Hisense U8NQ vs Sony Bravia 8 (XR80)

Hisense U8NQ demonstrates its capabilities in terms of HDR, achieving a luminance chart score exceeding 2000 nits. In the first, third, and fifth scenes where the screen is bathed in light, the television displayed very high brightness that impresses and allows one to fully enjoy the HDR effect. Unfortunately, in the second and fourth scenes, such as those from the film "Sicario 2", the television encounters difficulties in maintaining brightness, resulting in disappointing scores around 250 nits. Although the large number of dimming zones should theoretically help, the algorithm responsible for their control does not always work perfectly — bright, small elements like the moon or helicopter lights are too dim, which detracts from the typical HDR effect. Instead of dazzling brightness, we get a more subdued light that does not realise the full potential of HDR. Nevertheless, the television deserves praise for its very good coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 97%. This results in vibrant colours, and most film scenes look really good, significantly enhancing the viewing quality.

Sony Bravia 8 performs reasonably well in terms of HDR brightness. A maximum brightness level of 880 nits is satisfactory and allows for enjoyable light effects in most scenes. In the tested segments of the films Life of Pi and Sicario 2, the television looks really good, offering vibrant and detailed images that fully convey the atmosphere of these productions.

However, a greater challenge is presented by a scene from the film The Meg, where the screen is entirely very bright. In such situations, the limitations of OLED technology are evident, as the television loses brightness, dropping to about 450 nits. This decline is less satisfactory, especially when the entire scene requires intense lighting. Despite these limitations, Sony Bravia 8 remains a competitive model, offering excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and a BT.2020 standard coverage of 74%. As a result, colours are rich and details are precise, which significantly enhances the quality of HDR content consumption and makes viewing a pleasant experience.

The Filmmaker mode on the Hisense U8NQ television can be described as the most accurate mode available on this model. Despite its accuracy, it has significant errors in reproducing reference images, which we will now describe. In the case of HD content, the white balance shows a clear dominance of red, making the image overly pink and warm. The comparative photo below illustrates how this effect impacts content presentation. The brightness characteristics also leave much to be desired — too low a gamma results in an excessively bright screen, and blacks appear elevated, making the overall image seem cooler than it should be.

In the case of 4K HDR content, the problem is the opposite — the white balance shows too great a dominance of blue, resulting in an artificial appearance and an unnaturally sharp image. All of these deviations for both HD and 4K HDR content can be confirmed using the Colour Checker test, which clearly demonstrates how colours deviate from correct standards.

The best factory mode available on the Sony Bravia 8 television is IMAX Enhanced, which provides the most cinematic experience, although it is not perfectly set up. The television tries to faithfully reproduce cinematic settings, but certain shortcomings are noticeable. Starting with the white balance, both for SDR and 4K materials, a pronounced blue tint can be observed. This causes the image to appear too cold, stripping it of its naturalness. Tests using Colour Checker show that colours shift towards cooler tones, which may affect the accuracy of colour reproduction and make the image less realistic.

As for brightness and contrast characteristics, the gamma shows a significant drop at the end of the chart. This means that dark details may be too dark and bright elements too bright, resulting in a loss of subtlety and becoming less visible. As seen in the sky - in the comparative photo. In turn, the EOTF curve is well above the reference value, causing bright elements of the image to be too intense. As a result, users may perceive the image as unnatural, and bright areas may lose details, negatively impacting the overall viewing quality.

The white balance for both 4K and HD content has been significantly adjusted, which has greatly improved the picture quality. Although some errors are still visible, they are not large enough to heavily affect the perception of the image. A significant improvement can also be noticed in the gamma brightness characteristic — the picture is no longer excessively bright, translating into more natural blacks and better contrast.

However, as with many other Hisense models, there are visible issues with the EOTF curve, which is responsible for managing brightness in high-quality materials. Although at first glance it may seem correct, when the filter is applied to the "EOTF in films" chart, it is evident that the television somewhat "manipulates" 4K content. It is clear that the EOTF curve is significantly below the reference level, leading to an overall dimming of the image compared to the reference. We noticed this effect in previously tested scenes from the films "Pan" and "Billy Lynn." While it is not a serious issue, it is worth noting. It may be of great importance to those seeking a display with the most faithful reproduction of the image. Despite this error, for most, the picture will be more enjoyable. Colours are better represented, and the overall picture quality is significantly improved.

The calibration process of the Sony Bravia 8 television has brought significant improvements in image quality. The white balance has been noticeably enhanced, for both SDR and 4K HDR content, with minimal errors in the middle of the graph. Gamma has proven to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of calibration – it has been completely rid of previous dips, which has significantly impacted brightness stability and better detail reproduction in the darker parts of the image. The EOTF curve has also been levelled, making bright elements of the image appear more natural, and the overall tonal dynamics are now more balanced.

