Compare: Xiaomi S Mini 2025 vs Hisense U7S / U77SE

Xiaomi, well-known as a giant in the smartphone market, has decided to compete for the attention of high-end tech enthusiasts by presenting a MiniLED backlit television. The S MiniLED 2025 model looks truly impressive on paper. An enormous number of dimming zones provides excellent contrast, and the brightness, reaching impressive levels, can impress both in high-quality HDR materials and in older SDR. The television performs exceptionally well where motion smoothness is key. The high refresh rate panel and low input lag make it a good choice not only for sports fans but also for gamers. Support for features like ALLM and GameBar further enhances the gaming experience. Google TV on this television works as it should – quickly, smoothly, without unnecessary stutters, which we couldn't say about the model A Pro 2025. Additionally, with such an extensive app library, it will satisfy even the most demanding user. However, not everything looks so good in practice. Despite solid hardware specifications, the television has its quirks. The biggest issue is the algorithms managing the dimming zones, which can be quite irritating when watching movies in the evening. The performance of individual zones is overly noticeable in dynamic scenes, which can effectively distract our attention from the image. Problems also arise in more demanding HDR scenes despite the truly impressive brightness. Small bright elements often lose brightness, which spoils the effect that high-quality imagery should provide. The system is also not without its shortcomings – features that enhance images in lower-quality materials work unevenly, and some options in Google TV are poorly translated or even untranslated. Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 has enormous potential, but in its current form, it seems underutilised. It is clear that Xiaomi wanted to do something really good, but a few significant shortcomings lead to a mixed final outcome. A device with high aspirations that needs better software to truly shine. It is an ideal television for brighter rooms, where high screen brightness plays a key role, and issues with local dimming become less noticeable. It will also perform excellently as a screen for gamers and for those who value the versatility and functionality of the Google TV system.

Hisense U7S is the latest iteration of the U7 series, whose biggest advantage remains its price-to-performance ratio. You get a Mini LED TV with local dimming, which genuinely improves black levels and gives the picture more depth for evening viewing. During the day a generous brightness reserve helps, so you don't have to rush to close the curtains. It's not a device without compromises, but as an everyday TV it makes a lot of sense. Gamers get a lot too. The U7S supports high refresh rates from consoles and PCs, has an extensive set of gaming features and responds very quickly to controller input. Pleasingly, the low input lag is maintained even in Dolby Vision. On top of that there's the smooth-running VIDAA, which offers both Smart features and handy extras for regular TV. Overall it's quite versatile, although compared with last year's U7Q it's hard to call it a big step forward.

Unfortunately there are also things that clearly bother us. The first is motion smearing. The panel has a high refresh rate, but its pixels don't always keep up, so moving objects leave noticeable trails. Fans of sport and fast-paced games will feel this most. The second issue is HDR, which the TV handles a bit 'its own way'. Instead of sticking to the brightness encoded in the content, it aggressively brightens parts of the image. The aim was probably to make things more striking, but often the opposite happens: a scene becomes overbright, loses depth and clearly departs from the creators' intent. It's a shame that this behaviour can't be effectively corrected even during calibration.

Despite these caveats the U7S remains an interesting choice if you're after as much as possible for a reasonable price. Compared with basic LCDs without local dimming, which you can still find at similar price points, it primarily offers much better black levels. And that's where its biggest strength lies. You don't need to reach for an expensive model to get a Mini LED whose benefits are actually visible in viewing. If you accept its flaws, the Hisense U7S can above all be a very good-value purchase.

Xiaomi S MiniLED is one of the most affordable televisions with MiniLED technology available on the market. The model we tested, sized at 55 inches, is equipped with as many as 308 local dimming zones, which is impressive for such a price. Additionally, it features a VA panel, which inherently offers significantly better contrast than IPS panels. On static test screens, the television performed excellently, achieving an impressive contrast ratio of 182,000:1 in the film Oblivion. Blacks were deep, and details in both bright and dark areas of the image were clearly separated. However, in more demanding scenes where the image is dynamic, the situation begins to complicate.

