Sharp GR8 vs Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV

Sharp GR8 in its promotional materials boasts of "very high brightness" at a level of 500 nits. Unfortunately, our tests showed that the reality is somewhat different – the average luminance value we managed to achieve was around 360 nits. This is rather an average result, especially in the context of the manufacturer's claims. Such brightness does not allow for a full enjoyment of HDR effects. The image is a bit more defined than in standard SDR, but it is difficult to speak of true richness and depth in bright elements here. However, praise is due for the DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage at a level of 95%. This is a result of the application of an additional PFS layer, known from QLED technology. As a result, the colours are vivid and have a pleasant, natural tone, which somewhat compensates for the deficiencies in brightness.

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.

At the outset, it is worth noting that colour reproduction tests are always conducted in the best factory picture mode. In the case of Sharp GR8, this is the “Film” mode. As for white balance, which affects how we perceive colours on the screen, in SDR mode, there is an immediate noticeable dominance of blue. This results in an unnatural cooling of the image – blue elements take on a purple hue, and skin tones acquire a pinkish glow, as we can see in the comparative photo from the film STAR WARS. During the Color Checker test, it was clear that the colour samples deviated from the reference values, confirming considerable errors in colour reproduction. The gamma was also not ideal – it caused excessive brightness throughout the entire image, resulting in a lack of depth and appropriate tonal transitions in the scene.

In 4K HDR mode, the situation looks significantly better. The dominance of blue is much less noticeable, although there are minor issues with the combination of red and blue. This causes some shades to appear somewhat unnatural. The EOTF curve, responsible for the brightness of the image in 4K HDR content, revealed another problem – the television tends to excessively dim the image across the entire surface of the screen.

In summary, the “Film” mode in Sharp GR8 would require a few adjustments to fully utilise the potential of this television. Fortunately, we took care of that and proceeded with calibration.

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.

Sharp GR8 is one of those televisions that truly gains a second life after proper calibration. Both in HD and 4K content, the white balance performs very well, especially when considering the price segment of this model. The image becomes much more aligned with what the director intended to show – colours look natural, and skin tones acquire the appropriate depth and warmth. The brightness characteristics also make a very positive impression. Both gamma and the EOTF curve display really solid values. While minor imperfections can be noticed, they are subtle enough that they are difficult to detect during everyday viewing. In summary, calibration allows the Sharp GR8 to showcase its best features, offering an image that is not only pleasant to the eye but also faithfully reflects the creators' intentions.

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.

Sharp GR8 has been equipped with the "10-bit colour reproduction" feature, which theoretically should improve the smoothness of tonal transitions. In practice… well, the effect is surprising, but not in a particularly positive way. Even at the highest settings, it is difficult to notice any impact on the actual tonal transitions. Instead, the feature surprisingly smooths out what it shouldn't – walls, shirts, or other flat surfaces look almost like they have been freshly ironed. In the test, we had to note that there is simply no actual impact on tonal transitions.

As for image scaling, here Sharp GR8 performs significantly better. The television can give the image a plastic, smooth characteristic, meaning even lower resolution content looks quite good. Of course, with more demanding details, such as thin tree branches in the background, one can notice slight jaggedness, but it is not something that would significantly affect viewing comfort.

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 is where Sharp GR8 has the chance to stand out from the competition in its price segment. The television is equipped with a 144 Hz refresh rate panel, which is an impressive achievement, especially if we plan to use it for dynamic content such as action films, sports broadcasts, or video games. Additionally, the manufacturer has ensured the presence of motion smoothing technology, commonly referred to as a “smoothness enhancer.” The user has three levels of adjustment at their disposal, allowing them to tailor the effect to their own preferences – from subtle smoothing to a more aggressive intervention in the smoothness of the image. This is a nice addition, particularly for those who mainly watch films and care about smooth, cinematic sequences without irritating stutters or frame drops.

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.

If the television has a 144 Hz panel and two full HDMI 2.1 ports, it is clear that it has been designed with gamers in mind. The Sharp GR8 offers exactly that – high refresh rates and the appropriate connections that will allow you to get the most out of modern consoles and PCs. It also features ALLM, which automatically switches the television to low latency mode, and VRR, which ensures the image does not stutter even during more demanding moments. In practice, everything works as it should, and it is hard to find fault with anything. However, there are some shortcomings. It lacks support for HGiG, which is a feature that better adjusts HDR for games, as well as Game Bar, which makes it easier to quickly adjust settings without leaving the game. Despite these drawbacks, the Sharp GR8 is truly a solid option for gamers.

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".