LG QNED87T6B vs Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV

LG QNED87T6B delivers truly decent visual experiences when it comes to HDR. During our tests on test patterns, the television achieved brightness close to 500 nits, which is a satisfactory result and allows for good visibility of details in high dynamic range scenes. Support for basic HDR formats such as HDR10 and HLG ensures proper image quality. Unfortunately, the television does not support more advanced standards such as Dolby Vision or HDR10+, which are particularly important at this screen brightness. The lack of support for dynamic metadata means that in certain scenes, the television may struggle to fully reproduce details, especially in very bright areas – this is precisely when dynamic metadata could significantly improve image quality. Nevertheless, it is worth noting the excellent coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, reaching as much as 96.4%. As a result, the colours displayed by the QNED87T6B model are more vivid and natural, enhancing the quality of 4K content viewed with a wide colour palette.

When it comes to the brightness of the television and how it handles bright elements while watching films, it's just average – similar to the contrast. The average brightness level of the Hisense S7NQ is around 500 nits. This is a value that allows you to feel the hints of true HDR, but it's definitely not enough to speak of remarkable effects. However, the television should be praised for its colour gamut coverage – films look very colourful and vibrant. Thanks to the use of a PFS LED (QLED) coating, the device is able to cover more than 90% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and over 72% of the wider BT.2020 palette. For a television of this class – these are really very good results.

The colour accuracy in the LG QNED, even in Filmmaker Mode, which is the best factory setting, is not without its flaws. The main issue is white balance – we noticed that the level of blue on the graph tends to drop. This results in a shift in colours towards yellow, making the image have a warmer tone than it should. This deviation affects the naturalness of colour reproduction, especially in scenes with a white or neutral background. The Color Checker test confirmed that some colours are distorted and deviate from reality. Such distortion can make film scenes appear less realistic, and details are presented in incorrect colours, negatively impacting the overall image quality.

Regarding contrast, the gamma graph analysis showed significant drops, while the optimal value should be 2.4. This means that the television may display darker parts of the image brighter in some scenes, which reduces their depth and dynamics. Additionally, on the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness reproduction, an unnatural drop was noted at the beginning. This phenomenon can result in less accuracy in reproducing dark scenes, which in turn affects the overall image quality. The television may not convey full black depth, causing more demanding scenes to lose realism and detail. As a result, viewers may notice that details in the darker parts of the image become less distinct.

Let's check how the Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV performs in terms of colour reproduction in its best factory mode, which is Filmmaker. Right from the start, it’s clear that it’s definitely better than in dynamic or standard mode, but there are still a few things to nitpick. In terms of image quality from HD signals, the colours are slightly skewed – there’s a dominance of cooler blue tones and a lack of red. This makes the image seem a bit too cool.

A similar effect is noticeable in 4K content, but it’s more pronounced there. The excessive exposure of blue tones and lack of red makes the image appear distinctly cold. However, the biggest issue with this TV isn’t the colours themselves but the way brightness is managed. The unit we tested slightly increased brightness compared to the reference value. The result of this is indeed better visibility of details, but at the cost of significantly lighter blacks – which makes the entire image seem more "flat."

A similar phenomenon was observed in the 4K signal – the slightly inflated curve at the beginning of the EOTF graph indicates that the TV has a tendency to overexpose certain scenes. Fortunately, this effect can be improved through professional calibration, which we will discuss in the next point.

After calibration, the colours in SDR content look very good. The improved white balance translates to natural and harmonious shades in various scenes. Thanks to precise gamma tuning, details in shadows and bright areas of the image are accurately reproduced. The television performs excellently in everyday use, offering vibrant, well-balanced images and solid colour quality in HD. The biggest beneficiary here is also contrast. The gamma graph has been stripped of significant errors, giving the television a new dimension.

As for the white balance in 4K HDR, it has also been significantly improved. However, some errors still appear at the end of the graph. This may be due to the television's overly aggressive local dimming, which in some scenes affects the inaccurate reproduction of colours. It's difficult to talk about an improvement in brightness represented by the EOTF curve. The television, due to its construction limitations, has some drawbacks, and we can't overlook them. The Color Checker test confirms the issue with colour saturation – even though the television offers a wide colour palette, it fails to fully convey the director's intent.

Despite these shortcomings, the overall picture quality after calibration is significantly better than before. Adjustments in white balance and gamma tuning make the images more vivid and the colours closer to reality.

The results we achieved after calibrating the Hisense S7NQ are really very good. Thanks to the calibration, we managed to eliminate excessive blue tone exposure and deficiencies in red with HD signals. A similar, albeit slightly weaker effect was also achieved with 4K HDR content. Brightness management in HD materials has also improved – the television no longer struggles with brightening the image "overall".