Where lies the problem? The main cause is the local dimming algorithms. Although on static images, their effects are promising, during movie playback – which reflects the television's natural working conditions – they operate too aggressively. In dynamic scenes, like those from the tested film, one can see how the individual dimming zones "work and flicker," which detracts from the viewer's sense of image coherence. This effect is particularly noticeable in motion, when bright objects move against a dark screen. As a result, although Xiaomi S MiniLED offers fantastic contrast on paper, in practice, the effect is less satisfying. The aggressive operation of the algorithms ruins the perception of dynamic scenes, making the television perform average in this category. This is a good example of how MiniLED technology requires not only a good specification but also adequate optimisation.

The Hisense U7S shows good black levels, especially for one of the entry-level mini-LED models. The 55-inch test size uses 192 local dimming zones that work well with the VA panel. In most of our scenes contrast ranged from about 21,000:1 to over 51,000:1, and in one it even exceeded 500,000:1. In many films you can plainly see it — dark scenes have depth, and blacks don’t glow grey like on many cheaper LCDs without local dimming.

It’s worse when the screen shows lots of small bright objects against a dark background (for example the scene shown below). There aren’t enough zones to light each of them individually, so you can see a bright halo around small objects. This so-called halo effect is easiest to spot when watching in a dark room. In the most demanding shot the contrast dropped to about 5,650:1, and here the backlight limitations are clearly noticeable. Despite that, given the TV’s class, it’s hard to call this a fault, because many mini-LED TVs in a similar price range will have similar problems.

Since Xiaomi S MiniLED boasts an impressive 308 zones of dimming, it's time to see how it performs in HDR tests. Starting with luminance, or the ability to display bright scenes, the television achieved nearly 1000 nits of brightness – a result that can be considered outstanding in this class. But do these numbers translate to real-life experiences in film scenes? In the case of less demanding shots, such as those from the film The Meg, the television indeed delivered excellent results, reaching up to 900 nits. Such values are impressive and can truly convey the strength of HDR effects.

Unfortunately, just like with contrast, there were some issues. When smaller, brighter elements appear on the screen – as in challenging scenes from Sicario 2 – the aggressive action of the dimming zones ruins the entire effect. Brightness in these moments drops to just 100 nits. That is definitely too little to convey the full magic of HDR. Instead of a dynamic and detailed image, the viewer gets a muted, almost flat impression, which takes away all the enjoyment of the viewing experience.

In summary, if we're looking for a television with high brightness for watching movies during the day, the Xiaomi S MiniLED will easily fulfill that task. However, its inability to precisely manage the dimming zones makes watching movies in the evening, especially during demanding HDR scenes, potentially more frustrating than satisfying.

The Hisense U7S has considerable HDR potential, but it can’t make full use of it in every scene. On a test pattern it reaches about 1100 nits, so the backlight is genuinely strong. In our brighter film scenes we measured around 640 to 745 nits. That’s still enough for the sun or bright highlights to have a distinct bloom and to show an advantage over SDR material. When the TV needs to light a larger portion of the image, it handles it quite well.

The problem appears with small lights on a dark background. Each of the 192 zones covers an area considerably larger than a tiny point on the screen. If the TV were to drive such a zone strongly, it would brighten the surrounding area along with the light. Hisense tries to avoid that and dims the whole zone. Blacks look better as a result, but a small bright object that should draw the eye also loses intensity. That’s why in two tougher scenes we recorded only 297 and 154 nits. The difference is large: in one shot HDR can impress, and in the next small highlights are noticeably muted. The U7S therefore prioritises keeping deep blacks, even at the expense of bright details. With this number of zones it’s an understandable compromise, but it’s worth remembering that the peak 1100 nits tells us about the backlight’s capability, not how brightly the TV will show every element of a film.

