Gone are the days when you had to spend lakhs to buy a big TV. These days, you can spend under Rs. 40,000 and get a 50 to 55-inch TV that offers a good viewing experience and features. Hisense has been selling smart TVs in India for several years and has made a name for itself in the budget TV segment, which has several brands to choose from. The TV maker recently sent us their new E6N 55-inch smart TV, which was launched in India last month, for review. It’s an LED smart TV with a VA panel that is available in three display sizes and offers 4K UHD resolution across all three sizes.
The 55-inch variant of the Hisense E6N is available for purchase online at Rs. 39,999. Does that price warrant a good viewing experience? What kind of features can you get from a TV at this price? Read on to find out.
Hisense E6N Smart TV Design: Modern and slim
- Dimensions – 1233×716×80 (without stand)
- Weight – 10.9 (without stand)
- Colour – Black
Hisense has opted for a clean and slim design that appears premium. You get slim bezels on the sides and the top and a slightly thicker chin at the bottom. The Hisense logo is present on the bottom left edge, and you get the power switch and the indicator light at the centre. The switch protrudes out and is transparent.
The TV also offers wall-mounting support
From the side, the E6N is once again slim and modern, but the entire build is made using plastic, except for the frame, which appears to be made from metal. And that’s fine since this is a budget TV. The TV is supported by two plastic stands that seem strong. Setting up the TV with the included stands is super easy and takes about five minutes. However, I noticed that the TV slightly tilts to the back when placed on the stands. Overall, the entire TV does feel sturdy, and you also get a wall-mount option with VESA mount screws included in the box.
You get plenty of connectivity options on the TV
The back of the TV is also pretty minimal, with the power outlet on one side and all the other I/O ports on the other. You get 3 HDMI ports at the back that support eARC and 4K at 60Hz. There’s also an AV input, an RF input, Optical audio out, dual USB ports, an Ethernet (RJ45) connector, and a 3.5mm headphone port.
Hisense E6N Smart TV Display and Sound: Good for the price
- Size – Up to 65-inch
- Resolution – 3840X2160 pixels
- Refresh rate – 60Hz
The Hisense E6N review unit sent to us had a 55-inch LED display with a VA panel that offers 4K UHD resolution at a 60Hz refresh rate. You can also get the TV in 43 and 65-inch screen sizes. Hisense offers an 8-bit panel with support for HDR10 and HLG, variable refresh rate (VRR), auto low latency mode (ALLM), HEVC decoder, and 4K AI upscaling. The panel is said to deliver up to 300 nits of brightness, a native contrast ratio of 5000:1, and a 178-degree viewing angle.
In terms of colour reproduction and HDR, the panel is decent, with good colour output and contrast. However, you’ll see some over-brightening in HDR videos. At this price, you can’t expect anything more honestly. The viewing angle on the panel is also pretty okay, with colours and blacks starting to wash out when looking at the TV from the side. The display gets plenty bright indoors, but if you have a light source hitting the TV directly, then you’ll have a tough time viewing darker content.
You get access to a bunch of display modes, with my favourite being the Filmmaker mode
Moving on to the sound, the Smart TV features a 24W dual speaker setup. The speakers are downward facing and can get plenty loud. The mids and highs are clear, but they lack bass. The TV supports Dolby Audio DTS Virtual X and offers several modes, which somewhat enhance the sound experience. There’s also an AI Sports Mode that enhances the commentator’s voice and other game sounds to give you an immersive experience, and it kind of works. If you want real immersion, though, it’s best to get a surround sound setup or a Dolby Atmos soundbar.
Hisense E6N Smart TV Software, Features, and Remote: Enough options
- OS – Google TV (Android 12)
- Screen mirroring – DLNA / Chromecast / Miracast / AirPlay
- Connectivity – Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3
Like most others, Hisense’s budget Smart TV is running Google TV out of the box. The OS here is Android 12, and you get the familiar Google TV UI and navigation options. You also get Google Assistant voice search support, and access to the Play Store to download supported apps. There’s also support for Amazon’s Alexa. The TV comes pre-installed with essential streaming apps such as Prime Video, Netflix, and so on. There’s also no bloatware, which is nice.
There are plenty of different modes available for sound and video, including a Filmmaker and Cinema mode, that are good for watching movies. You also get features such as AI super-resolution that sharpens the edges of objects. This works well in most situations, but I found images to be over-sharpened at times. There’s also a 4K AI upscaler feature, which does a decent job.
The remote offers a bunch of keys and is easy to use
The TV also features built-in Chromecast, which lets you stream videos and photos from apps such as Google Photos, YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video and others. You can also stream using an iOS device, as the TV supports both Apple AirPlay and Apple Homekit. There’s also support for DLNA and Miracast, allowing you to cast from supported devices. As this is a Google TV, you can also control the TV using your Android phone with the Google TV app.
When you go to the remote, you get a D-pad, hotkeys for Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Hotstar, and Sony Liv, and a customisable key that can be assigned to an app or an action. There’s also a Menu button that quickly launches the Settings anywhere in the UI and a Google Assistant button for voice search. Overall, it’s a well-kitted remote that works well.
Hisense E6N Smart TV Performance: Does the job
- Processor – Quad-core MediaTek MT9630
- RAM – 2GB
- Storage – 8GB
The MediaTek MT9630 processor on the Hisense E6N is tried and tested. It’s a quad-core chipset that’s used on most budget smart TVs and does the job. And like most smart TVs in this price backet, you’ll get the usual 2GB RAM and 8GB storage (of which only 5.6GB is usable). However, that storage should be enough to install all your favourite apps.
When it comes to overall performance, I noticed some lag while launching apps, moving between apps, scrubbing through video, and switching inputs. It was snappy on day one, but as I started using it, the UI seemed to become a little sluggish. It’s not bad enough that you won’t use the TV, but it is noticeable and can be annoying sometimes. Try not to install too many apps, and keep clearing the cache often if you don’t want to see the lag.
The Hisense E6N smart TV features VRR and ALLM
Now, let’s talk about gaming. The Hisense E6N has something called Game Mode Plus that’s claimed to offer a smooth gaming experience. It is auto-enabled when you connect a gaming console. I connected the Sony PlayStation 5 and played a couple of games to test out. While the game did feel responsive, there was some lag when accessing the Settings menu. The TV offers a variable refresh rate and low latency MEMC that supposedly aids in smooth gaming performance. The panel still refreshes at a max 60Hz, and the variable refresh rate switches between 48 and 60Hz. HDR still doesn’t work great in this mode. But again, it’s nothing too bad for the price.
Hisense E6N Smart TV Verdict
The Hisense E6N Smart TV is a good buy if you’re on a budget and looking for something that offers good value. It’s got a nice modern design with super thin bezels, good software that works fine most of the time, a decent VA panel that is bright indoors, and a loud pair of speakers. The remote is also quite good. The picture quality could’ve been better, but overall, it’s an excellent package. While the Rs. 39,999 price tag for the 55-inch variant is not bad, I reckon you can get a better deal if you wait for discounts or sales.