Hisense A7NQ vs Samsung The Frame 2025 (LS03F)

We checked how the Hisense A7NQ performs with HDR, and there are no surprises here. The luminance graph showed a maximum brightness level of 370 nits. The result? Exactly what one could expect – average. At around 350 nits, HDR does not particularly stand out compared to SDR. Indeed, there is a subtle difference in more brightly lit scenes, but it is not an effect that leaves you stunned. As for the coverage of the wide colour gamut, the result was 92% for DCI-P3 and 70.2% for BT.2020. These are decent values for a TV in this class, which uses a PFS coating – the same one that is sometimes promoted as QLED. Colours look good, but we shouldn’t expect something that competes with the best screens on the market. HDR on the Hisense A7NQ is more of an addition than a "game changer." For those looking for solid image quality on a moderate budget – quite acceptable. However, if we expect full HDR capabilities, it is worth looking at models from the higher price range.

The Frame LS03F is a television that can surprise with its brightness. The maximum luminance reaches around 650 nits, which already looks impressive on paper. But as we know, laboratory tests are one thing, and real film scenes are quite another. When watching HDR materials in natural conditions, The Frame 2025 maintains very good results. In most film scenes, the peak brightness remained at around 550–650 nits. This is a sufficient value to feel the difference between standard picture quality and that of HDR – bright highlights, reflections on water, or moonlight are presented clearly and spectacularly.

It is also worth remembering that the LS03F is a QLED television, which translates into solid colour saturation. The coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space reaches about 92%, allowing for vibrant, intense colours in HDR content. This is not the level of top premium models, but for a lifestyle screen, the result truly deserves recognition.

When testing the Hisense A7NQ in Filmmaker mode, we were hoping for compliance with the manufacturer's assumptions, but unfortunately, reality looks different. The main issue, as with most televisions, is white balance. In the case of the A7NQ, we noticed a clear dominance of blue, which affected both lower quality materials and 4K HDR content. The results of the Color Checker tests confirm this, and the comparative images speak for themselves – the leading actress in "factory" mode appears cool and pale. It looks as if she has been drained of life.

As for brightness characteristics, both gamma and the EOTF curve show that the image is excessively bright. As a result, everything appears flat, lacking depth and contrast. This state of affairs definitely does not work in favour of the A7NQ and makes the viewing experience in factory mode leave much to be desired. If we expect natural colour reproduction and appropriate image depth, the A7NQ in Filmmaker mode is unlikely to impress us. It is a television that requires considerable adjustment to bring out its potential.

When it comes to image quality straight out of the box, even in Filmmaker mode, which is supposed to be the closest to reference, there were issues. We noticed clear deviations in white balance in both HD and 4K HDR content. The image was heavily skewed towards red and blue, giving the screen a characteristic pinkish tint. This effect was most noticeable in bright scenes – for example, in shots with a lot of white, where neutral light should naturally dominate. At such moments, the screen clearly took on pink tones, which is also visible in the attached comparison photo. As for the brightness characteristics – it wasn’t as bad as one might expect with such colour inaccuracies. The analysis of the gamma curve and EOTF showed a slight brightening of the image compared to the reference, but not enough to drastically ruin the viewing experience.

Hisense A7NQ offers several tools that allow for improved image quality, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and "dig around" in the settings a bit. Thanks to professional tools and measurements, we managed to correct the white balance, eliminating the excessive dominance of blue colour in both HD and 4K materials. This is a significant step forward, as in the Color Checker test, the colour reproduction errors in lower quality content dropped to a much more acceptable level. Unfortunately, the 4K materials still fall short of perfection – the colour inaccuracies are considerable and stem from the limitations of the television.

As for the gamma, we managed to set it at the correct level, which significantly reduced the excessive brightening of the image. However, the issue with brightness characteristics in 4K content remains unresolved – the EOTF curve still shows excessive brightness across the entire screen. It’s possible that correct implementation of dynamic tone mapping could help here, but as we mentioned earlier, this feature in the Hisense A7NQ works rather poorly, rather than being helpful. Nevertheless, the calibration has significantly improved the overall image reception. The director's vision is now much better represented than in the factory settings, which will certainly be appreciated by more demanding viewers.

After calibration, the movie mode has gained a completely new quality. The issue of the pink tint, which had been clearly visible before, especially in bright scenes, has been effectively eliminated. Colours now look much more natural, and the white balance no longer dominates the rest of the image. It is no longer the same exaggerated "box picture" – everything now has coherence and a cinematic character. Additionally, the tendency of the television to slightly brighten scenes, previously visible in the EOTF curve analysis, has been partially corrected. Of course, this is within the limits of what the design allows without local dimming – one cannot speak of perfect brightness management here. Nevertheless, the final effect was definitely closer to what one might expect from a mode called Filmmaker.

The Hisense A7NQ impresses with the smoothness of tonal transitions in 4K content, but unfortunately, there is no feature here to improve this aspect in older materials of lower quality. In such cases, colour transitions become more visible, which can slightly detract from the overall image, especially in scenes with a lot of gradients.

