8/31/2019 Avision Or Hisense
Apr 27, 2014 A quick look at the Hisense Vision Smart TV running Android 4.2.2.
Published 9:03 AM EDT Aug 10, 2014
The Hisense 55H7G ($699) is the company's flagship 1080p TV, and features a new Android-powered smart platform called VIDAA.
Securing a 55-inch, 120-Hz smart TV for $700 sounds like an excellent deal on paper, but is this Best Buy exclusive too good to be true?
Sadly, despite its unique design elements and terrific on-board smart platform, the 55H7G's core performance is so terrible that we absolutely cannot recommend it.
The 55H7G looks just about like every other basic TV on the market: plain, but not unattractive.
But I was pleasantly surprised to find that, rather than the traditional charcoal coloring, the 55H7G's back casing is entirely white. It definitely helps the TV stand out, and the white trim along black bezels makes for a striking contrast.
The 55H7G also comes with two remotes. One is the regular infrared kind; it works as it should, but feels extremely cheap to the touch. The other is a smaller, mouse-like device that gives the user better control of the TV's Android-powered VIDAA platform via motion controls and voice recognition.
Speaking of which, Hisense's new Android-powered VIDAA platform has multi-app functionality — a feature that smart TVs have lacked for years. Basically, the H7 can run multiple apps simultaneously; most smart TVs must power off Netflix before launching live TV — so users can only do one thing at a time. Simply put, this fluid functionality is leagues beyond almost any other smart platform out there.
While VIDAA has a lot to offer, it isn't without flaws. For example, the included motion/voice-compatible remote is a great way to navigate, but certain features still need work. The inaccurate motion-tracking feature is often aggravating. Don't expect full access to the wealth of PlayStore apps. You'll find plenty, but there are a slew that wouldn't work on a TV screen.
Smart features aside, the Hisense 55H7G has a huge drawback: its picture quality.
Black levels — or a TV's minimum luminance — are critical to producing excellent picture quality; unfortunately, the 55H7G produces grayish-looking black levels in Movie mode, resulting in both poor picture quality and crushed details within the darkest gray shades. In short, middling black levels disqualify this TV for dark home theaters.
As for the H7's motion performance, it's tolerable, at best. If you love action flicks or Monday-night football, you'll be eager to turn on motion smoothing and blast away the blur, but take heed: The TV's motion enhancement is simply too aggressive, so you're probably better off without it.
Last but not least, the out-of-the-box calibration is very bad. Legal limits — where the TV places 'black' and 'white' reference levels — are set incorrectly in Movie mode. Colors either skew towards blue or shy from full saturation, so your favorite movies and shows look incorrect compared with current HDTV standards.
The Hisense 55H7G sports a fairly flashy design — and a 55-inch LED TV for $700 seems like a steal. The smart features are dynamite, and the TV even ships with a touch-pad controller. The only trouble is the picture quality: This TV is only a bargain if you don't care about serious viewing. High-quality items such as Blu-ray discs or HD streaming are done a major disservice on this TV.
If you're looking to save money but still want a large-screen smart TV with a great picture, you should check out Vizio's 55-inch E Series. The price is the same, and while the design is chintzy and cheap, the picture quality blows this Hisense out of the water.
Published 9:03 AM EDT Aug 10, 2014
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