TCL C655 / C69B (55"-85") vs Hisense E7Q / E79Q

Generally speaking, the quality of the HDR effect on the TCL C655 / C69B looks quite promising. The average value in the test charts is around 450 nits, which already allows one to feel the light effects and better image dynamics. However, as previously mentioned, this effect may be partially subdued by slight differences in bright and dark colours, resulting from the lack of local dimming technology. However, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette at 94% deserves high praise, and this is made possible by the use of a quantum dot (QLED) matrix. As a result, colours are vivid and accurately represented when watching HDR content.

The Hisense E7Q / E79Q is a television with average brightness, with a peak luminance level of around 350-380 nits. This is an absolute minimum that allows for HDR content to be viewed in a way that is close to the creators' intentions, although without a distinct "wow" effect. Synthetic test results on white screens have been confirmed in practice – in film scenes, the bright parts of the image are stable and quite uniform, but it's hard to speak of a true "light punch." In everyday use, for example, when watching Netflix or YouTube, the HDR effect is acceptable and is perfectly sufficient for most users. However, it must be stated clearly – this is not the level of top-end screens, and one should not expect that in this price range. Fortunately, the Hisense E7Q / E79Q has an advantage that allows it to gain quite a few points: it features a PFS LED QLED panel, utilising an additional phosphor layer that improves colour reproduction. The measured range of the DCI-P3 colour gamut is about 92%, which means that colours in most scenes are vibrant, well-saturated, and pleasant to the eye, particularly for this price bracket.

The television TCL C655 / C69B offers a film mode that has been tested for colour reproduction quality. Although this mode is called film mode, it unfortunately has several errors that a director would surely not want to see when recording their work. Starting with image analysis, it is worth examining the white balance – both in HD and 4K HDR content, the white balance has significant errors. In both cases, the red colour dominates, causing the colours to be too warm, and the overall result takes on a pink or yellow tint. This can be seen in the image below from the film "Star Wars". The Colour Checker test confirms these errors – the colour samples veer into incorrect shades, affecting the overall colour fidelity. A less significant issue is the brightness characteristic. However, this is also not without its flaws. The gamma graph shows a strong peak at the beginning, causing the image to be excessively brightened, and the EOTF curve responsible for brightness in 4K HDR material also has substantial fluctuations – it is noticeable how the television tries to maintain the appropriate brightness, but it does not always succeed effectively.

In Filmmaker mode, the Hisense E7Q / E79Q television was truly impressive. After the first measurements, it became clear that the white balance was quite well tuned, with the only minor deviation being a slight tendency towards a purple tone, which we mentioned earlier. However, this did not significantly impact the overall character of the image – it remained coherent and pleasant to view. A much larger issue turned out to be the brightness characteristics (gamma) in SDR content and the EOTF curve in HDR films. The television noticeably brightened the image, flattening the contrast and diminishing its depth. Gamma values could drop from the reference 2.4 to around 1.9, making the image look as if it were covered with a thin, milky layer. Fortunately, this is a problem that can be relatively easily corrected through calibration.

After calibrating the television's film mode TCL C655 / C69B , the white balance has been adjusted, and the colours are presented as they should be – confirmed only by slight deviations in the Colour Checker test. The gamma is really quite accurate, which means the television should not have issues with brightness in low-resolution materials. Unfortunately, a similar EOTF characteristic is still visible, which is a natural phenomenon in televisions that do not have local dimming – they simply struggle to "shine" more in a given area of the screen. Despite this inherent limitation that cannot be bypassed, we recommend adjustment in the settings, as the overall colour presentation looks really very good.

The biggest beneficiary of calibration in the case of the Hisense E7Q / E79Q was undoubtedly the SDR mode. It managed to achieve an almost perfect image – most errors in the Color Checker test dropped below a value of 3, and often even 2, which is an outstanding result for this class of equipment. The greatest improvement came from equalising the brightness characteristic (gamma), which meant the image no longer appeared washed out and regained its natural depth. In HDR content, it was also possible to improve colours and eliminate the purple tint mentioned earlier, but errors in the Color Checker measurements were still noticeable. This is due to the fact that – as is often the case with Hisense televisions – the screen manipulates brightness quite heavily, overemphasising some colours. This was also indicated by the EOTF curve, which was slightly above the reference values, suggesting these minor issues with excessive brightness. Despite this drawback and the design limitations that emerge with HDR content, the Hisense E7Q / E79Q gained quite a lot after calibration. In everyday use, the television presents a consistent, natural, and pleasant image, and the difference compared to the factory settings is enormous.

