If you’re in search of a new TV to enhance your entertainment experience, there are plenty of options available on the market. Nonetheless, if you’re aiming to stick to a budget, Hisense and TCL are two affordable brands that offer exceptional features to consider.
If you want an Android-based TV with superior sound quality, ideal for gaming and sports programs, Hisense is the one for you. However, if you are searching for a TV that is more budget-friendly and a good option for watching movies, TCL is a good idea.
In this article, I will explore TCL and Hisense TVs, their merits and disadvantages, followed by a comparison between the two brands.
Hisense vs TCL; Which Is Better?
It all boils down to the features you prefer.
If you’re a casual television watcher who would be content with watching movies and shows with exquisite graphics, a TCL TV set is the one you need! Its high color accuracy and peak brightness along with the range of content available means that you can have an at-home cinema.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a screen that would give you a thrilling experience with action movies, video games, and sports programs, there is no better choice than Hisense. With less motion blurring and the perfect picture quality TV sets, you can enjoy your time to the full.
Comparison Between Hisense vs TCL TVs
| Hisense TVs | TCL TVs | |
| Budget | Lesser Budget Friendly | More Budget Friendly |
| Peak Brightness | Lower | Higher |
| Color Accuracy | Lower | Higher |
| Durability | Lesser | More |
| Operating System | Android TV | Roku TV |
| Audio Quality | Better | Lesser |
| Motion Handling | Better | Lesser |
| Contrast Ratios | Better | Lesser |
| Local Dimming | Better | Lesser |
| Refresh Rates | Lesser | Better |
What Is a TCL TV?
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TCL or Telephone Communication Limited is a Chinese brand that designs and manufactures TVs, smartphones, speakers, computers, home appliances, and more. TCL started in 1985 as a state-owned enterprise that became the second-largest seller of televisions in the global market by 2019.
TCL has been regularly launching new television models, offering a great variety of features, and hence, has become a strong competitor to leading traditional brands like Samsung and LG.
The Pros of TCL TVs
This company has emerged as a giant in the television industry owing to the wide range of features that its TVs have to offer. Some of the notable benefits of a TCL TV include:
- Budget-friendly
- High peak brightness
- High color accuracy
- Durability
- TCL Roku operating system
Budget-Friendly
TCL TVs are admired for their inexpensive price tags while providing intriguing features, good performance, and magnificent displays.
Although both Hisense and TCL offer affordable TVs, TCL is the winner in their mid to large-sized 4K UHD sets.
High Peak Brightness
Peak brightness is an imperative factor if you watch TV in bright environments. As many of the TCL models are QLED, they have an advantage over Hisense screens in this regard.
The QLED technology uses Quantum dots (fluorescent nanocrystals) to produce a picture with rich colors, making it very pleasing to the eye.
High Color Accuracy
Hisense and TCL offer HDR displays in their 4K Ultra HD models, implying that their screens show a spectrum of colors, producing more detailed images. However, TCL TVs have a greater color accuracy, reproducing lifelike and exact shades and colors.
Durability
Hisense and TCL produce TV sets with a plastic build. However, TCL TVs have a thicker plastic, surpassing the Hisense TV plastic quality. In addition, they have decent panels and wider-legged stands, making them more stable and safe.
With good care, a TCL TV can last up to many years, so you needn’t worry about getting another TV anytime soon!
TCL Roku TV
TCL TVs are powered by Roku TV (a software specifically developed for TV streaming) that has several advantages;
- It provides Roku’s App Library which has all the popular media streaming applications like Netflix, Youtube, Apple TV, Hulu, etc.
- It uses the Miracast feature for streaming media to your Smart TV. Most smartphones support Miracast. Windows also has a built-in Miracast so you can easily mirror your device screen to your TV.
- Many users find the Roku interface much simpler and straightforward to navigate.
- As Roku’s TV is cable, antenna, and streaming friendly, it allows access to thousands of movies and TV shows.
The Cons of TCL TVs
Although TCL is one of the best brands for Smart TVs in the market, there are a few disadvantages to them when compared to Hisense TVs:
- TCL Roku operating system limitations
- Relatively poor audio quality
TCL Roku Operating System Limitations
Although Roku TV provides an intuitive user interface, there are some downsides to it;
- Roku App Library has many media streaming apps but Google Play Store allows access to a much greater variety of apps than Roku. It is constantly updated to include any new apps introduced. Clearly, Hisense Android TV has an advantage here.
