Hisense XT880 UHD Prototype
Hisense revealed this week nine TV lines including a number of very sophisticated, thin LED LCD models designed to compete against the major HDTV brands. Known to the consumer electronics industry as a TV supplier for Best Buy’s Insignia and Dynex house brands, its 2012/2013 line marks the first major effort by a Chinese manufacturer to penetrate the US market. Hisense is the world’s sixth largest producer of televisions.
With screen sizes of 22 to 65-inches, its vast array of new models includes Smart, 3D (passive and active) and a state of the art Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 resolution) models.
Hisense first entered the US market two years ago with entry level HDTVs similar to its offerings under the Insignia brand name. Now they appear ready to compete head-on against the major brands with contemporary styling and high end features such as 240 Hz refresh, Internet browsers with streaming and more. Unlike Vizio and the no-name brands which use contract manufacturers to build their HDTVs, Hisense assembles all of its models in its own factories. Like a number of major TV brands (i.e. Sony and Toshiba), it procures LCD screens from the big panel makers including LG and AUO).
Here’s the new line from top to bottom.
Hisense XT880 UHD TV Production Version
XT880 is a Ultra HDTV (4x resolution of Full HD) with every about every feature know to man including a pencil thin 7mm bezel, dual core processor with the latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS, Internet browser, detachable (to insure privacy) HD camera with facial recognition, gesture control, Skype video, 240 Hz refresh, edge lit LEDs, active 3D, games, Google apps and more. The XT880 will arrive in the USA during Q1 2013 in the 50, 58 and 65-inch screen sizes. The 50-inch is shipping this month into the Chinese market. Pricing is to be announced.
T770 series is an edge lit 120Hz refresh LED LCD with active Full 1080p 3D, Smart TV with browser, 4 HDMI inputs and smart phone (Android and iPhone) remote control. Screen sizes are 42-inch and 55-inch. Price and availability are to be announced.
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K560 series are edge lit LED LCDs available in the 55 and 65-inch screen sizes. The 65K560DW features a 65-inch screen, 240 Hz refresh rate, 1080p resolution, Smart TV with Internet browser, QWERTY remote control, .8-inch screen bezel, swivel stand, 4 HDMI inputs and two pairs of active 3D glasses. Shipping later this month, it will be sold exclusively by Amazon.com. Price is to be announced (TBA).
The 55-inch 55K560RW is a passive 3D model with 1080p resolution, 60 Hz refresh rate, .8-inch bezel, Smart TV with Internet browser, QWERTY remote, swivel stand, 4 HDMI inputs and 4 pairs of passive 3D glasses. Price and availability TBA.
K366 series consists of a 40 and 50-inch edge lit LED LCDs. The 50 inch features 120 Hz refresh rate, 1080p resolution, 3 HDMI inputs, Smart TV and 3 HDMI inputs. The 40-inch shares the same features except it has a 60 Hz refresh rate. It will be available soon, exclusively at Walmart at a price to be announced.
K360 edge lit LED LCD series feature a 1080p 50-inch model 50K360G with 120Hz refresh and the 40-inch 50K360 with a 60Hz refresh. Both have 2 HDMI inputs and USB movie streaming. Shipping in late November in time for Black Friday, the pricing and supporting retailers are TBA.
K316 series consists of 42, 46, and 50-inch screen sizes. These 2.33-inch deep edge lit LED LCDs feature 1080p HDTV with 120 Hz refresh, active 3D, Wi-Fi, Opera web browser, 4 HDMI inputs, 2 USBs, and two pairs of active 3D glasses. Internet streaming includes Netflix, VUDU and YouTube. Sold exclusively by hh Gregg they are available now as the 42-inch 42K316D05 for $599.99, the 46-inch 46K316D05 also at $599.99 and the 50-inch 50K316D05 for $799.99
K310 series product is scheduled to ship in January 2013. This edge lit LED LCD series offers 1080p, thin bezel, 3 HDMI inputs and MHL enabled port. With the Roku Stick (sold separately) inserted into the MHL port the 310 converts into a Smart TV with Internet streaming services including VUDU, Amazon Instant, Netflix, Hulu Plus and more. The K310s will be available in the 39 and 50-inch screen sizes. Prices are to be announced.
