TCL C655 / C69B 98' vs Hisense E7Q PRO / E79Q PRO

The quality of the HDR effect on TCL C655 / C69B looks quite promising. The average value in the test charts is around 450 nits, which already allows one to feel the brilliance of light effects and better image dynamics. However, as previously mentioned, this effect can be somewhat dampened by slight differences in bright and dark shades due to the lack of local dimming technology. However, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 94% is commendable, and this is possible thanks to the use of a quantum dot (QLED) panel. As a result, the colours are vivid and well-reproduced when watching HDR content.

When it comes to HDR effect quality, the E7Q PRO unfortunately is not a television that impresses with brightness alone. In real film materials, we measured around 250–300 nits, which is simply not enough for HDR to look spectacular. There's a lack of that "spark" in bright details, flashes, and light effects, and in many HDR scenes, it can resemble more of a good SDR than true cinematic HDR. The silver lining in all this is the colours. We managed to confirm that the E7Q PRO is a PFS type television, which means it has an additional filter that improves colour gamut coverage. Because of this, even if the brightness doesn't deliver, the colours in HDR content can be properly saturated and pleasing to the eye, without the impression of a "washed-out" image.

The TCL C655 / C69B television offers a film mode that has been tested for colour reproduction quality. Although this mode is called film mode, unfortunately, it has quite a few issues that a director would definitely not want to see when filming their work. Starting with image analysis, it's worth examining the white balance – both in HD and 4K HDR content, the white balance has significant errors. In both cases, the red colour dominates, which makes the colours too warm, and the overall effect takes on a pink or yellow tint. The Colour Checker test confirms these errors – the colour samples veer into incorrect shades, which impacts the overall colour fidelity. A less significant issue is the brightness characteristic. However, it is also not free of flaws. The gamma chart shows a strong spike at the beginning, which can cause the image to be overly bright, and the EOTF curve responsible for brightness in 4K HDR materials also shows considerable fluctuations – it is evident that the television struggles to maintain the appropriate brightness, but it does not always succeed effectively.

In terms of colour reproduction, we tested the Hisense E7Q Pro in Movie mode, which undoubtedly turned out to be the best built-in preset. It is this mode, unlike the Eco, Standard, or Dynamic settings, that offers the most natural colours straight out of the box. While no factory mode is completely free of flaws, the E7Q Pro deserves high praise for its colour rendition in standard SDR content. The colour palette has been very well tuned, and errors in the Color Checker tests often did not exceed a value of 3, which is an outstanding result rarely seen in such affordable TVs. The only drawback we noted in SDR is the tendency to darken certain elements of the image, as indicated by a slightly raised gamma curve. The TV performs slightly worse with colours in HDR mode. Here, colour errors become noticeable to the naked eye, mainly due to a deficiency of blue in the white balance. This causes the colours on screen to appear too warm, and for some viewers, they may seem almost "too cinematic." Of course, to improve these parameters, we proceeded with professional calibration.

After calibrating the movie mode of the TCL C655 / C69B television, the white balance has been adjusted, and the colours look as they should – confirmed only by slight deviations in the Colour Checker test. The gamma is really accurate, which means the television shouldn’t have issues with brightness in low-resolution materials. Unfortunately, a similar EOTF characteristic is still visible, which is a natural phenomenon in televisions that do not have local dimming – it’s just difficult for them to "shine" brighter in a given part of the screen. Despite this construction limitation that cannot be bypassed, we recommend adjustments in the settings, as the overall colour presentation looks really very good.

