Hisense A7NQ vs Samsung U8000F (IPS)

We checked how the Hisense A7NQ performs with HDR, and there are no surprises here. The luminance chart showed a maximum brightness of 370 nits. The result? Exactly what one could expect – average. At a brightness of around 350 nits, HDR does not stand out particularly compared to SDR. A subtle difference can be seen in more brightly lit scenes, but it’s not a jaw-dropping effect. As for the coverage of the wide colour gamut, the result was 92% for DCI-P3 and 70.2% for BT.2020. These are decent values for a TV in this class that uses a PFS coating – the same one that is sometimes promoted as QLED. The colours look good, but let’s not expect anything that competes with the best screens on the market. HDR on the Hisense A7NQ is more of an addition than a "game changer." For those looking for solid picture quality on a moderate budget – absolutely acceptable. However, if we expect full HDR capabilities, it is worth looking at higher-end models.

Better does not mean good – and that perfectly summarizes the capabilities of the U8092F when it comes to displaying bright movie scenes in HDR mode. The brightness of the panel is just under 250 nits, which is definitely too little to enjoy any lighting effects. An interesting situation was noted during the measurement of the fourth scene from the movie Sicario 2 – the television clearly dimmed the entire screen in an attempt to achieve better black levels (which are still weak). One could even suggest that the device uses some form of "global dimming," but unfortunately, the results are still very poor. To make matters worse, the television does not support a wide color gamut – the coverage of the DCI-P3 space is about 80%, so there’s no hope for truly vibrant colors. HDR images here look rather like lightly brightened SDR, and that's the form we would suggest sticking to when it comes to this television.

When testing the Hisense A7NQ in Filmmaker mode, we hoped for compliance with the manufacturer's assumptions, but unfortunately, the reality looks different. The main issue, as with most TVs, is the white balance. In the case of the A7NQ, we noticed a clear dominance of blue, which affected both lower-quality materials and 4K HDR content. The Color Checker test results confirm this, and the comparison images speak for themselves – the main actress appears cool and pale in "factory" mode. It looks as if she has been stripped of life.

Regarding brightness characteristics, both gamma and the EOTF curve show that the image is excessively bright. As a result, everything seems flat, lacking depth and contrast. This state of affairs definitely does not work in favour of the A7NQ and makes the viewing experience in factory mode leave much to be desired. If we expect natural colour reproduction and appropriate image depth, the A7NQ in Filmmaker mode is unlikely to impress us. It is a TV that requires significant adjustment to extract its potential.

The Samsung U8000F was tested in the best possible picture mode built into the TV, which is Filmmaker Mode. This mode should – at least in theory – offer a cinematic, reference-quality image without unnecessary enhancements. For SDR content (mainly HD/SD), the TV performed surprisingly well straight out of the box. White balance errors hovered around a value of 3, which is roughly at the threshold of perception. The only complaint could be about brightness management – the gamma chart showed a slight tendency to brighten or darken certain areas, but overall it performed quite well for this price segment.

Unfortunately, it looks much worse in HDR mode. Although the white balance wasn't terrible, the TV had significant color errors – particularly noticeable on the Color Checker chart, where almost every sample landed outside the target point. The HDR image simply looks unnatural, and colors can be shifted, dull, or too cool. This largely stems from the fact that the U8000F does not support a wide color gamut (DCI-P3). The TV is physically incapable of displaying accurate colors in HDR standard – and this unfortunately shows in every more demanding material.

The Hisense A7NQ offers several tools that allow you to improve image quality, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and "dig around" in the settings a bit. Thanks to professional tools and measurements, we managed to correct the white balance, eliminating the excessive dominance of blue colour in both HD and 4K materials. This is a significant step forward, as in the Color Checker test, colour reproduction errors in lower-quality content dropped to a much more acceptable level. Unfortunately, 4K materials are still far from ideal – colour distortions are considerable and stem from the limitations of the television.

As for gamma, we managed to significantly reduce the excessive brightness of the image set after setting it to the correct level. However, the issue with brightness characteristics in 4K content remains unresolved – the EOTF curve still shows excessive illumination of the entire screen. It is possible that a proper implementation of dynamic tone mapping could help here, but as we mentioned earlier, this feature on the Hisense A7NQ works rather poorly instead of being helpful. Nevertheless, calibration significantly improved the overall image perception. The director's vision is now much better conveyed than in the factory settings, which more demanding viewers will certainly appreciate.

Although the U8000F offered quite a decent picture in SDR right out of the box, we were able to adjust it a little more. We managed to eliminate a slightly purplish tint and calibrate the gamma to a more reasonable level. However, the television still tends to overemphasize the smallest and brightest parts of the image – the gamma chart shows a characteristic "dip" that is difficult to completely correct.

Unfortunately, the situation looks worse in HDR. It's hard to talk about any significant improvement here – the television is simply not designed for HDR content. We tried to adjust the picture in the advanced settings, but despite everything, the color errors remained quite large – a delta E above 7 indicates noticeable deviations. It's a bit of a shame, but that's the charm of a budget design. In SDR, the U8000F performs just fine, while HDR is simply not its league.

The Hisense A7NQ impresses with smooth tonal transitions in 4K materials, but unfortunately, there is no feature here that would improve this aspect in older materials of lower quality. In such cases, colour merging becomes more visible, which can somewhat spoil the viewing experience, especially in scenes with a lot of gradients.

When it comes to upscaling, the TV performs surprisingly well. The image is clearly improved, although it does come with some compromises. One can notice that the TV adds a bit of artificial sharpness, and elements in the background, such as branches, tend to exhibit slight "jagginess." These are details, however, that will mainly catch the eye of those who pay attention to such nuances.

When it comes to how the Samsung U8000F handles lower-quality materials, we have to admit that Samsung has made progress compared to its predecessor from last year – the DU7192 model, which theoretically occupies the same place in the lineup.

This year's model is equipped with a function to improve the fluidity of tonal transitions, which has been implemented much better than last year. Yes, the television still uses quite strong algorithms that can distort details or remove film grain, but even so – it can be confidently said that it works effectively.

However, not everything went perfectly. The U8000F has noticeable issues with slight frame cutting when watching very old content in very low resolution. If someone plans to play their old VHS tape, they should be prepared for the image to appear slightly “cut off.”

The Hisense A7NQ is equipped with a 60 Hz matrix, meaning dynamic scenes – for example, in sports or games – are somewhat average here. This is standard for this level of TV, but it must be admitted that watching more intense, fast-moving content can leave a lot to be desired. However, when it comes to movies, the TV offers a motion smoothing feature that operates on a 10-level scale. The "motion blur reduction" option allows you to adjust the fluidity of the image to your own preferences. At the lowest setting, you get a natural film frame rate, which will please cinema purists. On the other hand, the maximum setting provides a very smooth, theatrical image that may appeal to those who prefer a more "smoothed out" motion.

The Samsung U8000F is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, so right from the start, it’s clear that we shouldn’t expect any miracles. This is simply the standard in this class – sufficient for everyday viewing, but without any fireworks.

The TV offers one motion smoothing slider – a feature called "Motion Blur Reduction", which allows us to adjust the smoothness of the image in movies. Higher settings provide a more "theatrical" and smoothed effect, while lower settings help retain the original character of the film with a slight 24p effect. Interestingly, there is a feature called "Clear Motion LED", which is a BFI mode – that inserts black frames between the frames of the picture to improve motion clarity. However, in practice, the screen flickers significantly when activated, and it should be regarded more as an experiment than something that realistically enhances gaming comfort.

Hisense A7NQ is a device that can pleasantly surprise gamers, although it is not without its faults. The fact that we have a 60 Hz panel immediately suggests that the TV is not designed for the most demanding gaming scenarios. The motion blur we described earlier can also be a hindrance, especially in dynamic games.

However, there are several things worth praising. The TV supports ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), which are not always standard in this price range. The biggest surprise, however, is that the A7NQ can display images at 120 Hz – although only in Full HD resolution, it is still a significant nod to gamers. This allows a choice between smoothness and resolution, which is not obvious in TVs at this price point.

A nice addition is the Game Bar, which is clear and practical – all the main features are at hand without digging through the settings. However, there is a lack of support for HGiG, which may be disappointing for gamers looking for perfect HDR in games.

Samsung U8000F offers a basic set of features for gamers, which may still be sufficient for less demanding users. It includes an automatic game mode – when a game is launched on the console, the TV automatically switches to low latency mode, significantly improving response time. We also find the VRR feature, or variable refresh rate, which operates in the range of 48 to 60 Hz. This means that both Xbox and PS5 will not produce the “tearing” effect, as long as we stay within this range.

[UPDATE] We have updated our tests of Samsung TVs from the 2025 range due to the release of software version 1131, which restored the HGiG feature, crucial for gamers.

And unfortunately, that's about it when it comes to advantages. Additional features like Game Bar or higher refresh rates are reserved for higher models of Samsung from the 2025 line. In theory, the TV also supports the HGiG feature, which should adjust HDR image settings to the intentions of game creators. Unfortunately – despite the fact that this feature appears in brochures and advertising materials – its configuration on the Xbox console turned out to be... impossible in practice.