Compare: Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV vs TCL C7L

The Hisense S7NQ Canvas TV is a very interesting proposition, especially for those looking for something in the style of a picture-television but do not want to spend a fortune. At first glance, it stands out primarily because the gallery mode featuring works of art is completely free – there is no subscription to pay, as is the case with Samsung's The Frame. Moreover, in the box, we immediately get a light brown frame, which will be an additional bonus and saving for many people. Although it is essentially a TV for displaying art, surprisingly, it also performs quite well in other applications. The 144 Hz panel, full HDMI 2.1, support for VRR and ALLM – all this makes gaming on consoles quite possible and quite enjoyable. The Vidaa system operates smoothly, and we find all the most important apps and features here, such as AirPlay, USB recording, or screen mirroring from a phone. However, there are also things that fall a bit short. Above all – the images themselves. Compared to The Frame by Samsung, here they simply look more digital. It lacks the depth, texture of paint, and subtle details that really impress with the competitor. Although at first glance we are dealing with a similar matte panel, in practice, it performs significantly worse at suppressing reflections. Colours and blacks fade much quicker, especially in a bright room. This could also be the effect of lower brightness – Hisense is simply darker than its Korean rival. On top of that, there are minor software issues – for example, the inability to display external subtitles despite configuration options, or the not entirely effective image smoothing feature for lower quality materials. In short: the S7NQ is a good TV in the form of a "picture," which can be a great alternative for those who do not mind the lower quality of displayed works but appreciate the lack of subscription fees, an additional frame included in the package, and full functionality of a typical television. It is not an ideal product, but a reasonable compromise for Samsung's The Frame.

The TCL C7L is an incredibly successful Mini-LED television and a fully deserved successor to the hit model C7K. The list of advantages of this device is truly extensive. At the top is the extremely high brightness of the panel. Thanks to this, the television handles brightly lit living rooms without any problems, offering a fantastic and dynamic image in HDR format. Huge applause is also due for the use of the new Super QLED coating – after professional calibration, the colours can be not only natural but also incredibly saturated. The best part is that the screen achieves this regardless of the scene displayed, which is often not the case with all TVs featuring RGB backlighting. The C7L is also a brilliant piece of equipment for gamers; it could even be said that it is a true "multimedia powerhouse." We get full support for consoles and PCs, refresh rates of up to 288 Hz, G-Sync, and low input lag, which doesn’t increase even when activating the demanding Dolby Vision Gaming mode. Everything is tied together by a well-optimised Google TV system, which in this generation of TCL devices operates noticeably smoother and more efficiently (at least that's the impression we got during our testing). Of course, the C7L is not a perfect device, and the manufacturer had to make certain compromises in this model. The biggest drawback of the C7L is the use of a less powerful image processor. Unfortunately, this translates to rather average digital processing and other design limitations, such as only two HDMI 2.1 ports. A more powerful chip has been reserved this year for the higher series, such as the C8L. From a business point of view, this is entirely understandable. Why? Because if TCL had included a better processor here, most people would probably not see any point in paying extra for a higher model. So even if certain compromises exist, the C7L series is once again shaping up to be one of the most cost-effective Mini-LED televisions this year. If you are looking for a versatile, extremely bright screen for movies, series, television, or gaming – literally for everything – and at the same time do not want to overpay for top series, then yes... the C7L is a brilliant choice that we can definitely recommend to you.

The Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV is a television equipped with a VA panel, which in itself provides decent contrast. This is confirmed by our test charts – an average score of around 4000:1. It's not a stunning value, but for this class of device – quite decent. Perhaps the result would have been significantly better if the television had been equipped with local dimming technology, however, unfortunately, this model lacks it. As a result, blacks in a completely darkened room resemble shades of navy or grey rather than pitch black. This situation causes a slightly noticeable clouding effect. Generally, it's okay, but without much enthusiasm.

