Sharp FQ8 vs Panasonic W70A

The Sharp FQ8 achieves a maximum brightness of over 450 nits, which is commendable for its price range. While this level might not be groundbreaking, it places the television among the better-performing models in its class. At this brightness, the image appears vivid and detailed, and the HDR metadata functions effectively, offering a more immersive viewing experience compared to dimmer devices.

The television supports the advanced Dolby Vision HDR format, enhancing the depth and richness of the content. It also includes Dolby Vision IQ, which adjusts the image's brightness and colours based on ambient lighting. However, the implementation of this feature on the Sharp FQ8 is suboptimal, introducing artificial brightening and noticeable distortions. For this reason, it is advisable to disable Dolby Vision IQ for the most accurate picture quality.

With quantum dot technology, the television achieves a colour gamut coverage of approximately 94%, resulting in vibrant and realistic colours. This combination of features ensures the Sharp FQ8 delivers an engaging and detailed visual experience, even with some limitations.

HDR on the Panasonic W70A unfortunately does not impress. A brightness level of 250–300 nits is simply too low to feel the true magic of cinematic effects in dynamic, bright scenes. Images that should “explode” with light appear rather flat, and fine details in bright areas often get lost in the average luminance of the panel. On the plus side, the HDR effect is at least stable. The TV does not suffer from excessive brightening nor lose details with sudden scene changes. Everything is predictable and calm, though unfortunately lacking in impact. Another issue is the colour gamut coverage. The W70A is not equipped with an additional layer of quantum dots (often known as QLED), which is why the colours appear rather average. There is a lack of depth in reds, saturation in greens, and precision in reproducing subtle shades.

The Sharp FQ8 was evaluated for colour reproduction in its movie mode, which provides the best default settings for achieving realistic visuals. While it performs adequately, certain issues impact the overall image quality. Tests on HD content revealed significant white balance problems, with a marked dominance of red. This is evident in the colour graph, where the red line noticeably rises above the others, and in practical tests, such as a movie scene featuring a child, where the image appears overly warm and unnaturally red. Similar issues persist with 4K HDR content, where an excessive red tint detracts from the accuracy of colour reproduction, an important consideration for viewers prioritising faithful visuals.

For SDR contrast, the gamma graph displayed an unusual anomaly at the start, highlighting reproduction issues. The remainder of the gamma curve lies below the reference line, indicating suboptimal brightness and contrast levels for standard content. In 4K HDR, the EOTF curve also deviates significantly, suggesting inconsistencies in brightness reproduction. These fluctuations can result in less enjoyable viewing experiences for HDR content, particularly in scenes requiring precise light and dark balance.

The Panasonic W70A was tested in movie mode, which theoretically should guarantee the most natural image reproduction. Unfortunately, as is often the case with budget televisions, reality turned out to be far from ideal.

In HD (SDR) content, the white balance was significantly disrupted by an excess of red and a noticeable drop in blue tones. The result? The image had a distinctly warm, almost yellowish glow, which is clearly visible in the comparison photo. In the case of 4K HDR materials, the situation reversed. Here, the image became excessively cold and bluish, causing scenes to lose their naturalness and depth. The differences are visible even to the naked eye, especially in the bright areas of the image. The Colour Checker palette test confirmed our observations. Most colour samples did not hit their intended points, 'drifting' towards warmer shades in SDR and cooler ones in HDR. In terms of brightness characteristics, both gamma and the EOTF curve showed significant issues. The image tended to excessively brighten certain areas, disrupting the balance and leading to a loss of detail in both darker and brighter regions.

In summary – the factory colour reproduction settings in the Panasonic W70A leave much to be desired. The image is far from neutral, and errors in white balance and gamma mean that solid calibration is needed to extract the full potential from this television.

After calibration, the Sharp FQ8 shows notable improvements in its performance for SDR content. The white balance has been significantly refined, with all lines approaching the reference line. While the lines are not perfectly straight, the results are impressive for a TV in this price range. This adjustment enhances the naturalness and accuracy of colours, contributing to a more enjoyable visual experience. However, the gamma chart still displays the peculiar jump at the start, though the remaining line now aligns much closer to the expected outcome.

For HDR content, the white balance also sees meaningful improvements compared to the pre-calibration state, although it doesn’t perform as well as in SDR mode. This refinement results in more consistent and visually appealing colours, despite some remaining imperfections. On the downside, the EOTF chart reveals limited progress in contrast due to the lack of control over dynamic tone mapping settings, which hampers uniform brightness representation in HDR.

Despite these limitations, the calibration significantly elevates the Sharp FQ8, particularly in SDR mode. The improved white balance and colour reproduction deliver a more natural and pleasant viewing experience. While HDR content still leaves room for improvement, the TV achieves a respectable level of performance, solidifying its position as a strong contender in its price range.

Panasonic W70A, despite its limitations, gave us plenty of room to manoeuvre during calibration. Thanks to well-developed tools, we were able to achieve a much better white balance in both HD (SDR) and 4K HDR content. The issues with excessive red in SDR and overly cool images in HDR have disappeared. The gamma brightness characteristics have also been improved, now maintaining stability and not leading to excessive brightening or loss of detail in darker areas.

