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  • Design & Details

  • What We Like

  • What We Don't Like

  • Should You Buy It?

  • SDR Test Results (CalMan 5 Ultimate)

  • HDR Test Results (CalMan 5 Ultimate)

  • Design & Details
  • What We Like
  • What We Don't Like
  • Should You Buy It?
  • SDR Test Results (CalMan 5 Ultimate)
  • HDR Test Results (CalMan 5 Ultimate)

The H9D Plus TVs feature the latest in fancy TV tech—namely, 4K resolution, HDR compatibility, and smart features—but they're priced very competitively. The 55-inch runs around $700, while the 65-inch is around $1,000.

While the H9D Plus isn't the best performer we've seen this year, it's a little hard to argue with the prices. In the 55-inch size, you'll get a little more value out of something like the TCL P Series, but getting the 65-inch for $1,000 is a solid value.

Editor's Note:

This review has been updated to reflect a newer retail price for the 65-inch version of this series. Third party sellers have the 65-inch H9D Plus available for $2,000, but interested buyers should track it down for the $999 price.

Design & Details

Hisense's H9D Plus series is available is two sizes:

• 55-inch (Hisense 55H9DPlus), $1,299 (around $700 online) • 65-inch (Hisense 65H9DPlus), $1,599 (around $1,000 online)

Shared specs:

• 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160) • High Dynamic Range compatible • Wide color gamut equipped • Edge-lit (75-inch full-array) • smart features

We received our 65-inch H9D Plus on loan from Hisense, and gave it about 24 hours to warm up/break-in prior to evaluation and review. One thing to note about the H9D Plus series as of this review is that availability is pretty spotty. While there are four sizes and prices listed for the series, tracking down specific SKUs may prove tricky.

Hisense H9 Front

The two TVs in the series are otherwise identical from a specs and design standpoint. They feature thin, silver bezels, wide-set caltrop feet, and narrow profiles, like many modern LED TVs.

Each H9D Plus TV has four HDMI inputs (only two of which are HDMI 2.0-compatible, unfortunately), three USB inputs, and the usual array of ethernet, component/composite, and optical audio ports. They also come with a rather large, standard remote control.

Hisense H9 ports

What We Like

Great black levels give content excellent depth

As we've said many times, black level (or shadow depth) is the keystone of good picture quality. Not only does a deep black level give content more depth—and an almost three-dimensional appearance—but it also helps make contrasting, bright elements of the screen really pop.

Because the 65-inch H9D Plus is an edge-lit LED TV, I admit I didn't have the best expectations where black level is concerned, but this Hisense proved me wrong. During our standard test process, I measured a solid black level of 0.023 nits in the TV's Calibrated mode. Unfortunately, this was paired with a rather low reference brightness under 100 nits, so take the result with a grain of salt.

Hisense H9 black level

On the other hand, this deep black level holds over into the TV's HDR modes, which is doubly welcome. Typically, activating HDR makes TVs very bright, but (outside of OLED models) this brightness often comes at the expense of black levels. While this Hisense's black level jumps from 0.023 to 0.075 nits in HDR mode, the latter is still a solid result for an edge-lit LED TV.

The only drawback is the HDR peak brightness, which we'll get into in the next segment.

Wide color gives content a much-needed boost

To be a great HDR TV, the H9D Plus doesn't just need to be capable of a lot of brightness, it also needs extra, or "expanded" color. When we test HDR TVs, we measure their color accuracy and saturation in both "standard" (SDR) mode and HDR mode. Basically, any HDR TV worth its salt should be able to match both the older SDR color space when playing that kind of content, and should expand to meet the wider, more colorful HDR color space when required.

To simplify, there are "proper" colors for non-HDR content, and "proper" colors for HDR content, and the best HDR TVs display both accurately depending on which kind of content they're receiving. The H9D Plus performed well in this regard, covering 100% of the non-HDR color space and about 93% of the HDR color space. It's not perfect—a little calibration can benefit both modes—but overall, shouldn't disappoint most viewers.

Hisense H9 HDR

As HDR TVs go, the H9D Plus's wider color presentation is its best foot forward. As I said above, it doesn't get all that bright, which is a big necessity for the best HDR presentation. The color saturation is a welcome performance boon, of course, but it's not the "whole package."

A 120 Hz refresh rate means better motion performance

Currently, TVs come in two basic varieties: 60 Hz and 120 Hz. This refers to how quickly (how many times per second) their panels refresh. The H9D Plus TVs feature 120 Hz refresh rates, meaning they're technically at the "cutting edge" of motion performance.

The major difference between 60 Hz and 120 Hz TVs is that the latter are able to play 24 frame-per-second (fps) content (which is most films on Blu-ray) without judder, though they also generally perform better where video game input lag is concerned.

If you're a big film buff, you'll most certainly want a 120 Hz TV like this one.

This means if you're a big film buff and plan to watch disc content that plays at 24fps, you'll most certainly want a 120 Hz TV like this one.

Because streaming content (Netflix, Amazon Video, etc.) streams at either 30 or 60 fps, it plays back identically on 60 or 120 Hz panels. But the H9D Plus's smooth playback of video games and filmic content is definitely welcome, and all but the pickiest viewers will be pleased with this TV's motion performance.

Simple, effective smart features

The smart features available on the H9D Plus aren't going to blow any minds (and really, almost no smart TV platform will), but they at least don't detract from the TV in any way. Hisense has included a simple, easy-to-navigate system that gives users easy access to the best thing about smart platforms: apps.

Hisense H9 apps

You'll find 4K and/or HDR-capable versions of apps like Netflix, Amazon Video, YouTube, etc. It's a dressed-down menu that's easy to navigate using the remote's big navigational buttons. All you need do is connect the H9D Plus to your WiFi network and you're good to go. (Oh, and don't forget you'll need the appropriate subscription to watch HDR content on Netflix).

What We Don't Like

Low brightness means less impressive HDR

The H9D Plus's biggest drawback is that, to achieve its good shadow tones/black levels, it doesn't get terribly bright. While playing SDR content, it only hits around 100 nits (or less) in the Calibrated picture mode. While this is fine if you're watching in a dimly lit or darkened room, it's much less brightness than we've seen from similarly priced models this year.

If you're willing to adjust the ambient lighting in your room or close the curtains, you'll be perfectly pleased with the TV's brightness during SDR content.

The bigger issue is getting a good HDR experience out of this TV. While it does have the wide-color chops to present an impressive picture, the HDR brightness simply isn't high enough to really do justice to the format itself. When 50% or more of the screen is bright, it can get close to the high 300s, though we consider 400 or better a baseline for modern HDR TVs.

Hisense H9 HDR picture modes

However, when displaying pinpoints meant to be very bright (think, a reflective point of chrome during Mad Max), the H9D Plus really drops the ball. I measured specular points (2% and 10% bright windows) at 152 and 286 nits respectively. While it's certainly a big jump in brightness from SDR mode, it's not really enough for an ideal HDR experience.

To put it simply: For what you're paying, we expected better.

Narrow viewing angles limit flexibility

A common problem with edge-lit LED TVs like this one, the H9D Plus simply doesn't offer a very wide viewing angle. I measured a total viewing angle of 15°, or ±7.5° from the center to either side of the screen. A very deep black level of 0.019 during head-on viewing jumps up to almost 0.05 when you start to move off center.

A narrower viewing angle means you probably shouldn't wall-mount this set.

While the size of our test unit (65 inches) means you'd have to be quite far to one side or the other for the picture quality to degrade that harshly, it does mean you probably won't want to wall-mount this set.

Issues with things on the technical side

Finally, last—but definitely not least—in the list of the H9D Plus's performance issues are some hangups in the particulars of image production that are pretty, uh, nerdy—but still affect the performance and user experience to the degree that they warrant discussion.

Hisense H9D remote

Essentially, the H9D Plus struggles a bit with some of the basics of performance: gamma scaling, or how much luminance it produces at each electrical signal input level; and color temperature, or the neutrality (or lack thereof) of neutral grayscale tones. During HDR content, the H9D Plus produces fairly blue-tinted grayscale elements, likely the result of pushing the blue sub-pixel in order to achieve higher brightness (despite that it doesn't get that bright).

The difficulty in detailing this problem is that neither issue is something most viewers will overtly notice, but it lessens/dampens picture quality during HDR regardless. It's the kind of thing we probably wouldn't carry on about if this were a lower-end TV, but at the $2,000 price point, we expect better.

Should You Buy It?

Maybe—if you're looking for a 65-inch model, specifically

While the 55-inch H9D Plus doesn't deliver as much value as some of the competition this year, the 65-inch—if you can find it for around $999—is a solid value. While there are somewhat nit-picky performance issues with both sizes that pickier videophile types may take issue with, for most people, getting a 65-inch 4K/HDR TV for $999 is a steal.

If you want slightly better performance out of your TV, you should consider paying a bit more for something like the 65-inch Vizio P Series, which will run you about $500 more.

SDR Test Results (CalMan 5 Ultimate)

SDR RGB Balance
SDR Grayscale
SDR Gamma
SDR Color Gamut

HDR Test Results (CalMan 5 Ultimate)

HDR RGB Balance
HDR Grayscale
HDR Gamma
HDR Color Gamut

Meet the tester

Lee Neikirk

Lee Neikirk

Former Editor, Home Theater

@Koanshark

Lee was Reviewed's point person for most television and home theater products from 2012 until early 2022. Lee received Level II certification in TV calibration from the Imaging Science Foundation in 2013. As Editor of the Home Theater vertical, Lee oversaw reviews of TVs, monitors, soundbars, and Bluetooth speakers. He also reviewed headphones, and has a background in music performance.

See all of Lee Neikirk's reviews

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