K20 series is Hisense’s entry level line of LED backlit LCD televisions. The 1080p models are offered in the 24, 42 and 46-inch screen sizes. A 32-inch 720p model is also available. The 42-inch model features a 60 Hz resolution, 1.5-inch depth and 3 HDMI inputs. The 46-inch model has all the same features and adds a 4th HDMI input. The 42-inch F42K20 and the 46-inch F46K20 are available now exclusively at Walmart priced at $368 and $498 respectively.
D12 series lone model is a 32-inch 720p LED lit LCD featuring 2 HDMI inputs. It’s available now at hhgregg for $219.99
Pulse
The Hisense Pulse is a $99 Goggle TV box that converts any HDTV into a Smart TV. It features a dual sided remote control with a QWERTY keyboard on one side and a touch pad plus numeric keyboard on the other, built-in Wi-Fi, HDMI output and a Google Chrome browser. It will be available initially at Amazon next month.
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5 Comments
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Hisense is not cheap Chinese crap as some of you seem to think. They are actually the #1 selling television manufacturer in Asia. They make Best Buys insignia TV’s which have a solid reputation. I just bought a 50 inch Hisense LED television and I must say its just as nice as the name brand TV’s that I own except its about half the price. Hisense is new to the U.S market and they want to challenge the name brand Japanese television makers that we have in the United States. Do your research and read the reviews on Hisense everybody seems to like them and thinks they are well worth the money.
like fake iphones in china, these look like fake samsungs. If you look at the panel design, nearly identical to spot on. I’ve seen some Hisense at Fry’s Electronics here in town. I’ll say the picture quality was not appealing but price is. I guess everyone has their own standards, but for me I will always go for quality.
Gary you might say that it is a cheap Chinese brand but I have bought myself the XT710 in March 2012 in South Africa. It looks like the T770 shown on top. I actually went to Dion Wired to buy myself the LG 6500 or the D7000 Samsung. As I entered the shop, the three screens were hanging next to each other. The biggest difference was that I could buy two Hisense panels for the price of the LG (with some spare change) and the Samsung was even more expensive. I could not see with the naked eye that much of a difference between the three sets when displaying HD picture. The picture quality of the Hisense was just as great as the brand names. The Hisesne however came with a five year guarantee (standard three years + two years from Dion Wired) whereby the Samsung and LG come standard one year guarantee. I do agree that you must compare cost vs quality, and I think the Hisense 120Hz Smart TV panel physical looks and overall performance is just as appealing as the brand names. The only complaint that I have is that the sound on the set is a bit soft and I am using a Sony home theater system for my sound. It is also important that if you want to buy a set, you need to set the picture yourself to see what the panel can do. Do not judge a panels if they are hanging next to each other in a store. You might also get people who will set the picture quality poor on some sets, just to boost other brands. I have also seen that they will use different inputs to panels. Then you can not compare apples with apples. Hisense had also won the picture quality award in China. How bad can the picture really be?
So…
What’s our take on quality?
The great thing about their screens is that they are some of the most reflection-free I’ve seen. It’s a major advantage in a room with multiple light sources and windows; it created lots of visual “noise” while watching a plasma, unfortunately.
The not-so-great thing I’ve noticed are the glossy bezels. Walking around a display and seeing how the light reflects of them reveals a surface that is consistently uneven and somewhat ripple-y.
What I’d be interested in hearing is an assessment of the quality inside. Any takers? Appreciate this very practical and useful site.
Peace,
– JC
Another cheap Chinese brand. When will consumers learn you get what you pay for? Wonder if Samsung and LG will file a lawsuit. Hisense styling definitely is a copy.