Colours

Hisense markets the U7S as ULED, but that’s a marketing name; the wider colour gamut here is achieved by a PFS phosphor backlight. In our measurements the TV covered about 91% of the DCI-P3 space and 71% of BT.2020. Those are good results, though a little short of the best screens on the market. The biggest shortfall is in green — the TV doesn’t even reach the DCI-P3 boundary there, so the most intense green hues will be less saturated than they should be. Most colours in HDR films and series still look suitably vivid, however. A positive is the repeatability of the results: gamut coverage on test patterns and in film scenes is practically identical.

Xiaomi, like many manufacturers, offers a wide range of picture modes. On the S MiniLED, we can find both IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker. Our tests were conducted in Filmmaker mode, which theoretically aims to reference the image, but the reality turned out to be somewhat different.

Let’s start with the SDR material tests. Here the TV had quite a few problems, especially with white balance. The noticeable dominance of red made the image appear too warm, and all colours gained a reddish hue. This was particularly evident in the comparative scene from the film Star Wars. The brightness characteristic (gamma) also left much to be desired – instead of a smooth transition, we had a real "rollercoaster," with visible excessive brightening of the screen.

In 4K materials, the situation looked considerably better. The white balance, though still not perfect, was much more balanced, with a slight dominance of red and blue, but no excessive impact on the overall perception. The EOTF curve (responsible for brightness in HDR) showed some brightening in the brightest parts of the image, which was noticeable in the test scene from the film Pan that we described above. These brightening effects may disturb the precision of the image, but in 4K, the overall effect was far more acceptable than in SDR.

Although Xiaomi S MiniLED can pleasantly surprise in 4K materials, its factory settings in SDR require significant corrections, especially regarding white balance and brightness. It's definitely a TV that would benefit from calibration.

Factory colours on the Hisense U7S are decent, but there are a few things to fix. In SDR the white balance favours red, so the image looks too warm, in places with a slightly pink tint. You can see this on faces and bright, neutral surfaces. Gamma also runs below the target, so the TV brightens the image, especially in darker areas. That makes it easier to see shadow detail, but the scene loses some of its depth.

In HDR the white balance is a bit more even, but not completely neutral, with midtones lacking blue and the brightest parts lacking red. A bigger problem is the way brightness is reproduced. The EOTF curve shows that a large portion of the midtones is boosted, making the image appear brighter than the source material intends. Color Checker measurements also fare worse than in SDR: many errors are around 3 to 4, and individual ones reach as high as 8. Colours can therefore look attractive, but they're not always faithful to what we should be seeing. There’s room for improvement and we’ll see how much can be corrected with calibration.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a television that gains a whole new life after calibration. The results are truly impressive and show how much potential this model has.

In SDR mode, the white balance is almost perfectly aligned. The errors are so minimal that in many cases they can be considered negligible. This is confirmed by the Colour Checker palette results, where errors did not exceed 2 ΔE – a truly rare outcome. Gamma also performs very well, although there are slight brightening effects in the darkest elements at the beginning of the graph. However, this is a minor exception that does not significantly affect the viewing experience.

In 4K HDR material, calibration also brought visible improvements, particularly in white balance. The image looks natural and consistent. However, the characteristic of brightness remains an issue. EOTF analysis in film materials shows that the television tends to overly brighten or darken the smallest elements on the screen. This is the effect of limitations in the dimming algorithms that we previously discussed regarding HDR and contrast testing. Unfortunately, this is a technical feature of this model that cannot be completely eliminated.

Despite this minor flaw, calibration has allowed us to extract the maximum capabilities from this television. The image now looks phenomenal, and its quality impresses in every type of material. Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 demonstrates that with the right settings, it can compete with more expensive models.

