Samsung vs. Hisense: Which TV Brand Should You Choose?

Televisions are an integral part of our lives, but they don’t come in one-size-fits-all solutions. The first thing to decide before buying a new model is the brand that you want. Two of the most popular options are Samsung and Hisense, but how do they compare? Should you opt for a high-end Samsung TV, or would the more affordable Hisense deliver a similar watching experience? If you can’t decide, this in-depth comparison between the Samsung and Hisense TVs might help you out.

Let’s dive right in!

Samsung vs. Hisense: Side-by-Side Comparison

Best Overall

SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN90C

$1,697.99

• Gamers will enjoy support for AMD Free-Sync, ALLM, and VRR
• Neural Quantum Processor with 4K upscaling and120Hz refresh rate
• Features Dolby Atmos and Object Tracking Sound+ for an immersive surround sound system
• Create a home theatre setup by pairing your Samsung soundbar with your TV through Q-Symphony 3.0.
• Neo Quantum HDR+ for superior brightness, contrast, and color

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11/27/2023 01:12 am GMT

Samsung vs. Hisense: What’s the Difference?

Originally a grocery trading store founded in 1938, Samsung entered the electronics industry in 1969 with a range of black-and-white televisions. It only took a few years for the brand to become famous and start exporting its home electronic products outside of South Korea. Over the decades, Samsung invested in research and is now one of the top manufacturers and innovators in the TV industry.

Hisense is a Chinese manufacturer of electronics and home appliances founded in 1969. The company’s first product was a radio, but Hisense had a penchant for televisions from the start. While it needed some years to gain the know-how, the brand produced its first TV model in 1978. In 2004, Hisense became the largest TV manufacturer in China and one of the main global TV brands.

Today, both Samsung and Hisense focus on innovative panel technologies, and their lineups consist almost exclusively of smart TVs. Let’s find everything you need to know about their product ranges.

Panel Technology

When looking for a new TV, you’ll see stuff like LCD, LED, QLED, and OLED technologies. All these things refer to the type of panel a television has. The LCD technology is one of the oldest used in TV panels, and it still equips some Samsung models. Finding an LCD Samsung TV is rare, though.

Most Samsung models released in recent years use either QLED or OLED panels. QLED stands for quantum dot LED and refers to an LED (or mini LED) panel coated with an ultrafine film of nanocrystals — which are similar to LG’s NanoCell technology. The main difference compared to NanoCell is that the quantum dot nanocrystals vary from 1nm to 3nm in diameter. Each size reflects a specific color, improving the panel’s color accuracy and increasing the color gamut.

The result is an image quality comparable to that of an OLED TV. OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode. These tiny LEDs have the capacity to light up independently, allowing panel manufacturers to create self-lighting pixels. Thanks to this technology, the panels can display true black and achieve infinite contrast, improving the image quality and allowing you to see more details in shadows. OLED panels also have richer, more true-to-life colors and a full-color gamut.

While the QLED technology is typically associated with Samsung TVs, it is not exclusive to the brand. Hisense also uses it on some of its TVs, although most of the Hisense models currently on the market are either OLED or use the brand’s proprietary ULED technology rather than the QLED.

Image Quality

Samsung and Hisense use similar TV panels, so theoretically, they should have the same image quality — except that they don’t. Hisense panels return noticeably worse images compared to Samsung, at least as far as the LED panels are concerned. One of the main issues is that image settings, such as brightness and contrast, are much more challenging to control compared to Samsung.

Despite the rich color gamut of both Samsung and Hisense, the latter has duller hues. Samsung also boasts better AI upscaling on 4K and 8K panels for all sub-4K content, so you can enjoy old movies at 4K resolution. Hisense TVs also have AI upscaling, but the processor doesn’t always manage to drastically improve the image quality. There are fewer differences between the OLED Samsung and Hisense TVs, but overall, Samsung wins this round.

TV Types

An essential difference between Samsung and Hisense is the type of TVs they manufacture. Hisense’s lineup mostly consists of standard smart TVs. The company launched an art TV in 2023, but its range of televisions is no match for Samsung.

