TV maker Hisense held an event in New York this week to announce a new partnership with the National Basketball Association. Along with the NBA sponsorship news, the event also gave the company a chance to announce that they are now the No. 2 TV brand in North America, according to data provided by the Circana retail tracking service.
Hisense has made strides in the North American TV market over the past few years, raising its profile with a range of affordable QLED TVs.last year U8H seriesThe company’s first model with mini-LED backlighting impressed us with its high brightness and rich contrast, earning it a spot on our list The best 4K TVs and The best 120Hz TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Overall, Mini-LED is a shot in the arm for QLED technology, with top-of-the-line new Mini-LED backlit TVs such as Samsung QN95C start with The best OLED TVs When it comes to performance aspects like shadow detail and black uniformity. As it was previously announced at CES, Hisense will offer four series of mini-LED TVs In 2023, starting from the budget U6K series, to the flagship limited edition UX series.
As part of its partnership with the NBA, Hisense will sponsor X-Factor Moments, a weekly series of highlights from the 2023 playoffs on NBA social media channels. The NBA League Pass live game subscription service will also be available on the NBA TV app on Hisense Smart TVs.
ULED X: Official NBA TV
While the sponsorship arrangement extends to all Hisense TVs and appliances, the flagship ULED X model has been designated as the official TV of the NBA.
The limited-edition ULED X is only available in an 85-inch screen size and boasts impressive specs. Its backlighting consists of more than 20,000 mini-LEDs controlled by more than 5,000 local dimming zones. According to Hisense, the peak brightness is 2,500 nits, and the contrast range is said to be twice that of OLED TVs. ULED X also features a built-in 4.1.2 Dolby Atmos and DTS:X speaker system with 80 watts of power.
Other new mini-LED models in the Hisense series are the U8K, U7K and U6K series. These are available in 55, 65, 75 and 85-inch screen sizes, with peak brightness specifications ranging from 600 nits for the U6K series to 1,500 nits for the U8K series. The U8K and U7K also feature panels that support 144Hz, making them ideal for gaming, while all models feature built-in ATSC 3.0 digital TV tuners.
L9H Laser TV Ultra Short Throw Projector
Hisense’s top ultra-short throw projector for 2023 is the L9H. It comes with a 100-inch or 120-inch ambient light suppression screen and uses an RGB laser engine capable of covering 107% of the BT.2020 color space. The L9H supports Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range, and it runs Google TV’s smart interface for streaming and voice control.
Other features of the L9H include a built-in 40-watt Dolby Atmos sound system and ATSC 3.0 tuner For watching next-generation digital TV broadcasts.
Hisense also showcased its L5H ultra-short-throw projector at the event, a step-down model that uses a blue laser light source and has reduced BT.2020 color space coverage.
TV and Sports: A Winning Combination
Hisense becoming an official NBA partner is no surprise, as the high visibility sports sponsorship brings to the brand has literally brought it into the living rooms of millions of viewers. That’s why Hisense’s main competitor in the budget TV space, TCL, is the official partner of NFL football, while OLED TV maker LG is the official partner of NCAA basketball.
For Hisense to compete with TCL, it needs to showcase its brand as much as possible. While this sponsorship does exactly that, the benefit of Hisense’s battle for consumers with TCL is that the company’s TVs have improved picture quality year after year while still being affordable.
Hisense has yet to announce specific pricing for its new TVs, all of which are due to arrive around June. We’ll see what the new U8K models look like when they arrive for review then.
