Hisense has quietly become the brand to beat under $1,500, and the 2025 to 2026 lineup is the strongest it has ever shipped. The short version: buy the U8QG. It is the brightest, most complete TV Hisense makes for a normal budget, and in most living rooms it outguns sets that cost twice as much.
The rest of the range exists because not everyone needs that much TV. Some people want four HDMI 2.1 ports for a pile of consoles. Some want a screen that looks like framed art when it is off. A few just want the cheapest mini-LED that still does Dolby Vision properly. Here is how the current models actually differ, and which one fits.
One thing worth saying up front, because it trips people up: every Hisense set here supports Dolby Vision. That matters if you have read that Samsung skips it in favor of HDR10+. Hisense handles Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, and plain HDR10, so you are covered no matter what a streaming app sends to the panel.
Hisense U8QG: the one to buy
This is the pick. The U8QG is the 2025 flagship mini-LED, rated up to 5,000 nits of peak brightness, and independent testing measures a real-world peak north of 3,000 nits, with thousands of local dimming zones on the larger sizes. Either way, it is genuinely bright. In practice that means HDR highlights that hold their punch and a picture that survives a bright, window-heavy room where an OLED would wash out. It runs Google TV, carries a 4.1.2 speaker system that is better than most built-in audio, and the panel does 4K at up to 165Hz for gaming. Sizes go 55, 65, 75, 85, and 100 inches.
The catch? It blooms a little around bright objects on dark backgrounds, and it has three HDMI 2.1 inputs to the cheaper U7's four, and one is shared with eARC for a soundbar. If you have a stack of 4K/120 sources, count your ports before you commit.
Hisense U7QG: best for gaming and ports
The U7QG is the value sweet spot, especially if you game. It peaks around 3,000 nits, runs a 165Hz panel with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and crucially gives you four HDMI 2.1 ports rather than the U8's three. A PS5, an Xbox Series X, and a gaming PC can all stay connected without a switch. You give up some brightness and dimming precision versus the U8QG, and that is the whole trade. For a console-heavy setup, I would take the extra ports.
Hisense U6 Series: best cheap mini-LED
If the budget is tight but you still want real mini-LED contrast, the 2025 U6 is the floor to aim for. The latest version finally moved to a 144Hz panel with FreeSync Premium, a step up from the 60Hz the older U6N ran, and it keeps Dolby Vision plus a 2.1 audio system with an actual built-in subwoofer. It is dimmer and has far fewer dimming zones than the U8, so it is not the one for a sunroom. For a bedroom or a first 4K set, it is a lot of TV for the money.
Hisense Canvas TV: best for a room that doubles as a gallery
The Canvas is the answer to Samsung's The Frame. It is a QLED with a Hi-Matte anti-glare screen, an art mode that shows paintings or photos between viewings, and it ships with a real picture frame and a slim flush mount in the box. It does 144Hz and Dolby Vision, so it is no slouch for movies. Be honest about the trade, though. The matte coating and lower brightness mean it will not hit like the U8QG in a dark room. You are paying for how it looks switched off, not switched on.
Hisense U7SG: the newest option on shelves now
Shopping in mid-2026 and want this year's model? The new U7SG is rolling out as you read this. It carries the U7 formula forward with up to 3,000 nits, a 165Hz panel, and four HDMI 2.1 inputs, and it adds an ATSC 3.0 tuner for NextGen broadcast. There is a Fire TV version, the U7SF, if you prefer Amazon's interface. Early pricing tracks the outgoing U7QG, so if the 2025 set is sold out, this is the replacement rather than a reason to wait.
Going huge: the 100-inch U8QG and the UX
The U8QG runs all the way to 100 inches and stays reasonable for the size, which is the move for most big-screen buyers. The UX sits above everything as the RGB mini-LED halo set, past 110 inches and well into five figures. It is spectacular and it is not for normal budgets.
Which Hisense should you actually buy
For nearly everyone it is the U8QG: brightest picture, best all-around feature set, sizes for any room. Gamers with a stack of consoles should look hard at the U7QG or the 2026 U7SG for the extra HDMI 2.1 ports. Tight budget, get the U6. And if the TV has to look like art on the wall when it is off, the Canvas earns its place even with the brightness trade.