Hisense U8NQ vs TCL C6KS / C69KS / Q6CS

Hisense U8NQ showcases its capabilities in HDR, achieving a brightness level on the luminance chart exceeding 2000 nits. In the first, third, and fifth scenes where the screen is covered in light, the television displays very high brightness, which impresses and allows one to enjoy the full effect of HDR. Unfortunately, in the second and fourth scenes, such as those from the movie "Sicario 2," the television encounters issues maintaining brightness, resulting in disappointing results around 250 nits. Although a large number of dimming zones should theoretically help, the algorithm responsible for their control does not always perform perfectly—bright, small elements like the moon or helicopter lights are too dim, which detracts from the typical HDR effect. Instead of dazzling brightness, we get a more subdued light that does not reflect the full HDR potential. Nevertheless, the television deserves praise for its very good coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette at 97%. As a result, colours are vibrant, and most movie scenes look really good, significantly enhancing the viewing quality.

And how does the issue of HDR look? Here the C6KS performs quite well and – as is becoming a recurring theme in this review – identically to the C6K model. The maximum brightness generated by this television is around 600 nits. In bright scenes, this translates to a really solid, cinematic effect, and generally, the video materials look good here. However, one must remember the specifics of the dimming algorithm in this model. When very small, bright points (e.g., stars) appear against a dark background, the television can dim them quite significantly. The goal is simple: to eliminate blooming and maintain the best possible black levels. It’s a reasonable compromise. Most viewers will definitely appreciate deep, “true black” more than additional micro-details that could cause grayness on the screen. Such is the nature of local dimming technology in this price range, and one must be aware of it. It’s also worth noting that the TCL C69KS (C6KS) has an additional PFS coating, which is marketed under the tagline of QLED technology. Thanks to this, the colors are saturated and vibrant – our measurements showed that the coverage of a wide color gamut reaches 92% here.

The Filmmaker mode on the Hisense U8NQ TV can be described as the most accurate mode available in this model. Despite its accuracy, it has significant errors in reproducing the reference image, which we will describe now. In the case of HD content, the white balance shows a clear dominance of red, making the image overly pink and warm. The comparative photo below illustrates how this effect influences content presentation. The brightness characteristics also leave much to be desired — too low gamma causes the screen to be excessively brightened, and blacks look lightened, making the overall picture seem cooler than it should be.

In the case of 4K HDR content, the problem is reversed — the white balance shows too much dominance of blue, resulting in an artificial character to the image and making it appear unnaturally sharp. These deviations for HD and 4K HDR content can be confirmed with the Colour Checker test, which clearly shows how colours deviate from the correct patterns.

Unlike the more expensive C6K model, the tested C6KS does not have an option labeled Filmmaker Mode in the menu. Is this a reason to cry? Absolutely not. Our tests have shown that in practice, in terms of color reproduction, the absence of this specific label makes virtually no difference. The best available Film/Cinema mode here offers nearly identical picture characteristics to the aforementioned Filmmaker mode in the more expensive model. So we get a very similar image, just under a different name. So if you were wondering whether paying extra for the C6K gives you better colors – the answer is: no, in both cases the base is the same and requires slight adjustments.

The white balance for both 4K and HD content has been significantly adjusted, greatly improving the image quality. Although some errors are still visible, they are not substantial enough to heavily affect the perception of the image. A notable improvement can also be seen in the gamma brightness characteristics — the image is no longer overly bright, resulting in more natural blacks and better contrast.

However, as with many other Hisense models, there are visible issues with the EOTF curve, which is responsible for managing brightness in high-quality materials. Although it may seem correct, once the filter is applied on the "EOTF in movies" graph, it is evident that the TV is somewhat "playing around" with 4K content. It is clear that the EOTF curve is significantly below the reference level, leading to an overall dimming of the image compared to the reference. We noticed this effect in previously tested scenes from the movies "Pan" and "Billy Lynn." While it is not a serious problem, it is worth mentioning. It may be of great importance to those looking for a display with the most accurate image reproduction. Despite this error, the image will be more enjoyable for most. Colours are better reproduced, and the overall image quality is significantly improved.

