Hisense A6N vs Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV

The quality of the HDR effect on A6N unfortunately does not impress. The peak brightness of 250 nits does not allow for spectacular effects, and HDR appears rather dull, resembling more of a regular SDR. This state of affairs will not satisfy more demanding users who wish to enjoy high-quality film materials. Additionally, the coverage of the colour palette is also not very impressive – a DCI-P3 level of 82% is an average result that does not fully allow one to enjoy vibrant colours in HDR materials.

When it comes to the brightness of the television and how it handles bright elements while watching films, it is simply average – similar to the case with contrast. The average brightness level of the Hisense S7NQ is around 500 nits. This is a value that allows one to feel the beginnings of true HDR, but it is definitely too little 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 PFS LED (QLED) coating, the device is capable of covering over 90% of the DCI-P3 colour palette and over 72% of the wider BT.2020 palette. For a television of this class – these are really very good results.

In the category of colour reproduction, the model Hisense A6N in Filmmaker Mode leaves much to be desired. Although the name of the mode suggests that we should expect faithful reproduction of cinematic colours, the reality is different – the television has significant issues with image quality. The problem with white balance is particularly noticeable, both for HD and 4K materials, which is heavily disrupted by the dominance of blue. This results in artificial, cold tones, which can clearly be seen in the comparison photo below. The Colour Checker test further confirms these errors, which are exacerbated by low colour gamut coverage.

The gamma brightness characteristic shows a serious problem in maintaining a level of 2.4 – the graph is significantly below the reference value, which leads to excessive image brightness and washed-out blacks. The EOTF curve for 4K materials also indicates brightness issues – at the beginning, there is a significant spike, which results from the television's excessive brightness, negatively impacting image quality. Such image characteristics do not allow one to fully enjoy watching films and require manual correction.

Let's now check how the Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV performs in colour reproduction in the best factory mode, which is Filmmaker. Right from the start, it is clear that it is decidedly better than in dynamic or standard modes, but there are still a few things to nitpick. Regarding image quality from an HD signal, the colours are slightly inaccurate – there is a dominance of cooler shades of blue and a lack of red. This makes the image appear somewhat too cool.

A similar effect can also be observed with 4K content, but there it is much more noticeable. The excessive exposure of blue tones and the lack of red result in the image appearing distinctly cold. However, the biggest problem with this television is not the colours themselves but the way brightness is managed. The tested unit slightly boosted brightness compared to the reference value. While this results in better visibility of details, it comes at the cost of significantly brightened blacks – causing the entire image to seem more "flat".

A similar phenomenon was noticed in the 4K signal – the slightly elevated curve at the beginning of the EOTF chart shows that the television has a tendency to overexpose certain scenes. Fortunately, this effect can be improved with professional calibration, which we will discuss in the next point.

Hisense A6N offers options and tools in its settings to adjust many image parameters that we have utilized. When it comes to white balance, we managed to eliminate the excess blue colour – this effect is clearly visible in the comparison photo below, where the boy in the image seemingly "comes to life". A significant improvement can also be noticed in the gamma brightness characteristics – the television no longer has serious issues with excessively brightening the entire image. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for 4K content, where the EOTF curve could not be fully corrected due to the exceptionally low brightness of this model. For HDR materials, we apply dynamic tone mapping, which allows for the recovery of many details despite the boosting of mid-tones in the image. For this television, this provides more benefits than drawbacks. The errors that are still visible in the colour palette test and Colour Checker for 4K materials stem from the low colour gamut coverage and are difficult to eliminate due to the characteristics of the television. Nevertheless, the tonal quality of the image is significantly better, which is why we recommend calibrating the factory settings, which are far from ideal.

The results we achieved after calibrating the Hisense S7NQ are really very good. Thanks to the calibration, we managed to eliminate the excessive exposure of blue tones and deficiencies in red with HD signal. A similar, albeit slightly weaker effect was also achieved with 4K HDR content. Managing brightness in HD material has also been improved – the television no longer has issues with brightening the image "across the board."

However, there are things that cannot be bypassed. The characteristic of the EOTF curve has practically not changed, and the lack of local dimming means that the smallest elements on the screen will always be slightly overexposed. One simply has to come to terms with this when choosing a television with a similar type of backlighting. Despite this, the final effect is very good and should fully satisfy the vast majority of users.

Let's check how A6N performs with low-quality materials. When it comes to smoothing tonal transitions, the lack of posterisation reduction or smoothing of tonal transitions in low-quality materials such as television or DVD can be noticeable for more demanding viewers. In terms of digital processing, the model is presented correctly, and the branches are devoid of characteristic jaggedness – the image is very plastic and soft, which may appeal to those who prefer this style of image.

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

The image scaling is also lacking. Yes, it can be observed that the television tries to "enhance" 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, causing subtitles in news items or finer details in the image to be missed.

The 60 Hz panel in the Hisense A6N will likely satisfy those who enjoy watching films, as the television offers an "ultra motion smoother," allowing us to adjust the motion smoothness – either more choppy or more fluid, cinematic. When it comes to motion blur, it performs rather average – noticeable blur is evident, especially on dark backgrounds, which is quite a typical feature in this range of televisions.

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

For materials that are 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 "judder reduction" operate on a 10-point scale, allowing you to choose 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 matter – we leave the decision to you.

Hisense A6N is a television that is likely to appeal to casual gamers, primarily due to its 60 Hz panel, which may not satisfy more demanding users. Nevertheless, it offers several features that can enhance the gaming experience. The television supports functions such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and Dolby Vision, which allows for better picture quality and smoother motion in games that support these technologies. Moreover, the low input lag ensures quick reactions in gameplay, which is crucial, especially in dynamic productions. With these features, although the television is not an ideal choice for demanding gamers, it provides solid support for those who appreciate comfortable gaming without complicated settings. It is an ideal solution for individuals who want to enjoy gaming without high hardware requirements while also having access to modern technologies that enhance gameplay quality.

Although the S7NQ is a "picture" type television, it can indeed be used for gaming. Really. Here you can find almost everything (except for the HGiG mode) that a modern gaming television needs. The 144 Hz panel and two full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports allow for the hassle-free 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), with no stuttering or issues. It also handles displaying high frame rates at lower resolutions without any trouble. Hisense deserves praise for a very attractive Game Bar – it displays all available picture 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 a proper implementation of the HGiG mode. It is specifically responsible for automatically adjusting the picture in games as the creators intended. It's a shame, because that’s the only thing preventing the Hisense S7NQ from being a full-fledged gaming "beast".