However, the most attention should be paid to colour reproduction, where, despite calibration, certain issues still persist. Sony has omitted the use of a CMS system in this model, which allows for very precise control over colours. As a result, the Colour Checker test for 4K materials still shows significant errors in colour samples. Despite these difficulties, we recommend performing calibration, as the effects are noticeable and significantly enhance image quality, particularly in terms of brightness and contrast.

In the context of smoothing tonal transitions, the television Hisense U8NQ unfortunately struggles. The “Smooth and Gradient Picture” function does not yield noticeable effects — there is no improvement in any setting, which is disappointing, especially for demanding scenes with a lot of subtle tonal transitions.

Regarding digital processing, or so-called upscaling, the scene with the model is presented correctly — her outline is clear, without significant cropping. Similarly, thin lines, such as tree branches, exhibit slight jaggedness, but overall it looks plastic and soft, which creates a good impression. Unfortunately, there is also an issue with so-called overscan, which causes cropping of the image at the edges. This can be frustrating when watching content like news, where lower information bars may be partially invisible.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in low-quality materials on the Bravia 8 is poor. Unfortunately, the soft gradation feature (which was available in previous models) is missing, which is a significant downside. The digital noise reduction feature can considerably improve tonal transitions; however, it also tends to remove some details, such as clouds in scenes from the film The Martian, which may not be to everyone's liking. As for digital processing, the Sony XR80 performs quite well. The model in test scenes was displayed without noticeable errors, and the branches in the background are not overly jagged. This shows that the Bravia 8 is capable of effectively processing complex low-resolution image details.

Hisense U8NQ is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, making it an excellent choice for both sports and gaming. The television will also easily satisfy film enthusiasts, as it features a built-in "Ultra Motion Smoothness" processor that allows you to control the smoothness of the image — you can decide whether you prefer a more "framey" picture or a smoother, theatrical effect. This provides great flexibility in adjusting motion quality to the viewer’s individual preferences.

Sony Bravia 8 offers a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which forms the basis for smooth viewing of dynamic content such as sports and games. This ensures that movements are sharp and fluid. For more demanding users, the Sony XR80 television is equipped with an advanced motion smoothing system, which is divided into three segments: Smoothness (Film), Smoothness (Camera), and Clarity. The first two are responsible for regulating the degree of blur and smoothness of the image. The third option, concerning clarity, will be described in more detail below. Each of the parameters can be adjusted to personal preferences, allowing users to find the optimal setting tailored to their individual needs.

Hisense U8NQ offers everything a gamer may need for comfortable gameplay. The television supports a refresh rate of 144 Hz, ensuring an extremely smooth image, particularly in dynamic action games. The VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) feature allows the image to adjust to varying frames per second, eliminating stuttering and tearing, resulting in exceptionally fluid gameplay. Additionally, the television is equipped with an ALLM (Automatic Low Latency Mode) feature, which automatically switches the television to gaming mode, minimising input lag. This allows players to enjoy responsive gameplay without the need to manually adjust settings.

Hisense U8NQ also supports Dolby Vision, which is important for gamers who value high image quality, high contrast, and deep colours in games that support this format. The television also has a “Game Bar” — a feature that provides quick access to key settings during gameplay, significantly enhancing user convenience.

However, it is worth noting that despite its rich set of features, the Hisense U8NQ does not offer support for the HGiG standard, which is a popular HDR format in games. This may be disappointing for gamers expecting optimal detail reproduction in HDR scenes. Nevertheless, the other features of the television make the Hisense U8NQ a solid choice for console gaming enthusiasts, offering fluidity, high contrast, and user convenience.

Sony Bravia 8 has significantly improved its compatibility with consoles compared to earlier models. The television supports variable refresh rate (VRR), which eliminates screen tearing, and it synchronises with graphics cards to ensure smooth image display. The automatic low latency mode (ALLM) reduces input lag, which is crucial in fast-paced games. Dolby Vision with low latency additionally provides impressive HDR effects that look stunning during gameplay.

The Sony XR80 television also features a Game Bar, allowing quick access to settings and monitoring parameters while gaming. An interesting option is the ability to enable a virtual crosshair on the screen, which can provide a slight edge in shooting games.

A downside is the lack of support for 1440p@120hz resolution, which could facilitate gaming for users with less powerful graphics cards. Additionally, the Sony XR80 only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is typically used to connect an audio system via eARC, limiting the number of available inputs for connecting next-generation consoles.