Thanks to the white balance adjustment, the tendency of the C69KS to distort colors has been effectively reduced, leading to a very good final effect. After calibration, we won't see excessive warmth in SDR scenes or overly cool tones in HDR. However, it's worth noting the brightness characteristic. In SDR content, there are hardly any objections – the image looks very good, especially in older films, television programs, or materials from YouTube. It is much more difficult to evaluate the performance of the television in HDR. Analysis of the EOTF curve suggests correct behavior, but its practical variant shows certain limitations. The C69KS can overly brighten the smallest elements of the frame, while at other times it can dim the entire scene. Calibration has therefore brought clear benefits in terms of color reproduction, but certain limitations arising from the operation of local dimming and the way it is controlled by the C69KS cannot be avoided, as we also saw in the C6K test.

In the context of smoothing tonal transitions, the Hisense U8NQ television unfortunately does not perform well. The "Smooth and Gradient Image" function does not produce noticeable effects — there is no improvement in any setting, which is disappointing, especially in demanding scenes with subtle tonal transitions.

As for digital processing, or the so-called upscaling, the scene with the model is presented correctly — its outline is clear, without significant cropping. Similarly, thin lines, such as tree branches, have slight jaggedness, but the overall appearance is plastic and soft, which creates a good impression. Unfortunately, there is also an issue with the so-called overscan, which causes cropping of the image at the edges. This can be annoying when watching content such as news, where the lower information bars may be partially invisible.

C69KS handles upscaling quite well. The tested 576p material looks surprisingly decent – a significant amount of detail is preserved, and the algorithm adds a subtle "rounding" effect to sharp edges, making the image appear more cohesive. However, the smoothing of tonal transitions is lacking. The television practically cannot improve them, leaving the image in a somewhat raw state. With older materials, this can be simply exhausting, as the lack of additional processing highlights all imperfections.

Hisense U8NQ is equipped with a 144 Hz matrix, making it a great choice for sports and gaming. The television will also easily satisfy movie fans, as it features a built-in "Ultra Motion Smoothness" processor that allows you to control the fluidity of the image — you can decide whether you prefer a more "framey" look or a smoother, cinematic effect. This provides great flexibility in adjusting the quality of motion to the individual viewer's preferences.

C69KS offers a simplified motion improvement panel in movies, allowing you to adjust the intensity of the effect using a slider. This makes it easy to match the smoothness to your own preferences. The possibility of using higher refresh rates is also a plus – even though the panel operates natively at 4K at 60 Hz, lowering the resolution to 1440p allows you to enable 120 and 144 Hz modes, both on consoles and PC. This sounds like great news, but in practice, the image at these settings suffers from significant motion blur. The effect is noticeable enough that the overall experience feels simply mediocre and loses its appeal in everyday use.

Hisense U8NQ offers everything a gamer may need for comfortable gameplay. The TV supports a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which ensures an incredibly smooth picture, especially in dynamic action games. The VRR (variable refresh rate) feature allows for adjusting the image to varying frames per second, eliminating stuttering and tearing effects, resulting in an exceptionally smooth gaming experience. Additionally, the TV is equipped with the ALLM (automatic low latency mode) feature, which automatically switches the TV to game mode, minimizing input lag. This allows gamers to enjoy responsive gameplay without manually adjusting the settings.

Hisense U8NQ also supports Dolby Vision, which is important for gamers who value high picture quality, high contrast, and deep colours in games that support this format. The TV also has a “Game Bar” — a feature that provides quick access to essential settings during gameplay, significantly enhancing user convenience.

However, it is worth noting that despite its rich features, the Hisense U8NQ does not offer the HGiG standard, which is a popular HDR format in gaming. This may be disappointing for gamers expecting optimal detail reproduction in HDR scenes. Nevertheless, the other features of the TV make the Hisense U8NQ a solid choice for console gaming enthusiasts, offering smoothness, high contrast, and user convenience.

If we overlook the smearing and lack of native 4K at 120 Hz, the C69KS impresses with how well it performs during gaming. We get everything you can expect from a gaming television: variable refresh rate (VRR), automatic switching to game mode (ALLM), Dolby Vision Gaming mode, and a reasonably functioning HGiG. The TV can also operate at 120 and even 144 Hz at lower resolutions, allowing for smoother gameplay on console or PC. Additionally, there is a clear Game Bar that lets you quickly glance at key settings during gaming. As a result — despite a few limitations — the C69KS can be a truly successful screen for gamers.