I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there is no perfect TV choice.
It’s easy to get lost in the event horizon of research and price comparisons and feature speculation for televisions. But, fortunately or unfortunately, televisions are a constantly changing landscape of options and technologies in which there is never a perfect option.
But you can make good decisions. If I had to choose a TV in the price range below $ 1,000 on Black Friday (or any other time this year), I would have two options: Hisense H9F or TCL R625. Each set has its own advantages and disadvantages, but both are more than satisfactory and provide a great 4K HDR-ready experience for games and movies.
In a way, these two televisions are the best possible choice anyone can make, in part because they are so regularly available at such low prices that are currently starting at major retailers for 55-inch models at $ 599. These are not the best TVs available, but in less than six months, they will not be the best TVs yet. And with HDMI 2.1 on the way, including some key enhancements, spending on a four-digit TV might feel particularly bad at the moment. On the other hand, cheaper devices are unlikely to find features like 4K / 120Hz support or auto-low latency mode, which means that these lower cost options are likely to experience the slightest upset.
If I had to buy a TV now, as someone who would soon have a high-end screen with Freesync support, 4K / 120 and all the other bells and whistles, I would opt for a nice, cheap model like the H9F or R625 – Even in a few years, both would be a great option for the second room if HDMI 2.1 devices are more widely available.
It is worth noting that price points below the $ 599 EIA of the H9F or R625 are unlikely to yield the results that are worth 4K and HDR for the upgrade. There are still 4K displays available for $ 200-300 at retail, but the improvements seen this year at around $ 600 do not make it right across the product hierarchy. Cheaper devices often emit low peak brightness and poor color rendering. Both are the key to HDR content. These screens will not help you get the most out of what you are seeing.
My recommendations here are based on a 4K performance. I want you to have a display that provides adequate contrast, color reproduction and brightness. In other words, a TV that offers a decent to good 4K / HDR experience. These recommendations also assume that you’re looking for a new 2019 Ultra HD TV. You may find good models for 2018 on eBay or in the Amazon outlet store. However, as soon as the manufacturers launch new models, the televisions will be discontinued, making it difficult to reliably estimate last year’s value at this time of the year.
A note: Technical data and dimensions are again from the website Rtings, which I think is the best source for television information. The examiners there are incredibly thorough and conscientious, responding to user feedback, and providing calibration instructions for every sentence they test. You should visit their website, even if it makes your 4K purchase decisions into question on a regular basis. Further research has been done on several other websites. I think it makes sense to read a little for yourself before you make a major purchase. $ 600 is less than $ 1,000, but it’s not nothing.
The best 4K TV under $ 1,000: The Hisense H9F
Hisense
For months, Hisense’s H9F has been recognized by almost all technology locations as the king of 4K TVs from 2019. The contrast ratio and peak brightness are excellent – far beyond what is needed to bring out the brightest HDR content. Blacks that look good even when they are not as dark as on an OLED. Color accuracy is also excellent, provided you complete the calibration process. I recommend looking for and using settings from a reputable website, unless you want the device to be professionally calibrated (which can be quite expensive).
As important as all this, if you’re a polygon reader, the power of the H9F video game is fantastic. In game mode, the screen adds about one frame of delay, which is about as good as you might hope. It also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision (which should support both next generation consoles) on all four HDMI inputs. The H9F uses Android TV as a smart TV platform that offers a variety of great app options and good performance.
For most users, the H9F offers a great viewing experience at a very low price. It has some limitations. Rtings has measured a lot of heat that emanates from the case of the unit and can be a problem in smaller rooms. Anyone who used to own a big Plasma TV in the past probably knows how much. And the sound quality of the H9F is bad. You probably want to spend some of the money you save on the TV for a decent sound bar. There is also some discoloration in “neutral” shades of gray and a darkening around the edges of the screen, though it is unlikely that you will notice (if you can only make me forget that I mentioned it). And the H9F suffers from the same bad angles as virtually every LCD screen. This problem only occurs with much more expensive devices.
The biggest limitation of the H9F, however, is what it does not have. The high-end features of HDMI 2.1 are not supported. You will not miss them for the most part this year. But maybe next year. However, this is currently true for almost any 4K TV, making spending on a TV like the H9F 2019 a smarter step.
Another great 4K TV: The TCL R625
TCL
TCL’s R615 was the budget television of choice last year, and the R625 is the latest successor of the year. Better color reproduction is achieved thanks to the newer display technology, although calibration is even more important than with the H9F. It has better, more consistent blacks than the H9F, but its contrast ratio is a little worse as it does not get quite as bright. It improves the gaming performance of the H9F with an input latency of 10.6 milliseconds compared to Hisense’s 16 ms. I do not think you will notice this difference unless you are a professional competitor, but he is there. The speakers of the R625 are better than those of the H9F, although they still are not what I call good.
There are two main differences between the R625 and the H9F: motion handling and interface. Fast movements on the R625 are likely to look a little blurred than on the H9F. You may not notice the blur, but it is present according to Rtings measurements. And the other main difference is the interface. The R625’s Roku support may be more attractive to Comcast / Xfinity TV subscribers, with great Xfinity streaming and on-demand support. For others, Hisense’s Android TV implementation may be more of a draw.
Which TV should you buy? For most people, I think it should be one of these two models: 1) Both models are sometimes sold out at various online retailers, which can affect the prices you find for them. 2) The one for sale at the time you want to buy a TV. Both sets are available for only $ 600 and are likely to be even cheaper at different times. In both cases, you’ll get a really good 4K / HDR experience with some of the same viewing angle and calibration limitations. And both should keep you busy until the next generation of 4K TVs has introduced all of their new features at affordable prices on a larger scale.