When does a midrange TV become a premium one? Hisense’s latest U7 model, the U7SG, certainly looks the part. Its new industrial stand and anti-reflective matte screen are reminiscent of Samsung’s top-shelf QN90 and S95 TVs, while its mini-LED backlighting is spectacularly bright. It’s fully loaded for gaming, comes in a fleet of sizes (up to 116 inches!), and its snappy Google TV interface is among the best streaming platforms available.

Hisense's U7 is at a bit of a crossroads this year. Hisense’s usual step-up model, the U8, is now the UR8, which hosts the hottest new display tech, RGB LED. It trades regular blue or white mini-LED backlighting for RGB backlights, which means more vibrant colors, higher brightness, and other performance upgrades. We’ll soon find out how much this spanking new tech delivers on its promises—and how much more you’ll pay for it in later models—but the U7SG can’t help but feel some FOMO.

What’s more, the TV doesn't look quite so premium with some testing, with familiar budget flaws like poor side-view performance and other unexpected problems like software that makes challenging scenes look a bit odd in the default settings. Thankfully, the software issues are an easy fix, and the TV’s eye-catching colors and improved image clarity are a treat for most real-world content. As usual, I wouldn’t grab one at full price, but the price should drop soon, making this year’s U7 another solid budget buy.

Setup and streaming performance are impressive. The base plate of the U7SG’s rugged new stand is heavy, adding 10 pounds to the 43.2-pound, 65-inch U7SG I reviewed, and the six-screw assembly takes more patience than last year’s U75QG. But its sturdy hold and clean industrial look are worth it. I was also impressed to see a new, matte-like anti-reflective screen up front, and at the back, two different woofers for solid sound quality, even if I’d prefer a soundbar or speaker system in most scenarios.