Calibrating the Hisense U7S did the most for SDR content. We managed to even out the white balance, so the earlier warm tint is gone and whites and greys look neutral. Gamma now sits very close to the reference, so the TV no longer brightens the image unnecessarily and darker scenes have regained depth. Color Checker measurements confirm the improvement: most errors are below 2. For watching regular TV and SDR films, this delivers a really well calibrated picture. Calibration in HDR wasn’t as smooth. The TV lacks an effective way to correct the EOTF curve, so Hisense still interprets the film’s brightness a bit on its own. It brightens parts of the image and, depending on the scene and local dimming, can tone down the brightest elements. That couldn’t be eliminated by calibration. This also shows up in the Color Checker results, where many errors remain around 3–4 and some exceed 7. In SDR the result is therefore very good, but in HDR we have to accept that the TV adds its own interpretation of brightness to the image.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 looks very good. Even in the theoretically most challenging scene with red water, the television performs excellently – we did not notice any major issues. Minor imperfections occur in scenes like Kingsman or The Martian, where you can see subtle colour blending. Nevertheless, Xiaomi stands out in this category, offering one of the best qualities of tonal transitions in its price range. This is definitely a strong point of this television.

The smoothness of tonal transitions is one of the Hisense U7S’s stronger points. HDR10 content performs particularly well, with colours gently flowing from one to another without noticeable banding. Even in dark scenes it's hard to find significant issues. Minor tone joins only become visible in brighter shots, but during normal viewing they rarely draw attention. It's a bit worse with Dolby Vision, where the boundaries between tones can be more apparent. That's why Hisense loses some points with us, although overall it's still a very good result and one of the better performers in its class.

When it comes to tonal transitions in lower-quality materials, such as YouTube or television, the Xiaomi S MiniLED comes with a feature called “Colour Contour Removal.” In the "low" setting, it works quite well, but its effectiveness can be uneven. Sometimes it appears as if the TV struggles to smooth things out, which creates a bit of dissonance. On the plus side, we didn’t notice any visible side effects, although given the instability of this feature, one might suspect that unexpected issues could arise in certain situations.

Image scaling also comes across as average. There’s slight jaggedness, especially on thin elements like branches, and text can be a bit ragged. It may not be overly bothersome, but a more discerning eye will certainly catch these imperfections. Overall, most users should be satisfied with the scaling and smoothing quality, but the TV may not satisfy those who expect perfection in every frame.

The processing of lower-quality material in the Hisense U7S is fairly average. The Pentonic 700 chipset used here doesn't cope particularly well with the effects of heavy compression. There's a "Smooth and Gradient Picture" function in the menu, but its performance leaves a lot to be desired. At the low setting it's hard to see any improvement in tonal transitions, though at least the picture doesn't suffer. Medium and high settings still don't remove visible banding between tones and begin to blur details; in our clips parts of characters' faces even vanished. Interestingly, film grain remains untouched at every level. If you do use this function, stick to the low setting. Its current performance needs refinement, but that's mainly down to the processor used here.

Upscaling to 4K performs much better. Lower-resolution content gains clarity, edges are well reproduced and fine details look sharp. That doesn't mean the TV can recover details that weren't in the recording, but it makes good use of what's provided by the source. Another plus is the lack of edge cropping, even with an SD signal.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is equipped with a 4K@120Hz (1080p@240Hz) refresh rate panel, providing sufficient smoothness for both watching dynamic sports broadcasts and playing the latest games. This level of refresh rate makes the image look fluid, even in the most intense scenes. Additionally, the television offers a "Motion Smoothing" feature that allows users to adjust the way the image is displayed in films. We can choose a more choppy effect, typical for cinematic experiences, or a smoother one, resembling the so-called "theatrical effect". As a result, every user can tailor the settings to their preferences and enjoy smooth images in their favourite content.

Motion handling on the Hisense U7S is decent thanks to its 144 Hz refresh rate. For films there's also a motion smoothing option with adjustable judder and blur reduction. You can keep a more cinematic feel to motion or increase smoothness if choppy camera pans bother you. High refresh is also useful for sport and gaming, but unfortunately it doesn't solve the panel's biggest problem.

