TV tech is booming, which means you don’t have to spend a ton of money for serious performance. If you can invest around $1,200-$1,500, you can get a very good 65-inch TV, from brightness monsters like the Hisense U7SG to the fabulously colorful TCL QM7L. But if that’s too steep, you can still get a pretty good TV for far less cash thanks to budget-friendly options like the new Hisense U6SF Pro.

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The U6SF Pro doesn’t offer the next-gen colors, searing brightness, or striking contrast of pricier mid-tier models, but its QLED panel and Mini LED backlight deliver impressive poise across content, with natural-looking colors and minimal light bleed. Its matte screen kills reflections in bright rooms, an upgrade over many cheaper models, and it looks better from an angle than most backlit TVs I’ve tested.

For smarts, the U6SF Pro runs on Amazon’s Fire TV platform, which offers handy features like Alexa+ and an ambient art mode. However, Fire TV is a lot clunkier than Google TV or Roku OS, and all but requires investment in Amazon services. You’ll get better overall performance by stepping up a tier, but if you’re on a strict budget, the U6SF Pro is a fine TV that delivers good performance for the money.

The U6SF Pro packs plenty of goodies into a slick design

TV hardware design is becoming increasingly slick (and uniform), with even budget-forward models like the U6SF Pro offering slim bezels and relatively thin panels.

At just over 40 pounds, the 65-inch model I tested feels a bit flimsy, and its basic feet leave little clearance for a soundbar, but they’re a cinch to assemble and offer wide or narrow positions to fit your console. Following the industry trend toward larger screens, the U6SF Pro comes in several sizes, ranging from 55 to 100 inches.

The standout hardware feature is the U6SF Pro’s matte-like screen. Once reserved for high-end models and art TVs, it does a killer job diffusing virtually all ambient reflections in challenging rooms, though it’s less effective with direct reflections than fancier anti-glare screens used on pricier models like the Samsung S90H and S95H OLED TVs. However, keep in mind that the 100-inch U6SF Pro does not feature a matte panel like its smaller counterparts.

Behind the panel’s left side is an accessible connection hub with four HDMI ports, two of which support gaming features such as VRR at up to 144Hz. That’s a nice get at this price, and just as importantly, neither high-bandwidth input overlaps with the HDMI eARC port, leaving it free to connect a soundbar or receiver. You’ll definitely want one, as even with its added back woofer, the U6SF Pro sounds as flat and tinny as you’d expect for its class.

Like its pricier siblings, the TV supports all the top HDR formats, including HDR10 and HLG, as well as the more advanced HDR10+ and Dolby Vision dynamic formats that adjust contrast frame by frame. Other notable features include voice control via the basic wand remote, WiFi 6, Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth streaming support, and both Dolby and DTS audio decoding. However, unlike step-up Hisense TVs, the U6SF Pro’s remote lacks backlit buttons.

The TV’s picture opts for balance over spectacle

Brightness is a key spec for TV performance, and the Hisense U6SF Pro claims a solid 1,200-nit peak brightness, well above what most streaming content requires. Using a Portrait Displays C6 HDR5000, a G1 pattern generator, and Calman software, I measured almost exactly that in the most accurate Filmmaker Mode. The less accurate Standard Mode initially measured well below 1,200 until I raised the local dimming from Medium to High and turned off the Light Sense feature.

I mention this because the U6SF Pro can look dimmer than its specs suggest. That’s likely due in part to its black levels, which, while solid, don’t get as deep as those on midrange models like the TCL QM7L. This results in lower perceived contrast, especially in moderate lighting, where the matte screen can look more like charcoal. But even when selecting a traditionally bright preset, like Gaming Mode, the U6SF Pro takes a restrained approach, which may prompt some users to enable the TV’s Intelligent HDR feature for more punch.

The TV’s above-average shadow detail and reflection handling ensure it’s still a capable performer in brighter rooms, and its Mini LED backlight system can certainly muster some scintillating sparkle with the right content. The white-hot sandstorm in “Mad Max: Fury Road” on 4K HDR Blu-ray amped things up significantly, with a satisfying blast in multi-colored lightning bolts and fiery explosions. The shimmering aqua tides in “Moana” on Disney Plus revealed plenty of pop as well, even when using the TV’s more restrained (but accurate) Dolby Vision Dark mode, which illuminated rich shades of teal, blue, purple, and gold as the sun faded from day to night.

