Hisense U8NQ vs Samsung OLED S90F (QD-OLED)

Hisense U8NQ demonstrates its capabilities in HDR, achieving a luminance score on the chart exceeding 2000 nits. In the first, third, and fifth scenes where the screen is covered in light, the television showcased very high brightness, which is impressive and allows you to enjoy the full effect of HDR. Unfortunately, in the second and fourth scenes, such as those from the film "Sicario 2," the television encounters issues maintaining brightness, resulting in disappointing scores around 250 nits. Although the large number of dimming zones should theoretically help, the algorithm responsible for their control does not always work perfectly—bright, small elements like the moon or helicopter lights are too dimmed, which takes away from the typical HDR effect. Instead of blinding brilliance, we receive a more subdued light that does not convey the full potential of HDR. Nevertheless, the television deserves commendation for its very good coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 97%. This makes colours vibrant, and most movie scenes look really good, significantly enhancing the viewing quality.

The biggest difference between the 65-inch S90F and the other versions is brightness. The QD-OLED panel can reach up to 1700 nits in laboratory tests, which is over 500 nits more than the version with a WOLED matrix. This translates to a significantly stronger and more immersive HDR effect. In most scenes, the bright parts of the image look stunning, and we must admit that we were positively surprised, as we expected results closer to the WOLED version, but what we got is an effect that impresses even in films. As with every OLED, there are moments when the panel must reduce brightness a bit. This mainly concerns full-screen, very demanding scenes – for instance, in the last test scene from the movie “The Meg,” brightness drops to around 800 nits. However, it's hard to consider this a flaw because it's still an excellent result, unprecedented in OLED TVs in this price range. Everything suggests that the 65-inch S90F could be one of the best choices this year for those looking for a strong OLED at a reasonable price. Another advantage of the QD-OLED matrix in HDR content is its colour gamut coverage. Thanks to quantum dots, the television achieves nearly 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut and almost 90% of the BT.2020 gamut. These are values that place it alongside much more expensive models and make it exceptional in its class.

The Filmmaker mode on the Hisense U8NQ television can be described as the most accurate mode present in this model. Despite its accuracy, it has significant errors in reproducing the reference image, which we will describe now. In the case of HD content, the white balance shows a distinct dominance of red, causing the image to appear overly pinkish and warm. In the comparison photo below, you can see how this effect impacts the presentation of content. The brightness characteristic also leaves much to be desired—a too low gamma causes the screen to be excessively brightened, and blacks appear washed out, making the overall image seem cooler than it should be.

For 4K HDR content, the problem is the opposite—the white balance shows too much dominance of blue, making the image take on an artificial quality and seem unnaturally sharp. All these deviations for both HD and 4K HDR content can be confirmed using the Colour Checker test, which clearly shows how the colours deviate from the correct patterns.

Samsung S90F, like most modern televisions, offers several picture modes, but in keeping with our tradition, we checked it in the most important one, which is Filmmaker. This setting makes the picture look much more natural than in the default, often oversaturated modes. It is neither overly vivid nor artificially dimmed – just closer to what you should actually see. However, this doesn’t mean it’s perfect. The S90F had noticeable shortcomings in white balance, particularly in the blue range, which created a slightly yellowish filter effect on most scenes. One might argue that it looks more “cinematic” because it’s warmer, but let’s not kid ourselves – George Lucas didn’t shoot Star Wars in sepia 😉 (you’ll find a comparison with a scene as always below). In HDR materials, there was also an issue with brightness management. The EOTF curve clearly showed that the television brightens the image more than it should, which led to some effects looking too intense and deviating from the reference. Fortunately, many of these flaws can be eliminated through professional calibration – we will discuss the effects of this procedure later in the test.

The white balance for both 4K and HD content has been heavily adjusted, significantly improving the image quality. While some errors are still visible, they are not large enough to greatly affect the perception of the image. A notable improvement can also be seen in the gamma brightness characteristic — the image is no longer excessively bright, resulting in more natural blacks and better contrast.

However, like with many other Hisense models, there are noticeable issues with the EOTF curve, which is responsible for managing brightness in high-quality materials. Although it may seem correct at first glance, when the filter is applied to the "EOTF in films" chart, it is evident that the TV is somewhat "playing around" with 4K content. It is clear that the EOTF curve is significantly below the reference level, leading to an overall dimming of the image compared to the reference. We noticed this effect in previously tested scenes from the films "Pan" and "Billy Lynn." While it is not a serious issue, it is worth paying attention to. It could be significant for those seeking a display with the most faithful image reproduction. Despite this error, the image will be more enjoyable for most. Colours are represented better, and the overall image quality is significantly improved.

