Compare: Samsung The Frame 2025 (LS03F) vs Hisense U7Q

Samsung The Frame 2025 is a television unlike any other – and although competition has emerged for it, it still does it best. The matte panel, flush mounting with the wall, and a single thin cable thanks to the One Connect module make the device resemble a picture more than any other screen. The Art Store app continues to offer the best scans of artworks on the market (even if they are subscription-based), and with interchangeable frames, we can adapt the TV to the interior almost like a piece of furniture. As for the picture itself, since we are also talking about an ordinary television, there are no major changes, but there are also no disappointments compared to last year’s model LS03D. The Frame still offers high native contrast and solid brightness at 600 nits, which combined with the matte finish provides very comfortable daytime use. The colours are not as vibrant as in glossy screens, but against the backdrop of competitive matte constructions, they perform the best. A novelty is the 144 Hz refresh rate, although in practice, mainly PC gamers will benefit from it. Indeed, in terms of gaming features, The Frame has nearly everything: low input lag, variable refresh rate (VRR) support, automatic game mode (ALLM), Game Bar, and a unique motion smoother designed for games. Unfortunately, not everything is as perfect as it might seem. Why? Because the HGiG mode is missing, which has suddenly disappeared from the latest version of the Tizen system. Samsung really should respond to this, as for many gamers it is a key element in choosing a screen. And we fully understand that. Even though LS03F The Frame 2025 does not bring greater revolutions, it is still a unique television that, apart from its appearance, offers quite solid picture quality and extensive gaming features. It’s a pity that year after year we also receive new compromises.

The Hisense U7Q is one of the most interesting Mini-LED televisions in its price segment, clearly demonstrating that Hisense is beginning to make a mark in the market not only through its price-to-performance ratio but also due to its increasingly refined picture quality. Let's start with what truly impresses: the contrast and black levels are at a level that not long ago was unattainable in this price range. Combined with smooth tonal transitions, solid brightness, and a fast 144 Hz panel, the U7Q becomes a television that excels in both movies and gaming. Gamers will find almost everything they could expect here – variable refresh rate (VRR) support, automatic low latency mode (ALLM), very low input lag, and even 240 Hz in Full HD. All of this makes the U7Q compatible with both next-gen consoles and PCs. However, there are some weaker points. With HDR content, one might say: "untapped potential" – you might ask why? The television, due to its algorithms, dims small bright elements or over-emphasises them, which can ruin the viewing experience. There is also a lack of support for HGiG, a feature that would allow for better calibration of the console with the television regarding HDR. In summary, briefly – the Hisense U7Q is a very versatile and complete television that has its imperfections but makes up for them in many key aspects. For gamers, for the occasional movie viewer, for someone looking for good equipment for everyday use – it is one of the most cost-effective offerings in 2025. You just need to know what compromises you are signing up for – and then it will be hard to be disappointed.

The year 2025 promises to be quite interesting when it comes to lifestyle televisions. Why? Because Samsung has prepared two versions of the iconic model The Frame – one standard and the other with the addition of “Pro”. In this review, we take a look at the version without “Pro”, which – as we shall see shortly – is quite significant. The standard model LS03F lacks any local dimming technology, unlike its more expensive sibling. This is important because it affects not only the overall picture quality but, primarily, how this television handles black levels.

The VA panel used in The Frame 2025 has a high native contrast – and this obviously works to its advantage. In the tested film scenes, details in the dark areas of the image were well visible, nothing blended together, and there was no formation of a uniform black/white blob. For the average viewer, this will be more than sufficient. But of course, not everything is perfect. The absence of local dimming means that the black levels on this television are not perfectly deep – they resemble dark navy rather than tar. Additionally, in our tested unit, we noticed slight blooming in the right part of the screen, but this could simply be the “quirk of the specimen” rather than a rule. Theoretically, one could try to improve the perception of black by backlighting the screen – for example, with an LED strip – but in the case of The Frame, this is rather impossible, as this television is meant to sit flush against the wall like a picture. So to achieve a better black visible to our eyes, we are forced to watch the LS03F with the lights on. That’s the charm of this technology.

The U7Q is a television with Mini-LED backlighting – just like the PRO version. The difference? The version without the suffix simply has fewer dimming zones. In our 65-inch model with a VA panel, we counted 220 of them. And although this doesn't make as much of an impression as in the U7Q PRO, it still looks very good on paper for this price range. Alright, but how does it perform in practice? Surprisingly well. The contrast in the U7Q can reach as high as 300,000:1, which gives a really solid black effect. In many scenes, it's hard to find fault – the picture has depth, and the highlights are well separated. Of course, Mini-LED is not OLED – so there are certain limitations. In very challenging scenes with a lot of dark details, the television sometimes either "eats" them, leaving a nice black, or slightly brightens the background, which can cause a halo effect. This is normal in this technology, and one must take it into account. Despite these minor drawbacks – the contrast in the U7Q performs really well.

