TCL P7K / P79K vs Hisense E7Q PRO / E79Q PRO

When evaluating the HDR effect, we must make it clear and without marketing embellishment: the P7K/P79K is not and was never meant to be a master in this field. The maximum peak brightness that this panel can generate is only around 300 nits. This is a borderline value, a sort of thin red line between what can be considered a barely satisfactory HDR signal and what is really not much different from standard dynamic range (SDR), unfortunately leaning towards the latter. Synthetic tests found brutal confirmation in reality – our measurements taken during movie screenings showed that luminance in key bright parts of the content rarely exceeded the threshold of 200-250 nits. Therefore, this is not a television that would allow content produced in a wide tonal range to truly shine, and we must openly acknowledge that.

Unfortunately, the issue of color reproduction is presented equally restrained. Although the manufacturer positions this model in the "QLED" family, thanks to the use of a PFS LED filter, the results do not match the heightened expectations. The coverage of the wide DCI-P3 color gamut is only 86%. Compared to the market, this is at best an average result, as most devices that employ additional layers to expand the color spectrum easily achieve values at a minimum level of 90-92%.

If it comes to the quality of the HDR effect, the E7Q PRO is unfortunately not a television that can impress with brightness alone. In real film materials, we measured about 250–300 nits, which is simply too little for HDR to look spectacular. It lacks that "spark" in bright details, flashes, and light effects, and in many HDR scenes, it can resemble better SDR than true cinematic HDR. A consolation in all of this is the colors. We managed to confirm that the E7Q PRO is a PFS type television, meaning it has an additional filter that enhances color gamut coverage. As a result, even if the brightness doesn't deliver, the colors in HDR content can be adequately saturated and pleasant to the eye, without the feeling of a "faded" image.

Every reliable image quality assessment must begin by selecting the most optimal factory mode. In the case of the tested model P7K/P79K, the choice was confidently made for the "Film" mode. It is this mode that presents an image closest to the creators' intentions, avoiding both the exaggerated brightness of dynamic mode and the excessive dimming known from eco settings. And it must be admitted that, for a device in this price range, the factory calibration is surprisingly decent, although it is not free from a few stumbles. The most noticeable flaw turned out to be an imperfectly adjusted white balance. A slight dominance of the blue component gives the image a subtly cool, chilly character, thus deviating from the exemplary neutrality that the director wanted to show us. The television performs much better in reproducing the grayscale in a standard dynamic range – the gamma curve is executed almost perfectly. A minor reservation can only be made for the darkest parts of the image, where a slight deviation from the norm causes a loss of some detail in the shadows. The most serious challenge for TCL's software, however, was the interpretation of the HDR signal, which is illustrated by the EOTF curve. The television follows its own, rather free path here – the darkest details are disproportionately brightened, followed by a noticeable slowdown in brightness increase for midtones. Fortunately, most of these imperfections are software-related issues that can be eliminated. With this thought in mind, we proceeded to the professional calibration process.

In terms of color reproduction, we tested the Hisense E7Q Pro in Movie mode, which proved to be the best built-in preset without a doubt. This mode, unlike the Eco, Standard, or Dynamic settings, offers the most natural colors right out of the box. Although no factory mode is completely free of flaws, the E7Q Pro deserves high praise for its color representation in standard SDR content. The color palette is very well tuned here, and errors in Color Checker tests often did not exceed a value of 3, which is an exceptional result rarely seen in such inexpensive TVs. The only drawback we noted in SDR is a tendency to darken some image elements, as indicated by a slightly raised gamma chart. The TV performs somewhat worse with colors in HDR mode. Here, color errors become noticeable to the naked eye, mainly due to a deficiency of blue in the white balance. This causes the colors on the screen to appear too warm, and for some viewers, they may seem “too cinematic.” Of course, to improve these parameters, we proceeded with professional calibration.

The calibration process turned out to be a home run, especially in the context of standard dynamic range (SDR) content. We successfully managed to eliminate the TV's tendency to emphasize cool tones, restoring the whites to their natural neutrality. Furthermore, precise adjustments allowed us to correct a slight error in the gamma curve, so the darkest areas of the image regained their proper depth, without a trace of unnatural brightening. The effects are measurable and impressive – in the ColorChecker test, the vast majority of color reproduction errors fell below the perceptual threshold, achieving a deltaE value below 2. This is a result that would not shame much more expensive constructions. Unfortunately, in the case of HDR content, we hit a wall in the form of the inherent limitations of the panel itself. And although we managed to bring the colors in line, the software's specifics mean that the TV still adapts brightness in its own way, as evidenced by the persistent, non-standard EOTF curve. In summary, calibration brings tremendous added value, but one must be aware that it cannot overcome certain physical barriers. A slight boost in black levels, resulting from the lack of local dimming, and limited peak brightness mean that HDR content will not always be able to showcase its full potential. This is simply not the main task of this display; its true strength, especially after professional tuning, lies in the viewing of SDR materials.