- It does not share attractive features like Hisense Android TV, for instance, Google Voice Assistant, Google Play Music, and Google Games.
Audio Quality
Watching your favorite show on television having an outstanding display with rich colors would not be as enjoyable if the audio is poor.
TCL and Hisense add a pair of stereo speakers, with decent sound quality, to their TVs for you to watch movies all day long!
However, all TCL models use 16 Watt speakers (in their cheap plus premium models) while Hisense adopts more powerful and higher quality speakers that produce a more detailed sound. This can be a dominant factor for gamers who like to hear more intricate sounds like those of footsteps etc.
For instance, the Hisense 32H5500F model has 6 Watt speakers with DTS (Digital Theater Sound) Surround Sound. This means that you have the experience of getting three-dimensional sound without the need for extra speakers.
In some of the more expensive Hisense TV sets, the speakers have additional functions like noise cancellation.
What Is a Hisense TV?
Hisense is another Chinese company that started small in 1969 and is now a multinational electronics company with its products sold worldwide. It manufactures smartphones, refrigerators, TVs, air conditioners, and many other home appliances. The company also has partnerships with several well-known Industrial giants like Hitachi and Whirlpool.
Since 2004, It has become the biggest TV manufacturer in China. With its continuous and notably high annual growth rates, it is likely to become one of the largest consumer electronics companies globally.
The Pros of Hisense TVs
Hisense TV sets offer a wide range of impressive specs, making them popular among customers. Some of the important ones of these include:
- Hisense Android-based operating system
- Motion handling
- Better contrast ratios
- Local dimming
- Better sound quality
Hisense Android-based Operating System
Hisense models use Android TVs and Hisense’s own VIDAA operating system with AI (only implemented in their more expensive models). The benefits of using the Android platform include:
- Access to Google Play Store enables the users to download apps like Netflix, HBO, Youtube, etc to their TVs
- Having access to Google Play Store also means that you can get any new streaming apps on your TV since Play Store is constantly updated and there is hardly any app not found on it.
- A built-in Chromecast feature means you can use your phone, tablet, or any android device to stream your favorite movies, shows, and music to your Smart TV without a physical connection.
- Google Voice Assistant allows you to command your TV directly for quick access to your choice of entertainment
- Google Games, Google Play Music, and so on.
- As this platform provides an interface similar to android smartphones, this can be very easy to use for people who own android smartphones.
Motion Handling
When objects on a screen move too rapidly, they may appear blurry and less distinct. If you are an avid sports fan or a regular game player, you might notice that fast-moving objects like a ball in the air appear fuzzy.
With higher image processing technology, Hisense TV sets provide an experience for sports maniacs, gamers, and even action movie lovers to remember!
Contrast Ratio
The contrast Ratio measures the difference between the darkest and the brightest shades on a screen. The higher the contrast ratio, the better. Hisense uses LED technology and so offers a better contrast ratio relative to TCL. Hisense screens are known for producing deeper dark colors and thus, darker scenes appear much better.
Local Dimming
This feature enables dark scenes to appear vivid in dark environments. On TVs without this technology, the blacks look grayish, spoiling the picture quality. Hisense TVs make good use of this which means watching movies in the dark is more fun on Hisense screens compared to similar TCL models.
The Cons of Hisense TVs
There are some downsides to Hisense TVs when compared to TCL TV sets;
- Less economical
- Lower refresh rates
Refresh Rates
Refresh rate refers to how quickly the images in a video are updated (or refreshed). A higher refresh rate results in motion smoothing, making it desirable for gaming and sports. It also makes the interface more responsive.
The refresh rate in Hisense models is 60Hz as compared to TCL’s 120 Hz. However, their recent lineups do have effective refresh rates of 120Hz.
Conclusion
Hisense and TCL are leading Chinese brands with top-notch Smart TVs offering a variety of gripping features. Both are known for their relatively reasonable price tags and their solid specs.
The durability and even cheaper TV sets compared to Hisense is a feat too impressive to ignore for TCL models. Hisense, with its Android TVs, excellent audio, and great gaming features is also undoubtedly worth the price.
The best option between the two is all about your personal preferences.
