TCL C655 / C69B (55"-85") vs Hisense E7Q / E79Q

Overall, the quality of HDR performance in TCL C655 / C69B looks quite promising. The average value in test patterns is around 450 nits, which already allows one to feel the effects of lighting and better image dynamics. However, as mentioned earlier, this effect may be partially suppressed by slight differences in bright and dark colors, resulting from the lack of local dimming technology. However, the DCI-P3 color gamut coverage of 94% deserves high praise, and this is made possible by the use of a quantum dot (QLED) panel. As a result, colors are vibrant and well-reproduced when watching HDR content.

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 TCL C655 / C69B television offers a movie mode that has been tested for color reproduction quality. Although this mode is called movie mode, unfortunately, it has quite a few errors that a director would certainly not want to see while recording their work. Starting with image analysis, it's worth looking at the white balance - both in HD and 4K HDR content, the white balance has significant errors. In both cases, the red color dominates, making the colors too warm, and overall it has a pink or yellow tint. This can be seen in the picture below from the movie "Star Wars." The Colour Checker test confirms these errors - the color samples stray into inappropriate shades, affecting the overall color fidelity. A minor issue is the brightness characteristic. However, it is also not free of flaws. The gamma chart shows a strong spike at the beginning, causing the image to be overly bright, and the EOTF curve responsible for brightness in 4K HDR material shows significant fluctuations as well – it is visible how the television tries to maintain proper brightness, but it does not always succeed effectively.

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 calibrating the movie mode of the TCL C655 / C69B television, the white balance has been equalized, and the colors look as they should – which is confirmed by only slight deviations in the Colour Checker test. The gamma is really accurate, which means the television should not have issues with brightness in low-resolution materials. Unfortunately, a similar EOTF characteristic is still visible, which is a natural phenomenon in televisions that do not have local dimming – they simply struggle to “shine” more brightly in a given part of the screen. Despite this structural limitation that cannot be overcome, we recommend adjustments in the settings, as the overall color representation looks really very good.

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.

The TCL C655 / C69B television handles tonal transitions in low-quality materials pretty well. The "Gradual Smoothing" feature at a low setting effectively smooths tonal transitions, but at the same time, it blurs important details, such as the texture of objects. On the positive side, it does not negatively affect film grain, allowing for a natural look of the image. As for digital processing, the television adds artificial sharpness, which may appeal to some users who prefer a sharpened image. However, for those who prefer a softer look, this may be a disadvantage. A downside is also that the image has been quite heavily cropped by so-called overscan, which reduces the field of view and cuts off the edges of the image.

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.

The C655 / C69B TV is equipped with a 4K@60 Hz panel, which means it performs best when watching movies and less dynamic content. It also has a "Flicker Reduction" feature that allows for adjusting the fluidity of the image – users can choose whether they prefer smoother motion or a more cinematic, frame-by-frame effect. The TV can also adapt to lower resolutions, such as Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz, which will definitely please gamers by offering a smoother image at the cost of resolution. It is worth noting that this feature is available in sizes from 55"+. Additionally, the largest variant, 98", is equipped with a 144Hz panel with full motion smoothing.

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.

The television TCL C655 / C69B offers an almost perfect set of features for gamers, supporting all the most important technologies. It has an ALLM feature that automatically switches the television to low latency mode, significantly improving responsiveness and minimizing signal delays, which is particularly important during dynamic gameplay. The VRR feature allows for synchronizing the screen refresh rate with the number of frames generated by the console, eliminating the tearing effect and ensuring smoother gameplay.

The television also supports Dolby Vision in game mode, providing better color reproduction and contrast in games that support this format, and the Game Bar enables quick access to gameplay-related settings such as response time, delay level, and other parameters. Unfortunately, C655 / C69B does not support 4K resolution at 120 Hz (with the exception of the 98" variant), which may be disappointing for more demanding gamers who expect the highest fluidity in high-resolution games. However, if we are willing to forgo 4K, the television offers support for Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz, providing a smoother image and being a great alternative for those who prefer a higher refresh rate at the expense of resolution.

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.