Hisense U7Q PRO vs TCL C7K / QM7K 55"-85"

U7Q PRO is truly a bright television. In synthetic tests, it achieved over 1500 nits, which is an outstanding result for this price range. Such brightness – at least in theory – allows for displaying HDR content as intended by creators, even in more demanding scenes with strong light. In practice, it can be very good, but not always perfect. In bright scenes with a large surface area – such as the test screen with intense sunlight from the movie "Pan" – U7Q PRO makes a huge impression. It can almost blind with light, which is definitely an advantage in the context of HDR content. Unfortunately, this is not always maintainable when a lot of small bright details appear on a dark background. In such moments, local dimming algorithms decide to dim some bright elements to maintain good black levels – and the side effect is that some details simply disappear from the frame. This is a classic compromise in mini-LED televisions – and U7Q PRO is no exception. However, with such a large number of dimming zones, one could expect a somewhat more mature algorithm responsible for controlling them. Fortunately, the overall reception of HDR content is very positive. U7Q PRO is not only bright but also colorful; thanks to the PFS LED (QLED) coating, the coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette is at 95%, and BT.2020 is around 73%.

In terms of brightness, the models from 55 to 85 inches in the C7K series are truly impressive. In the best testing conditions, the 65-inch screen achieved over 1200 nits, which practically means that the brightest scenes can dazzle with almost cinematic brilliance. These are not just dry numbers from measurements – during screenings, white skies, explosions, or light reflections on water looked incredibly striking, often giving the impression that the television exceeds its price class. This is particularly effective in scenes with a large area of illumination, where the screen is filled with intense brightness – such as in sun-drenched shots or during dynamic action sequences. Viewers looking for strong HDR will definitely be satisfied.

However, scenes requiring precise control of backlighting – with small points of light on a dark background – are more challenging. Here the C7K, despite having over a thousand zones, can still dim brightness to maintain deep blacks. The effect is that in films like Sicario 2 or Life of Pi, some details, such as a distant lantern or single reflections, can be less defined or blend in with the surroundings. This is a compromise inherent to MiniLED technology – it provides excellent image depth and blacks at a level that ordinary LCDs do not offer, but this comes at the cost of limited visibility of the smallest lights.

We tested the U7Q PRO in the best possible picture mode that this model offers – Filmmaker Mode. And indeed, it is this mode that performs best in terms of color reproduction. But that doesn't mean it's perfect. In our test unit, both in SDR and HDR content, the image had a slightly cooled tone. The white balance was shifted towards blue, which made the overall impression feel a bit "cooler." It's not glaring, but definitely noticeable – especially on white backgrounds that, instead of neutral, appeared slightly bluish. Additionally – as we mentioned earlier – the television tends to slightly brighten and oversaturate the image, which is also confirmed by the gamma and EOTF charts. All of this together means that without calibration the image may seem a bit unnatural – too cool, with slightly exaggerated dynamics. That's why we decided to conduct our own calibration – and its effects and charts can be seen below.

The novelty in TCL televisions for 2025 is the long-awaited Filmmaker mode, which until now could be found in most competitive brands. This is great news because this mode is considered the most faithful to the original vision of the creators and is often recommended by enthusiasts of good picture quality. Unfortunately – as is often the case – the mere presence of this mode does not guarantee perfection. The Filmmaker mode in the TCL C7K is not free from flaws. One could point out the incorrect white balance, particularly the slight dominance of blue, which led to cool, somewhat grayish skin tones. But that was not the biggest problem. The main complaint was excessive brightness exposure, which is clearly visible in the gamma and EOTF charts. The image was simply too bright, at times almost blown out, which affected not only the depth of scenes but also the overall viewing experience. Some details were simply lost, and the whole image looked as if someone had slightly overdone the brightness slider. As always – we decided to see what could be squeezed out of this after calibration. And that’s when things started to get really interesting…

Thanks to calibration, we managed to tame the white balance in both SDR and HDR content. For SDR materials, the effect is really very good – the image becomes neutral, consistent, and simply pleasant to view. Everything looks as it should.

The performance in HDR is a bit worse. Although the white balance looks correct and overall the image gains in naturalness, unfortunately, delta E errors remain noticeable. Why? Because Hisense does not give us full control over how the U7Q PRO manages brightness in HDR mode. This is where the limitation appears. When we look at the EOTF curve for HDR content, we can clearly see what we mentioned earlier – at the beginning of the graph, there is a noticeable drop, meaning the television dims the smallest sections more than it should. On the other hand, the brightest elements can be illuminated a bit too much. As a result, some details are lost, others are too aggressive, and overall control over brightness does not always align with what we are trying to achieve during calibration.

Does the image look better after calibration? Definitely yes, in terms of color. But when it comes to managing brightness in HDR, we have to accept that the Hisense U7Q PRO will do it its own way.