However, there are things that cannot be circumvented. The character of the EOTF curve has hardly changed, and the lack of local dimming means that the smallest elements on the screen will always be slightly overexposed. You just have to come to terms with this when choosing a television with a similar type of backlighting. Nevertheless, the final effect is very good and should fully satisfy the vast majority of users.

When it comes to lower quality materials, the gradation looks really good. The feature called "Smooth Gradation" effectively smooths out the most problematic parts of the image, while not negatively affecting the film grain. For the best effect, it’s worth setting it to a low level. This solution significantly improves the quality of the displayed content, making the viewing of lower resolution materials more enjoyable and smoother.

In terms of digital processing, the image is displayed without cropping, known as overscan. Although slight fraying of the branches can be noticed against the model's background, everything looks very good. Users should be satisfied with the image quality when watching low-quality materials like standard television. The TV handles this task exceptionally well, providing a satisfying visual experience, even with lower quality content.

Equally important is how the television handles tonal transitions with a poorer signal – for example, in older films, on television, or on YouTube. Unfortunately, despite the presence of the “Smooth and Gradient Picture” feature, which was supposedly meant to improve this aspect, its functionality is really poor. It’s barely noticeable that it has any real impact on the visibility of colour transitions.

The image scaling is also disappointing. Yes, you can see that the television is trying to “pull up” the quality, but the end result is far from ideal. The image often appears slightly jagged, which is particularly noticeable in the example of tree branches in the background. Additionally, the Hisense S7NQ has a clear tendency to crop the image at lower resolutions, which could result in missing subtitles in the news or finer details in the image.

The television provides decent smoothness when watching movies, thanks to the “Tru Motion” feature, which allows adjustment of motion smoothing from 0 to 10. De-Judder regulates motion smoothness, while De-Blur adjusts motion sharpness. Users have the option to choose between a traditional cinematic effect with subtle juddering motion (lower settings) and a smoother, theatrical image. Although the latter deviates slightly from the cinematic standard, it may be appealing to many viewers.

As for gamers and sports fans, the LG QNED87 television with a 120Hz panel will surely not disappoint. And with the use of an IPS panel, the response time is typically better than that of VA panels available at a similar price. This ensures smoother gameplay and dynamic experiences when watching sports events.

When it comes to motion fluidity, the television performs really well. Although the S7NQ was primarily designed for displaying static elements – such as images – the manufacturer has used a panel with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. As a result, sports or games look really good on it.

For content that is not recorded at a high frame rate, the manufacturer has provided two features that allow you to adjust the picture to your own preferences. “Motion blur reduction” and “blur” operate on a 10-point scale, enabling a choice between a more cinematic image – with characteristic frame jumps – and a smooth effect reminiscent of a “soap opera.” How to set this up? That’s a personal choice – we leave the decision to you.

LG QNED offers a range of features that make it an excellent choice for gamers looking for a high-performance television. The TV is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing connection to the latest consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, utilising full functionality including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Thanks to the Game Bar feature, gamers can quickly and easily manage all game settings without needing to navigate complex menus. Parameters such as VRR, ALLM, Multi View, and frame rate monitoring can be adjusted. The TV also supports G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, which is particularly important for owners of Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. G-Sync and FreeSync synchronise the TV's refresh rate with the graphics card. The 120Hz panel guarantees incredible motion smoothness and image clarity. Combined with the Black Frame Insertion (BFI) feature, which is available at 60Hz and 120Hz, gamers can enjoy an even sharper and smoother picture. LG QNED87 is a television that meets the expectations of even the most demanding gamers, offering modern technologies and features that significantly enhance comfort and satisfaction during gaming.

Even though the S7NQ is an "image" type television, you can actually play games on it. Really. It has practically everything (except for HGiG mode) that a modern gaming television needs. The 144 Hz panel and two full HDMI 2.1 ports allow for seamless connection of two consoles, such as the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S.

The television supports Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) without any stutters or issues. It also handles high frame rates at lower resolutions without any trouble. A shoutout to Hisense for the very attractive Game Bar – it displays all available image options, and additionally, we have the ability to enlarge the minimap or turn on the crosshair (because sometimes someone might actually want to "aim" 😉).

The only missing element – as we mentioned earlier – is the lack of proper implementation of HGiG mode. This is the feature responsible for automatically setting the image in games as the developers intended. It’s a shame because it's the only thing that separates the Hisense S7NQ from being a full-fledged gaming "monster".