#38

The Mega-Bright TV Throwdown

tvsMarch 29, 2026
Winner
Hisense U9N

Hisense

Hisense U9N

$3,500

Buy Now
TCL QM891G

TCL

TCL QM891G

$2,000

Buy Now
Samsung QN900F Neo QLED 8K

Samsung

Samsung QN900F Neo QLED 8K

$5,000

Buy Now

Tale of the Tape

Hisense U9N
TCL QM891G
Samsung QN900F Neo QLED 8K
Brightness
10/10
7/10
8/10
Picture Quality
9/10
7/10
10/10
Gaming
9/10
8/10
7/10
Smart Features
7/10
8/10
9/10
HDR Formats
10/10
10/10
5/10
Value
8/10
10/10
3/10

The Breakdown

Brightness

The Hisense U9N is a sun. Over 5,000 nits peak brightness makes it the brightest TV you can buy — period. It vaporizes HDR highlights with detail that OLED literally cannot reproduce. Samsung's QN900F manages around 4,000 nits. TCL's QM891G hits approximately 3,500 nits. For bright rooms and HDR impact, nothing touches the U9N.

Picture Quality

Samsung's 8K resolution on the QN900F delivers the sharpest image — native 8K content looks otherworldly, and the NQ8 AI Gen 3 processor's 4K upscaling is the best in the business. The Hisense U9N's 5,000+ dimming zones provide stellar local dimming with minimal blooming. TCL has fewer zones and slightly less refined processing.

Gaming

The Hisense U9N leads with a true 240Hz Game Mode VRR and 144Hz native panel — the fastest Mini LED gaming TV available. Samsung has 4K 120Hz with 240Hz VRR at lower resolutions. TCL supports 240Hz VRR gaming but the native panel is 120Hz. For PC and console gaming, the U9N gives you the lowest input lag and highest refresh rate.

Smart Features

Samsung's Tizen OS is the most polished smart TV platform — the UI is fast, the app selection is comprehensive, and the One Connect box is a cable management dream. TCL runs Google TV which has the best content discovery. Hisense uses its own VIDAA OS which is functional but has a smaller app library than both competitors.

HDR Formats

Hisense and TCL both support Dolby Vision and HDR10+ — you get every HDR format across every streaming service. Samsung stubbornly refuses Dolby Vision, supporting only HDR10+. Since Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+ use Dolby Vision as their premium format, Samsung misses the most widely used HDR standard.

Value

The TCL QM891G at $2,000 for a 65-inch offers incredible value — 3,500 nits, Dolby Vision, Google TV, and solid gaming features for less than half the Samsung. Hisense at $3,500 is premium but justified by that insane brightness. Samsung at $5,000 for the QN900F 8K is a hard sell when most content is 4K.

The Verdict

The Winner
H

Hisense U9N

The Hisense U9N is the brightest TV ever made — and it supports every HDR format Samsung ignores.

The Hisense U9N wins because brightness is the single most impactful TV spec for HDR, and nothing comes close to 5,000+ nits. Specular highlights in movies pop with a realism that makes OLED look dim. Sunlit scenes have detail in both shadows and highlights simultaneously. And with 5,000+ dimming zones, the local dimming is precise enough to deliver OLED-like blacks in dark scenes.\n\nThe real kicker: the U9N supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ while Samsung at $5,000 still refuses Dolby Vision. You get the brightest TV, the widest HDR format support, 144Hz for gaming, and a price that undercuts Samsung's 8K flagship by $1,500. Hisense is no longer the budget brand — it is the performance brand.

But consider:Consider the TCL QM891G if budget matters — at $2,000, it delivers 80% of the U9N experience with full HDR format support and Google TV for less than half the Hisense price.
Buy Hisense U9N

Quick Specs