TCL C7L is a Mini LED television, which in the 65-inch variant we tested, is equipped with over 1000 local dimming zones. This, combined with the proprietary VA panel (referred to by TCL CSOT as HVA 2.0), yields truly decent results in terms of blacks and contrast. In most of the scenes we measured, the black levels and contrast looked really good, and in the easiest shots, the black was deep enough to almost resemble that seen on OLED screens. Of course, we are talking about the least demanding shots with a lot of black on the screen. However, when a greater number of bright elements appear on the screen and black no longer dominates as strongly, it is apparent that the TCL C7L – like most Mini LED televisions – has its issues with managing local dimming zones.

This is particularly evident in the black bars in films recorded in the 2.35:1 widescreen format. At that point, a distinct halo effect, or bright light glow, can appear on the black bars or around small, bright objects. The contrast then drastically dropped – from laboratory values of around 200,000:1 to about 10,000:1, which is quite noticeable in a completely dark room. It is worth remembering that this should not be treated as a flaw of the television, but rather as a characteristic of mini-LED technology. Of course, this effect becomes significantly less bothersome when we turn on at least some soft, diffused light in the room... which I definitely recommend doing during screenings on any LCD television.

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.

TCL C7L is undoubtedly an extremely bright television. In synthetic tests on static images, it can achieve peak brightness of around 2800 nits. This is an exceptionally phenomenal result, considering the price range it occupies. Unfortunately, tests of real film scenes are not quite as spectacular as measurements of white squares. Brightness in actual HDR shots drops to around 1200 nits in the C7L model. This is still a very good result, as this is the value to which the vast majority of contemporary films are mastered. However, when small, point-like elements appear on the screen, the brightness of these details drastically decreases – even down to around 400 nits – which diminishes the HDR effect somewhat. The television does this deliberately to maintain a better level of black and to avoid a giant light bloom. This is somewhat explainable, but it also shows that Mini LED technology is not entirely uncompromising in this regard. As for the HDR effect itself – alongside brightness, colours are of course key here. And those, thanks to the use of new "super" quantum dots, are simply outstanding and among the best on the market. The television can achieve about 90% coverage of the ultra-wide BT.2020 colour gamut and 99% of the DCI-P3 gamut, easily matching the best RGB MINI-LED screens. Best of all, the C7L can maintain such a high saturation of colours regardless of the scene being displayed, which often poses a challenge for competing RGB Mini-LED televisions.

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.

When it comes to colours straight out of the box, a new feature in TCL televisions – including the C7L model – is the presence of a new picture mode called Filmmaker Mode. This is significant news, as such a mode was not available from this manufacturer before. By design, as indicated by the name itself, the image in this setting is meant to be presented with the full intention of the film's creator. After our tests, we can confirm that it is undoubtedly the best built-in mode on this television if you care about faithful colour reproduction straight out of the box. However, we certainly wouldn't say it is perfect. Like most devices on the market, this C7L also had its factory flaws. The white balance in Filmmaker Mode tended to shift towards a slightly greenish-yellow hue, primarily caused by an excess of green and a clear deficiency of blue. Of course, for the average viewer, this won't be a drastic flaw, but if you care about perfect whites, natural skin tones, and unlocking the full potential of those new "super" quantum dots, then the television is crying out for professional calibration.

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.

After conducting a professional calibration, we were able to significantly improve the situation in the factory mode Filmmaker Mode. Following our adjustments, errors in the ColorChecker test and across the entire wide colour gamut fell below the threshold of human perception – that is, below a value of 3, which is truly an excellent result. The TCL C7L definitely benefits from such an operation in terms of colour fidelity, and this is difficult to dispute. However, the management of brightness in HDR content post-calibration does not look as good. As I described earlier – even though we set up this model appropriately, when we turn on real film scenes on the television, it manages its brightness in quite a peculiar way. It often highlights certain elements on the screen contrary to the creator's intention, which can be clearly seen in the EOTF graphs measured in specific films. Despite this defect – or rather the specific trait of this television – one cannot deny that after calibration, the C7L was able to reproduce colours completely accurately.

The fluidity of tonal transitions is one of those categories that even less advanced users can notice. If someone doesn't understand what it means — we're explaining it now. It concerns whether the colours blend smoothly into one another or if their "gluing" is visible in the form of distinct bands. Good tonal transitions are those that are natural and smooth, without large jumps in colour.

