Hisense 4K Android TV – 65Q9G

I’m relatively new to Hisense TVs. I wasn’t familiar with the brand until last year when I had a chance to try out one of their new 4K TVs. That 55” TV for my living room is vibrant, colourful and was a real upgrade from my older set. So when I wanted to upgrade the big TV in my home theatre to 4K also, I looked at Hisense first. That led me to the 65” Hisense 65Q9G Android TV, and I’d like to thank Hisense for sponsoring this post. Their support helps me keep the blog and YouTube channel running.

I’ll tell you all about this TV, its features, how the Android TV platform works, and about the video quality.

Hisense Android 4K TV 65Q9G

Let’s get to know this TV and some of the technology that shapes it… and stick with me for just a sec while I put on my nerd hat.

Quantum Dot & Local Dimming technology: what it means

The 65” 4K Hisense 65Q9G Android TV is an ultra high resolution TV. It’s 4K resolution is among the sharpest and most detailed video you can get.  It’s also got a native 120 hz refresh rate. This Hisense TV is a QLED TV with Quantum Dot technology. What does that mean? Quantum Dots are how the screens create colour. Instead of using white LEDs and colour filters, quantum dots produce different colors depending on their size.

The Q9G also has what’s called full array local dimming. This is all about how your TV is lit, and it could be a video all on it’s own, so let me just say this technology is designed to bring you deeper blacks and brighter whites for more realistic contrast. My TV, the 65Q9G has 180 dimming zones – the most of any of Hisense’s 2020 Televisions.

These two technologies work together: Direct Full Array technology directly controls each individual light unit, meaning there’s more control over colour at the tiniest levels, so it’s able to create deeper colours and gradients, and more realistic lighting across the screen.

Hisense Android 65Q9G also has HDR10+ which runs a scene-by-scene adjustment sequence for brightness level, colour saturation, and contrast, to produce an image that is far more realistic.

Hisense Q9G is Dolby Vision & Dolby Atmos enabled

And we’re not done yet: This 4K TV also has Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos capabilities so if you’re watching video made with those technologies (for better sound and picture quality), you’ll be able to take advantage of it and notice it on this TV.

Overall I will say this is a premium TV; there are a lot of features and all the newest video technology packed into the Q9G.

Set up process is dead simple

Getting this TV set up takes just minutes. All you need to do is power it on, connect to Wi-Fi and you’re ready to use all the built in streaming features.

What to know about Android TV platform

Android TV is the computer brains that runs your TV, streams content and makes everything work in harmony. Android TV now comes with your Google Assistant (and Google Chromecast) built in.

Just say “Ok Google” or press the Google Assistant button on your remote to quickly voice search for movies, to check the score of the big game or dim the lights – all without leaving what you’re watching.

In case you’re wondering, yes, even if you have an iPhone, you can use an Android TV, though how you cast, share or screen mirror is different.

Android TV gives you access to over 150,000 streaming channels including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime TV, HBO and Disney channel, among others, and you can add other options too. (See the full list here)

Video quality: Hisense Q9G 4K Android TV

The video quality on this TV is great, and the best way to truly experience it is to load up some dedicated 4K demo videos or movies and check those out first. You can see that there’s stunning detail, amazing colour and great contrast.

Resolution is sharp

4K TVs are four times sharper than our older HD TVs, so you should expect to see a lot more detail; think individual hairs on cats, an actor’s five o’clock shadow, or even crow’s feet.

More vibrant colour

Similarly the colour replication in this TV is outstanding. Nature shows in particular really let this TV show off its talents. While there’s millions of colours, they don’t look fake, as they can in some TVs that tout better colour reproduction.

When it comes to contrast, you can really see a lot of detail in darker scenes, and you get a noticeable juxtaposition between the brightest areas and the darkest bits.

Using Google Voice Control

What’s it like talking to your TV? Super handy. You can ask Google to control the TV in many ways; adjust volume, load content, search or turn it on or off.

I’m not going to go into a lot of detail on the Google Assistant, but you also get the full digital butler capabilities of Google Assistant as part of this TV, and you can access it when the TV is off. Set timers and alarms, get news or weather or ask questions.

I found the Google Assistant worked very well at controlling the TV for, whether it was searching YouTube for shows, or turning volume up and down, it was handy to be hands-free.

Controlling your Hisense Android 4K TV

The TV naturally comes with a Remote Control, and you can use your smartphone too with the Android TV Remote Control App if you want another option. You can also, of course use that built in Google Assistant and talk to the TV to get it to do what you need.

How to Set up the Android TV Remote Control app for iPhone & Android

You can navigate your Android TV using your phone (yes, even an iPhone) or tablet with the Android TV Remote Control app.

To set up the remote control app:

• On your phone, download the Android TV Remote Control app from the Play Store.
• Connect your phone and Android TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
• On your phone, open the Android TV Remote Control app .
• Tap the name of your Android TV.
• If it doesn’t show up, try the troubleshooting steps below.
• A PIN will appear on your TV screen.
• On your phone, enter the PIN. Then, tap Pair.

Playing media from smartphone: How to cast & share media

If you’re an Android phone user, you’ll be able to cast and share videos and content from your phone with no trouble. Just tap the cast button which looks like a TV overlaid with a Wi-fi symbol.

If you have an Apple iPhone, your options are extremely limited. There are a few apps you can download for your iPhone that could help, but this isn’t a straightforward prospect. You could also add an Apple TV box, but that’s pricey. For Apple phone users, you might instead consider a Hisense Roku TV, which is much more compatible, but this is really only an issue if you’re doing a lot of video sharing from your phone to the TV.

Overall thoughts: Hisense Q9G Series 4K Android TV

Overall, this TV is great. It’s super clear and much more enjoyable than my older HD TV. The colour is really noticeable and the overall video quality is great.

The Android TV interface is easy enough to use, and there’s plenty of TV apps and channels available. If there are any downsides, it might be that Apple phone users will notice more limited connectivity and options for Airplaying or Casting, but this should be remedied easily enough with a third party app.

The Hisense Q9G Series sells for about ~$1700CAD and you can get it from Amazon, Costco Canada and Visions Electronics.

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