Hiro Roku TV Review: Is Target’s Budget 4K TV Any Good?
The 2025 Hiro Roku TV is a basic, affordable 4K television offered in 50-, 55- and 65-inch sizes. Its biggest strengths are the simple Roku interface, three HDMI inputs, Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth headphone listening and an acceptable picture for casual viewing. Tech Steve’s 55-inch sample showed weak black levels, visible gradient banding and noticeable reflections, making it better suited to a bedroom, garage, dorm or secondary room than a demanding home-theater setup.
Video summary
Tech Steve unboxed and set up the 55-inch Hiro H55C4C4, noting its light weight, plastic feet, thicker cabinet, metal rear chassis and simple Roku remote without voice control. Movie and sports demonstrations produced presentable color for a budget TV, but dark scenes revealed gray letterbox bars and limited contrast. He also observed visible gradient banding and screen glare. The picture menus provided multiple SDR and HDR presets, adjustable gamma, color-space controls and a game mode. His 1080p/60 input-lag tester measured approximately 13 milliseconds in game mode. A PlayStation 5 accepted 4K at 60 frames per second but did not accept a 1440p signal.
Tech Steve Takeaway
Buy the Hiro if you want an inexpensive, easy-to-use Roku TV for casual streaming, a bedroom or another secondary space. Its responsive game mode and 4K/60 support are useful at this price, but shoppers who care about deep blacks, smooth gradients, bright HDR, reflection control or advanced gaming should move up to a more capable television.
Picture quality
The 55-inch sample delivered acceptable color and a generally presentable image when viewed with budget-TV expectations. Its main weaknesses were elevated black levels, gray-looking letterbox bars, visible gradient banding and reflections from room lighting. These limitations are less distracting during casual daytime television than during dark-room movie viewing.
HDR performance
HDR10 is the only documented HDR format. The TV provides Dark, Normal and Bright HDR10 picture modes, but Bright mode can hide shadow detail as it increases the apparent contrast. With no published peak-brightness figure or verified local-dimming system, this should be treated as basic HDR compatibility rather than a premium HDR display.
Gaming performance
The panel has a verified native refresh rate of 60 Hz. Tech Steve measured approximately 13 milliseconds of input lag at 1080p/60 with game mode enabled, which is responsive enough for casual console gaming. His PlayStation 5 accepted 4K at 60 frames per second but rejected 1440p. The console menu indicated variable-refresh-rate support during the demonstration, although model documentation does not establish the TV’s exact VRR operating range or HDMI capabilities.
Motion handling
Sports footage looked reasonably presentable during the demonstration, but this remains a native 60 Hz television. It is intended for conventional broadcast, streaming and 60 fps gaming rather than high-refresh gaming.
Sound quality
The Hiro uses stereo speakers with Dolby Audio. Bluetooth Headphone Mode provides a convenient private-listening option, but shoppers seeking stronger bass, wider sound or greater dialogue presence should plan on adding a soundbar.
Smart TV experience
Roku OS provides a straightforward home screen, streaming applications, free live-TV content and automatic platform updates. Apple AirPlay is supported, and compatible Bluetooth headphones can connect for private listening. The included infrared Roku remote has navigation, playback, volume and service shortcut controls, but it does not include built-in voice control. Alexa and Google integration can be handled through the broader Roku ecosystem rather than a voice assistant built directly into the television.
Calibration notes
Movie mode was used for much of the viewing demonstration. Available SDR presets include Roku Smart Picture, Low Power, Standard, Vivid, Sports and Movie. HDR10 provides Dark, Normal and Bright modes. The menus also expose brightness, contrast, gamma and color-space adjustments, including automatic, native and custom color-space options. A gamma setting around 2.2 is the general-purpose choice; 1.8 brightens midtones, while 2.4 produces a darker image for dim-room viewing.
What we like
- Integrated Roku OS makes streaming simple without requiring a separate player.
- The 4K picture provides acceptable color and detail for casual viewing at a budget price.
- Approximately 13 ms of measured input lag at 1080p/60 in game mode is responsive for casual console play.
- Three HDMI inputs provide room for multiple external sources.
- Apple AirPlay and Bluetooth headphone listening add useful wireless options.
- The lightweight chassis is easier to position or wall-mount than many similarly sized televisions.
- Available in 50-, 55- and 65-inch sizes for different rooms.
What to consider
- Weak black levels make dark scenes and letterbox bars appear gray.
- Visible gradient banding reduces smoothness in skies, shadows and other gradual color transitions.
- The reflective screen can show lamps, windows and people in rooms with uncontrolled lighting.
- The native 60 Hz panel is not intended for 120 Hz console or PC gaming.
- HDR support is limited to HDR10, with no documented Dolby Vision or HDR10+ support.
- The included remote lacks voice control.
- The wide-set feet require a broad cabinet, especially on the 65-inch model.
- A wall-mount bracket must be purchased separately.
Tech Steve verdict
The Hiro Roku TV succeeds as an inexpensive, uncomplicated streaming television. Roku OS, Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth headphone listening, three HDMI inputs and responsive 1080p/60 game-mode performance give it useful everyday flexibility. Its compromises are visible in dark-room viewing: blacks appear gray, gradients can show banding, the screen reflects room lighting and HDR support is limited to HDR10 without verified high brightness or local dimming. The 50-inch model is the easiest fit for a bedroom or dorm, the 55-inch offers a practical middle ground, and the 65-inch provides the largest image but requires a cabinet at least 48.4 inches wide for its feet. Buy it for casual streaming or as a secondary TV; choose a higher-tier model for home theater, bright-room viewing or advanced gaming.
Size-by-size buying guide
Only verified size-specific measurements are displayed. Recommended distance uses a 30°-40° field-of-view range for mixed TV and cinematic viewing.
| Size / model | Panel / finish | Refresh | Dimming zones | Peak HDR | VESA | Feet width | Viewing distance | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50"H50C4C4MSRP $219.99 | Direct-lit LED LCD | 60 Hz native | — | — | 300 x 300 | 37 in | 5.7-7.8 ft | Check price ↗ |
| 55"H55C4C4MSRP $249.99 | Direct-lit LED LCD | 60 Hz native | — | — | 300 x 300 | 38.9 in | 6.3-8.6 ft | Check price ↗ |
| 65"H65C4C4MSRP $329.99 | Direct-lit LED LCD | 60 Hz native | — | — | 300 x 300 | 48.4 in | 7.4-10.1 ft | Check price ↗ |
Exclusive technology
Roku Smart Picture
Automatically chooses a preset picture mode based on the type of content being viewed.
Bluetooth Headphone Mode
Routes TV audio wirelessly to compatible Bluetooth headphones for private listening.
Roku OS
Provides a customizable home screen, streaming applications, free live-TV content and automatic platform updates.
Specifications
Audio
Connectivity
Design & Installation
Gaming
Picture
Size Details
Smart Features
Specifications
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