Hisense U68SG Series 55U68SG 55"

The Hisense U68SG is a 55-inch QLED with a 144Hz panel, Dolby Vision, and Google TV for under CAD 700. HDR performance is top-tier, but overall picture quality is just average. If you want gaming features on a budget, this is the one to beat.

The 144Hz native refresh rate is the headline act here, and it's legit. Motion Rate 480 is marketing speak, but the panel itself is genuinely fast. Gaming lands in the 71st percentile, which is solid for a TV at this price. Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG are all supported, and that HDR performance is where this TV punches way above its weight. Colours pop hard thanks to the Quantum Dot layer. But the overall picture quality score of 36th percentile tells you the processing isn't top tier. SDR content looks fine, not spectacular. The 40W built-in audio is a mixed bag. Some owners love it, some say the subwoofer needs taming. Connectivity is strong at 81st percentile, with four HDMI ports and Wi-Fi 6.

Stacked against the LG OLED evo C5 and Sony BRAVIA 8, the Hisense loses on pure picture quality. Those OLEDs are in a different league for contrast and black levels. But they also cost three to four times more. The TCL QM8K is probably the closest real competitor, and it trades blows on specs but typically runs pricier. The Roku Pro Series 55R8C5 is the one to cross-shop if you hate Google TV, it has a simpler interface but weaker gaming chops. For the money, the Hisense holds its own against all of them on features, even if it can't match the flagship picture quality.

At CAD 698, this TV is an absolute steal. You're getting a 144Hz QLED with Dolby Vision and full-array backlighting for less than most mid-range 60Hz sets. The value proposition is the strongest thing about this TV, and owners agree. Multiple reviews mention the price-to-performance ratio as the main reason they bought it. If you're shopping on a budget and want gaming features without paying gaming monitor prices, this is hard to beat.

The Hisense U68SG is one of those TVs that makes you wonder why you'd spend double on a big brand name. It's a 55-inch 4K QLED with a 144Hz panel, Dolby Vision, and Google TV built in. For the price, the spec sheet reads like a typo. Quantum Dot colour, full-array backlight, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 6. This thing is loaded.

But specs only tell half the story. Our database puts its HDR performance in the 95th percentile, which is wild for a budget set. The catch? Picture quality overall lands at a mediocre 36th percentile. So you're getting a TV that shines with HDR content but doesn't blow you away with regular SDR stuff. More on that below.

Skip this if you're a home theatre purist who cares about deep blacks and accurate SDR picture quality. The overall picture score of 36th percentile means movie buffs will notice the difference compared to a higher-end set. Also skip it if you're allergic to Google TV, the interface is baked in and there's no Roku option on this model.

If you want a 55-inch TV that does gaming, HDR, and smart features without emptying your wallet, the U68SG is an easy recommendation. It's not going to beat an OLED, and SDR picture quality is nothing special. But for CAD 698, you're getting a feature set that would have cost double a few years ago. Casual gamers, streamers, and anyone upgrading from an older 1080p set will be thrilled.