The Hisense S7NQ performs very well in this category, although it must be admitted that it fares slightly worse than Samsung The Frame. In very bright scenes, slight imperfections can be noticed, but you really need a keen eye to catch them. Overall, as with most "frame" style televisions, it still performs excellently.

Another element worth discussing is the fluidity of tonal transitions. Here, one must honestly admit that the TCL C7L simply looks good. In most scenes – especially in the brighter shots – absolutely no problems with gradients can be seen. In native 4K HDR content, the picture is clear, and the transitions between shades are very smooth. It looks equally good in Dolby Vision mode, where during testing, we did not notice any digital defects or unsightly colour banding. One could nitpick about very dark shots, where a heavily compressed signal is displayed on the screen. In such conditions, the C7L can occasionally reveal minor imperfections; however, in this model, it is not something that stands out significantly, especially during everyday film screenings.

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.

This point could be called, in a sense, the Achilles' heel of the C7L model. Unfortunately, this television uses an older chipset from MediaTek – the Pentonic 700 – which has never been known for outstanding digital picture processing. This is clearly visible in the performance of the smoothing function, which is responsible for reducing jagged edges and removing digital noise. It simply works very poorly – when set to a low level, its effectiveness is practically nonexistent. A small credit should perhaps be given here for the fact that the algorithm does not additionally ruin the picture or blur details forcibly. The upscaling, which is the scaling of the image from lower resolutions to 4K, fares a bit better. It is simply adequate and does not stand out in any particular way against the competition. However, it cannot be denied that the C7L would greatly benefit in this aspect if the manufacturer decided to use the newer Pentonic 800 processor, which is now found in an increasing number of competing models.

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.

TCL C7L features a native 4K panel with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which at lower resolutions – when using a PC – can even ramp up to 288 Hz. These are, of course, very high values and commendable on paper, but in everyday life, it is worth remembering that almost all dynamic content you display on this television will still rotate around a maximum of 120 Hz. To tame this dynamism, the television's menu includes a motion smoothing system called "Motion Clarity." It offers several predefined modes, including a user mode, which we definitely recommend setting manually using our tried-and-tested guides on our YouTube channel. There, we have two key sliders at our disposal. The first one, "Motion Blur Reduction," is responsible for reducing blurring and improving sharpness in dynamic 60-frame materials, such as sports broadcasts. Meanwhile, the second slider, "Flicker Reduction," allows for the addition of artificial frames in films and series recorded at cinematic 24 or 30 frames per second. This certainly eliminates the irritating stutter in images during camera movement shots.

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".

When it comes to gaming, the TCL C7L is simply an outstanding television for gamers. With the presence of two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports at 48 Gbps, it provides access to all the key features that console and high-end PC owners require. It has a well-functioning ALLM mode with very low input lag and VRR frame synchronization that operates in an impressive range from 48 up to 288 Hz. Importantly, unlike some competitors, TCL has ensured a proper implementation of the console HDR10 HGIG profile and support for Dolby Vision in games. This is complemented by a very well-designed player panel, known as the Game Bar, which even allows you to customise its appearance and change the theme to perfectly match the style of your console.

The only thing that can – and indeed should – be critiqued here is the fact that the television offers only two full HDMI 2.1 ports, while the other two are older HDMI 2.0. This creates quite a significant logistical problem. Why? Because one of those fast ports also supports the eARC audio return channel. In practice, this means that if you connect a soundbar or home cinema system to the television, you will only have one free HDMI 2.1 port left. If you have two consoles or a console and a powerful computer at home, unfortunately, you'll have to give something up or frequently juggle cables at the back of the unit while maintaining convenient control over your audio system.

Input lag in the Hisense S7NQ is decent, though it cannot be said to be extraordinary – especially by the standards of 2024/25. Values around 30–20 ms may not be very high and the average player is unlikely to notice it, but those who spend a lot of time gaming may experience a slight discomfort.

The situation is definitely better when playing in Dolby Vision mode – then the latency is lower and the gameplay feels more pleasant. The problem is that there are still few games supporting this mode, and they are mainly available on the Xbox console.