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.

Since the algorithms responsible for blacks are performing quite well, we expected a similarly good effect regarding brightness and overall HDR quality. Unfortunately – here we have to disappoint you a bit.

The U7Q is a sufficiently bright television – under the best conditions, it can achieve around 800 nits, which indeed impresses on some scenes, especially in scenes like those from the film The Meg. Bright areas can shine, and the HDR effect is noticeable. The problem arises when there are very small, bright elements on a dark background – for example, in Sicario 2 or in the second scene from the film Life of Pi. In such moments, the dimming algorithms work too aggressively. Yes, the blacks look great then, but the brightest points can almost completely disappear, causing the HDR effect to vanish and the details to be barely visible. It's just the nature of this technology in this price segment.

As a consolation, it's worth mentioning that the U7Q is marketed as QLED (in practice, a PFS layer is used, which works very similarly), and it is indeed capable of displaying a wide colour palette – a DCI-P3 coverage of around 94% is a very good result for this class.

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.

We tested the U7Q in the best possible picture mode, which is Filmmaker Mode. This is the mode that is supposed to provide the most "filmic" and creator-intended experience – right out of the box. Unfortunately… even this professionally sounding name does not guarantee a perfect picture.

In our unit, the problem lay in the incorrectly set white balance. Both in HD and 4K content, the picture had too much blue and red, which caused the screen to take on a slightly rosy tint. It didn't look terrible, but it was noticeable – especially in bright scenes and white backgrounds. This alone could perhaps be forgiven, but the biggest problem is managing brightness in HDR content. The EOTF curve from measurements confirms what we saw earlier during scene tests: the television can overly darken the smallest bright elements, causing them to nearly disappear, or on the contrary – excessively brighten the brightest ones, which affects the naturalness of the picture.

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.

Thanks to specialised tools, we managed to correct the colour quality in SDR content to nearly perfection. In materials with lower dynamic range, the delta E errors dropped below 0.5, which can be regarded as an almost reference result. The picture on television, YouTube, or classic Full HD looks really very good after calibration. Alright – but where did we not manage to improve the image so easily? Primarily, it concerns HDR quality content. Although we managed to somewhat 'tame' the white balance and eliminate pink tints in most scenes, unfortunately, we no longer had full control over brightness management. We set the local dimming settings according to the best observations – SDR: Medium, HDR: High – but the U7Q still did everything a bit its own way. There were still cases of excessive dimming or brightening of details that calibration simply could not eliminate. And although the overall reception of the content is significantly better, one must reckon that the U7Q will always have something to say at the end with an 'but'.

In terms of the smoothness of tonal transitions, the LS03F maintains a high standard – just like last year’s models. The television did not encounter any issues when testing more challenging film scenes, where noticeable transitions between shades of colour can easily occur. The colour gradation is very good here – both in the lighter and darker areas of the image. We did not observe the typical banding effect or other disturbances that could be distracting while watching films. If we were to nitpick, in the most demanding scenes – with subtle transitions and delicate gradients – minor imperfections can be detected. But only if one approaches the screen very closely and begins to analyse the image from a distance not intended by the manufacturer.

The U7Q performs remarkably well when it comes to tonal transitions – we can confidently say that it is at an almost reference level, which is why this television receives one of the highest possible ratings in this category from us. Colour blending is smooth, clean, and without visible bands. In the majority of scenes, everything looks simply perfect, and any minor imperfections may only appear in very specific shots – although we hardly noticed any during our tests.

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.

There are situations where we would like to smooth out tonal transitions a bit, especially in older materials – those with limited source quality. The U7Q is equipped with a feature called "Smooth and Gradient Image," but unfortunately... it works very poorly. In the "Low" option, the effects are practically unnoticeable, and other settings smooth details but do not improve tonal transitions. The only positive aspect is that the feature does not interfere with film grain, so it does not ruin the natural structure of the image.

Fortunately, upscaling content performs quite well. The image is not excessively sharpened, and there is no artificial clarity – and although it is known that this is not the level of high-end televisions, the U7Q handles displaying really old content in a completely acceptable manner without any issues.

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.

U7Q is indeed a very fast television, just like its more powerful version "PRO". At a resolution of 4K, it supports up to 144 Hz refresh rate, and if someone wants even more – in Full HD, you can achieve up to 240 Hz! This will mainly benefit PC gamers, but it is worth appreciating – it is a rarely seen feature in this price segment. Right from the start, it is clear that the U7Q has been designed with dynamic content in mind, such as games or sport. In films, we are not left "out in the cold" either – the U7Q offers an "Ultra Motion Smoothness" feature, where using two sliders you can adjust whether you prefer a smoother, theatrical image or something closer to a cinematic style with a visible film frame. It is good that, as with most manufacturers, we have a choice here as well and can adjust it to our own preferences.

