If you prefer a TV that performs better in dark rooms and offers slightly higher overall picture quality, especially for movies and gaming, the Hisense U8H would be a strong choice, but it tends to be more expensive. The TV also tends to do well in bright rooms, but it doesn't have great speakers.
On the other hand, the TCL R646 is more affordable and still provides decent overall picture quality. It's slightly better for sports content and has a decent gaming performance, but it may not be as bright or offer the same level of contrast as the Hisense U8H. Similar to the U8H, it doesn't excel in terms of its speakers. 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)
Best in class for bright room
Very good for dark room
Very good for movies & TV
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Excellent for cartoons & animation
Good for upscaling
Advantages of the TCL R646 (LCD)
The TCL R646 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Hisense U8H (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.4/10
7.9/10
7.75/10
CONTRAST
8.43/10
9.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.6/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
miniLED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Hisense U8H (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL R646 (LCD) has good picture quality.
Cartoons & Animation
9.1/10
8.4/10
8.4/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.6/10
9.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.6/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
8.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.2/10
8.5/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
8.0/10
The Hisense U8H (LCD) is excellent for cartoons & animation, while the TCL R646 (LCD) is very good.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.8/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The Hisense U8H (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL R646 (LCD) is good.
The Hisense U8H excels at upscaling lower resolution content and displays news and talk shows with impressive clarity and color accuracy straight out of the box, making it ideal for standard definition viewing. The TCL R646, while also good at upscaling, doesn't match the U8H in color accuracy but has a slightly better color gamut, offering a wide range of colors which can enhance viewing experience across various content, but might be less noticeable for regular TV programs.
Bright Room
9.7/10
8.9/10
5.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
9.1/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.3/10
8.6/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.1/10
The Hisense U8H (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL R646 (LCD) is very good.
The Hisense U8H is better suited to bright rooms due to its higher HDR brightness, which enhances the viewing experience in well-lit environments and its superior handling of reflections that reduces the impact of light sources on the screen. The TCL R646, while also performing very well in bright rooms, falls slightly short in comparison with its lower HDR brightness and reflections handling, which may lead to less optimal viewing in very bright settings.
Cost
$1,500
$1,800
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Hisense U8H (LCD) has a price of $1,500 and the TCL R646 (LCD) costs $1,800.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Hisense U8H (LCD) to be very good for movies & TV, while the TCL R646 (LCD) is good.
The Hisense U8H is considered very good for watching movies and cinematic TV due to its excellent color volume and local dimming which enhance contrast and black uniformity, crucial for dark scenes in films. The TCL R646, while it provides good performance with similar local dimming and black uniformity beneficial for movies, falls slightly behind the Hisense in color volume, leading to less vibrant color reproduction in cinematic content.
Sports
6.5/10
6.6/10
3.9/10
MOTION PROCESSING
5.3/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
7.3/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.6/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R646 (LCD) and Hisense U8H (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The Hisense U8H has moderate viewing angles and struggles with fast motion due to its low motion processing capabilities, which are important for sports, but handles reflections well and has very good response time. The TCL R646, while sharing similar reflection handling, also suffers from narrow viewing angles but outperforms the Hisense U8H in motion processing, essential for fast-paced sports action, and has a very good response time as well.
Gaming
8.3/10
8.2/10
8.3/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.6/10
3.9/10
MOTION PROCESSING
5.3/10
80.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
70.0/100
9.2/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
The Hisense U8H (LCD) and TCL R646 (LCD) are both very good for gaming.
The Hisense U8H and TCL R646 both offer very good gaming performance because they have fast response times and low input lag, which are crucial for playing games smoothly and responsively. Additionally, both TVs have a high refresh rate of 120Hz, enhancing the gaming experience with smoother motion.
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How the Hisense U8H (LCD) and the TCL R646 (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"
Get a great deal on the Hisense U8H (LCD) or the TCL R646 (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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TVs evaluated
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Recommendations made
18,050
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