Philips PUS7009 (IPS) vs Hisense A6N

In terms of HDR effect quality, PUS7009 (IPS) performs very poorly. A brightness level of 250 nits does not allow for enjoyment of HDR effects, and the image resembles a more standard SDR. There is no talk of dynamic effects or vivid bursts of light. The coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut is only 75%, which is decidedly insufficient. The lack of full colour coverage means that the colours are not as vibrant as they should be, resulting in a flat and unconvincing image. There are no aspects for which this model could be praised in the context of HDR.

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 television was tested in film mode, which – despite its name – does not provide accurate image display. The white balance in both 4K HDR and HD/SDR content is characterised by drops in red, causing the image to appear cooler and the colours to lose their natural warmth. The gamma brightness characteristics and the EOTF curve confirm that the television has issues maintaining appropriate brightness – it heavily boosts it, resulting in an unnaturally washed-out image. This effect can be seen in the comparisons below, where the entire image appears as if it has a milky filter applied. Additionally, the limited coverage of a wide colour gamut also does not favour quality – colour checker tests indicate significant colour variations, making it difficult to achieve faithful image reproduction.

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.

After calibration, the picture has significantly improved, especially in terms of white balance, which is now more stable, and the shades have taken on a natural quality, eliminating the previous impression of a picture that was too cool. Calibration has brought noticeable benefits in terms of tonality – shadows and midtones are now more realistic, and the overall effect seems more harmonious. Unfortunately, hardware limitations still affect the quality of the image. The brightness characteristics remain problematic, despite our efforts, and due to the poor coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 colour gamut, delta E errors are still at a high level. Although calibration has improved some aspects, the television still does not allow for complete satisfaction.

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.

When it comes to tonal transitions in low-quality material, a feature named "Distortion Reduction" (set to "minimum") effectively improves gradation, eliminating ugly tonal transitions. However, this setting on Philips televisions is quite aggressive – while it does not blur the grain or good-quality material, it can introduce undesirable effects and blur elements that should remain sharp when the signal is poorer.

In terms of image scaling, Philips PUS7009 performs reasonably well. A significant advantage is the absence of cropped image edges, meaning no overscan, which allows for the display of the full frame without loss. The image is noticeably enhanced, making characters and backgrounds, such as the model or branches in the background, appear quite detailed and natural, even with lower quality signals. Although scaling is not perfect, as it can remove desirable details in the distance, the results are good enough to satisfy most 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.

Philips PUS7009 does not have any motion smoothing features for films, which means we cannot choose whether the picture should be more choppy or more cinematic. These features could improve more dynamic scenes. As for motion blur, despite using a 60Hz IPS panel, the situation looks quite good. The response time between pixels is better than in versions with a VA panel, which keeps motion blur at an acceptable level and does not significantly affect the comfort of watching dynamic scenes.

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.

In terms of compatibility with consoles, Philips PUS7009 is suitable for casual gamers. Despite the use of HDMI 2.0, the television offers access to features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the television to low latency mode, allowing for quicker response times during gameplay, while VRR dynamically adjusts the refresh rate to reduce the tearing effect. Game Bar is a tool that provides quick access to game settings and real-time monitoring of parameters - although we believe it appears the weakest compared to competing Game Bars.

Unfortunately, more demanding gamers may be disappointed. The Philips PUS7009 does not support advanced HDR formats in games or high refresh rates, due to the use of a 60 Hz panel. The lack of support for these features limits the television's ability to deliver smooth and fully detailed experiences during dynamic gameplay.

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.