Hisense 85U9E 8K TV will upscale 4K for razor-sharp viewing

(Image credit: Hisense)

8K has been the big TV story at trade shows for the past couple of years now, with all the major manufacturers showing their nascent efforts. 

At IFA 2019, Hisense has shown its hand too, with that’s set to be its first commercially available 8K TV, the 85U9E.

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Measuring up at 85-inches, the Hisense 85U9E 8K is pushing 33,177,600 pixels to hit that 8K standard. As 8K content is incredibly thin on the ground right now, Hisense sees the TV being used primarily for 4K upscaling, with the company’s 8K Super Resolution Upscaler squeezing all it can out of 4K sources with those extra pixels.

Intelligent local dimming

It also features 1,694 local dimming zones to ensure accurate and rich contrast levels throughout its output. This is managed with Hisense’s newest Hi-View Engine, a backlight picture enhancement technology powered by AI to make real-time image tweaks to deliver optimal contrast performance.

Combining a new picture processing chip with “a combination of powerful algorithms” according to Hisense’s press release for the 85U9E, Hisense claims it’ll give the smoothest motion of any 8K TV on the market too.

Rounding off the package is Quantum Dot wide color gamut tech, which Hisense states gives it the ability to deliver punchy-yet life-like color accuracy.

Hisense already faces stiff competition in the 8K TV space – the Samsung Q950R is one of the finest TVs we’ve ever laid eyes on, while LG has been first out of the blocks with an 8K OLED TV. However, Hisense’s trump card always sits with its approachable pricing – if it can make 8K anywhere near affordable when the screen is eventually released (at a time as yet undisclosed), it could be a strong competitor in the growing 8K space simply by virtue of being accessible.

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Gerald Lynch

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.