After calibration, the TCL C7K showed itself in a really good light, especially when it comes to SDR content. We managed to tune the white balance, color gamut, and brightness characteristics so precisely that color errors on the ColorChecker palette dropped below a value of 2. For the uninitiated – this is almost a perfect result, which means that the image is very close to what the creators intended. Unfortunately, it looked worse with 4K HDR content. Although we were able to slightly calm the white balance and correct its previous errors, it is still evident that the television has some "MiniLED traits," especially in brightness management. When we checked how the C7K handles the EOTF curve on actual film scenes, and not just on synthetic test patterns, it turned out that the screen still tends to slightly brighten the entire image. This affects the overall experience – black loses some depth, and the image becomes less contrastive than it should be. Despite these minor shortcomings in HDR content, the overall reception of materials – especially in SDR – is really very good. After calibration, the C7K can display an image that can successfully compete with much more expensive models. Good color tuning, natural skin tones, and pleasant brightness make movie sessions and everyday content viewing more than satisfactory.

If someone happens to come across older materials where the issue of color banding appears – Hisense has a solution for that. In the U7Q PRO, we find a feature called "Smooth and Gradient Picture." Set to the "Medium" level, it works really well – it eliminates most of the gradation issues while not smoothing out the entire image, like blur in Photoshop. 😉 Film grain remains, details do not disappear – this is exactly how it should work. Kudos for the implementation!

As for scaling weaker materials, it’s just good. It’s not at the level of the most expensive TVs with advanced upscaling, but older content looks good. There is some mild aliasing at very low resolutions, but that’s completely normal and hard to avoid. On the plus side – even with the oldest materials, there is no overscan effect; the image is not cropped or artificially stretched.

TCL C7K features a function that, according to the manufacturer, is supposed to smooth out unwanted color transitions – something like a rescue for less successful tonal changes. It's called "Gradual Smoothing" and... well, it sounds ambitious, but in practice, it works very poorly. Regardless of whether we set it to low or high, the difference is minimal. Worse still – the function can cut out elements from the image that should remain. Fortunately, film grain remains untouched, so at least it doesn't smooth everything indiscriminately, but still – it's better to just turn this option off.

When it comes to scaling lower-resolution content, it's already better. SD and HD materials look quite decent, although sometimes we felt that the image loses sharpness and becomes too soft – as if something took away its clarity. Fortunately, with very low sources (e.g., 576p), there was no overscan effect, meaning the image was not artificially cropped – everything fit on the screen as it should.

“Speed” – this word was mentioned most frequently during our tests of the U7Q PRO. The television is equipped with a 165 Hz panel, which is impressive in itself – especially since we are talking about a model in the mid-price range. Of course, PC gamers will benefit the most from its full capabilities, but even during everyday viewing, it is evident that this is a fast and efficient panel. Like most modern televisions, the U7Q PRO can also enhance the smoothness of movies that are primarily shot in 24 frames. In the menu, there is a slider that allows you to adjust the effect to your preferences – from a more cinematic feel, with subtle motion, to stronger smoothing with the characteristic “soap opera effect.”

The TCL C7K handles motion fluency really well. The panel used in it offers a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which in itself suggests that this TV is something more than just an ordinary "60 Hz" panel. Moreover, if we connect the C7K to a computer and set the resolution to Full HD. But we'll write more about that in the paragraph about gamers and PC collaboration. Back to everyday use – both sports and movies look very good here. Thanks to the fast panel and well-functioning motion smoother, the C7K is great for watching matches, but also for movie screenings. In the menu, we find two sliders – blur reduction and flicker reduction – which allow you to tailor the smoothness effect to your own preferences. At lower settings, we get a more cinematic effect, with a slight stutter in motion. At higher settings – the image becomes more theatrical, smooth to the point of exaggeration. Everyone can set it up according to their liking.

The Hisense U7Q PRO is a television that seems almost designed for gamers. It has practically everything you could expect from a gaming screen: variable refresh rate (VRR), automatic mode (ALLM), and as many as four HDMI 2.1b ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. Additionally, there is a clear and quite functional Game Bar, as well as a well-implemented Dolby Vision GAMING mode that works seamlessly with Xbox Series S and X consoles.

Sounds like perfection? Well, almost. Unfortunately, Hisense has yet to implement the HGiG feature, which is the system's limit on tone mapping on the TV's side. This means that when configuring HDR brightness on the console, we do it "by eye" or look for settings in online guides because the screen doesn't show the real range of its brightness. It's a pity - because HGiG makes it easier to match the console to the TV and helps avoid clipping or overly dark scenes in HDR games.

Fortunately, the other elements work very well. Signal delay (input lag) is low, responsiveness is excellent, and the handling of other functions is flawless. And although not everything worked perfectly, the U7Q PRO can still be recommended to gamers without hesitation.

TCL C7K is a television that on paper looks like the dream equipment for gamers – and most importantly, it holds up well in practice. First, the good news: we have two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, so we can easily connect both a console and a computer, taking full advantage of their capabilities. The panel itself supports a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which provides a significant advantage in dynamic games. Additionally, it comes with a full suite of gaming features: VRR (variable refresh rate), ALLM (automatic low latency mode), and support for Dolby Vision in games. There's also an HGiG mode that allows for HDR effects consistent with the creators' intentions. GameBar, which is an informative bar for the gamer. It operates quickly, looks clear (like the Nintendo console👌), and shows what’s most important: the current frame count, VRR status, and even HDR parameters.