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.

The Hisense U7Q is a television designed with gamers in mind – and this is immediately evident from its gaming capabilities. It has practically everything you could wish for: variable refresh rate (VRR) – check, automatic game mode (ALLM) – check, and on top of that, high refresh rates of up to 240 Hz in Full HD and support for various resolutions, not just 4K. This is truly a great set of features that makes the U7Q perform well both in fast-paced first-person shooters on consoles and in more demanding titles on PC. Of course – as with most Hisense models – there is a lack of proper implementation of the HGiG feature. It's a shame because HGiG allows console brightness to be matched to a specific television, which in practice makes displaying HDR games according to the creators' intent much easier. Without this, you simply have to reckon with certain limitations in the final HDR image in games.

In terms of input lag, Samsung maintains a high level – and a very high one at that. The LS03F, like most of this year's models from the brand, achieves a score of 8 ms for 4K content, which is practically a reference value. This result allows for gaming even in the most dynamic titles without delays and with full responsiveness. Well done!

The input lag on the U7Q is really impressive. With 120 Hz content, we measured around 9 ms, and with 60 Hz – around 17 ms. These are exceptional results that make the television excellent for even dynamic games requiring quick reactions. It's hard to criticise anything here. Of course, as is often the case, the Dolby Vision mode in games seems to be a bit slower compared to classic SDR or HDR. This will be particularly noticeable for users of Xbox Series X/S consoles, which are the only ones supporting Dolby Vision Gaming. Fortunately, the input lag remains below 30 ms, so in practice, this is still an acceptable level even for more demanding gamers.

The collaboration of The Frame 2025 with a computer is not a significant problem. Let's start with gaming, as this is where this model demonstrates its strengths – support for 144 Hz signal, low input lag, and compatibility with G-Sync technology (for NVIDIA cards) make it hard not to regard it as a fully-fledged gaming monitor. It is one of the more interesting "PC gaming" televisions available on the market in this category.

When it comes to everyday work, the situation looks equally good. The Frame handles chroma 4:4:4 without any issues, resulting in good font readability and overall user comfort. We only noticed minor problems with dimming very thin lines and dark details on a light background – this effect may occur especially when working with small interface elements. However, in practice, with a 55-inch diagonal screen and standard office working distance, it will be difficult to realistically notice this problem. Nonetheless, it is worth keeping this in mind if the television is to serve as a monitor not only for entertainment but also for precise work with graphics or text.

The U7Q communicates excellently with the computer. For gamers, this is great news – we have high refresh rates, low input lag, and G-SYNC support, making gameplay from a PC pure enjoyment. But the U7Q also performs well in everyday tasks. If someone uses the computer for word processing, browsing the internet, or office work – there’s nothing to complain about. The TV correctly handles chroma 4:4:4, so fonts look sharp and clear, without blurriness or odd contours. Both small and capital letters are simply readable – just as it should be.

As could be expected from a VA panel, the viewing angles on The Frame 2025 are at best mediocre. The image loses saturation and contrast when moved off-axis. It's a pity because we are talking about a model that displays digital artworks in standby mode – and it is precisely in such moments that wide viewing angles would make the most sense, enhancing the experience of engaging with a real image rather than just its screen imitation.

Perhaps in the future, manufacturers will decide to introduce special coatings or modified versions of VA panels that improve this aspect – because for lifestyle televisions, it would have real significance not only in terms of functionality but also aesthetics.

The viewing angles on the U7Q are rather poor – this is simply characteristic of VA panel qualities. Directly in front, everything looks very good: blacks are deep, colours are saturated, and contrast is high. However, just moving slightly to the side causes the picture to start losing quality – colours become washed out, and blacks begin to resemble dark grey. Compared to televisions with IPS panels, the U7Q performs worse, although on the other hand, it makes up for it with better contrast and deeper blacks.

One of the most characteristic elements of The Frame is its matte display – and it must be said that Samsung has really refined this aspect. From our experience, it is one of the best solutions for suppressing light reflections, especially direct ones. If screen reflections can be irritating, it will be difficult to find a better display in this budget than the matte panel used in Samsung TVs. Of course, this comes with a certain compromise. In very bright sunlight, colours may appear slightly washed out, and the image loses a bit of depth. However, it is something we consciously accept when choosing a matte screen – something for something. In practice, the colours and contrast on Samsung's matte screen are still better than on Chinese designs such as the TCL NXT Vision or Hisense Canvas TV. If effective suppression of reflections and the desire to use the television also as a "digital picture" in bright rooms is a priority, then there is hardly a better choice.