So where is the problem? Unfortunately, there are barriers that even professional calibration cannot overcome. Poor coverage of a wide colour gamut means the television cannot fully convey colours in HDR materials. There is a lack of saturation, and subtle colour transitions still appear somewhat “flattened.” Another limitation is the brightness management due to the IPS panel used. In a comparison photograph with an actress's face in colourful clothing, it is clearly visible how some shades are distinctly muted, and colours lose their depth and vibrancy.

Calibration has extracted from the W70A as much as it could. The image is now much more natural, and the factory setting errors have been effectively corrected. Unfortunately, the hardware limitations in the form of poor colour gamut coverage and an average panel mean that even after calibration, we are unable to achieve spectacular effects, especially in HDR content.

The Sharp FQ8 performs adequately with its 10-bit colour reproduction feature, providing smooth transitions between grey shades in the light bulb photo. For optimal results, setting it to medium is recommended, as it avoids issues like grain smoothing or blurring key elements. The "low" setting also yields good results without introducing unwanted visual artefacts.

In terms of upscaling, the Sharp FQ8 TV handles video without overscan, making full use of the screen. The jagged edges of branches are noticeable, but the edges of trousers appear without any clear jaggedness, contributing positively to the overall image quality. Additionally, the TV's AI Super Resolution feature enhances clarity by artificially sharpening jagged elements, further improving the viewing experience.

We checked how the Panasonic W70A handles upscaling content that is lower quality than 4K, and I must admit that the TV performs quite decently in this regard. The feature responsible for smoothing tonal transitions is called "Zeroing Counter." The optimal setting turned out to be the Average option, which effectively smooths out colour gradation issues while not ruining the film grain. This is the setting we recommend for most users, as it provides a balance between enhancing the smoothness of transitions and maintaining the naturalness of the image.

When it comes to image scaling, the Panasonic W70A performed really well. The test chart with the model looked positive – details in her clothing were well reproduced, and the contours of her face maintained sharpness. In the background, we noticed a slight "jagginess" on thin branches, but these are details that only a very attentive eye will catch. However, it's worth noting a certain quirk of this model – the TV has a tendency to overscan, meaning it slightly crops the edges of the image. It’s not a very intense phenomenon, and for most users, it will be practically unnoticeable, but if we care about perfectly framing the shot, it's worth keeping this in mind.

The Sharp FQ8 features a 120 Hz panel, able to support playback at 144 Hz when connected to a PC, which should theoretically provide smooth motion rendering. The TV includes features designed to enhance film fluidity and reduce motion blur, crucial for more dynamic content. However, in the absence of Black Frame Insertion (BFI) technology, the panel's average response time leads to less-than-ideal results. This results in slight motion blur, which may be particularly noticeable when watching sports or during intense gaming sessions.

The Panasonic W70A is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, which immediately suggests that the TV is best suited for watching movies, series, or everyday television content. In more dynamic scenes, such as sports broadcasts or games, the limitations of the panel become more noticeable. However, it is worth noting the presence of a motion smoother called “Effect”, which offers three levels of adjustment – low, medium, and high.

Each setting allows you to adjust the smoothness of motion to your own preferences, minimizing the motion blur effect and improving the clarity of dynamic shots. In practice, the Medium setting seems to be the most universal – it offers better smoothness without the excessive “soap opera effect” that can look artificial in feature films. The High setting may work well for sports broadcasts, but in movies, it can disrupt the natural character of motion.

The Sharp FQ8 offers several features that cater to gamers, enhancing the overall gaming experience. Firstly, the television is equipped with HDMI 2.1, which brings several advantages. ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) automatically switches the TV to a low-latency mode when a gaming device is detected. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) helps reduce screen stuttering by adjusting the screen’s refresh rate to match the number of frames generated by the console or PC, providing smoother gameplay, especially in dynamic games. Additionally, the TV supports G-Sync, which synchronises the image with the graphics card, preventing stuttering and screen tearing.

Despite these advantages, the FQ8 has some limitations. The lack of support for HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) means the TV does not optimise the dynamic range for HDR games. Furthermore, while Dolby Vision mode can improve picture quality in supported games, it suffers from very high input lag.

The Panasonic W70A is a TV that is likely to suit casual gamers more than hardcore players. The 60 Hz refresh rate doesn't fully utilise the potential of next-gen consoles, especially in dynamic titles. The lack of HDMI 2.1 slightly limits its capabilities, but fortunately, it includes features like ALLM, which automatically switches to game mode, and VRR, which helps minimise screen tearing. It's also worth noting the support for Dolby Vision in games and HGiG, making HDR more predictable and looking solid. It's a pity, though, that it lacks Game Bar. This feature is now standard in many TVs and provides quick access to the most important settings for gamers. The W70A performs well for gaming, but it does have its limitations. It will do fine with more laid-back titles, but more demanding gamers may feel unsatisfied.