The very first thing to say is that Hitachi isn’t strictly talking Hitachi anymore. For whereas it’s attainable Hitachi engineers have had some form of say within the 75HL16T64U, it’s clear from its onscreen menus and distant management that it’s actually emerged from the factories of Turkish producer Vestel. 

That, in some ways, acts as a preface for this assessment: Relating to TVs, offers that appear too good to be true normally are.

Design

The 75HL16T64U shouldn’t be a very good-looking TV – which is a bit unlucky contemplating how a lot of your lounge it consumes. Its body is wider than these wrapped round most trendy TVs, and its rear stands proud additional. 

The body feels fairly plasticky too – although to be truthful, it does attempt to cover this behind a fairly engaging faux-metallic end. 

Hitachi/Vestel has thoughtfully made it simpler to shift the 75HL16T64U round by becoming its rear with 4 carry handles. Although fortunately these might be eliminated if you happen to’re making an attempt to trim the set down for wall hanging.

Connections are respectable for such an inexpensive TV. Three HDMIs get the ball rolling, and these are joined by a pair of USB ports for multimedia playback, a VGA-type PC port, and a golden oldie within the form of a composite video enter. Plus, after all, there’s onboard Wi-Fi for taking the TV on-line. 

Be aware that solely two of the HDMIs can deal with 4K HDR, and that even these two can’t deal with HDR in addition to 4K if the content material is working at greater than 30 frames a second.

Design TL;DR: The 75HL16T64U is chunkier than most trendy TVs, which doesn’t precisely assist its huge display mix into your decor. The pseudo metallic end is respectable, although. 

Sensible TV (Proprietary OS with Freeview Play)

Given how low cost it’s, it wouldn’t have been in any respect stunning if the 75HL16T64U had no good options in any respect. So it’s fairly pleasing to seek out it carrying a small number of built-in apps that embrace the catch-up TV platforms for the UK’s ‘huge 4’ terrestrial broadcasters, in addition to YouTube and Netflix. 

The broadcaster catch up apps are even offered as a part of the Freeview Play platform, that means you may entry their wares through a easy, backward-scrolling digital programme information. The Netflix app helps the platform’s 4K, HDR streams, too – although YouTube is seemingly locked to HD and normal dynamic vary.

The interface for accessing these good options is fairly primary – however that additionally means it’s simple to make use of. That mentioned, the largest concern with the 75HL16T64U’s good options is that there’s no Amazon Video app which suggests you will in the end want a further streaming video participant if you wish to watch something from Amazon’s catalogue. 

Sensible TV TL;DR: The 75HL16T64U’s good interface seems to be primary and runs a bit sluggishly, nevertheless it supplies a extra strong set of apps than might need been anticipated on the most affordable 75-inch TV we’ve ever seen.

HD/SDR Efficiency 

The 75HL16T64U delivers a blended bag of outcomes with HD and normal dynamic vary content material. It truly does a reasonably good job of presenting probably the most refined color nuances and steadiness of SDR, in addition to delivering fairly constantly pure tones. 

Or a minimum of that’s the case with shiny scenes. Black shades and darkish colors are sadly affected by the 75HL16T64U’s uninspiring black degree efficiency. Darkish areas look gray, and darkish colors look muted. 

It doesn’t assist, both, that even with the comparatively low gentle necessities of SDR content material, the perimeters of the image present pronounced backlight clouding throughout darkish scenes.

Relating to upscaling HD to its display’s native 4K decision, the 75HL16T64U is finest described as primary. Its upscaling processing simply isn’t intelligent sufficient to identify the distinction between ‘actual’ image data and supply noise reminiscent of grain or digital compression artefacts. Which implies that whereas upscaled footage look fairly crisp and dense, in addition they are inclined to exaggerate noise.

HD/SDR Efficiency TL;DR: Brilliant SDR content material seems to be surprisingly refined and pure. Sadly, although, darkish scenes are impacted by disappointing black ranges and backlight clouding.

4K/HDR Efficiency 

Right here, too, we’re taking a look at a traditional sport of two halves with the 75HL16T64U. 

Within the unhealthy half is the TV’s HDR efficiency. The Hitachi display simply doesn’t have wherever close to sufficient brightness or color vary to do ship any form of convincing HDR influence. In actual fact, HDR footage seem with solely barely extra brightness and color depth than SDR ones, robbing you of just about all the additional punch and lifelike lustre that we count on HDR to ship. 

What’s extra, the display’s lack of brightness causes it to routinely ‘clip’ element and refined tone data out of the brightest elements of HDR footage. 

What little additional brightness the 75HL16T64U manages to seek out for HDR merely exaggerates the display’s black degree points, too. Darkish scenes look even greyer, and the clouding on the display’s edges seems to be much more pronounced. 

The unhealthy information continues with the 75HL16T64U’s HDR colors. They give the impression of being far much less wealthy and punchy than they need to – an issue exacerbated by an odd yellowy tone that lies throughout the highest of the HDR picture. So excessive is the extent to which the 75HL16T64U mutes colors with HDR content material, in actual fact, that its SDR footage look way more pure and fascinating.

The 75HL16T64U does have one ace up its image efficiency sleeve, although: killer sharpness with native 4K sources. 

In addition to rendering each pixel of UHD photos with stunning accuracy, sharpness and noise-free readability, the 75HL16T64U manages to retain far more of this readability when there’s movement within the body than I might have anticipated. There’s virtually not one of the blurring or judder you’d normally see with a finances TV. 

The underside line is that if the 4K supply you’re watching is normal dynamic vary quite than HDR, the 75HL16T64U actually can serve up some startlingly good footage – even supposing feeding it 4K sources don’t magically overcome its black degree shortcomings. 

It’s only a disgrace that the 75HL16T64U’s brightness and color limitations make it solely attainable to (cautiously) suggest it to individuals who can feed it a daily weight-reduction plan of 4K footage that aren’t accompanied by HDR. Which is definitely more durable to attain than you may assume.

4K/HDR Efficiency TL;DR: Whereas the 75HL16T64U exhibits off the thrill of a local 4K decision, its HDR capabilities are primarily DOA.

Sound high quality 

The 75HL16T64U places its chunky body to good use with its audio efficiency: It could go room-fillingly loud with out the audio system distorting or the cupboard rattling and presents spectacular quantities of refined film combine detailing. 

It spreads its sound an affordable distance past the display’s boundaries with out something beginning to sound disconnected or ‘free’. 

And eventually, its mid-range is expansive and dynamic sufficient to accommodate motion scenes with out the sound stage turning into skinny or compressed. 

Different panels to ponder 

The 75HL16T64U is comfortably probably the most inexpensive 75-inch TV on the town, making critical competitors arduous to seek out. The Samsung 75-inch MU7000 has a lot larger brightness and wider color response makes it far more able to unlocking the charms of HDR. However at £1,800 it prices £500 greater than the 75HL16T64U. 

When you can’t spend greater than £1,300, you may think about the 65-inch UE65MU7000. 

Verdict

Its mixture of a 75-inch 4K, HDR-capable display with a £1,300 price ticket makes the Hitachi 75HL16T64U a mouthwatering prospect for cash-strapped house cinema followers. And really, if you happen to can feed it as a lot normal dynamic vary 4K content material as attainable, it may give you higher footage than you’ve any proper to count on. 

That mentioned, distinction isn’t higher than common. And as quickly as you step outdoors the 4K SDR field issues begin to go pear-shaped quick. Particularly, sadly, in terms of HDR.