When it comes to upscaling, the television performs surprisingly well. The image is noticeably improved, although there are some compromises. It can be seen that the television adds a bit of artificial sharpness, and background elements, such as branches, display slight "jaggies." However, these are details that will primarily catch the eye of those who pay attention to such nuances.

LS03F has been equipped with the NQ4 processor, which is responsible for improving image quality – particularly in lower quality materials. In practice, this works surprisingly well, especially when it comes to older content and recordings with lower resolution. Activating the "noise reduction" function yields noticeable effects. The TV effectively smooths tonal transitions and removes digital noise that can appear in darker areas of the image. Compared to previous generations, there is a clear advancement – previously, this function often smoothed everything too much, including details that it shouldn't remove. In this year's model, smoothing still occurs, but in a much more acceptable manner. Textures of materials, skin, and fabric details are no longer subdued as strongly as before – the image retains more naturalness. However, this does not change the fact that film grain is still removed by the TV, which may not appeal to everyone. On the other hand, it is no longer as aggressive an intervention as in previous models. It is also worth mentioning that the LS03F may struggle with very weak signals – for example, from VHS tape recordings or low-resolution video. In such cases, we noticed slight clipping of the image at the edges – so-called overscan. This can lead to a situation where a small part of the image (e.g., subtitles at the bottom edge) gets cut off.

The Hisense A7NQ is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, which means that dynamic scenes – for example in sports or games – perform rather averagely here. This is standard for this class of equipment, but it must be acknowledged that watching more intense, fast-moving content can leave a lot to be desired. However, when it comes to films, the television offers a motion smoothing feature that operates on a 10-point scale. The "judder reduction" option allows you to tailor the smoothness of the image to your own preferences. At the lowest setting, we get a natural film frame rate, which will please cinema purists. Meanwhile, the maximum setting provides a very smooth, theatrical image that may appeal to those who prefer a more "smoothed" motion.

The new feature in The Frame for 2025 is a display with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Yes – in a television that is mainly associated with displaying works of art, you can now not only watch Van Gogh but also comfortably play on a console or follow dynamic sports events. This is a definite step towards greater versatility. In the case of Samsung films, as usual in models with a display rate of 120 Hz and above, it allows you to adjust motion smoothness according to your preferences. You can set a more cinematic reproduction while maintaining frame rate or opt for full motion smoothing. The range of options is broad, allowing you to tailor the effect to your own taste – whether the viewing experience is meant to resemble classic cinema or a show on a modern theatre screen.

*this part of the test refers to the LS03FAU model in sizes 55 and 65 inches, which is equipped with a 144Hz panel, while sizes 43 and 50 inches have 60Hz displays, and thus perform much worse in terms of motion smoothness.

Hisense A7NQ is a piece of equipment that can pleasantly surprise gamers, although it is not without its flaws. The fact that we have a 60 Hz panel here immediately suggests that the television is not designed for the most demanding gaming scenarios. The motion blur that we described earlier can also be an obstacle, especially in dynamic games.

However, there are a few things that are worth praising. The television supports ALLM (automatic game mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate), which is not always standard in this price range. The biggest surprise, however, is that the A7NQ can display images at 120 Hz – albeit only in Full HD resolution, but nevertheless, it's a significant nod to gamers. This provides the option to choose between smoothness and resolution, which is not obvious in televisions at this price.

A nice addition is the Game Bar, which is clear and practical – all the most important functions are at hand, without digging through the settings. However, it lacks support for HGiG, which may be a disappointment for gamers looking for perfect HDR in games.

As we mentioned earlier – although The Frame is likely to display images and works of art most of the time, Samsung recognised that a Van Gogh enthusiast could just as easily be an avid gamer. And it must be admitted that The Frame 2025 has almost everything needed to become a full-fledged gaming television.

On board, we find support for ALLM (Automatic Low Latency Mode) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) thanks to the implementation of one HDMI 2.1 port. The television handles lower resolutions at higher refresh rates effortlessly and features an advanced Game Bar – already known from other Samsung models – which allows for a quick preview and change of the most important gaming-related settings. For this, it earns extra points from us. The proprietary motion smoother Auto Motion Plus Game is also worth mentioning, which – it is worth emphasising – operates without increasing input lag. Samsung remains the only manufacturer that has managed to implement this feature in a practically invisible manner in terms of delays. The effect? Much better fluidity in games, especially those that struggle to maintain a stable 60 frames per second. This solution can realistically improve the gaming experience in more demanding titles – particularly on consoles, which do not always manage full fluidity, especially in AAA games.

As for the downsides – the lack of Dolby Vision is already considered standard in Samsung televisions, so there is not much to particularly criticise here. However, there is a different issue entirely. In the latest version of the Tizen system, the HGiG option has disappeared. Literally – it is not there. This is a significant hindrance when configuring the console for proper HDR content display in games. It is hard to understand why such a decision was made, but one thing is certain – this should be fixed as soon as possible. We are talking about a brand that has set standards for gaming on televisions for years. If HGiG returns – and we hope it will – The Frame LS03F can confidently aspire to be called a genuine gaming television. Not just as a decoration on the wall, but as equipment that truly provides joy in gaming.