The television TCL C655 / C69B handles tonal transitions fairly well in low-quality materials. The "Gradual Smoothing" feature at a low setting effectively smooths out tonal transitions; however, it simultaneously blurs significant details, such as the texture of objects. On the plus side, it does not negatively impact the film grain, allowing the natural appearance of the image to be preserved. As for digital processing, the television adds artificial sharpness, which may appeal to some users who prefer a sharpened image. However, for those who prefer a softer look, this could be a disadvantage. A notable downside is that the image has been quite significantly cropped due to what is known as overscan, which reduces the field of view and trims the edges of the image.

In the case of the Hisense E7Q / E79Q, upscaling and digital image processing are not the strongest aspects of this television. It is evident that the manufacturer has opted more for simplicity rather than advanced image processing algorithms. The television does not offer any features to smooth tonal transitions or systems to improve image clarity, resulting in lower resolution materials looking simply very raw. On the screen, you can notice subtle compression edges that better processors in other models can effectively hide.

During the HD material tests, we noticed that the E7Q tries to artificially enhance detail, which sometimes works, and at other times has the opposite effect – the image becomes soft, slightly blurred, at times even “watery.” There is no aggressive sharpening that ruins naturalness, but there is also no finesse in the detail integration that better image converters offer.

The television C655 / C69B is equipped with a 4K@60 Hz panel, which means it works best for watching films and less dynamic content. It also features a "Flicker Reduction" function that allows for the adjustment of image smoothness – the user can choose whether they prefer smoother motion or a more cinematic, frame-by-frame effect. The television can also adapt to lower resolutions, such as Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz, which will surely please gamers by offering a smoother image at the cost of resolution. It is worth noting that this feature is available in sizes from 55"+. Additionally, the largest variant, 98", is equipped with a 144Hz panel with full motion smoothing.

Hisense E7Q / E79Q is a television with a 60 Hz screen, so fans of 4K sports may feel a slight disappointment – we simply won’t see such smooth images here as in more expensive models with higher refresh rates. Fortunately, the situation is much better for films. Cinematic materials recorded at 24 frames per second can be displayed here using a motion smoothing feature, allowing the user to tailor the picture to their own preferences – either more cinematic with visible frames or smoother, in a theatrical style.

The TCL C655 / C69B television offers nearly the perfect set of features for gamers, supporting all the most important technologies. It has an ALLM feature that automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, significantly improving responsiveness and minimising signal lag, which is especially important during dynamic gameplay. The VRR feature allows the screen refresh rate to synchronise with the frame rate generated by the console, eliminating screen tearing and providing smoother gameplay.

The television also supports Dolby Vision in game mode, which ensures better colour and contrast rendering in games that support this format, and the Game Bar provides quick access to settings related to gameplay, such as response time, latency level, and other parameters. Unfortunately, the C655 / C69B does not support 4K resolution at 120 Hz (the exception here is the 98" variant), which may be disappointing for more demanding gamers who expect the highest fluidity of image in high-resolution games. However, if we can forgo 4K, the television offers support for Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz, providing a smoother image and is a great alternative for those who prefer a higher refresh rate at the expense of resolution.

Hisense E7Q / E79Q is truly a successful television for gamers, even though it does not support 4K signal at 120 Hz. The manufacturer, however, has ensured a set of features that until recently could only be found in more expensive models. There is ALLM, meaning automatic switching to low latency mode, allowing the television to activate game mode with very low input lag by itself. We also have VRR, functioning up to 60 Hz – while this may not look impressive on paper, in practice it is fully sufficient, as most games on consoles do not exceed this limit. All these settings can be quickly found in the Game Bar panel, a convenient menu created specifically for gamers. From this interface, one can change picture modes, enable a frame counter, or even... an on-screen reticle – humorously named "target point" in the Vidaa system, which is a result of awkward translation from the Chinese manufacturer.

Special praise should be given to the ability to play in 1080p at 120 Hz, which significantly improves the fluidity and responsiveness of the image. Therefore, if someone wants to play a few titles at a higher refresh rate, they can simply lower the resolution and enjoy much smoother motion. Despite the lack of 4K@120Hz, the Hisense E7Q / E79Q performs really well as a gaming television – especially for those who are not looking for perfection but rather a solid and fast screen for everyday gaming.