It is worth taking a look at the dry numbers here, as in terms of input lag, the TCL C7L is absolute market leader. Our measurements showed that the input lag is extremely low, and for a 60 Hz signal, it is just around 10 ms. When we step up a level and launch a game at 120 Hz, the lag drops to an imperceptible 6 to 7 ms. However, even more importantly, these values are maintained by the television even after activating the Dolby Vision format in games.

When it comes to working with a computer, the S7NQ Canvas TV performs really well. Gaming on it is seamless thanks to the presence of a 144 Hz panel and support for G-Sync with Nvidia cards. Input lag – as we mentioned earlier – is good, though not exceptional.

And what about work? It’s doable. The television has a correct implementation of chroma 4:4:4, so fonts look quite clear. You might nitpick about some minor issues with the thinnest letters on a dark background, but let's be honest – rarely does anyone sit a metre away from a 55-inch screen reading small text.

When it comes to gaming on PC, as I mentioned earlier, it is truly seamless. The television effortlessly supports high refresh rates: full 4K at 144 Hz, and in Full HD resolution, it can even ramp up to 288 Hz. Additionally, both G-Sync and FreeSync synchronization systems work here without any issues. For PC gamers, the C7L can thus serve as an excellent, massive monitor.

On the other hand, typical office work with text is somewhat less impressive, largely due to the rather oddly behaving panel in these conditions. When the highest refresh modes, 144 Hz and 288 Hz, are enabled, the readability and sharpness of dark text on a light background are fairly average – the fonts become slightly blurred and jagged. Fortunately, this can be easily fixed by changing the screen refresh rate in the graphics card settings to a stable 120 Hz. Then the text becomes perfectly sharp again, which is definitely worth remembering if you plan to use the C7L as a work screen.

The viewing angles here are typical for a VA panel. The S7NQ loses quite a bit when viewed at around a 45-degree angle – the colours fade, and the brightness clearly drops. It’s a pity, because after all, this is a television that is meant to display works of art – it would be nice to be able to look at them from different places in the room, not just straight on.

Unfortunately, the powerful native contrast of the HVA 2.0 panel comes at a price. It concerns the viewing angles, which in the C7L model are simply poor. This is obviously due to the use of the aforementioned VA-type panel. It is a completely natural characteristic of this technology and something to consider when making a purchase. If you sit directly in front of the screen, the image will impress you with its depth, but it only takes a slight shift of several degrees sideways on the sofa for the colours to start fading immediately. By choosing this model, you are opting for a classic market compromise: you get brilliant black and fantastic contrast, but you lose out on viewing angles.

The Hisense S7NQ Canvas TV is equipped with a matte display, which quite effectively suppresses reflections – very similar to its Chinese rival, the TCL A300 NXTVision. Unfortunately, both designs fall short in this category compared to Samsung's The Frame, which offers a significantly better anti-reflective coating. In the case of the Chinese models, including the S7NQ, colours fade quite noticeably under light, and black performs poorly in such conditions. The brightness of the television reaches around 500 nits – a fairly decent value for a matte screen, but still lower than that of the aforementioned The Frame. Generally, if someone prefers matte displays, well... it looks like it looks – Samsung simply did it better.

It's also worth mentioning how the TCL C7L performs during everyday viewing in a sunlit living room. As we've established, it is an extremely bright television, and it is precisely due to such a powerful supply of luminance (up to 2400 nits in SDR!) that it excels in very bright rooms – the picture easily gets through the incoming light. The only thing to watch out for is direct reflections on the screen. The coating used this year on the panel is definitely glossier than the one we saw in last year's C7K model. The screen significantly worse at suppressing point light reflections, which in unfavourable conditions – for example, when the window is positioned directly opposite the television – can be quite annoying for some users. Nevertheless, in terms of sheer brightness, the C7L is simply a demon for bright living rooms.