The South Korean brand also manufactures a wide range of standard smart televisions, but that’s not all. Samsung is also widely known for its lifestyle and art TVs. The Frame, for instance, revolutionized the TV industry in 2017 when it became the first art TV — the model can turn into a work of art when not in use, looking amazing on your wall or on a stand. The Serif is another outstanding television from Samsung that can blend into most interiors.

Samsung’s lifestyle TVs include the Sero and the Terrace. The Sero is optimized for mobile entertainment on TV. This television’s screen rotates to vertical mode, so you can enjoy your mobile content full-size on a big screen. As its name suggests, the Terrace is an outdoor television that can handle water, dust, and heat while delivering exceptional images in full sunlight. With such a wide product range, it’s unsurprising that Samsung also wins this round.

A Budget-Friendly OLED

Hisense 65-Inch Class U8 Series 4K ULED Mini-LED TV (2023 Model)

$866.60

• Quantum Dot color delivers over a billion color combinations
• Dolby Vision HDR
• 144Hz native refresh rate
• ALLM, 144Hz VRR, and FreesSync Premium Pro
• Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant

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11/27/2023 01:17 am GMT

Smart Platforms

While Samsung’s TVs have a higher image quality, Hisense wins when it comes to the smart platforms you can choose from. Televisions from this Chinese brand vary from Roku TV to Google and Android OS. Each interface has its own strengths and drawbacks, so you can choose based on your needs. For instance, Google and Android interfaces are very user-friendly, while Roku brings a world of entertainment.

All Samsung TVs are based on the company’s proprietary Tizen OS. The interface is easy to navigate but not necessarily as user-friendly as other operating systems. There is a pro, though — Samsung optimizes Tizen OS for Xbox gaming, so a Samsung TV could be a better choice if you have an Xbox console.

Beyond the Xbox optimization, Samsung TVs are usually a better option for gaming in general. They reach refresh rates up to 144Hz, and their processors can smoothly transition between images during fast-moving scenes. Some Hisense models have similar refresh rates, but the weaker processors might struggle to keep up with action-packed games.

Price

In addition to the wider range of smart platforms, Hisense wins in terms of prices. Some of the most affordable models from the brand won’t set you back more than $250. High-end models with advanced panels and huge screens cost around $6,000.

Samsung TVs are a lot more expensive. Smaller mid-range models are usually priced around $500, while big-screen TVs in the same range (65 inches diagonally or higher) will likely set you back over $1,000. The high-end TVs from Samsung are even more expensive, some exceeding the $10,000 and even the $20,000 mark. The 98” Class Neo QLED 8K, for instance, costs $39,999.99, while the 110” Class Micro LED Samsung will set you back around $150,000.

Samsung vs. Hisense: 5 Must-Know Facts

• Both Samsung and Hisense manufacture LED, LASER, and OLED smart TVs. Samsung mostly uses the QLED technology for its LED panels, whereas Hisense prefers its proprietary ULED technology.
• Samsung manufactures a wide range of televisions, from standard and LASER to lifestyle and art TVs.
• Hisense launched an art TV recently, but all of its other models are standard or LASER televisions.
• Samsung TVs have a higher image quality, but Hisense uses a wider range of smart platforms that could attract various users.
• Hisense is more affordable than Samsung, so it is a better option if budget is a deciding factor.

Samsung vs. Hisense: Which Brand Should You Buy?

Choosing between a Samsung or a Hisense TV often comes down to your needs and budget. If you only watch the TV occasionally and don’t want to spend too much, Hisense is your best option. Many of the brand’s big-screen models are affordably priced, and you can expect decent image quality and performance for casual watching.

If you want a high-end TV for your home theater or gaming room, Samsung is a better option. Samsung is also a better option if you want an art or lifestyle TV, such as an outdoor model for your balcony or patio. While it requires deeper pockets, you’ll get superior image quality and performance compared to Hisense.