Sharp GP6765 vs Hisense U6NQ

In film mode, the television Sharp GP6765 reaches a brightness level of 300 nits, unfortunately, this is quite an average result. Such brightness is closer to the standard SDR image than to what should be offered by a full HDR experience. As a result, the television is unable to convey the full depth and dynamics of the image that one could expect from a good HDR mode. The visual effects that appear vivid and detailed in other models may seem muted here, and high-contrast scenes will not look as impressive. However, it is worth noting that when comparing this result with televisions in this budget, it is a decent score. A positive feature is the fact that the television supports a wide colour gamut of DCI-P3 at 92.5% thanks to the implementation of quantum dots (Quantum Dot/QLED). This is quite a respectable result, especially in this price category. As a result, the colours are vibrant and more saturated, which certainly affects the picture quality, although it does not fully salvage the HDR experience due to limited brightness.

Hisense U6NQ offers a stable HDR effect, which is a rarity in TVs with local dimming. On most streaming platforms, in films and series recorded in 4K, the television delivers consistent performance – in every tested scene, regardless of difficulty, the brightness is around 450 nits. This is a pleasant surprise, as in many models of this class, there are notable differences – some scenes are well-lit, while others are heavily dimmed by dimming algorithms. However, the Hisense U6NQ prioritises maintaining higher brightness, which comes at the expense of black levels, as mentioned in the contrast test paragraph.

The HDR effect on the U6NQ is satisfactory, offering a noticeable "burst" of light in bright moments, although it is worth noting the previously mentioned blooming, which may be visible in more challenging scenes. In terms of colours, the television also performs decently – the coverage of the DCI-P3 palette is 89%, and BT.2020 is 71%. Although these are not results that would impress more demanding users, for beginners in the world of high-quality materials, the U6NQ serves as a solid choice. Therefore, it presents an interesting proposition as an "entry-level" television for home cinema.

Sharp GP6765 was launched in movie mode, which is the best setting for colour reproduction. Unfortunately, despite this, the quality still falls short of ideal standards. Starting with white balance, in SDR mode, the graph shows significant increases in the case of the red colour. This effect can make the image appear slightly yellowed, leading to distortion of natural skin tones. As a result, viewers may notice that some scenes seem unnatural, and colours lose their authenticity. In HDR mode, the situation changes dramatically – the dominant colour becomes blue. Such a strong shift towards blue also negatively affects the colour balance of the image, which can lead to loss of detail in cool tones. Viewers may feel that the image is somewhat cold and out of balance, which further emphasises the fact that the television does not achieve optimal colour reproduction. Tests carried out using the Colour Checker tool confirm these shifts in several tested samples.

As for contrast, in HD mode, the range shows a significant jump at the beginning of the graph, but then remains close to the reference line at 2.4. This means that in most scenes, the television is able to deliver a satisfactory level of contrast. For the viewer, this translates into better perception of details in shadows and greater depth of the image, which affects their overall experience when watching films and TV programmes. In HDR mode, however, the EOTF curve displays large fluctuations both at the beginning and at the end of the graph. Such fluctuations can lead to inconsistencies in the reproduction of details in bright and dark areas of the image. For the viewer, this means that in scenes with intense light, such as explosions or dynamic actions, crucial details may disappear, and the image can appear blurred. Conversely, in darker parts of the image, the lack of clear differences in shades can cause details to merge into a uniform blob, significantly reducing the quality of viewing. Although movie mode offers the best factory settings in the GP6765, both in terms of colour reproduction and contrast, it still has significant issues.

Hisense U6NQ in Filmmaker mode offers really decent colour reproduction, although it's worth noting that differences between individual units can be noticeable. The model we tested was pleasantly surprising, especially with HD content in SDR quality. The white balance was correct here, and errors around 3–4 ΔE should be acceptable for the average viewer. The television performed slightly worse with colour reproduction in 4K HDR materials. The dominance of blue shades led to unnatural cool tones on the Colour Checker chart, giving the image a "store-bought" character. Combined with issues in brightness characteristics – gamma and EOTF curve caused some parts of the image to be too dark – the Filmmaker mode loses some of its credibility in this case. Although the factory settings of the tested unit deserve praise, especially in SDR, there were still minor shortcomings that would require correction to fully exploit the capabilities of the television.

After calibration, in film mode, the white balance on the Sharp GP6765 television for SDR content shows a significant improvement. All lines in the graph approach the reference line. Although they are not perfectly straight, the results achieved are satisfactory, considering the price range of this model. Such an improvement in white balance translates to a more natural and accurate colour reproduction, positively affecting the overall visual experience and immersion in the films being watched. As for the gamut, the initial spike on the graph was not removed; however, after this error, the rest of the lines represent the expected effect much better, making the picture more consistent and enjoyable to perceive.

In the case of HDR content, the white balance performs somewhat worse compared to SDR content, but it is still significantly better than before calibration. The improvement in white balance in HDR contributes to greater colour consistency, making watching films more enjoyable, even though there may be some shortcomings. Speaking of contrast, it is difficult to mention a significant improvement here. Our specialists noted that the lack of control over the dynamic tone mapping settings hindered achieving a significant improvement in EOTF, leading to uneven brightness representation.

Despite some shortcomings related to the lack of settings options for dynamic tone mapping, the Sharp GP6765 television has gained a new identity after proper calibration. The enhanced white balance and better colour reproduction in SDR mode make the image more natural and pleasing to the eye. Although there are still areas that require improvement, especially in HDR content, the television offers a satisfying visual experience, making it an interesting choice within its price range.