Calibration quickly revealed that the S90F has a significant reserve of capabilities. The image in SDR immediately gained a natural quality – classic films no longer looked like someone was applying a yellowish filter, and the colours regained their proper character. It's a return to the atmosphere of the original, without the impression that someone tried to "age" it forcefully. In HDR content, the difference was even more pronounced. The EOTF curve was managed to nearly reference level, and any deviations are so subtle that most viewers wouldn't even notice them. In practice, the S90F shows an image very close to ideal post-calibration. Compared to the WOLED version, it even performs better – mainly due to a wider coverage of the colour palette, which makes the colours look fuller and more vibrant.

In the context of smoothing tonal transitions, the Hisense U8NQ unfortunately struggles. The "Smooth and Gradient Picture" feature does not yield noticeable effects — there is no improvement in any setting, which is disappointing, especially in demanding scenes with a lot of subtle tonal transitions.

As for the digital processing, or so-called upscaling, the scene with the model is rendered correctly — her outline is clear, without significant cropping. Similarly, thin lines, like tree branches, have slight jaggedness, but the overall image looks plastically and softly, providing a good impression. Unfortunately, there is also an issue with so-called overscan, which results in cropping of the image at the edges. This can be annoying when watching content such as news, where the bottom information bars may be partially invisible.

S90F performs really well here, although there are some points that are common across most Samsung TVs. The noise reduction feature can effectively smooth out unwanted colour transitions in lower-quality materials like television or YouTube, making them look simply better. However, it should be noted that it works quite aggressively and can also soften elements that we wouldn’t want to alter, such as facial details. Therefore, if we want to use it, it’s best to use it in the "medium" setting and be aware of the compromise it brings. The upscaling itself is of a high standard – low-quality materials are pulled towards an image resembling 4K. The only caveat is that the S90F can still have issues with so-called overscan, meaning slight trimming of the edges in very low-quality materials such as 576p and lower.

Hisense U8NQ is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, making it an excellent choice for both sports and gaming. The TV will also satisfy movie fans, as it features a built-in "Ultra Motion Smoothness" enhancer that allows users to control the smoothness of the image — you can choose whether you prefer a more "framey" picture or a smoother, cinematic effect. This provides great flexibility in adjusting the motion quality to individual viewer preferences.

S90F is an OLED with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, but in practice, what matters most is how it performs at 120 Hz, as this frequency is the most important when watching sports. The QD-OLED panel is no different in this regard from WOLED panels – the pixel response is nearly instantaneous, so motion is rendered with surgical precision. The effect is easy to predict. The image is practically free of motion blur, making gaming on consoles, matches, or other sports broadcasts a tremendous pleasure on the S90F.

Fans of movies and series have not been forgotten either. Like every Samsung television with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and above, the S90F is equipped with a proprietary motion smoother called “Picture Clarity.” Here, we find two sliders – blur reduction and judder reduction – which allow you to improve the smoothness of content recorded at 24 frames and tailor the effect to your own preferences.

Hisense U8NQ offers everything a player might need for comfortable gameplay. The television supports a refresh rate of 144 Hz, ensuring an incredibly smooth image, especially in dynamic action games. The VRR (variable refresh rate) feature allows the image to adjust to variable frames per second, eliminating stuttering and tearing, translating to exceptionally smooth gaming. Additionally, the television is equipped with the ALLM (auto low latency mode) feature, which automatically switches the TV to game mode, minimising input lag. This means players can enjoy responsive gameplay without needing to manually adjust settings.

Hisense U8NQ also supports Dolby Vision, which is important for gamers who value high image quality, high contrast, and deep colours in games that support this format. The television also features a "Game Bar" — a function that allows quick access to essential settings during gameplay, significantly enhancing user convenience.

However, it is worth noting that despite its rich set of features, the Hisense U8NQ does not offer support for the HGiG standard, which is a popular HDR format in gaming. This may be disappointing for players expecting optimal detail reproduction in HDR scenes. Nonetheless, the other features of the television make the Hisense U8NQ a solid choice for console gaming enthusiasts, offering fluidity, high contrast, and user convenience.

The S90F is a television that genuinely brings a lot of joy when gaming. To start with, we get four proper HDMI 2.1 ports, which means you can connect all consoles and PCs without having to figure out which device takes priority. This is a convenient and practical solution, which is not at all a given with other manufacturers. Additionally, there are key features such as: automatic game mode (ALLM), which automatically switches the screen to low latency settings, and VRR frame synchronization that operates over a wide range from 48 to 144 Hz. This ensures the picture remains smooth, whether we're playing fast-paced online shooters or more relaxed narrative titles. The Game Bar also deserves attention – a panel that allows quick access to several handy extras. For example, you can turn on an extra crosshair in the middle of the screen, enlarge the minimap, or, in the case of PC, change the aspect ratio. Finally, there's also Samsung's unique Game Motion Plus mode. Its task is to smooth out older or poorly optimized titles, and it actually works quite well. With this mode, even less polished games can look better and provide more enjoyment than on other televisions that theoretically offer the same technical parameters.