In the case of materials with a standard color range (SDR), our efforts in Filmmaker mode turned out to be largely cosmetic 😉. We mainly focused on gentle white balance correction and gamma curve adjustment, which allowed us to recover details in the darker parts of the image that previously tended to get lost. It is worth noting, however, that the E7Q Pro unit we tested happened to be exceptionally well-made from the factory. We remind you that these parameters depend on the specific unit – with mass production, factory calibration can be random, so your unit may require slightly different adjustments. The biggest beneficiary of professional calibration was undoubtedly the HDR mode. This is where we did the most work, which yielded spectacular results. We managed to effectively tame the excessive warmth of the image, caused by a factory deficiency of blue color. After calibration, color errors were reduced to a significantly lower level, which will certainly please those who watch a lot of streaming content in HDR format, expecting faithful reproduction.

After a series of harsh evaluations, fortunately, the time comes for praise, and this is due to the TCL AiPQ image processor for its work in digital processing and content scaling. It should be noted right away that we are not talking about the level known from flagship designs; nevertheless, in the price segment represented by the P7K/P79K, the results achieved are more than solid. The feature that smooths tonal transitions performs particularly well, effectively eliminating posterization, which are the characteristic bands often visible in materials with higher compression, such as from the YouTube service. The algorithm can elegantly remove unwanted gradients, which ultimately looks really good. The television also competently handles upscaling, which is the task of raising low-resolution materials to 4K standard. The output image, although it may seem a bit too sharp out of the box, fortunately, is not a problem. The software allows for easy adjustment of this parameter using a sharpness slider, so the final appearance can be easily tailored to personal preferences.

When it comes to upscaling and digital image processing, the E7Q PRO deserves praise. The scaling performs really well here and does not fall drastically behind much more expensive, advanced televisions. Lower-quality materials can look clean and sensible, without the impression that the image is artificially "overdrawn." However, the smoothing function presents a bit worse. It can indeed be effective and improve tonal transitions in low-quality materials, but at the same time, it can introduce unwanted effects. Sometimes it removes film grain or adds unwanted artifacts, giving the image a more "digital" character. Therefore, we mainly recommend it to those who prefer a smoother, less cinematic style of image.

The issue of fluidity and sharpness of the image in motion is inextricably linked to the fundamental parameter of the panel, and in the case of the TCL P7K/P79K, we are dealing with a panel that has a native refresh rate of 60 Hz. This specification already defines its capabilities and makes it difficult to unequivocally recommend it to enthusiasts of dynamic sports broadcasts. During rapid camera movements, the image loses sharpness, and the panel itself also shows a slight tendency to blur, which may be noticeable to more sensitive viewers. Fortunately, not everything in this aspect has been left to chance. The manufacturer has implemented a simple motion smoothing system, which is primarily used in film materials recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. Thanks to a dedicated slider, the user can independently decide on the final character of the motion – from a fully cinematic, slightly juddery image to achieving a very smooth, almost theatrical effect. It is a simple yet effective tool that allows users to tailor the viewing experience to their own preferences.

In the category of motion blur and fluidity of movement, the E7Q PRO has one very strong argument. At this price, Hisense has added a 120 Hz panel, and in PC mode, it can even operate at 144 Hz. This immediately provides greater possibilities in motion settings, as the menu displays more options for smoothing the image. Among other things, we have frame interpolation options, which allows us to adjust the fluidity for sports or for movies, depending on whether we prefer a more cinematic character or a "theatrical" smoothness.

Although on paper the native 4K@60Hz matrix might suggest that the TCL P7K/P79K is not a TV tailored for gamers, the reality turns out to be surprisingly different. On the contrary, the manufacturer has ensured a rich package of features that make it a very friendly companion for next-generation consoles. Onboard, we find key technologies such as ALLM, which provides automatic switching to low-latency mode, and VRR, or variable refresh rate, which eliminates screen tearing. The list is completed by support for Dolby Vision Gaming and a simple yet functional Game Bar. However, the real and extremely pleasant surprise is something else. It turns out that the TV easily supports high refresh rate signals of 120 Hz, but at lower resolutions – 1080p and 1440p. This is fantastic news for console owners who know full well how rarely games run in native 4K at a full 120 frames per second. The ability to choose between higher resolution and doubled smoothness is therefore an extremely sensible compromise.

In summary, although the P7K/P79K may not be the target screen for the most avid tournament gamers, it offers a package of options for the casual or occasional console user that is hard to find among many competitors at this price point.

The E7Q PRO is a phenomenal screen for gamers. Aside from the typical "thorn" of Hisense, which is the lack of support for the HGiG format due to the constantly active tone mapping, we practically get everything one might expect from a television that is supposed to have a gaming label. There are two HDMI 2.1 ports, along with a full set of key features. We have variable refresh rates, automatic switching to game mode, and support for 4K at 120 Hz. On top of that, all the most important settings are at hand in a clear Game Bar. This tool not only looks modern but also has a distinctly "gaming" edge and actually makes life easier while playing.