When choosing between the Hisense U8H and the TCL R655, consider the following tradeoffs:
The Hisense U8H is generally less expensive and offers better overall picture quality, brighter screens in both SDR and HDR content, better dark room performance, and slightly better reflection handling, which is beneficial in bright rooms. It's also better for viewing movies and animations and has slightly better out-of-the-box color accuracy.
The TCL R655, on the other hand, is generally more expensive but has notably lower input lag, making it a better choice for gaming. It also has a higher refresh rate (144Hz), which can provide smoother motion during fast-paced content. However, it falls short in picture quality compared to Hisense U8H, especially in bright and dark room performance. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Hisense U8H (LCD)
Very good for movies & TV
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Excellent for cartoons & animation
Good for upscaling
Advantages of the TCL R655 (LCD)
The TCL R655 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Hisense U8H (LCD).
Key differences
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.8/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
The Hisense U8H (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL R655 (LCD) is good.
The Hisense U8H is highly regarded for watching news and TV programs largely due to its excellent upscaling of lower-resolution content and its very good color reproduction right out of the box. In contrast, the TCL R655, while also good, has somewhat lesser upscaling quality and color accuracy which are particularly important for viewing such content.
Cost
$1,350
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Hisense U8H (LCD) has a price of $1,350 and the TCL R655 (LCD) costs $1,000.
The Hisense U8H (LCD) and TCL R655 (LCD) both have very good picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.2/10
7.9/10
7.75/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
6.8/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.1/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Hisense U8H (LCD) to be very good for movies & TV, while the TCL R655 (LCD) is good.
The Hisense U8H is noted for its excellent color volume and very good black uniformity which contribute to a vivid picture and deep blacks that are crucial for movie watching, but its viewing angles are only average which could affect off-center viewing experience. The TCL R655, while having slightly better contrast and very good local dimming enhancing detail in dark scenes, offers less vibrant color volume and weaker viewing angles than the Hisense U8H, which may be noticeable in colorful movies and when viewing from the side.
Sports
6.5/10
6.6/10
3.9/10
MOTION PROCESSING
5.3/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
7.3/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.7/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R655 (LCD) and Hisense U8H (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The Hisense U8H has better response time which is critical for smooth motion during fast sports action but its motion processing is lower, possibly leading to less fluid movement. The TCL R655, on the other hand, has slightly poorer response time, which might result in a little blur during fast movements, but it offers better motion processing, which helps in making movement appear smoother on screen.
Gaming
8.3/10
8.6/10
8.3/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
7.3/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.7/10
3.9/10
MOTION PROCESSING
5.3/10
80.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
85.0/100
9.2/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.8/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) and Hisense U8H (LCD) are both very good for gaming.
The Hisense U8H is valued for gaming largely because it has very good response time, decreasing motion blur during fast-paced games, although its input lag is only good, potentially affecting the immediacy of gameplay responsiveness. Conversely, the TCL R655, while it also has a very good input lag that is beneficial for a fast gaming response, offers a lower response time which might result in slightly more motion blur compared to the Hisense U8H.
Cartoons & Animation
9.1/10
8.7/10
8.4/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.6/10
9.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.2/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
8.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
8.5/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
8.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Hisense U8H (LCD) to be excellent for cartoons & animation, while the TCL R655 (LCD) is very good.
The Hisense U8H outperforms the TCL R655 when watching cartoons and animation due to its very good colors right out of the box and a very good color gamut, ensuring vibrant and accurate shades. In comparison, the TCL R655 is rated as good for colors out of the box and good for color gamut, which means it delivers quality visuals but with slightly less impressive colors.
Bright Room
9.7/10
9.5/10
5.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.2/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
9.1/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
8.6/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.8/10
The Hisense U8H (LCD) and TCL R655 (LCD) are both best in class for bright room.
The Hisense U8H stands out in bright rooms due to its excellent SDR and HDR brightness, which means it will remain clear and vibrant even under strong lighting, while its very good score for reflection handling ensures minimized glare. On the other hand, the TCL R655, while also having very good SDR brightness and reflection handling, offers slightly less HDR brightness, so while it's still a strong performer in bright settings, it may not be as luminous as the Hisense model when viewing high dynamic range content.
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How the Hisense U8H (LCD) and the TCL R655 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"Hisense is over here making the best TVs for the majority of average families. U8H is a juiced-up utility knife of a television that manages to do a lot of things pretty well. The brightness this TV is capable of pushing out means I can see everything going on in any video game I’m playing regardless of what time of day it is"
"It has an excellent Roku interface, isn’t too expensive, has quantum dots and mini LED backlighting, and looks genuinely fantastic playing everything. If you’re in the market for a new TV, you should still start here. Gamers will like that it has a 120-Hz refresh rate at 4K, which is the maximum that a modern Xbox or Playstation 5 will put out—meaning the smoothest possible gaming and sports viewing in general. We’re no longer in the days of having to spend over $1,000 and spending a few hours on setup for decent black levels and great color accuracy and HDR"
Get a great deal on the Hisense U8H (LCD) or the TCL R655 (LCD)
About Hisense
Hisense, a Chinese TV manufacturer, entered the US market in approximately 2011 and has since acquired TV divisions from various companies such as Toshiba, Sharp, Hitachi, and NEC. Currently ranking as the fourth largest vendor in terms of sales volume, Hisense aims to capture a wide range of TV budget segments. They offer exceptional value with TVs that often outperform their competitors at similar price points, making them a compelling choice for consumers. In the US, they use Google TV as their smart TV software which provides the largest app selection and a very modern user interface, however it is not as user friendly as the software from other vendors.
About TCL
TCL, the highly recognizable TV brand from China, has firmly established itself as the second-largest manufacturer in terms of sales volume. Renowned for striking an impressive balance between affordability, picture quality, and design, TCL TVs deliver a compelling overall package. While they have traditionally excelled in the low-end and midrange TV segments, TCL has recently made remarkable strides in the realm of high-end televisions, introducing impressive models that rival top competitors. Most TCL TVs use Roku software which is very user friendly and easy to use, but they have a few other models that use Google TV which has the largest app selection, but is not as user friendly as Roku.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec TVs team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest TV information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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