Although the factory settings of the Filmmaker mode on the Hisense U6NQ were quite good, we decided to carry out a calibration to fully assess the capabilities of this model. Only after such an adjustment can one see how the television performs under ideal conditions. In the case of SDR content, which was already at a high level, we managed to further improve the white balance. However, the most significant change came from correcting the brightness characteristics – the gamma was optimised and no longer causes excessive dimming of the image, which improves its naturalness.

For 4K HDR content, the calibration also produced positive effects. We eliminated the blue dominance issue, resulting in a more balanced and natural image. However, managing brightness in HDR materials remains a more complex matter. The EOTF curve, while having problems with dimming the image in the 10–30% brightness range in laboratory conditions, reveals other shortcomings in real scenes. The television tends to excessively brighten the smallest elements on the screen. As a result, this leads to visible halo effects around bright objects. This phenomenon, which we mentioned earlier in the context of contrast and HDR, arises from the technological limitations of the particular model and is often difficult to eliminate.

In short: although the Filmmaker mode with factory settings performed decently, calibration allowed us to extract an even better effect – minor adjustments resulted in a more balanced image, especially in HDR content. For users seeking the highest quality picture, calibration will be a beneficial step.

On the Sharp GP6765 television, the "10-bit colour reproduction" feature performs well in the tested scene with light bulbs. Setting this option to "medium" yields satisfactory results, as there are no issues with grain smoothing or blurring of significant elements of the image. Setting it to "low" also produces positive results, offering a clear picture without negatively impacting the details. Such smoothing options for tonal transitions contribute to an improvement in visual quality, enabling more natural colour transitions.

In the context of image scaling, the Sharp GP6765 television has its strengths, such as the absence of overscan when displaying test material. This allows viewers to enjoy a full picture without losing any detail from the edges. However, in the tested scene with the model, there are some shortcomings. The branches and trousers do not look their best. Their outlines appear slightly jagged, suggesting that effective edge smoothing techniques have not been applied. This causes some details to look slightly distorted, which can affect the overall visual experience.

With high-quality materials, such as 4K, tonal transitions on U6NQ look really good – the colours blend nicely, and the image is coherent. Unfortunately, when we move to content in lower resolutions, the television does not offer any additional features that could improve this aspect. An example is the test with the light bulb, where it is clearly visible that the television has a problem with rendering subtle tonal transitions.

However, digital processing performs quite well. The image looks pliable, is pleasantly soft, and free from excessive banding. Moreover, thanks to the sharpness settings, it can be adjusted according to personal preferences – whether towards a softer or sharper image. Overall, although scaling lower quality materials could be better, the television handles image processing effectively.

When it comes to trailing and motion smoothness, the Sharp GP6765 television performs rather mediocrely. It is equipped with a 60 Hz refresh rate panel, which suffices in the context of films. The television has a motion enhancement feature called "Motion Improvement". Thanks to this feature, we can control the fluidity of motion, allowing us to choose whether the image should appear with film-like frames or be smoother - theatrical. This enhancer should satisfy most users who focus on film content. However, when it comes to sports or gaming, Sharp does not perform at its best. In the tested scene with the UFO alien, there is noticeable blurriness, suggesting that the low response time of the panel negatively impacts the sharpness of moving objects. Such effects can be particularly frustrating during dynamic sequences where quick movements are common. For those who prefer watching sports or intense video games, the limitations in motion smoothness may be discouraging, making the Sharp GP6765 not necessarily the ideal choice in this category.

Hisense U6NQ offers native 60 Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution, but the manufacturer has added a feature that allows the refresh rate to be increased to 120 Hz, at the cost of reducing the resolution to Full HD. This solution, which we have seen before in TCL televisions, such as the C655 or C655 PRO. This gives the user the choice – higher motion fluidity or full resolution. This is a sensible approach, especially considering that many games on next-generation consoles do not achieve full performance in 4K at 120 Hz.

As for movies, the television is equipped with a motion smoothing feature that allows you to adjust the motion characteristics to your own preferences. This allows for a more cinematic effect or increased fluidity in dynamic scenes. Overall, Hisense U6NQ offers reasonable solutions in terms of motion fluidity that should satisfy both gamers and movie enthusiasts.

The functionality of Sharp's GP6765 for gamers leaves much to be desired. Although this model is equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports, which in theory should offer a range of modern conveniences, in practice the situation is far worse. The only feature that truly utilises the capabilities of this standard is Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Unfortunately, the lack of support for key features such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) or HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGIG) makes this television a less attractive choice for gamers. VRR is crucial for eliminating issues with tearing and stuttering, which is particularly important in dynamic games where image fluidity is key. Meanwhile, HGIG allows for optimal HDR reproduction, enhancing immersion and visual quality. While it might seem that the implementation of Dolby Vision would bring significant benefits, it is completely useless for gamers due to the very high input lag in this mode.

One could say that the presence of HDMI 2.1 ports in Sharp GP6765 is a marketing trap that may mislead users into thinking that the HDMI standard automatically entails all its conveniences. Expecting full functionality, which should go hand in hand with HDMI 2.1, could lead to disappointment.

Hisense U6NQ offers the option to choose between 4K at 60 Hz and Full HD with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. This solution may appeal to gamers who want to decide what is more important to them – higher resolution or smoothness. The television supports features such as ALLM and VRR, which help in achieving smoother gameplay. A nice addition is the GameBar – an easy-to-use panel that allows you to quickly change picture settings and check statistics. There is also a Dolby Vision Game mode, which operates with low input lag, which is a big plus for console enthusiasts. Unfortunately, it lacks HGiG, which could further enhance HDR quality in games. Nevertheless, the Hisense U6NQ performs quite well as a gaming television, especially for those who play occasionally and do not require the highest refresh rates in 4K. It is a solid choice for less demanding users.