Ten years ago, Hisense first introduced ULED technology. It’s probably been around longer than you might think, but to remind you it’s had a decade to perfect the tech, Hisense has launched a new 75- and 85-inch model. And, it looks pretty kick ass.
Firstly, though, what’s ULED? Well, to make its mark in the TV space (and to add to the complicated terms TV makers use), Hisense introduced ULED. It stands for Ultra-LED.
The main difference between an OLED TV and an ULED TV is the OLED’s ability to turn pixels on or off individually instead of using a backlight as found in ULED TVs. OLED won’t bleed, whereas the issue previously with ULED has been that a bit of blacklight bleeding occurs. Hisense has now had 10 years to fix that, and it reckons the UXAU is proof of that.
While OLEDs have a contrast advantage, ULEDs, particularly the latest generation with Quantum Dot technology, have a huge advantage in brightness. If you ask Hisense, the company will tell you the brightest OLED is only half as bright as most Quantum Dot-enabled ULED TVs.
The company will also tell you it makes ULED the perfect option for sunny Australian loungerooms.
This year, Hisense is featuring its Mini-LED technology across its full ULED range of TVs, with Mini-LED X tech to star in its flagship models.
Gizmodo Australia was given the opportunity by Hisense to attend its CES 2023 product drop and while the company gave us a number of new TV models, the UXAU deserves its own focus. Usually, with year-on-year model upgrades, minimal real difference is noticed, but the ULED X TV has had some significant improvements.
The ULED X (UXAU) TV boasts Mini-LED X contrast, 4K resolution and comes in 75- and 85-inch models. The 75-inch model has a centre stand (with dual positioning) while the 85-inch has feet (you know, because it’s bloody huge).
Mini-LED X is Hisense’s brand-new backlighting system – what you need to know about this as a prospective buyer is that it’s a decent leap from the model prior. Also new with the UXAU is Dynamic X display, which is how the TV handles light coming in (as someone with floor-to-ceiling windows in their loungeroom, this is very important).
CineStage X 4.1.2 surround, which means the UXAU has multiple up- and out-firing speakers that make me picture a scene from The Matrix when thinking about how the sound curves a little to deliver it to and around you; the sound stage should hit you roughly in the middle of your living space, so you get a wider audio experience. There’s also an in-built subwoofer. It’s not virtualised, it’s actually using addressable channels, by the way.
“We’re not trying to replace a dedicated soundbar solution, but having the subwoofer built in there and having that audio solution, it’s very, very good. And we do know a significant portion of customers don’t end up buying a soundbar straightaway,” Hisense Australia national retail training manager Chris Mayer told Gizmodo Australia.
Last year, Hisense dropped the U9H. This was the company’s first Mini LED TV and had a feature known as Mini LED Pro. Side note, a Mini LED is about the same size as a grain of rice cut in half. The idea behind that is that TV makers can really start to pinpoint and really focus on the light. The U9H had about 10,000 lights about 500 dimming zones that Hisense could address (allowing it to illuminate the picture more accurately). This year, with the UXAU, Hisense boasts 20,000 lights and 5,000 dimming zones.
“Just a small improvement over 500,” Mayer joked. “Probably one of the most dimming zones you’ll find in any consumer TV in Australia.”
“This really represents bridging that gap between OLED level blacks whilst having a brightness that is far surpassing what OLED can achieve,” he added.
The UXAU also boasts 2,500 nits of peak brightness, which Mayer said the nearest OLED competitor had 1,300. But there isn’t just more lights and more zones; it’s a completely new type of display for Hisense. Brightness is thanks to Hisense’s proprietary Hi-View X Engine. Powered by a 16-bit neural processor, the model’s engine can deliver an incredibly refined picture by upscaling all content to utilise 65,536 levels of brightness.
While Hisense is focusing on the ULED X as its kind of 2023 TV darling, it still offers OLED models. But, Mayer would argue that about 90 per cent of Australian customers would be better suited with a Mini LED TV, just based on the gorgeous sun we have down under.
The UXAU 4K Mini LED X is also IMAX Enhanced certified as well as Dolby Vision and HDR10/HDR10+ and boasts 1444Hz VRR Game Mode Pro.
Australian pricing and availability is not yet known.