The issue is pixel response time. Fast-moving objects leave long, distinct trails, as our UFO test shows. It's worst on dark backgrounds, where the trail is particularly pronounced. So motion can be smooth, but the moving object loses sharpness, and that difference on the U7S is fairly easy to spot.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a television that has a lot to offer gamers. With two HDMI ports boasting 48 Gbps bandwidth, we can easily connect modern consoles or PCs, utilising their full potential. Additionally, the ALLM feature automatically switches the TV to low latency mode – something we appreciate during fast-paced gaming without annoying lags. No matter what we connect, it runs smoothly, and the TV handles various resolutions exceptionally well. There’s also the GameBar, which may not look as flashy as the "bars" on competing models, but makes up for it in practicality. It’s a straightforward settings panel that allows us to quickly change the most important options or check stats – a perfect solution when time is of the essence.

However, we must admit that navigating the TV itself – or rather, finding gaming features – was quite a challenge for us. We approached the Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 test several times to locate all the necessary options. The hidden menu allowed us to discover the "GameBoost" feature, which enables switching the TV to 240 Hz mode, activating VRR, and allows for enabling the image in HGIG mode.

In summary, the Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a TV that definitely deserves praise in the gaming equipment category. Its rich set of features – 240 Hz mode, VRR, HGIG, and "GameBoost" – provides an exceptional gaming experience. Unfortunately, the intuitiveness of the menu itself leaves much to be desired and can pose some challenges for the average user.

The Hisense U7S has plenty to offer gamers. You get two HDMI 2.1 ports and support for 120 Hz in Full HD, 1440p and 4K, so modern consoles’ capabilities are well utilised. When connected to a PC you can use 144 Hz at 4K or switch the resolution to Full HD and run 240 Hz. So there’s a lot of choice, although it’s worth remembering the motion smearing mentioned earlier, which the high refresh rate doesn’t eliminate. VRR and ALLM are present as well. VRR helps keep the picture tear-free when a game’s frame rate changes. ALLM automatically switches the TV into game mode, so you don’t have to go into the menu each time. VRR works from 48 to 240 Hz, with the highest refresh rate available in Full HD. Xbox users can also play in Dolby Vision at 120 Hz. Importantly, that format does not cause significant input lag here. The Game Bar also looks great. It’s clear and attractive, and lets you quickly check what signal the TV is receiving. Handy gaming settings are close to hand too, including shadow brightening. If it’s hard to spot an opponent in a dark game, you can improve visibility without digging through the whole menu.

Our biggest complaint is HGiG. Hisense keeps doing its own tone mapping, which makes setting up HDR on the console confusing. You adjust the checkerboard pattern, and the TV continually alters its appearance. As a result, the point at which the pattern disappears does not correctly indicate the display’s brightness limit, and it’s easy to set the value too high. For this model it’s better to set the target HDR brightness on the console to around 900 to 1000 nits, rather than rely on the configurator.

Input lag in Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is one of its biggest advantages. 8 ms for 120 Hz content and 17 ms for 60 Hz are simply outstanding results that will satisfy even the most demanding gamers. Moreover, the Dolby Vision mode in games deserves praise. Unlike many competing models, Xiaomi maintains a low input lag even in this mode, making it an excellent choice for lovers of high-quality HDR gaming experiences.

In terms of input lag the Hisense U7S performs excellently. At 60 Hz we measured 14–16 ms, and at 120 Hz just 9–10 ms. Input is responsive and even in fast-paced games the TV doesn't introduce any noticeable delay. Importantly, Dolby Vision performs just as well: 14 ms at 60 Hz and 9 ms at 120 Hz mean you don't have to forgo the format for fear of added latency. The smearing described earlier is a separate issue. The screen reacts quickly to inputs, but the pixels don't always keep up with colour changes.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a good choice if you need a TV for computer work. The fonts are very clear thanks to 4:4:4 chroma support, making it ideal for office work or browsing documents. It also performs excellently in gaming – high refresh rates, G-SYNC, and low input lag ensure smooth gameplay, which will satisfy most gamers.

