Displaying both the video game and the richness of the colors of the films, generous in functions, the brand new U78KM series surprises with its very reasonable price. Its reduced capacity for contrast and its speakers remind us, however, that we are still in the mid-range.
We inherited for this two-week test the 65-inch format of the Hisense U78KM, a heavy device of 39 kg which fortunately proved easy to assemble. Setting up this Google TV was instant, with a QR code and Google account already opened.
We note from the outset that we have four HDMI inputs at the back, two HDMI 2.0, then two HDMI 2.1 capable of transferring up to 48 Gb / s. We also have an Ethernet input, the favorite of those who want a stable internet with less latency, two USB ports and an optical audio output.
When you add the refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160, the 6th WiFi connection, AirPlay compatibility, an integrated Chromecast and its Mini-LED technology, we have the impression of to be at the top of the range. But no, the 65-inch model retails for a suggested retail price of $1,399.99.
The Google TV interface is pretty straightforward, although it does have a few flaws that we’ll get to. The remote control offers us six buttons for quick commands, including Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube, with a microphone that allows us to challenge the Google Assistant. This can for example display the weather, control home automation devices and, important here, display one of the inputs or applications.
As we are in the Android universe, there is a version for almost all television applications, from Spotify to GeForce Now via Tablo, Netflix, Tubi and even, which is too rare, ICI Tou.Tv. In total, more than 10,000 applications, and hundreds of free internet channels, of very uneven quality, however.
The system reacts well, fast enough not to notice annoying delays when navigating from one menu to another. Without freezing, this television is however not the most agile that we have tested. However, it is powerful enough to manage, for example, a gamepad and the GeForce Now application for cloud gaming.
Enough talking about software, let’s jump to image quality. This one is particularly bright and the colors are rich. The details are well chiseled and the action or sports scenes show a nice fluidity. In the video game, we are of course at the mercy of the work on which we are doing the test. The magnificent landscapes of God of War or the psychedelic scenes of Cyberpunk 2077 are well rendered. On the other hand, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom seemed a little dull to us, its washed-out colors and its slightly blurry graphics were abused by this television. For the video game, moreover, we access an interface where we can see, sometimes adjust certain parameters with Game Mode Pro. The refresh rate, the number of frames per second and the latency, in particular, are included.
Connecting Bluetooth devices like headphones is efficient and stable. We even, unusually, were able to use one of the USB inputs for a Bluetooth key sending the signal without latency to a headset. The only flaw, however, is that we had no possibility of volume control then.
In some menus, the U78KM simply fails to give a convincing black. Unfortunately, Google TV’s home page is one of those somewhat pallid results, as is Apple TV, which gives us a greyish background. However, for the reception of Netflix for example or certain films, the television managed to display a deeper black.
Perhaps the settings are to blame and, in this regard, the Google TV interface is not the easiest. Yes, the first steps are easy, but finding all the adjustments and connections in the submenus seemed tedious to us. Some presets are questionable: the Game mode for the picture, for example, did not add to the precision of the picture, on the contrary.
Another point of irritation, we try to push the viewer a lot of content chosen by Google, which can hardly be dismissed. For example, even after uninstalling the Disney app, we continued to see movie suggestions on that platform.
On the sound side, we have two speakers here that can produce 20 watts, which should be enough. It was not to our liking, with a sound lacking in bass and depth, despite the fact that we had integrated Dolby Atmos.
This is clearly one of the best mid-range models available. At an attractive price, we have a rich and well-defined 4K image, technological generosity and an efficient interface, despite a few irritants. Obviously, there is no way to have the perfect black of an OLED TV at this price and the sound could be improved.
But it is a recommendable purchase, no doubt.
Manufacturer: Hisense
Price: From $1199.99 (55″) to $2799.99 (85″)
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
