U8QG isn’t playing that role in a crowded market of budget to midrange options.
The three HDMI ports are great, especially since the U8QG has a 165Hz native refresh rate, which is an upgrade from the 144Hz rate in the 2024 U8N model. However, four ports are becoming the standard among premium TVs as you’re likely to use the three ports with a gaming console, an external speaker/soundbar, and a streaming device, if not a cable or satellite box. Four ports allow a new level of versatility, from connection to a second gaming system to a laptop connection or digital camera, and the U8QG falls just short of that versatility.
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Having said that, the U8QG is the first Hisense TV to include a USB-C port that can act as an alternate display port for PC gamers, which is quite nice.
What does ULED actually look like?
When I first turned on the U8QG, the Retail Mode demo on its screen was fascinating. Waterfalls of color and light flowed vertically through a montage of imagery that I would call captivating. This is a 4K TV, but when playing high-resolution videos, it looked 8K, at least to my human eyes. So let’s break down the four components that Hisense celebrates with the word “ultra.”
‘Ultra Local Dimming’ implemented
This is where the mini-LED aspect of the U8QG really shines (literally) as thousands of tiny LEDs can be controlled with excellent accuracy. It means dark black which are In fact Not black, blurry gray right next to bright, attractive highlights.
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The contradiction is amazing. During a particularly dark scene in “Alien: Romulus,” the U8QG rendered the inky blackness of space with an intensity that could seriously give an OLED a run for its money. Distant stars and nebulae sparkle with bright, well-defined light and there is minimal blooming or halos around bright objects on dark backgrounds.
How colors are reproduced
In one of several test videos of natural scenes, the vibrant petals of tropical birds, the rich greenery of the rainforest, and the deep blue of the ocean felt incredibly vibrant and saturated, but not in an artificial, exaggerated way. Similarly, when tuning “Top Gun: Maverick,” the U8QG handled skin tones with a natural warmth, avoiding that plasticky or overly rosy look that can sometimes creep in.
Our Calman software and Klein colorimeter test results indicate a close match with targeted measurements for BT.2020 gamut coverage on at least three picture modes (i.e., Standard, Cinema, Filmmaker). However, the BT.709 and P3 sweeps were not as successful, although these variables are widely considered not to be perceptible to the naked human eye.
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Not least, out-of-the-box color accuracy in Filmmaker mode was also very good, meaning you’re getting a picture that’s close to the creator’s intent without needing to delve deep into calibration settings (though those options are for tinkerers).
What about 4K video playback?
4K resolution is standard for most TVs nowadays. So what puts Hisense Recipe in the “ultra” category?
I will attest that for 4K viewing, the U8QG’s clarity was exceptional. Fine textures of clothing, distant landscapes and small details in complex scenes were all presented with impressive accuracy, even for 1080p content. Hisense’s upscaling engine, the Hi-View AI Engine Pro processor, also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, which is notable but not unusual.
While it’s not magic (you won’t mistake an old DVD for a 4K Blu-ray), the U8QG’s MediaTek Pentonic 800 chip effectively sharpens and cleans up lower-resolution sources, making them far more attractive on the 4K canvas.
Finally, with 8.3 million pixels, we can expect sharp visuals and clear contrast, and this is the case with all 4K TVs. But as far as I can tell, the “Ultra” part of Hisense’s branding refers to additional technologies it uses to enhance picture quality (like noise reduction, increased detail, and dynamic tone mapping for HDR). I don’t want to dismiss or demystify the term “ULED,” but I do want to make clear that it doesn’t describe a whole new category of contemporary TV technology.
sports and gaming
One way I like to assess passing rate on TV is to watch highlights of the NFL (or any sport), especially long downfield passes. For the U8QG, spiraling launches from the quarterback were quite tight in terms of blur, and there was almost zero blur behind running players. In all the footage I sampled, the frenetic action sequences retained their impact without any judicial glitches.
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Gamers, too, will appreciate the U8QG’s responsiveness, especially with features like ALLM, Game Mode Ultra (another “ultra”), and AMD FreeSync PremiumPro – all included to enhance fast-action content. Any TV that offers a variable refresh rate (VRR) of 288Hz for gaming has an edge over its contenders, which could turn into an edge for you as a gamer. The U8QG reaches this capability, and that puts it in the upper echelon of the consumer TV arena for motion clarity and smoothness. And that “ultra” is enough for me.
A word on sound performance
The U8QG’s on-device sound quality was surprisingly strong. While it won’t replace a dedicated soundbar or surround sound system for true audiophiles, the 4.1.2 multi-channel speakers deliver clear dialogue and a good amount of bass for everyday viewing. But as soon as I turned up the volume, I noticed some loud bass that this TV’s hardware can’t overcome.
ZDNET’s shopping advice
If you’re looking for deep blacks and vibrant colors on a TV that can hold up well to ambient light without the price tag of an OLED screen, then Hisense U8QG It’s a sensible idea. The TV is great for mixed use including gaming and sports, even in abundantly lit rooms.
While the 65-inch U8QG sells for $2,200, major retailers have slashed its price by up to 55%, bringing the total price closer to $1,000.
There are higher-end mini-LEDs that offer more dimming zones and more sophisticated processing, but the U8QG offers a level of performance where the law of diminishing returns really starts to apply to those more expensive models. The value proposition here is strong, especially when the price is right. Take advantage of discounts whenever possible.
The Hisense U8QG stands out as an Editors’ Choice because its Mini-LED display achieves remarkable brightness, impressive contrast, and rich quantum dot colors that truly compete with OLED picture quality. This TV offers a high-end, feature-packed experience that becomes an even more attractive value when it’s available at a significant discount. This is a model we can recommend with confidence.
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This story was originally published on June 6, 2025, and was updated on July 9, 2025, adding information for the new Prime Day discounts.