In the case of materials with standard dynamic range (SDR), our actions in Filmmaker mode turned out to be largely cosmetic 😉. We mainly focused on a subtle adjustment of the white balance and equalising the gamma curve, which allowed us to recover details in the darker areas of the image that previously tended to get lost. However, it's worth noting that the E7Q Pro unit we tested happened to be exceptionally well-made from the factory. We remind you that these parameters depend on the specific unit – with mass production, factory calibration can be random, so your unit may require slightly different adjustments. The biggest beneficiary of professional calibration was undoubtedly HDR mode. This is where we did the most work, which brought spectacular results. We successfully tamed the excessive warmth of the image, caused by a factory shortfall in blue colour. After calibration, colour errors were reduced to a significantly lower level, which will certainly please those watching a lot of streaming content in HDR format, expecting faithful reproduction.

The TCL C655 / C69B TV handles tonal transitions well in lower quality materials. The “Gradual Smoothing” function at its lowest setting effectively eliminates visible banding, but it also results in a loss of detail, for example, in the texture of objects. A plus is that it does not interfere with film grain, allowing the image to maintain a natural look.

In terms of digital processing, the TV adds a significant amount of artificial sharpness, which may appeal to those who prefer a vivid image. For those who prefer a more subtle rendering of details, this may be a drawback. Another downside is the quite aggressive overscan – the image is cropped, which leads to the loss of fragments at the edges and limits the field of view.

When it comes to upscaling and digital image processing, the E7Q PRO deserves praise. The scaling performs really well here and doesn't fall dramatically short of much more expensive, advanced TVs. Lower quality materials can look clear and reasonable, without the impression that the image is artificially "overdrawn." The smoothing function, however, presents a bit worse. Yes, it can be effective and improve tonal transitions in low-quality materials, but at the same time, it can introduce unwanted effects. Sometimes it removes film grain or adds unwanted artifacts, giving the image a more "digital" character. Therefore, we mainly recommend it to those who prefer a smoother, less cinematic image style.

Unlike the smaller versions, the 98” model stands out with significantly better motion fluidity. Instead of the standard 60 Hz, this colossal screen is equipped with a full 144 Hz panel, which opens up entirely new possibilities – for both gamers and movie lovers. With its full motion smoother, the television delivers incredible image fluidity, eliminating ghosting and improving the comfort of watching dynamic scenes. It's worth noting that this technology operates across the full refresh rate range, meaning there's no need to compromise between fluidity and quality. Additionally, the "Flicker Reduction" feature allows you to adjust the fluidity to your own preferences – you can choose a more cinematic effect with visible frame rate or a maximally smooth image.

In the category of motion blur and fluidity, the E7Q PRO has one very strong argument. At this price, Hisense has added a 120 Hz panel, and in PC mode, it can even operate at 144 Hz. This immediately provides greater possibilities in motion settings, as more options for smoothing the image appear in the menu. Among other things, we have frame interpolation options, allowing us to adjust the fluidity for sports or movies, depending on whether we prefer a more cinematic character or a "theatrical" smoothness.

The 98-inch TCL C655 / C69B is excellently equipped for gamers. Full-featured HDMI 2.1 ports and a 144 Hz panel allow for gaming in 4K at 120 Hz, providing the smoothness and responsiveness that will impress even the most demanding.

The TV supports variable refresh rate (VRR), eliminating screen tearing, while the automatic low latency mode (ALLM) ensures that gaming starts instantly, without the need for manual adjustment of settings. There is also support for Dolby Vision and HGiG, ensuring that the image quality in games is even better – details are sharp, colours are natural, and contrast is perfectly balanced.

Additionally, the TV offers a dedicated gaming panel that allows for quick adjustment of picture settings without the need to exit the game. It’s a device that meets practically all the requirements of the modern gamer.

E7Q PRO is a phenomenal screen for gamers. Besides the typical "issue" with Hisense, which is the lack of support for the HGiG format due to constantly active tone mapping, we get practically everything one could expect from a TV that is supposed to have a gaming tag. There are two HDMI 2.1 ports, along with a full set of key features. We have variable refresh rate, automatic switching to game mode, and support for 4K at 120 Hz. On top of that, all the important settings are at hand in the clear Game Bar. This tool not only looks modern, but it also has a typically "gaming" edge and actually makes life easier while gaming.