Po podłączeniu komputera możemy korzystać z 4K przy 144 Hz, działającego G-Sync i opóźnienia na poziomie 10 ms. To dobry zestaw do grania, choć w dynamicznych scenach nadal daje o sobie znać smużenie matrycy. Poprawnie działa też chroma 4:4:4, również przy maksymalnym odświeżaniu, dzięki czemu kolorowe napisy i drobne elementy pulpitu pozostają czytelne.

Do przeglądania internetu czy okazjonalnej pracy U7S nadaje się całkiem dobrze, ale nie wszystkie czcionki wyglądają równie wyraźnie. Najwięcej uwag mamy do drobnego, ciemnego tekstu — cienkie fragmenty liter potrafią zanikać i znaki wyglądają nierówno. Z kanapy trudno to zauważyć, natomiast przy pracy z bliska, szczególnie z tekstem czy arkuszami, może już przeszkadzać.

In terms of viewing angles, Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is not impressive. This is a typical problem with VA panels, which struggle without additional coatings to widen viewing angles. The image begins to lose quality when watching the TV from the side – colours fade, and contrast significantly drops. However, the advantage of VA panels is their much better contrast compared to IPS panels, which in turn win when it comes to wider viewing angles. This is a classic compromise where one has to choose between better blacks and a more universal image seen from different spots in the room.

Viewing angles are unfortunately a weak point of the Hisense U7S. Even after shifting to the side, colours lose saturation, blacks become lighter and the picture looks washed out. At a 45-degree angle we measured a brightness drop of as much as 74%, so the difference compared with watching straight on is really significant. That's a typical limitation of VA panels. When seated centrally we can appreciate its good contrast, but people sitting at the far ends of a wide couch will see a noticeably worse picture. The U7S is therefore best suited to setups where viewing positions are as close to directly in front of the screen as possible.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is equipped with a satin finish on the display, which moderately handles glare reduction. On the screen's surface, you can see light reflections, which may be somewhat distracting in bright rooms. However, the key element that saves this television in daytime use is its brightness. With a value of 841 cd/m², the screen performs flawlessly even in very sunlit interiors. This is more than enough to comfortably watch television, movies, or sporting events. Importantly, the television also handles more demanding content, such as winter sports, where the dominant white can pose a significant challenge for other televisions. Here, Xiaomi definitely excels.

Hisense U7S handles daytime viewing well. In SDR we measured on average about 664 nits, and depending on the onscreen content the brightness ranged roughly between 500 and 800 nits. Even with an all-white image it stays above 500 nits, so a sports broadcast or a bright TV programme won't suddenly look dim. That's enough headroom for comfortable viewing in most living rooms. The satin finish does a decent job of suppressing reflections, but a window opposite the TV will still be visible. The photo shows clearly that its reflection can obscure part of the picture, so high backlight alone doesn't solve everything. On the plus side, blacks and colours hold up in daylight and don't become overly grey. Overall the U7S will work well in a bright room, although it's worth positioning it to avoid direct window reflections.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a television that stands out thanks to the Google TV system. It offers access to the most popular streaming services, music apps, and various useful features that significantly enhance everyday use of the TV. For those who enjoy personalisation, the system also provides plenty of configuration options.

The built-in voice assistant operates smoothly – we can not only control the TV but also ask for the weather forecast or set a reminder for the next day. Unfortunately, we noticed during testing that some functions have trouble translating into Polish, which can be annoying, especially for those less proficient in navigating the settings. Despite this, the overall impression is very good, and minor shortcomings can be improved in updates.

The device handles connectivity well. Wireless connections with Windows computers or Apple devices run smoothly, and thanks to Bluetooth, we can easily connect headphones, keyboards, or other accessories. The remote is simple and convenient – it works from any position, so aiming at the screen is not necessary. However, there are some shortcomings. If someone frequently uses traditional television, they might miss the recording functions from tuners or the PiP (picture in picture) option. This somewhat limits the possibilities, but for those focusing on streaming and modern features, it won’t be a major issue.