The TV’s naturalistic colors were a strong point throughout my review, even if the U6SF Pro falls short of the color explosion found on TVs that use new RGB LED backlighting. This was evident when measuring the next-gen BT.2020 color gamut, but the U6SF Pro hits over 90% of the more common DCI-P3 color spectrum, where most current content lives. Just as importantly, it does so with tact, providing accuracy for everything from skin tones to rainbow-colored coral reefs.

I was also pleased to find the colors held up pretty well when moving off-angle, more so than a lot of TVs in this class and some above it. There’s definitely some color bleed, but less than I expected, and the screen’s blooming control and shadow detail don’t take major hits either.

The U6SF Pro’s most noticeable performance quirk might be its tendency to reveal moiré, a strobing effect in patterns like a finely knit shirt. Sharp-eyed viewers will also notice some screen aberrations, such as columns in skylines and darkening in the screen’s corners, but both are common issues for models in this class. Ultimately, the TV’s other assets make it surprisingly well-balanced for a variety of environments.

The Fire TV system needs a lot of fiddling

The U6SF Pro’s Fire TV interface is stuffed with as many ads as any smart TV platform on the market, acting as a clear siphon for Amazon products; I got three direct pitches to Amazon services before I even finished the smart setup. Worse, it skips most of the automated privacy notices found in many modern smart systems, defaulting to tracking your every move without really asking for consent.

The good news is, much like the world itself, Fire TV is mostly what you make of it. While you can’t remove the constant ad barrage, diving into the Privacy Settings lets you turn off the most invasive settings, such as auto-play for audio and video ads, app sharing, and internet-based ad data collection.

Once you’ve turned off its worst tendencies, Hisense’s Fire TV iteration is a decent daily driver, especially for those already invested in Amazon services. You’ll get all the top streaming apps, and the new Alexa+ offers intuitive voice commands and search. It requires a Prime subscription (or a separate $20/month fee) for access, but if you don’t already have Prime, a Fire TV probably isn’t for you. The lack of a gaming bar for quick settings adjustments also makes the U6SF Pro less appealing to serious gamers, even with its high-refresh screen.

The TV’s matte screen makes it primed (no pun intended) for Fire TV’s Ambient Mode that offers a limited art library, making paintings look more realistic than on glossy screens. Another quirk: tapping the power key turns on Ambient Mode by default, so you have to hold it to actually power the TV down. Like so many Fire TV features, you can swap that function in the settings or turn off Ambient Mode altogether.

Should you buy the Hisense U6SF Pro TV?

The Hisense U6SF Pro TV offers solid features and performance that surpass those of cheaper sets, especially in challenging rooms where reflections are a headache. At a full retail cost of $1,100, the 65-inch model is already reasonably priced, but it’s rarely ever sold at full MSRP. Prices typically fluctuate between $800 and $599, with that latter deal being a genuine bargain. If pricing consistently drops below $700, the U6SF Pro is on track to replace the TCL QM6K as our pick for the best TV on a budget.

However, this set does still have some drawbacks to keep in mind, especially for those who aren’t already tied into Amazon’s ecosystem. Fire TV’s lack of a dedicated gaming bar also makes it less suited for gaming enthusiasts. And if you’re at all curious about next-gen performance and are willing to spend more, I recommend jumping up a tier.

Staying with Hisense, the midrange U7SG pairs a similar anti-reflective screen with better design, cleaner all-around performance, and higher brightness. TCL’s QM7L adds similar spoils, though it has a glossy screen instead of a matte one. Both displays also use Google TV, which is simpler to navigate and much less invasive than Fire TV by default. Of course, those models are pricier, with their 65-inch sizes typically going for around $1,000 to $1,500.

Ultimately, whether the Hisense U6SF Pro is a good fit really comes down to your budget. If you want an anti-reflective 65-inch TV that holds its own in bright rooms — and you don’t want to pay more than $800 — this model is hard to beat.