Hisense’s 2020 TV lineup features hands-free voice and a $6,000 laser TV

Hisense has been very busy in the months leading up to CES 2020. The company arrives in Las Vegas with eight new TV models. With the exception of the R8F ULED Roku TV, which was actually released in late 2019, the lineup is essentially a full update of Hisense’s models.

Android TV is Hisense’s smart TV platform of choice for its flagship models, while Roku TV continues to be an option on some of its more affordable TVs. New for 2020 is the inclusion of integrated microphones in some models — something we’re seeing a lot of at CES 2020. It gives these Hisense TVs hands-free voice command recognition via Android TV’s built-in Google Assistant. Another important change: Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are now supported on a larger number of models, which makes for a much better HDR experience when you have access to Dolby Vision and Atmos content.

If you’re not already familiar with Hisense’s excellent ULED technology, it’s essentially a combination of 20 different patented processes surrounding color gamut, local dimming, resolution, and motion smoothing that come together for a better overall picture than standard LED-LCD.

Here’s the full lineup:

L5 Series

• April 2020, $6,000

Hisense’s L10 short-throw Laser TV produced a 100-inch image, but it also cost a whopping $8,995. So the L5 Series, which claims very similar specs, including a dedicated, ambient light-rejecting screen, is a welcome addition at  $6,000. Hisense claims it can reproduce more than 95% of the DCI-P3 color space, which should mean excellent HDR performance. There’so word yet on how bright the L5 gets, but if it can match the L10’s 3,000 ANSI lumens, it should be plenty bright enough, even though it only uses a single blue laser.

The built-in 15-watt stereo speakers probably won’t replace even a budget soundbar, but they’re probably as good or better than the audio on an average TV. It’s unfortunate there’s no Dolby Vision or Atmos (though HDR10 and HLG are supported), but at this price, those features simply can’t be found on any laser TV.

H9G Quantum Series

• April 2020,  $700 (55-inch) and $1,000 (65-inch)

This is Hisense’s premium Quantum Dot ULED TV. With 1,000 nits of peak brightness and up to 180 full-array local dimming zones in the 65-inch model, black levels and contrast should both be superb. This series gets Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for 2020, plus in-bezel microphones and far-field voice control. That voice control works with Google Assistant, letting you search for movies or TV shows to watch or have it do any one of the thousands of smart home tasks that Google Assistant makes possible.

Cleverly, its screenless mode lets you treat the H9G as a smart speaker, even when it’s off. When you want to see a response to a question or command, the Assistant will know to turn on the TV.

H8G Quantum Series

• March 2020, $400 (50-inch), $500 (55-inch), $700 (65-inch) and $1,400 (75-inch)

More affordable than the H9G, the H8G Quantum Series gets a major enhancement in 2020 with the addition of quantum dot technology. With Hisense’s ULED technology, it offers 700 nits of peak brightness and up to 90 full-array local dimming zones.

These new specs make the TV’s Dolby Vision performance even better. Dolby Atmos is also along for the ride, which rounds out the home theater experience. It has Android TV with a voice remote, which works in tandem with the built-in Google Assistant. As with all Android TVs, Chromecast is built-in for easy smartphone and tablet video and screen sharing. The TV is also compatible with Alexa-enabled smart speakers.

H65G Series

• Q2 2020, $270 (43-inch), $300 (50-inch), $330 (55-inch), $480 (65-inch), $900 (75-inch) and $1,500 (85-inch)

This series is an impressively affordable way to get a 4K, Dolby Vision-capable TV that also features Android TV. You’ll be hard-pressed to find an 85-inch TV at this price from any manufacturer. These models include a voice remote, as well as a dedicated Game Mode that turns off all processing for ultra-fast response times. A new, bezel-less design completes the picture. DTS Virtual: X, Motion Rate Technology, and Bluetooth audio are also on-board.

XD9G Series

• Availability and pricing to be announced

We’re still waiting for Hisense to finally deliver on this exciting TV that it debuted at last year’s CES — perhaps 2020 will be the year we finally get some prices and detailed specs. For now, here’s a reminder of just how cool this TV is.

R8F Series

• Available now, $500 (55-inch) and $700 (65-inch)

The first Roku TVs to get the 4K ULED treatment, the R8F were made available for pre-order in the last quarter of 2019 and they’re available right now.

R6E3 Series

• 2020, $228 (43-inch), $248 (50-inch), $298 (58-inch), $428 (65-inch) and $798 (75-inch)

These Roku TVs are about as affordable as 4K gets. They have DTS Studio Sound and can be controlled via Alexa- or Google Assistant-enabled devices.

H4G Series

• 2020, $115 (32-inch), $178 (40-inch) and $196 (43-inch)

The perfect TV for a dorm room or guest bedroom. Though only 2K in resolution, these TVs still have Roku TV for a super-simple streaming experience with the option of connecting to cable, satellite, or OTA-HD antennas. They can be controlled via Alexa- or Google Assistant-enabled devices.

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