Hisense U7NQ vs Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV

The Hisense U7NQ 65 television demonstrated significant capabilities on the luminance chart, exceeding the 1000-nit barrier and achieving very high brightness results without issue in the first, third, and fifth test scenes. However, as before, in the second and fourth test scenes, for example from the film Sicario 2, there are significant problems with maintaining brightness, and the results around 200 nits are very disappointing. Despite a large number of dimming zones, the algorithm in the television responsible for controlling these zones is unable to react appropriately — in this case, it significantly dims small elements like the moon or the light from a helicopter. The bright light that should blind us is too dim to be called an HDR effect. Nevertheless, it is worth praising the television for its high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 96%, which allows it to accurately reproduce most film scenes.

When it comes to the brightness of the television and how it handles bright elements while watching movies, it is just average—similar to contrast. The average brightness level of the Hisense S7NQ is around 500 nits. This is a value that allows you to feel the beginnings of true HDR, but it is definitely too little to speak of outstanding effects. However, the television deserves praise for color gamut coverage—movies look very colorful and vibrant. With the use of PFS LED (QLED) coating, the device can cover over 90% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and over 72% of the wider BT.2020 gamut. For a television in this class, these are truly very good results.

The Chinese manufacturer offers various picture settings with its televisions, but the best mode in this model is undoubtedly the Filmmaker Mode. Despite its name, this mode has its issues: the white balance, although roughly correct, is characterized by a strong dominance of warm tones due to the kick of red colour, both in 4K and HD materials. The Colour Checker test confirms these errors — deviations in samples are visible in inappropriate shades. As for the brightness characteristics, the gamma responsible for HD materials shows values below 2.4, leading to some brightening of the screen. Meanwhile, the EOTF curve shows the television's problems with displaying small light elements, as confirmed by the previously described paragraphs.

Let's now check how the Hisense S7NQ CanvasTV performs in color reproduction in the best factory mode, which is Filmmaker. Right from the start, it is evident that it is definitely better than in dynamic or standard mode, but there are still a few things to nitpick. In terms of image quality from the HD signal, the colors are slightly inaccurate – there is a dominance of cooler shades of blue and a lack of red. Because of this, the image appears somewhat too cool.

A similar effect occurs with 4K content, but it is more noticeable there. The excessive exposure of blue tones and the lack of red make the image seem distinctly cold. However, the biggest issue with this television is not the colors themselves but rather the way brightness is managed. The tested unit slightly boosted the brightness compared to the reference value. The result is indeed better visibility of details, but at the cost of significantly brightened black – which makes the entire image seem more "flat."

A similar phenomenon was noticed in the 4K signal – the slightly inflated curve at the beginning of the EOTF graph shows that the television has a tendency to excessively expose certain scenes. Fortunately, this effect can be improved with professional calibration, which we will discuss in the next point.

Hisense televisions offer many tools for image correction, allowing users to adjust settings to their preferences. Therefore, we decided to utilize these capabilities to bring the image quality closer to reference standards. In the case of white balance, we managed to eliminate the dominance of red, resulting in more neutral colours, which allowed for a more realistic image in both 4K and HD materials. A similar improvement was noticed in the brightness characteristics. Gamma, which previously led to excessive screen brightness, was corrected, contributing to better detail representation in the darker areas of the image while maintaining a natural tonal balance.

However, the biggest challenge was the calibration of the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness in 4K materials. At first glance, the EOTF value appeared almost perfect, but detailed tests showed a slightly different outcome. Upon closer inspection—especially using the filter on the right side of the EOTF chart—we noticed how the television manipulated 4K film materials, often significantly boosting brightness. This effect was particularly noticeable in scenes from films such as Pan and Billy Lynn, where the television attempted to artificially increase the brightness of elements, affecting their naturalness. Despite these imperfections, the calibration yielded positive results, especially in terms of tonal improvement. For most users, the final effect should be satisfactory, especially if they aim to bring image quality closer to professional reference standards.

