The Hisense UR8 RGB MiniLED TV delivers vivid, accurate color in movies, shows, and games, although it falls short of the higher-end Hisense UR9 in contrast, shadow detail, brightness, and some fine textures. Testing found that the differences are visible in several scenes, but the UR8 still performs strongly, particularly for gaming and colorful content.
In the next episode of House of the Dragon, viewed through the HBO Max app using Google Cast, the scales in the dragon scene were visible but not as textured as they appeared on the UR9. Whether that subtle difference justifies paying more for the higher-end model remains uncertain, but the distinction was noticeable.
In The Creator, streamed through Fandango at Home, the beach landing looked slightly faded and dark. In The Batman, gunfire in a dark hallway appeared bright enough, but the scene lacked the rich detail seen on the UR9.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on Peacock provided a useful color test. Stars moved across the screen in vibrant rainbow colors and looked bright and accurate, although some showed too much blooming—the halo effect in which bright tones bleed into surrounding dark areas. To be fair, the UR9 displayed the scene similarly.
Photo: John Brandon
There was more positive news in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on Disney+. The RGB technology produced extremely realistic color accuracy, including the bright blues, reds, and oranges in the opening scene. The main shortcomings were less-rich contrast and tonal depth than on the UR9, along with weaker shadow detail. LG Micro RGB Evo rendered the same scene even brighter.
In benchmark tests using Spears & Munsil discs, skin tones appeared darker and less varied than on the LG Micro RGB Evo and the Hisense UR9. The demo reel revealed several other differences: white mist against white mountains was less distinct than on the UR9, while the UR8’s accurate color reproduction made the green grass beside a fence look similar to the UR9. Nighttime scenes with dark trees appeared sharper on the UR9 because of its higher nits rating. The UR8 still showed the texture of the wood, although its red cacti and yellow flowers appeared darker.
Gaming in RGB
The UR8 is well suited to gaming. It detects gaming content, adjusts latency, and can improve picture quality. Like the UR9, it automatically adjusted key picture settings whenever a game was launched.
Black levels appeared slightly richer than expected, which benefited Resident Evil: Requiem, a game that largely takes place in darkness. The UR8 created an atmospheric image that was dark and moody without looking washed out. Latency did not seem substantially different from playing the same game on the UR9; a Hisense representative said the wait times were about the same.
Photo: John Brandon
Source: www.wired.com
