Hisense UR9 RGB MiniLED: The most affordable TV in its class

RGB Mini-LED TVs Officially arrived, Hisense’s UR9 was the first device to hit the market, followed by Sony Bravia 7 Mark II and TCL RM9L. I wouldn’t blame you if you’re not excited to find out what the new display technology means, especially if you’re familiar with terms like OLED, QLED, Art TV. Fortunately, understanding why the Hisense UR9 RGB MiniLED represents a step up in picture quality over its competitors has more to do with the experience it provides than knowledge of the technical jargon.

However, the general function of Mini RGB technology It’s not too hard to understand: Traditional LED and QLED TVs achieve their bright, colorful images by shining white or blue LEDs through an LCD panel. The latest mini RGB system works by emitting red, green and blue lights, resulting in better color accuracy, excellent contrast and brightness, and better control of color zones. LG and Samsung are using a new technology called micro RGB, claiming it’s more advanced than mini RGB thanks to smaller LEDs, although they both achieve roughly the same result.

The UR9 is the flagship of Hisense’s lineup, but it’s not priced that way at just $2,000 for the 65-inch model I tested. What you get with the UR9 is improved image quality compared to the brand’s other models, which are typically priced lower than sets from big names like Samsung, Sony and LG. I’ve tested countless entry-level Hisense models over the years, including a few that had poor contrast and brightness, putting them more in line with TCL, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV models that cost around $800.

That’s not the case with this gaming beast, with an unusual but welcome refresh rate of 180Hz (330Hz variant) when hooked up to a high-end PC with a DisplayPort connection on the side. Overall, I was impressed with the image quality at this price point, even if the UR9 can’t quite compete with Samsung and LG’s newer (but expensive) models that use micro RGB technology.

Standard setup for a unique TV

Photo: John Brandon

The all-black, remarkably thin (just 1.8 inches!) UR9 comes with a stand that is much easier to assemble than the UR9. Sony Bravia 7 Mark II RGB TV. Once I had it on my dock, setting up the Google TV OS was simple, except for dealing with a known bug in the Google Home app’s QR code that required manually entering my Gmail address and password. The UR9 uses Wi-Fi 6E, which is faster than Wi-Fi 6.