The Frame achieves around 600 nits of brightness, which combined with the matte finish allows the television to perform well in brightly lit daytime conditions. It may not be at the level of flagship models, but in everyday use – in a living room with plenty of light – it handles it without any problems.

The U7Q performs quite well in a sunlit room. The brightness in SDR mode averages around 520 nits, which practically means that even on a sunny day, it is easy to comfortably watch television – without the feeling that everything is drowned in reflections. Additionally, thanks to the satin coating on the panel, the television does a good job of suppressing reflections.

Classic Television Features

In terms of classic features, The Frame does not stand out particularly from the competition. There are no options for recording to USB or PiP (picture-in-picture) functionality, which may be disappointing for some users. On the other hand, the television allows for simultaneous use of speakers and headphones, which can be useful – especially for older users. The EPG, or electronic programme guide, is quite readable, and despite the lack of conventional buttons on the remote, we were able to access teletext. In everyday use, the basic functions operate smoothly and without significant complaints.

Smart System – Tizen and Applications

The Frame 2025 runs on the Tizen system, which has long been regarded as one of the most refined Smart TV solutions on the market. This system is designed with the idea that devices are more than just a television – and it has been constructed with that spirit in mind. Tizen offers full integration with external devices – supporting both Apple AirPlay and Miracast. With the SmartThings app, it is possible to control not only the television but also other devices within the smart home framework. Since last year, Samsung has also been developing its own voice assistant with support for the Polish language, which significantly facilitates operation. However, the greatest strength of the Smart system in The Frame remains the Art Gallery application. Although access to it is paid (in the form of a subscription), it offers the best scans of works of art available on the market – referring to scans, not ordinary photographs. As a result, the effect of a digital painting hanging on the wall is markedly better than in any other lifestyle television.

Classic features of U7Q

Hisense U7Q has quite a lot to offer when it comes to classic TV features. You can record programmes to USB, connect external devices via Bluetooth without any hassle, and the interface – such as the EPG – is clear and easy to read. It may sound like something mainly appreciated by seniors, but the truth is that U7Q has practically everything needed for watching traditional television. The only thing missing here is the PiP (picture-in-picture) feature.

Smart TV U7Q: Vidaa

As for Smart features, the U7Q runs on the proprietary VIDAA system. And it must be admitted – it operates really smoothly. Voice search in Polish? No complaints. AirPlay and screen mirroring? They work without any issues as well. Of course, one must be aware that VIDAA is a closed system, so – as is often the case – it lacks some popular applications, especially those related to music. Therefore, before purchasing, it is worth checking whether all the applications you use regularly are available.

During testing, we did not notice any major issues with playing files from a USB memory stick. The television handled both video materials and photos well. Of course, there are some exceptions – for example, a lack of support for the HEIC format (used by Apple devices) – but it is difficult to consider this surprising. One positive aspect is the full support for high-resolution photos – the television displays files with a high number of megapixels without any problems, which may be particularly significant for those looking to treat The Frame as a digital frame as well. However, during testing, we noticed a limitation regarding subtitles – the television only correctly handled files in .txt format. It is worth keeping this in mind and ensuring that the downloaded subtitles for films are saved in this format; otherwise, they may simply not display.

The built-in player in the U7Q fully meets the needs of most future users. The television handles Polish characters effortlessly and supports most popular video, audio, and image formats. If we had to nitpick, it would only be about the limited support for certain image resolutions – there are instances when files from a camera are not displayed correctly. So it's worth keeping this in mind if you plan to present photos straight from a DSLR or phone.

For such a slim television, the sound is quite good. It is full, sufficient for everyday viewing, but without much excitement – typical for flat constructions. There is little bass, although at times it can be heard. The speakers in a 2.0.2 arrangement have a total power of 40 W (in the 55+ inch version). Unfortunately, the television does not support the DTS format, so for films with that sound, one has to rely on external equipment, such as a home cinema. A soundbar can be connected, and thanks to the Q-Symphony feature, the television plays along with it. Samsung also offers visually matched models for The Frame like S700D or S800D, but they are sold separately. (This shouldn’t surprise anyone😉).

Sound is one of the bigger advantages of the U7Q. The television sounds really pleasant – there is a slightly noticeable bass, good tone balance, and definitely something more than just for "daily news watching." You can easily play music on it and simply sit back and enjoy the sound – of course in an entertaining form, not an audiophile one 😉. Full support for the most important audio codecs also deserves a big plus, as they worked flawlessly. A small exception is Dolby Atmos in TrueHD version, which didn’t fully play when connected to the home cinema, so if someone uses this format – it’s worth keeping in mind – it might be a software issue.

Samsung The Frame 2025 (LS03F) vs Hisense U7Q

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

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Classic Television Features

Smart System – Tizen and Applications

Classic features of U7Q

Smart TV U7Q: Vidaa

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound