The World Cup is coming again only this time earlier at the end of the year instead of during the summer. Usually this quadrennial sporting event is used as an excuse to buy a new television that is bigger, more up-to-date, more sophisticated and provides a better user experience than the old model. As an official sponsor of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Hisense offers some of their latest smart televisions with the VIDAA operating system.
Hisense 4K UHD TV A7H is the first VIDAA OS television that we have reviewed in our labs. In our review we try to unravel the question of whether this television will allow you to enjoy the World Cup optimally or like all new operating systems being an early adopter is not worth it.
Specifications
Hisense 4K UHD TV A7H
85-inch Screen Size
Ultra HD resolution 3840×2160 (60Hz)
IPS LCD panel
Processor ?
GPU?
RAM?
Storage?
VIDAA U5 Operating System
HDR Yes / Dolby Atmos
Maximum Description?
15W audio, Dolby Atmos & Dolby Digital
I/O 3x HDMI 2.0 (1x ARc), 2x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-A 3.0, RF, AV, Optical Audio
DTTV Yes/DVB-T2
Vidaa Virtual Assistant/Google Assistant
Internet LAN/ WiFi 2.4/5GHz
Bluetooth BT 5.0
Chromecast None
AirPlay 2 None
Size 1903 × 1183 × 474mm (with base)
Weight 60.4 kg (with base)
Selling Price RM 12,999
Design
The design of the A7H is the same as the giant smart televisions on the market. A large box with a screen with thin bezels and a metal frame that makes it look more premium than a plastic black frame television. There is no unique design like a replaceable frame like the Samsung Frame or in-screen speakers like the Sony Bravia. But this may not be something that can be considered negative considering that more conservative designs are more popular with the public.
What is not conservative is that there are two large handles on the back of the TV. This is the feature we like the most on the A7H because since we started reviewing TVs two years ago, we've noticed it's difficult to reposition large TVs because there's no special grip. We need to carefully find where the hands want to be placed to avoid excessive pressure on the screen panel and not on parts of the body that are not strong enough to place freely.
The A7H is a 60.4 kg television and is much heavier than the Prism+ Q86 which only weighs around 50 kg. The handle on the back is very helpful in the process of removing the TV from the box, installing the legs and repositioning the TV in the living room. It's probably a feature that should be made standard on large-sized TVs in the future.
The 85″ screen with 4K resolution is from a very large IPS. In the our laboratory it was difficult to find the best space to put it. So for those who have the determination to buy a TV of this size, make sure you have a large enough living room.
There are two iron feet that need to be screwed into the bottom. The A7H provides two locations to place these feet. We chose to place it on the outermost spot for best stability. The TV stand is made of sturdy metal and requires three screws. Its relatively large size allows the TV to be placed stably without worrying about it tipping over easily. The secondary function of the legs is to be a cable management system as there are grooves to hide the power cables.
The space between the legs and the bottom is high enough to place a soundbar speaker, PlayStation 4, Astro Ultra Box decoder, Internet modem, Apple TV 4K and Mac Mini. There is still not enough space for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X which we all know are two consoles that are too big and thick. For those who want to hang the A7H on the wall, there is a 600 x 400 mm holder pole.
I/O options are good with 3X HDMI 2.0 one of which supports HDMI ARC. All three also come with HDMI-CEC support that detects input from connected devices to automatically turn on the LSP7T. This is paired with 2X USB-A 2.0, RJ45 LAN, AV in, optical audio output and RF connection. For those who need a DTTV digital television, a built-in decoder is included but the model is not listed on the Prism+ site.
All I/O are placed on the left side of the television with all connection ports pointing to the side. This greatly facilitates the connection of various cables and accessories when the television is suspended. The power connection port is located on the right side with a cable that has a 90 degree bend again to facilitate the process of hanging the TV.
Internet support is through LAN or WiFi 2.4/5GHz and also bluetooth 5.0 connection. Up to 8 bluetooth accessories can be connected to the A7H by the owner. I/O options are fairly standard with just 3x HMDI 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, optical output, 3.5mm audio jack, AV input and aerial for a built-in digital television decoder.
Usage And Visual Quality
Visual quality is the most important thing when choosing a smart television. With only an IPS LCD panel, the color display offered on the A7H is satisfactory but not spectacular. If you've never owned an OLED, QLED, mini LED and Plasma television, the A7H display will suffice.
There is no color banding when displaying scenes filled with various bright colors. Images are also sharp even during fast-paced action scenes. If we want to comment it's just that this panel only supports 60Hz refresh rate. For gamers with PS5 and Xbox Series X who want 120Hz support we feel this is not the television for you. Even so, there is a gaming mode support that will reduce the issue of input lag during tense game sessions. This also means no HDMI 2.1 support which is currently offered on more premium TVs.
We tried a variety of content from action movies, YouTube videos, documentaries, monochrome classics and watching sports events. Everything looks good and beautiful. The viewing angle does not disappoint either. The model reviewed is 85″ so the content of the viewing angle is non-existent because it is so big. In the screening room, there is no stage lighting and light bleed problems that are synonymous with LCD TVs.
However, black color often looks a little gray. All of this is common to all LCD TVs and is the reason why OLED and QLED panels were developed. For those of us who are rich and cannot afford a TV with a more luxurious panel, this "issue" is not so big that it disrupts the experience of watching content.
There is Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support with several selectable profiles. It is once again satisfactory as we feel the visuals look most interesting if the dark profile is selected. Even in a bright room the visuals do not disappoint.
Native 4K content looks sharp and bright. This is to be expected. But lower resolution content will look a little broken. The best example is watching World Cup match highlights uploaded on YouTube at 720p and 1080p resolution. The image looks very soft with the detail on the pitch and the player's face being low.
There is an artificial intelligence system on the A7H which is supposed to improve the visual quality but honestly we say it is not satisfactory. On an 85″ panel, video should be 4K all the time to enjoy content at the highest settings. At a lower resolution every flaw and blemish will be clearly displayed. On TVs larger than 65″, visuals at 4K resolution have become a necessity rather than an option if there is only fast internet.
By default the visual presets do not meet our standards. Fortunately, in the TV settings there are various parameters that the user can change himself to get the visual quality that is most compatible with his personal eyes. For example by default Ultra Smooth Motion is enabled. This mode makes the video play at a higher frame rate making it appear smoother. But on film content we want to watch at a rate of 24FPS which preserves the original vision of the director. So this feature is the first thing we turn off.
Audio Quality
Two speakers with 15W output support Dolby Atmos and DTS Digital. On the advertising materials the A7H promises a comprehensive audio experience without the need for an additional audio system. Beautiful advertisement from the looks of it. The audio is loud but shooting down makes it less bright for AV enthusiasts like us . So far, none of the TVs we've reviewed are equipped with an audio system that surpasses the standard. Where two 15W speakers can offer truly premium audio.
So far, none of the TVs we've reviewed are equipped with an audio system that surpasses the standard. Luckily there is output support in HDMI ARC format and optical on the back. We can connect it to a soundbar that supports true Dolby Atmos. The difference is like heaven and earth.
VIDAA U5 Operating System
In the United States, HiSense televisions are popular because of their affordable prices, satisfactory performance and the use of Android TV. But the A7H uses the new VIDAA U5 operating system. VIDAA is a relatively new operating system and therefore may not be widely known.
VIDAA's interface has some similarities with Google TV. On the top bar there are shortcuts for TV settings, content search, user profile, input checker with easy-to-understand iconography.
The next row displays the best recommended content based on the apps installed on the TV. The second and third rows house the installed applications. The next row will display content recommendations from within a specific application. If Netflix, Prime Video, Plex and iQiyi are installed, each row will display the content it feels is most relevant.
The VIDAA setting process is also the same as on Android TV, webOS and Tizen. The difference is that the process of creating a new account and logging in for the first time has to be done entirely on the TV. There is no feature to complete the login process from a smartphone like in other operating systems. So the process is not so easy because you have to type in your email and password using the remote control.
After the login process is done, only then can the VIDAA application be used on Android and iOS devices using the same account. Through this application, a smart device can replace the remote control.
VIDAA is a new operating system offered in Malaysia. At the time of writing there are only 241 apps in the VIDAA store. There are popular apps Deezer, Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, iQiyi, and WeTV. But there are still some other missing applications such as HBO Go, Disney+ HotStar, YouTube Kids, Spotify, Apple TV and Sooka.
On Android TV no app is not a problem because of the user-friendly Chromecast support. In VIDAA there is no Chromecast only Miracast which is not supported by all applications. When casting content using this method the resolution is also limited to 1080P and as we said in a few paragraphs before is not satisfactory on an 85″ screen.
We're probably the minority who subscribe to every streaming platform out there for work. The absence of Disney+ Hotstar, HBO Go and Spotify is very noticeable. In a world with World Cup fever, there is no Sooka because we do not subscribe to Astro. It's a bit awkward TV from the official sponsor of the World Cup does not have an application to watch the World Cup in a "halal" way.
We don't know what processor, RAM and storage size is used on this television. It's a mystery because usually this information can be found on the manufacturer's official website.
All we can say is that using VIDAA is easy and smooth. There are no issues with apps being slow to launch or having trouble switching between apps. All in all there is no issue with the application on VIDAA just like the application on Android TV, Tizen and tvOS. Users don't need to worry about feature differences in supported applications.
Remote control
The remote control provided is quite small in size with a body entirely made of plastic material and the buttons are made of latex material. It's nice to hold because of the rounded sides and the smaller size. It's similar in design to Samsung and Apple TV remotes, just not as premium.
The main navigation buttons are placed in a circular circle like the four-way pad of a game controller. There are quick shortcuts to launch Netflix, YouTube, YouTube Music, Prime Video, the web browser and menus to all installed applications. Quick buttons to the TV menu and changing channels and audio are also included. While not state-of-the-art as there is no solar support or USB-C charging, this remote is not without its drawbacks. Supplying power are two AAA sized dry batteries.
Conclusion
Hisense 4K UHD TV A7H is a giant television with good visuals, smooth operating system and has the most user-friendly design as it is equipped with a handle on the back. With a large screen size, it gives the experience of having a mini theater at home.
If you need a TV alone the A7H is satisfactory but in 2022 the included smart features are also important. The VIDAA U5 operating system used does not offer all important applications. There is Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video but no HBO Go, Disney+ Hotstar and Apple TV+. With the television selling at RM12,999, it is unaffordable and therefore the bar of standards to be passed is high.
There are several television models from other manufacturers and Hisense itself offers more features, and better app support than the A7H. The most obvious weakness of this TV is VIDAA which is not enough points. It's the metatarsal bones that make this TV not VIDAA loca enough to use during today's world cup season.
Pro
A screen large enough to provide a movie-like experience at home.
Satisfactory visual quality for an LCD TV.
Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+ support.
Dolby Atmos audio support.
Satisfying I/O options.
There is a handle on the back for easy lifting.
Cons
Non-4K content doesn't look sharp on the giant screen.
VIDAA U5 has a small selection of applications. Not enough apps.
The speakers aren't robust enough for true Dolby Atmos.
The price is quite expensive for a less complete user experience.