Kate got an early exclusive on the reveal of Hisense's first "consumer-ready" MicroLED TV. The 136MX is a major reveal for Hisense, and with the brand planting its flag in the MicroLED space, we could finally see the cost of this display technology go down (and go mainstream, as a result.) Kate visited the company's HQ in Qingdao, China to preview the 136MX ahead of it's launch during CES 2025.
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00:00MicroLED technology has been one of the more compelling innovations in the display world,
00:04but let's be real, it's always felt more like a commercial concept rather than something
00:09you actually want to have in your living room, and the cost to manufacture slash sell just
00:13isn't consumer-friendly.
00:14Yet, Hisense is specifically introducing the 136MX MicroLED TV as the brand's first ever
00:22consumer-ready MicroLED display.
00:25But what does that actually mean?
00:27Let's break it down.
00:29Unlike the normal TVs you see all the time on this channel, the 136MX doesn't rely on
00:34a backlight.
00:35Each of its 24.88 million microscopic LEDs functions as an independent light source,
00:40resulting in a self-emissive design that can power deep blacks, dazzling brightness, and
00:45lifelike colors even better than OLED screens.
00:48A big reason for that is that that brightness level can reach acclaimed 10,000 nits, which
00:52is simply incredible if you're talking about being able to watch in a room that's filled
00:56with natural light.
00:57It also has a special treatment that's meant to reduce glare specifically in those scenarios.
01:02It's not just about the display, though.
01:04The 136MX is powered by Hisense's flagship HiView AI Engine X, which uses AI-based algorithms
01:10to reproduce a picture frame-by-frame.
01:13And with features like a 120Hz variable refresh rate, auto low latency mode, and FreeSync
01:17Premium Pro, it could make a pretty sick gaming experience.
01:20That's fun.
01:22A lot of times we see micro LED displayed on custom installed walls, but to see actually
01:30like what it could look like with a built-in soundbar, I mean the stage on wheels, maybe
01:35not, but just to have something that could like stand up like that in your home, we're
01:38seeing a lot of TVs look like that, just at this scale, it's obviously very different.
01:44One thing that does give me pause, though, is that it runs Hisense's Vita smart platform
01:48instead of the Google TV I'm more familiar with from Hisense TVs I've tested.
01:52You'll still get access to your favorite apps like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube, and
01:56Paul from the team seemed to like it enough in his Hisense C2 Ultra Projector review video
02:00that you should go check out on this channel if you haven't already.
02:03For me, I'd be willing to give the platform a chance if it meant I can loan out a 136
02:08inch micro LED TV for a bit, but I just might have to get a new house for it to actually
02:13fit first.
02:14Okay, so here's the big picture.
02:17Micro LED is still a niche technology, but Hisense is taking steps to make it more accessible.
02:22At 136 inches, the 136MX isn't exactly the TV for everyone.
02:27It's more of a statement piece for home theaters or very premium living spaces.
02:31Needless to say, it's a very CES style TV, and if you're not sure what I mean by that,
02:37go check out the rest of our CES 2025 videos, and that'll give you a sense of the type of
02:41tech that we see at these shows.
02:43But here's why it actually matters.
02:45This is likely the first of many micro LED displays to come from Hisense.
02:49They're planting a flag in the space, which could drive prices down and make micro LED
02:53tech more mainstream in the next couple of years.
02:56But let me know what you think.
02:58Does the 136MX give you hope that micro LED might be the next big thing?
03:04Let me know in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe for more insights from CES.
03:08Thanks for watching.
03:09I'll catch you next time.