Not all televisions are created equal, both in the picture quality they deliver and the prices they command. While Organic LED (OLED) technology has been the talk of the town, Hisense is going one step better with the local launch of its Ultra LED (ULED) television range this August, which includes ultra high definition (UHD) models. Further good news is that these models have been manufactured right here in South Africa, at Hisense’s factory located in Atlantis north of Cape Town. 

The motivation behind this launch is twofold. Firstly, it addresses the desire for better picture quality and colour in Hisense’s televisions through ULED 2.0 technology. Secondly, it gives more users the chance to enjoy technological advances without breaking the budget.

What is ULED?

Chances are, while most are familiar with light-emitting diode (LED) technology and many have no doubt heard of OLED screens, ULED may not be quite as well known. Put simply, ULED is an enhanced version of LED TV technology which includes more backlights behind the screen, with these backlights divided into hundreds of units. Each unit can then have its light output independently controlled, with whites being made brighter and blacks made deeper as a result, to enhance contrast across the board (800M:1 contrast ratio).

Hisense’s ULED 2.0 technology offers high dynamic range with enhanced 3D dimming and peak brightness of 550 nits. Furthermore, the company’s independently developed module technology enables its ULED televisions to offer better colour effects, added to a wider colour gamut (100% NTSC) and quantum dots technology that allows for richer and more vibrant picture clarity. 

Another feature of Hisense’s ULED televisions worth bearing in mind is its ultra dimming technology. The presence of hundreds of LED bulbs, which are then divided into 144 independent units, with each unit capable of being set to anywhere between 100% black and 100% white, enable these televisions to render more detail in its image. 

Where ULED scores over OLED by a more significant margin is in energy consumption, requiring 200 W in comparison to OLED’s more power hungry 230 W. Additionally, Hisense’s ULED televisions also boast a much quicker response time of 3-4 milliseconds (half of LED’s 6-8 milliseconds). Along with this, Hisense’s backlight scanner helps it eliminate picture flutter more efficiently, making for a clearer as well as a smoother viewing experience.  

And at a better price

Having launched their first ultra high definition (UHD) 4K television in 2014, Hisense is set to launch the next generation UHD models that feature ULED technology this August. These models include 4K upscaling technology and HEVC 60P decoding. 

For some though, the biggest benefit of Hisense’s ULED technology lies in the price, since the cost of a ULED television could be as much as half that of the same sized OLED television. 

As a clear example of Hisense’s price sensitivity, its recently released K680 UHD range comes in at an affordable R9 999 for a 50” television, which is certainly a very decent size in its own right. The larger 55” and 65” UHD televisions cost R14 999 and R26 999 respectively, prices which are considerably more in reach of the average user. 

More for less

Better clarity, deeper, more vivid colours and clearer details in the image overall, all add up to outstanding picture quality at a considerably more affordable price point than its OLED counterparts. “In a nutshell, our ULED televisions allow users to enjoy amazing picture quality at just an amazingly low price point. Savvy South African shoppers should compare very carefully the differences between ULED and OLED technology to see which offers the best value for money. We are sure they will find that Hisense televisions come up tops,” summed up Jinsuo Liu, Product Manager at Hisense South Africa. 

Hisense ULED televisions will be available this August, with prices starting at R29 999.