The results we achieved after calibrating the Hisense S7NQ are really very good. Thanks to the calibration, we were able to eliminate the excessive exposure of blue tones and the lack of red in the HD signal. A similar, although slightly weaker effect was also achieved with 4K HDR content. Brightness management in HD material has also improved – the television no longer has problems with overall image brightness issues.

However, there are things that cannot be overlooked. 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 accept this when choosing a television with a similar type of backlighting. Nonetheless, the final result is very good and should fully satisfy the vast majority of users.

When it comes to smoothing tonal transitions, despite the presence of the "Smooth and Gradient Image" feature in the test sequence, we did not notice that the feature added anything — we recommend turning it off. As for upscaling, the television handled our model well, and the branches in the background are not excessively jagged — the image seems quite plastic. However, it was slightly cropped by the so-called overscan.

It is equally important how the television handles tonal transitions on a poorer signal – for example, in older movies, television, or on YouTube. Unfortunately, despite the presence of the "Smooth and Gradient Picture" feature, which was supposedly intended to improve this aspect, its performance is truly lacking. It is barely noticeable that it has any real impact on the visibility of color transitions.

Image scaling also performs poorly. Yes, one can observe that the television tries to "stretch" the quality, but the final effect is far from ideal. The image often appears slightly jagged, which is especially noticeable in the case of tree branches in the background. Additionally, the Hisense S7NQ has a clear tendency to crop the image at lower resolutions, which can cause us to miss captions in the news or finer details of the image.

Hisense U7NQ has a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which definitely contributes to smooth motion. For movie enthusiasts, there are two features available: judder reduction and motion blur reduction. The judder reduction feature minimizes the effect of so-called judder, which is the unpleasant stuttering of the image, particularly noticeable at lower frame rates. On the other hand, motion blur reduction helps sharpen fast-moving objects, which is useful when watching dynamic action scenes.

As for motion blur, the TV has a decent response time, so excessive blurriness is not visible, except in specific situations, such as the test with the little green alien on a dark background. In such cases, slight artifacts may appear, but overall, the TV handles dynamic images well, providing satisfactory motion quality.

When it comes to motion fluidity, the television performs really well. Although the S7NQ was mainly designed for displaying static elements – such as images – the manufacturer has utilized a panel with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. As a result, sports or games look really good on it.

For materials that are not recorded at a high frame rate, the manufacturer provided two features that allow you to adjust the picture to your own preferences. "Motion blur reduction" and "motion smoothing" operate on a 10-level 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.

Hisense U7NQ offers everything a gamer might need for comfortable gameplay. The TV supports a refresh rate of 144 Hz, providing an incredibly smooth image, especially in dynamic action games. The VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) feature ensures that the image adapts to changing frames per second, eliminating stuttering and tearing. Additionally, there is an ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature that automatically switches the TV to game mode, minimizing input lag.

The TV also supports Dolby Vision, which is particularly important for gamers who value high contrast and vivid colors in games that support this format. The Hisense U7NQ also has a Game Bar feature that allows quick access to essential settings during gameplay, as well as support for G-Sync technology, which further reduces image tearing.

Unfortunately, despite the wide range of features, support for the most popular HDR format in gaming — HGiG — is lacking. This may be disappointing for gamers who expect optimal detail representation in HDR scenes. Nevertheless, the remaining features make the Hisense U7NQ a solid choice for any console gaming enthusiast.

Even though the S7NQ is an "image" type TV, you can actually play games on it. Really. It has almost everything (except for HGiG mode) that a modern gaming TV needs. The 144 Hz panel and two full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports allow for seamless connection of two consoles, such as PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S.

The TV supports automatic game mode (ALLM) and frame synchronization (VRR) without any stuttering or issues. It also handles high frame rates at lower resolutions without a hitch. We must commend Hisense for the very attractive Game Bar – it displays all available picture options, and additionally, we have the ability to zoom in on the mini-map or enable a 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 HGiG mode. It is responsible for automatically setting the picture in games as the creators intended. It's a shame because that’s the only thing separating the Hisense S7NQ from being a full-fledged gaming "monster."