Hisense A6N vs LG NANO82T6B

The HDR performance of the A6N is unfortunately underwhelming. A peak brightness of 250 nits does not allow for spectacular effects, and HDR comes across as rather lacklustre, more like ordinary SDR. This will not satisfy more demanding users who want to enjoy high-quality cinematic content. In addition, colour gamut coverage is not very impressive either: an 82% DCI-P3 result is average and does not allow viewers to fully enjoy vivid colours in HDR content.

The brightness of NANO82T, to be honest, is quite average, especially compared to alternatives at a similar price. The maximum brightness of around 280 nits is not among the highest and may affect the overall viewing experience of HDR content. While many televisions in this price range offer brightness above 400-500 nits, LG NANO82T may seem less impressive. As a result, details in bright areas of the image may be less defined, and the HDR effect is not as spectacular as one might expect.

In terms of colour reproduction, the Hisense A6N in Filmmaker Mode leaves much to be desired. Although the mode's name suggests we should expect faithful rendering of cinematic colours, the reality is different, and the TV has significant problems with picture quality. The white balance issue is particularly noticeable for both HD and 4K material, being severely skewed by a dominance of blue. This results in artificial, cool tints, which are clearly visible in the comparison photo below. The Colour Checker test further confirms these errors, which are compounded by low colour gamut coverage.

The gamma luminance characteristic reveals a serious problem with maintaining the 2.4 level, the curve sitting well below the reference value and causing the image to be overly bright with washed-out blacks. The EOTF curve for 4K material also points to brightness issues, with a pronounced rise at the low end caused by the TV's excessive brightening, which negatively affects picture quality. Such image behaviour prevents fully enjoying films and requires manual calibration.

The colour reproduction in LG NANO82T in Filmmaker mode, which although is the best mode available from factory settings, is not without flaws. First and foremost, the issue lies with the white balance, where a drop in blue colour levels was noted on the graph. This phenomenon results in a shift in colours towards yellow shades, causing the image to appear warmer than it should. Such a deviation means that the colours on the screen are not naturally reproduced, and this can be particularly noticeable in scenes with a white or neutral background. For example, the image below from the film "Star Wars," where there is a large amount of elements that should be white. The Color Checker test confirms that some colours are "shifting" to other shades, which means that the television is not displaying colours accurately.

Regarding contrast, the gamma graph analysis showed drops to a level of 2.1, while the optimal value should be 2.4. This means that the television may display darker areas of the image brighter in some scenes, reducing their depth and dynamics. Additionally, on the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness reproduction, a slight spike was noted at the beginning. This phenomenon may result in excessive brightness boosting in the brightest parts of the image, leading to a loss of detail in very bright scenes.

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.

After calibration, the colour reproduction in SDR content on the LG NANO82T is very good. The white balance has been effectively improved, resulting in natural and balanced shades across various scenes. The gamma has also been adjusted, providing a more precise rendering of details both in shadows and bright parts of the image. Thanks to these adjustments, the television performs excellently in everyday use, offering solid colour quality and clear, well-balanced images in SDR mode.

However, in the case of HDR content, the situation is worse. The television does not support a wide colour gamut, limiting the depth and richness of colours that HDR can offer. The EOTF curve deviates from the ideal, leading to excessive accentuation of details in bright parts of the image. Unfortunately, this results in significant colour reproduction errors, as confirmed by tests on the Colour Checker. The low brightness level of the panel further negatively impacts the quality of HDR images, causing dynamic range effects to not be fully realised, and colours to appear washed out.

The television has significantly improved after calibration, especially in SDR content. The improvement in white balance and gamma has greatly enhanced image quality, providing a more natural and coherent colour reproduction. Compared to the pre-calibration state, the difference is noticeable, and the television now offers better performance in everyday use, particularly in the standard dynamic range.

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.

When it comes to gradation in very low-quality materials, LG NANO82T offers us the option of a feature called "Smooth Gradation". In the "Low" setting, this function slightly improves the most problematic tonal transitions, which is noticeable and useful for such content. In the "High" setting, it works even more effectively, improving tonal transitions, but at the expense of smoothing out those details that should not be smoothed. It is a compromise that may not please all users.

As for image scaling, NANO82T is not without certain limitations, especially when playing content with a lower resolution. The television applies a subtle, artificial sharpness boost, which makes the image appear sharper. This effect mainly results from the overlay of artificial contours. For some users, this may be beneficial, as they prefer more pronounced and highlighted details. However, for those who value the naturalness of the image, this effect may turn out to be less appealing and too artificial. It's a subjective matter that may affect viewers differently, depending on their visual preferences.

The 60 Hz panel in Hisense A6N will probably satisfy people who enjoy watching films, because the TV offers an "ultra motion smoothing" feature, which lets you adjust the image's choppiness, making it either more staccato or more fluid and cinematic. When it comes to motion blur, performance is fairly average, with quite noticeable smearing, especially on dark backgrounds, which is a fairly typical characteristic for this class of TVs.

LG televisions, including the NANO82T, offer an interesting motion smoother called TruMotion, which will satisfy most users who value control over the quality of the films they watch. The TruMotion feature allows users to adjust the fluidity of the displayed films on a 10-point scale, enabling the personalisation of visual experiences.

However, in the case of more dynamic scenes, such as games or action films, the television performs worse. The 60Hz panel and relatively slow pixel response result in less than ideal motion smoothness. The effect is visible blurring and less smooth display of fast scenes.

Overall, the LG NANO82T should please those who mainly watch films and prefer more subdued content. However, for those who value dynamic, fast motion, we recommend looking for an alternative.

Hisense A6N is a television that will probably appeal to casual gamers, mainly because of its 60 Hz panel, which may not satisfy more demanding users. Despite that, it offers a few conveniences that can make gaming more enjoyable. The TV supports features such as ALLM (automatic low-latency mode), VRR (variable refresh rate) and Dolby Vision, allowing you to enjoy better image quality and smoother motion in games that support these technologies. Moreover, the low input lag means in-game reactions are quick, which is crucial, especially in fast-paced titles. Thanks to these features, although the TV is not the ideal choice for demanding gamers, it provides solid support for those who value comfortable gaming without complicated settings. It is an ideal solution for people who want to enjoy gaming without high hardware demands while having access to modern technologies that enhance the gaming experience.

While gaming on the console, LG NANO82T offers a range of features that can significantly impact the gaming experience, although it also has some limitations. Among the advantages, it's worth mentioning the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature, which automatically adjusts the picture settings by switching the television to low latency mode. This is particularly beneficial for gamers who need quick responses to their actions. Another plus is the support for HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), as HDR games are displayed as intended by the developers, providing realistic and vivid visual effects. These features make the LG NANO82T offer a good gaming experience, although some aspects could be better, especially in dynamic scenes. Unfortunately, the LG NANO82T has its limitations when it comes to gaming features. It lacks support for variable refresh rate (VRR), which can affect the smoothness of gameplay, particularly in more dynamic games. The television has a 60Hz panel, preventing the use of higher refresh rates. This is a significant drawback for gamers who expect smoother gameplay at higher resolutions. Additionally, the lack of G-Sync technology support limits image synchronisation capabilities, which may lead to tearing and stuttering in games.

These shortcomings may mean that the LG NANO82T does not meet the expectations of the most demanding gamers who are looking for advanced features and the highest image fluidity.