Philips PUS7009 (VA) vs Hisense E7Q / E79Q

In terms of HDR effect quality, Philips PUS7009 performs very poorly. A brightness level of 250 nits does not allow enjoyment of HDR effects, and the image resembles more of a standard SDR. There is no talk of dynamic effects or vivid light bursts. The coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette is only 75%, which is definitely insufficient. The lack of full color coverage means that the colors are not as vibrant as they should be, resulting in a flat and unconvincing image. There are no aspects to praise this model in the context of HDR.

Hisense E7Q / E79Q is a television with average brightness, whose peak luminance level is around 350-380 nits. This is an absolute minimum that allows for watching HDR content in a way that is close to the creators' intentions, although without a clear "wow" effect. The results of synthetic tests on white images have been confirmed in practice – in movie scenes, the bright parts of the image are stable and fairly uniform, but it is hard to speak of a true "lighting impact" here. In everyday use, for example, while watching Netflix or YouTube, the HDR effect is acceptable and is completely sufficient for most users. However, it must be stated clearly – this is not the level of top screens, and one should not expect that at this price point. Fortunately, the Hisense E7Q / E79Q has an advantage that allows it to gain quite a few points: it is a PFS LED QLED panel, utilizing an additional phosphor layer that improves color reproduction. The measured range of the DCI-P3 palette is around 92%, which means that the colors in most scenes are vibrant, well-saturated, and pleasing to the eye, especially for this price range.

The TV was tested in movie mode, which – despite its name – does not provide correct image display. The white balance in both 4K HDR and HD/SDR content is characterized by drops in red color, causing the image to appear cooler and colors to lose their natural warmth. The gamma brightness characteristics and EOTF curve confirm that the TV has trouble maintaining appropriate brightness – it boosts it significantly, resulting in an unnaturally washed-out image. This effect can be seen in the comparisons below, where the overall appearance looks as if covered with a milky filter. Additionally, limited coverage of a wide color gamut also does not favor quality – color checker tests indicate significant color fluctuations, making it difficult to achieve faithful image reproduction.

In Filmmaker mode, the Hisense E7Q / E79Q television was able to really surprise positively. Even after the first measurements, it turned out that the white balance is quite well calibrated, and the only minor deviation was a slight tendency toward a purple hue, which we mentioned earlier. However, this did not significantly affect the overall character of the image – it remained coherent and pleasant to perceive. A much larger problem turned out to be the brightness characteristics (gamma) in SDR content and the EOTF curve in HDR films. The television clearly brightened the image, flattening the contrast and taking away its depth. Gamma values could drop from the reference 2.4 down to about 1.9, making the image appear as if it were covered with a thin, milky layer. Fortunately, this is a problem that can be relatively easily corrected through calibration.

After calibration, the image has significantly improved, especially in terms of white balance, which is now more stable, and the shades have gained naturalness, eliminating the previous impression of an excessively cool image. The calibration has brought noticeable benefits in terms of tonality – shadows and midtones are now more realistic, and the overall picture appears more harmonious. Unfortunately, hardware limitations still affect the quality of the image. The brightness characteristics remain problematic despite our efforts, and due to the poor coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color gamut, delta E errors are still at a high level. Although calibration has improved some aspects, the television still does not allow for complete satisfaction.

The biggest beneficiary of calibration for the Hisense E7Q / E79Q turned out to be the SDR mode without a doubt. It managed to achieve nearly perfect picture quality – most errors in the Color Checker test dropped below a value of 3, and often even below 2, which is a remarkable result for this class of equipment. The greatest improvement came from aligning the brightness characteristic (gamma), making the picture no longer look washed out and regaining its natural depth. In HDR content, colors were also improved, and the purple tint we mentioned earlier was eliminated, 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 strongly, oversaturating some colors. This was also indicated by the EOTF curve, which was slightly above the reference values, suggesting these minor problems with excessive brightening. Despite this flaw and the construction limitations that arise with HDR content, the Hisense E7Q / E79Q gained a lot after calibration. In everyday use, the television presents a cohesive, natural, and pleasant-to-the-eye picture, and the difference compared to factory settings is truly vast.

When it comes to tonal transitions in low-quality material, the function called "Distortion Reduction" (setting "minimum") effectively improves gradation, eliminating ugly tonal transitions. However, this setting on Philips televisions is quite aggressive – it does not blur grain or good quality material, but with a poorer signal, it can introduce unwanted effects and blur elements that should remain sharp.

In terms of image scaling, Philips PUS7009 performs decently. A major advantage is the absence of cropped image edges, meaning no overscan, which allows for displaying the full frame without loss. The image is noticeably improved, making characters and backgrounds, such as models or branches in the background, look quite detailed and natural, even with lower quality signals. Although the scaling is not perfect, as it can remove desired details in the distance, the results are good enough for most users to be satisfied.

In the case of Hisense E7Q / E79Q, upscaling and digital image processing are not the strongest features of this television. It is clear that the manufacturer opted for simplicity rather than advanced image processing algorithms. The television does not offer any functions for smoothing tonal transitions or systems for improving image clarity, which means that lower resolution materials simply look very raw. On the screen, subtle compression edges can be noticed, which better processors in other models can effectively hide.

During tests of HD materials, we noticed that the E7Q tries to artificially enhance detail, which sometimes works and sometimes has the opposite effect – the image becomes soft, slightly smeared, at times even "watery." There is no aggressive sharpening that ruins naturalness, but there is also no finesse in detailing that better image processors offer.

Philips PUS7009 does not have motion smoothing features, which means there is no option to adjust the image for a more choppy or smoother, cinematic effect. Such features could positively influence the reception of dynamic scenes. As for motion blur, this model is equipped with a 60 Hz VA panel, which produces slightly worse results than the IPS panel variant. The VA panel introduces a minimally greater motion blur, although the differences are not significant and should not pose a problem for most viewers.

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

In terms of compatibility with consoles, Philips PUS7009 is likely to satisfy casual gamers. Although equipped with HDMI 2.0, it offers features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the TV to low-latency mode, which speeds up reactions during gameplay, while VRR adjusts the refresh rate to minimize screen tearing. The Game Bar allows quick access to game settings and monitoring of key parameters, although it visually falls short compared to competing solutions. However, more demanding gamers may feel a sense of dissatisfaction. Philips PUS7009 does not support advanced HDR formats in games, and the 60 Hz panel limits the ability to display smooth and detailed images in dynamic scenes, which may not satisfy fans of fast-paced action games.

Hisense E7Q / E79Q is truly a successful television for gamers, even though it doesn't support 4K signal at 120 Hz. However, the manufacturer has included a set of features that until recently could only be found in more expensive models. There is ALLM, or automatic switching to low-latency mode, which allows the television to activate game mode with very low input lag. We also have VRR, functioning up to 60 Hz – this may not seem impressive on paper, but 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 level, you can change picture modes, turn on a frame rate counter, or even… a crosshair on the screen – in the Vidaa system humorously named "target point," which is a result of awkward translation by the Chinese manufacturer.

Particularly praiseworthy is the ability to play in 1080p at 120 Hz, which realistically improves the smoothness and responsiveness of the image. This way, if someone wants to play a few titles at a higher refresh rate, they can simply lower the resolution and enjoy significantly smoother motion. Despite the lack of 4K@120Hz, Hisense E7Q / E79Q really performs well as a television for gamers – especially those who are not looking for perfection, but a solid and fast screen for everyday gaming.