The Hisense U8K is generally less expensive and is known for its impressive gaming performance and high brightness, making it suitable for viewing in brighter rooms. However, it may not offer as wide a viewing angle, which could be a downside for large gatherings.
On the other hand, the TCL R655 is somewhat more expensive and shines with its natural color reproduction for movies and refined smart platform, but it may not reach the same brightness levels as the Hisense, which can affect daytime viewing in sunny rooms.
Consider the Hisense U8K if gaming performance and brightness are priorities, especially in well-lit environments, or the TCL R655 if you prioritize movie-watching experience and smart features, with a slightly higher budget. 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 U8K (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 U8K (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.7/10
8.0/10
8.21/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
9.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.2/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
miniLED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Hisense U8K (LCD) and TCL R655 (LCD) both have very good picture quality, though the Hisense U8K (LCD) has somewhat better picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.5/10
7.9/10
8.21/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
10.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.1/10
7.0/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Hisense U8K (LCD) is very good for movies & TV, while the TCL R655 (LCD) is good.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.6/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
7.0/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
The Hisense U8K (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL R655 (LCD) is good.
The Hisense U8K excels in watching news, talk shows, and other TV programs due to its excellent upscaling of lower-resolution content, high SDR brightness, and strong color performance out of the box, making it a very good choice for standard dynamic range viewing. In contrast, the TCL R655, though good in these areas, has lower scores in upscaling and local dimming which may affect the viewing experience, especially in brightly lit environments; it also has a slightly less impressive color out of the box, impacting the vibrancy of the content displayed.
Cost
$1,328
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Hisense U8K (LCD) has a price of $1,328 and the TCL R655 (LCD) costs $1,000.
The TCL R655 (LCD) and Hisense U8K (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The Hisense U8K and TCL R655, both LCD TVs, are fair for watching sports; the U8K struggles with motion processing, and while the R655 is slightly better, both TVs cope similarly with reflections and viewing angles which is crucial for fast-paced games watched from different positions in a room. They are on par concerning response time, affecting how crisp motion appears, and both TVs experience similar challenges with uniformity across the screen, noticeable during scenes with large areas of similar colors, like a football field.
Gaming
8.6/10
8.6/10
6.8/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.7/10
3.5/10
MOTION PROCESSING
5.3/10
90.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
85.0/100
9.2/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.8/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) and Hisense U8K (LCD) are both very good for gaming.
The Hisense U8K is very good for gaming due to its quick response time and low input lag, essential for a smooth gaming experience, although its response time is slightly lower than the TCL R655. The TCL R655 also excels in gaming with its good response time and very low input lag, making it responsive for fast-paced gaming action.
Cartoons & Animation
9.1/10
8.7/10
8.3/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.6/10
9.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.2/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
8.6/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
7.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
8.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Hisense U8K (LCD) to be excellent for cartoons & animation, while the TCL R655 (LCD) is very good.
The Hisense U8K is rated as excellent in colors out of the box and color gamut, contributing to vibrant and true-to-life animations, while the slightly lower ratings for the TCL R655 mean its portrayals in animation might not be as rich or colorful. Although both are capable, choosing the Hisense could result in a more visually striking cartoon and animation viewing experience.
Bright Room
9.7/10
9.5/10
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.2/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
9.1/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.8/10
The Hisense U8K (LCD) and TCL R655 (LCD) are both best in class for bright room.
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How the Hisense U8K (LCD) and the TCL R655 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"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 U8K (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
385
TVs evaluated
33,110
TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
99,030
Recommendations made
14,855
Consumer hours saved
About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
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