Hisense H9G Quantum Series review: Android TV at its finest

Back in April, when the push for social-distancing and self-isolation was coming into play, my additional time at home was spent using the Hisense H8G Quantum Series television (only when I wasn't working, of course). Hisense offered to let me try out the TV, I figured this year would be as good a time as any to upgrade my cheap TCL unit, and I came away really impressed.

The H8G is a fantastic mid-tier 4K television that really surprised me in the best way possible, and a few months after that review went live, I'm back yet again with a review of its fancier sibling — the H9G. The Hisense H9G has a lot in common with the H8G, though it upgrades a few key specs and adds some new features for a slightly higher price.

Buying a new high-end Android TV may not be at the top of your to-do list right now, but if you have some extra cash to spend and want to give your living room a meaningful upgrade, the H9G is an excellent option to consider — and is a strong contender for the new best Android TV.

Hisense H9G Quantum Series What I love

Kicking things off, let's start with the elephant in the room — picture quality. The Hisense H9G Quantum Series is a 4K ULED TV, coming in 55 and 65-inch sizes with support for HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos. In other words, it has all of the specs you'd expect for a TV in 2020.

Overall, I found the H9G to be an excellent-looking setup. To my eyes, the TV kicks out gorgeous colors, gets incredibly bright thanks to the 1000-nit peak brightness rating, and the full array local dimming helps to further boost contrast and color accuracy.

The H8G already had a great picture, though, which begs the question as to whether or not the H9G is a legit upgrade in this department. There isn't a super noticeable difference for most content, but the H9G does have the upper-hand for brightness and refresh rate. Not only is the 1000-nit brightness rating impressive on its own, but the H9G can automatically increase and decrease brightness levels according to the light of the room it's in. The feature has worked without a hitch for me, and as someone that's guilty of setting my TV to the standard brightness and never going out of my way to change it, it's been a game-changer. No longer are my eyes blinded at night or when it's a particularly cloudy afternoon because the brightness level is too high. That's something that's now handled for me in the background, and I honestly don't think I can go back to a TV without the feature now.

As for the refresh rate, the Hisense H9G boasts a native 120Hz panel and can smooth things out even more with the Motion Rate 480 feature (aka artificial motion smoothing). I've never been a fan of motion smoothing, and Hisense's Motion Rate 480 does nothing to change my mind in these regards. Thankfully, you can just turn it off and not have to be annoyed by it.

Comparatively, the native 120Hz refresh rate that's supported by the H9G will be incredibly useful when the PS5 and Xbox Series X come out. While there's no real use for the spec quite yet, the upcoming generation of 4K 120Hz gaming will be shown off in its full glory on a TV like the H9G.

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Surrounding the 55 or 65-inch screen that you get is a rather striking design. The Hisense H9G comes with metal feet to prop up on your entertainment stand, which are more substantial and eye-catching than the feet you get with the H8G (it's a small detail, but one I noticed right away). The display also juts out ever-so-slightly from the housing of the H9G, making it look like it looks like it's floating on top. Again, this isn't something you're going to notice every time you watch a show or movie, but it's a subtle touch that is appreciated.

Even better, Hisense didn't just make this a pretty television and call it a day. The Hisense H9G has ample ports for just about every user, offering four HDMI ports, an ethernet jack, two USB-A ports, composite video and audio inputs, one digital audio output, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Having four HDMI ports might seem little overkill, but when you have a Sonos Beam, PS4, Xbox One S, and Nintendo Switch, they're much-needed.

Finally, let's talk a little bit about the smarts of the Hisense H9G. Android TV is the built-in operating system, and in recent months, I've come to really appreciate the platform compared to the likes of Roku and Amazon Fire TV. It's easy-to-navigate, the Google Play Store has all of the major streaming apps, and the user interface is quick and responsive on the H9G. If you take some time customizing your row of favorite apps and the various channel widgets that are available, Android TV ends up being one of the most personalized smart TV experiences around. If you don't feel like using your remote to choose an app and find something to watch, you can always just Chromecast a show from your phone.

On that note, Android TV also brings native support for the Google Assistant. Just like the cheaper H8G, you can prompt the Assistant at any time by pressing the Assistant button on the remote. Once pressed, you can ask it to find a certain show, change the volume, or anything else you'd use the Assistant for — such as controlling smart lights, asking about the weather, looking at your calendar, etc. Where the H9G goes a step further, however, is the fact that it also has hands-free Google Assistant support.

Whether the H9G is turned on or off, just say "Hey Google" at any time and give a Google Assistant command as you would to your Nest Hub or Nest Mini. This effectively turns the Hisense H9G into a massive smart display, and that's something I can 100% get behind.

Hisense H9G Quantum Series What could be improved

There isn't one deal-breaker that puts a stain on the Hisense H9G's greatness, though I do have a couple of smaller complaints that I'd like to see addressed in future models.

Let's start with the remote, which, to be blunt, is ugly and not very interesting. All of the buttons feel fine to press and the IR sensor works well, but this design feels like it was ripped straight out of 1990. Some people may like or even rely on the number pad and other miscellaneous buttons, but I personally prefer something along the lines of the NVIDIA Shield TV remote — clean, simple, and a lot less busy.

Too many buttons or not, it's also a shame that the H9G's remote lacks backlighting or a lost remote feature — two things that you get with the Shield TV mentioned above. For how much you're spending on the TV, Hisense has a lot of room to improve with its remote.

My only other complaint isn't so much directed at Hisense as it is Google. While the Hisense H9G offers hands-free Google Assistant and works like a smart speaker in those regards, it still can't be added to speaker groups in the Google Home app. One would think that'd be a pretty easy change on Google's end, so here's to hoping it gets addressed at some point in the future.

Hisense H9G Quantum Series The competition

I've mentioned it a few times already throughout this review, but if you're looking to buy the Hisense H9G, you owe it to yourself to also consider the cheaper Hisense H8G. You don't get hands-free Google Assistant, automatic brightness, or the 120Hz screen, but the core experience is every bit as good. It has a gorgeous 4K panel, four HDMI ports, the same Android TV interface, and costs hundreds less.

There's also the Sony X900H to consider, which costs a bit more than the H9G and comes with Sony's ever-impressive X1 processor for improved 4K HDR content. You also get Sony's "Acoustic Multi-Audio," which is a built-in speaker system that's substantially better than most TV speakers.

Last but not least, if you're OK moving away from Android TV, the LG OLED BX is another interesting alternative. OLED televisions are the way of the future, offering richer colors and deeper blacks than what you'll ever find with LED or ULED.

Hisense H9G Quantum Series Should you buy it?

Who it's for

• If you want a premium TV with a stunning 4K picture
• If you have a lot of devices that use HDMI inputs
• If you like Android TV and use the Google Assistant a lot
• If you never want to worry about TV brightness ever again
• If you want a TV that can support 120Hz gaming when new consoles come out

Who it isn't for

• If you have a tight budget
• If you aren't a fan of Android TV
• If you want a TV that's smaller than 55-inches or larger than 65-inches

If you're like most folks, your discretionary spending is a lot less than it was a year ago. That's just the fact of the world we currently live in, and things will probably stay that way for a while. In other words, buying a $700 - $1000 TV isn't exactly a priority.

That said, if you are in a position where you can afford something like the Hisense H9G Quantum Series, it's an absolute joy of a smart TV. Yes, it is expensive, but when you consider everything it brings to the table and compare it against similarly-specced televisions, it's actually a strong value proposition. Whether it be the excellent 4K picture, 120Hz support, hands-free Google Assistant, or anything else in between, this is a thoroughly premium TV that costs considerably less than other options from Sony, LG, and others.

4.5 out of 5

You can certainly spend less and get a similar experience with the more affordable Hisense H8G, but if you're in the market for one of the most feature-rich and complete Android TVs currently available, the H9G is a damn fine option.

Hisense H9G Quantum Series

The Hisense H9G Quantum Series is a high-end Android TV that offers seriously impressive specs and features. The 4K screen is fantastic, there are more than enough HDMI ports, and hands-free Google Assistant is hugely helpful. While expensive, the H9G is actually a bit less money than some competing flagship TVs.

• $700 at Amazon
• From $650 at Best Buy
• $700 at Walmart