Xiaomi compensates for these shortcomings with an excellent operating system. Google TV is one of the most advanced and intuitive systems available on the market, which makes the television perform really well in daily use.

Smart TV: VIDAA

VIDAA HOME OS on the Hisense U7S is feature-rich, yet runs quickly and doesn't complicate everyday use. Besides apps, there is AirPlay for streaming from Apple devices and Miracast, which lets you mirror a computer screen. Voice search in Polish also works, so instead of typing a film title with the remote you can just say it. You can also connect a keyboard and mouse. It's hard to complain about the Smart features, though before buying it's worth checking the availability of the specific apps you use, because the selection isn't as extensive as on competing systems.

Classic features and the remote

Hisense hasn't forgotten viewers who watch regular TV. The U7S lets you record programmes from terrestrial TV to USB and schedule recordings for later. There's teletext, the option to listen to audio with the screen off, and support for Bluetooth headphones. Usefully, headphones can operate at the same time as the TV speakers, so one person, for example a senior, can use them while others continue to listen normally. The main omission is really picture-in-picture, PiP.

We weren't keen on the remote itself. It's quite plasticky and looks rather "cheap", but it does its job well. It has a full numeric keypad, plenty of shortcuts and controls the TV via radio, so you don't have to point it at the screen. It's just a shame the buttons aren't backlit. Hisense reserves more elegant remote versions for higher-end models, such as the U7S Pro.

The basic file player in Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 performs its task for simple video materials. However, a noticeable drawback is the lack of support for Polish characters, which can be problematic for individuals using subtitles.

Fortunately, the presence of the Google TV system provides a way to easily work around this limitation. It allows for the installation of alternative file playback applications that handle Polish characters and offer significantly more advanced options. As a result, the limitations of the built-in player are not as burdensome as they may seem.

The USB player in the Hisense U7S handles most common files. It played our H.264 and H.265 material without any problems, including high-bitrate 4K recordings and a Dolby Vision test file. SRT and SUB subtitles work, as do Polish characters and font colour changes. Not everything could be run, though. AV1 and H.266 VVC files failed to play, as did ASS and TXT subtitles. Audio support is good, from simple MP3s to FLAC 96 kHz/24 bit, although AIFF and DSD are not supported.

Our biggest issues are with photos. The selection of supported formats is wide — besides JPEG and PNG it also handles WebP and TIFF, but HEIC won’t open. The way it handles resolution is odd too. The TV displayed images at 4, 6, 8, 16 and 32 Mpix, but couldn’t cope with 10, 12 or 24 Mpix files. So it’s not a straightforward size limit. The player is perfectly adequate for movies and music, but when showing holiday photos you may find some files need converting first.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 sounds really pleasant, and even offers a light bass, reminiscent of the sound known from the lower model, the A Pro 2025. The sound is well balanced, making watching movies or listening to music comfortable, even without additional audio equipment. Interestingly, the television seamlessly supports audio formats like Dolby Atmos and the less common DTS:X. This allows you to connect a home theatre system or soundbar and enjoy spatial sound without any difficulties. A nice addition is also the presence of a standard speaker jack connection.

The USB player in the Hisense U7S handles most common movies and music well. It supports 4K content, including a Dolby Vision file we tested, and displays Polish characters correctly in subtitles. It should therefore be sufficient for everyday use with a USB stick, although it can struggle with less common formats. Our biggest reservations concern photos. The TV treats image resolutions quite selectively and may open a larger photo but refuse to display a smaller one. When browsing a holiday album this can be annoying, because you can't be sure all the photos will work. Some will need to be prepared on a computer beforehand.

Xiaomi S Mini 2025 vs Hisense U7S / U77SE

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Colours

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Sound connection options

Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):

Senior accessibility

Smart TV: VIDAA

Classic features and the remote

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements