Hisense H4 Series 43H4F 42.5"

The Hisense 43H4F is a cheap 1080p Roku TV with a 4.5-star rating from nearly 9,000 buyers. Picture quality is mediocre and gaming features are bare bones, but the Roku platform is easy to use and audio is better than expected. It's worth buying for a secondary room, not as your main TV.

The 43H4F runs a 60Hz panel with Motion Rate 120, which is marketing speak for motion smoothing, not a real 120Hz refresh rate. Gaming lands in the 35th percentile, so it's fine for casual play but not a serious gaming display. Input lag in Game Mode is acceptable for a budget set, but you won't get VRR or any modern gaming niceties. Audio hits the 64th percentile, which is actually decent for a TV this cheap. The 70W power draw is modest, and the DTS TruSurround processing helps the built-in speakers sound fuller than you'd expect from a thin budget panel. Connectivity is a weak spot at the 16th percentile, so don't expect a ton of HDMI ports or advanced options.

Stacked against the Sony BRAVIA 5, TCL QM8K, or Samsung QN90F, the Hisense 43H4F is in a completely different league, and not in a good way. Those are 4K sets with real HDR, high refresh rates, and gaming features. The Hisense can't compete on picture quality or connectivity. But it also costs a fraction of the price. The Roku Pro Series 55R8C5 is the closest competitor in spirit, since it also runs Roku TV, but it's a much newer and more capable panel. If you want Roku and better picture quality, the Roku Pro is worth the extra cash. If you just want cheap and functional, the Hisense holds its own.

At $245 USD, this TV is cheap, and that's the whole point. You're not paying for cutting-edge picture tech. You're paying for a reliable 1080p screen with Roku built in. For a bedroom or kitchen TV, that's a solid deal. But if you're expecting anything close to a modern 4K experience, you'll be disappointed. The value proposition is simple: it's a budget TV that does budget TV things without falling apart.

The Hisense 43H4F is a 43-inch 1080p LED TV that leans hard on Roku TV to do the heavy lifting. It's a 2020 model, so don't expect modern gaming features or HDR fireworks. What you get is a dead simple smart TV experience with a remote and interface most people actually like. At around $245 USD, it's aimed at bedrooms, dorms, and anyone who just wants to stream without thinking too hard.

Picture quality sits in the 36th percentile of our database. That's mediocre, but for a budget 1080p panel it's about what you'd expect. The built-in Roku platform is the real selling point here, and it's still one of the easiest ways to get to Netflix, Hulu, and a pile of free channels without a separate streaming stick.

Skip this if you want 4K, real HDR, or a TV for serious gaming. The 43H4F is a 1080p panel with no modern gaming features and weak connectivity. If you're building a home theater or want a main living room TV, spend more on something like the Roku Pro Series or a TCL QM8K. This Hisense is a secondary room TV, not a centerpiece.

The Hisense 43H4F is for people who want a simple, cheap TV for a secondary room. It's not a home theater centerpiece. It's not a gaming monitor. It's a 1080p Roku TV that does exactly what it says on the box. Buy it for a dorm room, a guest bedroom, or a kitchen. Don't buy it as your main living room TV unless your budget is extremely tight and you don't care about 4K or HDR.