I’ve been eagerly anticipating this Hisense 110 UX review since catching a glimpse of it at CES earlier this year. The wait has been long, but I can confidently say it was worth it. The Hisense 110 UX sets a new standard for the total viewing experience. It surpasses projectors and Micro-LED TVs in its sheer size and captivating performance. The only other TV in its size class, the 115-inch TCL QM89, gives it a run for its money, but the Hisense 110 UX truly stands out.
This TV is a game-changer for those seeking an immersive cinematic experience in the comfort of their homes. The 110 UX commands attention, not only for its colossal size but also for its exceptional picture quality. With a price tag just shy of $20,000, it’s understandable to have high expectations. Fortunately, the 110 UX delivers on its promise, exceeding expectations with its impressive performance.
The sheer size of the 110 UX is a spectacle in itself. It’s massive and heavy, requiring professional installation for wall mounting. Despite its size, it’s surprisingly manageable for placement on larger media cabinets, although the viewing angle requires a slight chin tilt, reminiscent of sitting in the front row of a movie theater. The glossy screen adds a touch of luster to the image but can be distracting in bright rooms due to its reflective nature.
Hisense has clearly prioritized audio performance, understanding the potential for polarizing opinions on the side-mounted speakers. They’ve done a commendable job making the speakers as discreet as possible, choosing a design that avoids the pitfalls of down-firing speakers. While the TV boasts impressive bass, generating a sense of grandeur, the overall sound quality falls short of my expectations. Despite Hisense’s efforts, I find the sound a bit lacking in fidelity, and I immediately yearn for a soundbar when using this TV. The wide speaker placement creates a sense of stereo effect, but it’s not enough to mask the shortcomings in frequency response and virtual surround sound capabilities.
Now, let’s dive into the heart of this review: picture quality. I’m prepared to share some astonishing numbers, but a word of caution is necessary. While we’ve grown accustomed to prioritizing peak brightness numbers in HDR TVs, I believe the focus has shifted a bit too far. What matters most is the overall image quality, not just the peak brightness. I measured the 110 UX in both SDR and HDR using Filmmaker Mode, opting for Dolby Vision Dark primarily and experimenting with the Dolby Vision Custom mode for fine-tuning.
In SDR Filmmaker Mode, with the brightness set to 20 out of 100, I measured a peak brightness of approximately 680 nits, which is above the SDR standard. Bumping the brightness to 45 yielded an impressive 1650 nits, and maxing it out at 100 produced a dazzling 3700 nits. While the initial white balance showed a slight red bias, it corrected itself to excellent performance after a five-minute warm-up period. This TV’s color gamut performance is also impressive, with delta errors under 3 and excellent color checker test results.
The HDR performance of this TV is truly remarkable. While I noticed a slight over-brightening in Filmmaker Mode, which is a minor concern, it’s important to note that most viewers will likely enjoy this characteristic. The peak brightness with a 10% window reached 4200 nits, a testament to the TV’s capability to produce HDR highlights exceeding 10,000 nits. Reducing the window size to 5% and 2% resulted in astonishing peak brightness readings of 13,000 nits and 18,000 nits respectively, although these numbers are only achievable for short periods and small areas.
It’s crucial to remember that real-world usage rarely requires such extreme brightness levels. Most HDR content is mastered at 1000 nits, and while the 110 UX can easily handle content mastered at 4000 nits, there’s very little content available at 10,000 nits. However, the Dynamic Tone Mapping feature allows the TV to push HDR highlights to their limits, resulting in an incredibly bright viewing experience.
Moving beyond peak brightness, the 110 UX excels in color reproduction, motion handling, and upscaling. The color performance is excellent, with minimal deviations from the standard. Rec. 2020 color gamut coverage reaches 83%, exceeding the typical 76%, and DCI-P3 coverage is almost complete at 99%. The TV demonstrates exceptional motion handling, minimizing any noticeable flashing during slow camera pans, a significant improvement over OLED. Film judder and dropped frames are non-existent, even after watching extensive content. This TV’s upscaling capabilities are truly impressive, exceeding anything I’ve seen from Hisense before. Even low-quality content looks surprisingly good on such a massive screen.
While the size of the 110 UX accentuates film grain, it’s a common issue across all large-screen TVs, and the TV handles it well. I was also fortunate to receive a panel without any noticeable dirty screen effect.
Throughout my rigorous testing, the 110 UX consistently delivers a top-notch experience, approaching reference quality in most aspects. I was truly amazed by the image quality, especially during the viewing of films like Mad Max: Fury Road, where the flames and sun reflections were rendered with breathtaking intensity. Sports viewing on this TV is an absolute treat, even low-quality streaming content appears surprisingly good on such a large screen.
The Hisense 110 UX is more than just a big-screen TV; it’s an exceptional viewing experience that justifies its hefty price tag. It’s a testament to Hisense’s commitment to innovation and quality. I’m hopeful that this technology will trickle down to more affordable models in the future, making a truly immersive cinematic experience accessible to a wider audience.