As the Hisense S7NQ is a television designed for a specific purpose, we will start the description a bit differently – from the most important aspect of such models, which is the display of artworks. Like all "art" televisions, it features a special mount, allowing the screen to be installed completely flat. The biggest advantage compared to the Korean Samsung The Frame is the fact that, despite the lesser availability of images in gallery mode, all of them are completely free – there is no need to pay any subscription fees. An additional bonus included with the S7NQ is the light brown frame. This is quite a plus, especially if someone was planning to choose that colour anyway – it can save a bit of money on both the frame and the subscription.

However, when it comes to the quality of the displayed images, unfortunately, it is evident that the Samsung The Frame performs significantly better in this regard. In the S7NQ, the images look more digital, while in The Frame, the Art Store mode offers real scans of artworks, where you can even see the texture of the paint or the brush strokes of the artist. And once again, we return to an old truth – for better quality, you simply have to pay.

Fortunately, the S7NQ is not just an “art piece,” but also a regular television – and it performs really well in that role. Like most Hisense models with the VIDAA system, it has many basic functions such as USB recording, screen mirroring, and AirPlay support. As for applications – the most popular streaming services are present here, and you can find their full list below.

Google TV and Smart TV

The multimedia heart of the TCL C7L is of course the Google TV operating system, which provides access to a gigantic library of applications and all the most popular streaming platforms on the market. The Smart TV in this model works seamlessly, offering full support for useful network features such as Apple AirPlay or Chromecast. However, a huge and very pleasant surprise is the very performance of the software. We noticed that Google's system on the new C7L operates significantly more efficiently, smoothly, and quickly than on last year's TCL models. Much of this is due to better optimisation for the launch. Unnecessary pauses and minor interface stutters, known from older models, seem to have become a thing of the past.

Television Features

In terms of traditional aerial or cable television, the TCL C7L does not offer many additional advanced features. It is simply a straightforward receiver. The manufacturer did not strive for any revolutionary solutions here, so aside from the traditional programme guide, you won't find anything particularly special. A large nod towards traditional viewers is the classic remote control, which, contrary to the prevailing trend for minimalism, still features a full numeric keypad, making it much easier to switch channels quickly.

The Hisense S7NQ effortlessly plays the vast majority of popular audio, photo, and video formats. So why the relatively low rating in this category? Well – due to software issues. This is yet another Hisense television that did not allow us to open external subtitles in films. Regardless of whether we are talking about the .ass, .srt, .txt, or .sub format – the subtitles simply did not appear.

The most amusing (or rather the most frustrating) thing about all this is that in the menu, we find options to change the font colour, size, and background… The problem is that the subtitles themselves are not visible at all.

At the very end of the multimedia section, it is worth mentioning the playback of files from external USB drives. During our tests, we did not notice any unpleasant surprises here – the factory player handles all popular video and audio formats exactly as it should. Interestingly, the TCL C7L also played photos saved in Apple's native format, namely HEIC, without any problems. This is an extremely rare feature in the factory applications of TV manufacturers. And although the Google TV system obviously gives you unlimited possibilities to install external media playback programs, in the case of the C7L, the built-in tool is refined enough that installing additional software will probably not be necessary for anyone.

When it comes to sound, it presents itself... much like a television on the wall – that is to say, rather flat. Despite the use of a 2.0.2 speaker set with a total power of 36 W, we cannot speak of any exceptional sound quality here. But as is the case in most instances – buying even the simplest soundbar can radically change the situation.

On the plus side, it is worth noting the support for practically all popular Dolby and DTS codecs. This means we can easily connect the television to a home cinema system without having to fiddle with settings or sound conversion.

The TCL C7L performs quite well and correctly. When it comes to sound quality, there has been practically no change compared to last year's model, the C7K. The manufacturer continues to use a speaker system branded Bang & Olufsen in a 2.2 configuration. The only thing that can be quite irritating during viewing sessions is the fact that after increasing the volume to higher levels – around above 50% on the scale – the volume no longer corresponds with the scale visible on the screen. The B&O audio system works great for daily viewing of current affairs or series at moderate volume, but if you are looking for good sound quality, it is worth purchasing at least a basic soundbar for the C7L.

Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV vs TCL C7L

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Sound connection options

Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):

Senior accessibility

Google TV and Smart TV

Television Features

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements