Compare: Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D vs Hisense E7NQ PRO

Samsung Q70D performed in the test just as it should for its category – very well. The strongest points of the television are undoubtedly its efficiency when using a console and the colour reproduction after undergoing the calibration process. The former will certainly not allow gamers to remain indifferent to the range of benefits that Samsung Q70D can offer, and there are indeed many, including this almost exclusive feature for the manufacturer’s units – the ability to smooth out gameplay while maintaining a reasonable input lag, which allows titles running at 30 fps to perform like those at native 60 frames per second. In the context of gaming, one cannot forget the well-implemented HGIG mode, which, when correctly set up, is on par with games using Dolby Vision. One should also not overlook the ease of pairing the television with the Canal+ decoder, which is not such an obvious advantage, but we know that many people struggle with this issue. Staying on the topic of television, it must be acknowledged that the Samsung Q70D offers very good brightness in SDR materials for its price range, making daytime viewing more than comfortable. A downside for the tested television has to be the lack of Dolby Vision, which would have greatly enhanced the maximum brightness of the Samsung Q70D. One should also not overlook the construction flaws of the device, which may (though not necessarily) lead to light bleed, which can be noticed in dark conditions on less bright scenes. What cannot be taken away from Samsung Q70D is the fact that it features one of the better motion smoothing technologies in its price range, which works excellently in the context of sports events or fast-paced action scenes. The system that operates the television runs very smoothly, and the only complaint one might have is the lack of the Tidal app. In summary, the Samsung Q70D is a good continuation of the manufacturer's seventh series, which year after year gains – both in quality and popularity.

When we look at the Hisense E7NQ PRO in everyday use, it is immediately apparent that this is a television designed with a broad range of viewers in mind. The picture, although not breathtaking at first glance, gains a lot after proper calibration. The colours appear more natural, and a brightness level of around 500 cd/m² makes it comfortable to watch in a sunlit living room. The wide viewing angles offered by the IPS panel are an additional plus – we no longer have to fight for the best spot on the sofa. Dolby Vision can enhance the overall experience, and in SDR mode, the television delivers a truly pleasant image. Sports and gaming fans will find even more reasons to be satisfied here. High refresh rates (144 Hz) guarantee smooth ball movements on the pitch, while low latency, VRR, ALLM, and compatibility with G-Sync and Dolby Vision in games cater to those who value responsiveness and immersive gaming experiences. Because of all this, the E7NQ PRO becomes an interesting proposition for computer gamers as well. The VIDAA system works quite well – there are plenty of applications, although it lacks music-specific ones like Spotify or Tidal. However, you can expect recording, AirPlay, mirroring, and decent cooperation with wireless devices. Yes, there are certain shortcomings and imperfections – especially regarding subtitle support from USB or perfect management of brightness and contrast, and the absence of HGIG may disappoint the most demanding gamers. When we gather all the impressions and experiences, the E7NQ PRO emerges as a device that will perform well in many situations. It has its advantages – such as wide viewing angles, pleasant images after calibration, numerous additional functions, and excellent motion fluidity in sports or games. At the same time, it is important to remember that this is not a television intended for those seeking perfect experiences for evening viewings in total darkness. In low lighting, the deficiencies in contrast and black levels become more pronounced, so we suggest that individuals who primarily plan evening screenings look for alternatives among competitors. Nevertheless, as a versatile solution for everyday use – from watching television in a bright living room to playing console and computer games – the E7NQ PRO performs really solidly.

Samsung Q70D and its related models, such as Q77D and Q74D, utilise a VA panel, which in itself should provide decent contrast. Typically, it is several times higher than in IPS/ADS screens that are not equipped with an advanced local dimming system. The contrast results, as you can see, are quite varied, which is caused by the non-uniformity of the panel. Therefore, at times we can achieve good contrast, whereas at other times it is significantly degraded, but generally fairly consistent, not counting light leakage. Let’s take a look at the film scenes we prepared from the films "Oblivion" and "Revenant". As we can see, in the first one, the lights are well separated from each other, which is a positive phenomenon, as visibility of details in the whites in further tests should be equally good. What stands out the most here is the unusual over-sharpening of smoke visible under the light and the navy black in the background. In the frame from the second film, the first thing that stands out is the uneven backlighting of our scene. It was quite significant and heavily affected the perceived image. Nevertheless, the details in the film were well visible.

The tested Hisense E7NQ PRO in the 65-inch version features an IPS panel, which unfortunately is not known for high contrast. As a result, black appears slightly 'washed out' and at times takes on a silvery hue, which is clearly visible in our pictures. The manufacturer tried to address this by equipping the television with local dimming functionality. Unfortunately, in this 65-inch model, we only have 32 zones available, which, while somewhat helpful, is definitely not enough to achieve impressively high results—especially since the panel itself is unable to deliver incredibly deep blacks.

During testing, we observed highly variable results. In optimal conditions, it managed to reach around 7800:1, which can be considered decent; however, in more challenging scenes, the contrast dropped to around 2000:1. Such values are at best average and simply do not befit a television in this price range. Ultimately, while local dimming somewhat salvages the situation, it lacks truly deep, inky blacks and contrast that would leave a greater impression on us.

The brightness that the Samsung Q70D can offer is at a fairly average level, although it cannot be said that the HDR effect will be unnoticeable. Any brightness above 400 nits allows for a clear distinction between SDR and HDR materials. As was the case in the paragraph about contrast and black levels, this time we can observe that the first scene, featuring a bright sun and a dark foreground, possesses the lowest luminance among the measured ones. The result, which can be considered very good for this price range and class of display, is the latter. In a scene where we see a large light source filling a significant part of the frame, the brightness of the television is at its highest, reaching nearly 500 nits. It is worth noting the quite low coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, which occasionally results in noticeable gaps in the colour palette. Additionally, users can enjoy rich colours and high precision in shade reproduction, making movie screenings a special experience. It is also worth noting that the Q70D Samsung panel performs excellently in eliminating blur during dynamic action scenes, which enhances the viewing comfort of sports broadcasts or games.

Based on the luminance chart, which indicates around 550 nits, it can be said that Hisense E7NQ PRO theoretically has the potential to somewhat "magically" enchant us with its image in HDR. While testing various scenes from films, we noticed that the television continually tries to balance maintaining appropriate brightness with preserving the deepest blacks possible. In favourable conditions – for instance, during a scene from “The Meg,” where the screen is flooded with bright light – this brightness can indeed impress us. In such moments, we feel that HDR actually adds that "something" to the image. Unfortunately, when more challenging shots appear on the screen with small, bright elements on a dark background, the situation looks significantly worse. The brightness then drops to 200-300 nits, which is decidedly too little to truly distinguish HDR from standard SDR.

It is clear that the television tries, but hardware limitations – mainly the limited number of local dimming zones – prevent it from fully spreading its wings. The final effect is therefore often quite uneven and just as mediocre as in the contrast tests. However, it deserves credit for its impressive coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 97%. Thanks to this, the television can display a truly wide range of colours, which, in suitable scenes, can give us at least a taste of the true HDR effect. It’s just a shame that the overall experience is not complemented by better control of brightness and contrast.

The best factory mode on the Samsung Q70D is "Filmmaker," and it was this mode that we used during all our tests. Before calibration, it had several flaws that effectively prevented it from conveying the director's intentions. In both SDR and HDR materials, the white balance was dominated by red and green. As a result, there was a characteristic yellow tint on the image, causing white to appear yellowed and resulting in skin tones that were noticeably too warm. The lowered gamma in standard colour gamut materials resulted in a significant drop in contrast, which was already not the highest. This caused detail in the blacks to be accentuated but also led to overexposure in brighter scenes. The EOTF curve, in this case, proved to be much better and only brightened those scenes with relatively low luminance. This was perfectly evident in the section where we measured the television's maximum brightness in HDR materials. At that point, the frame from the film "Billy Lynn" was unnaturally bright and lacking in depth.

When we took our copy of Hisense E7NQ PRO out of the box, we immediately began to check the available picture modes. Among them, the Filmmaker mode seemed the most promising, although it too was not without its flaws. With standard SDR content, we noticed a clear tendency for excessive red enhancement, which made the image unnaturally warm. This was particularly evident in the comparative photo attached below. Conversely, when we switched to HDR content, the situation went in the opposite direction. This time, blue was dominant, and red was scarce, resulting in a cool effect, at times almost "shop-like" — although not as drastic as in those modes that are actually intended for display in exhibitions. As a result, in our tests assessing colour reproduction, these disturbances in colour balance led to significant errors.

Additionally, the television had issues with reproducing brightness characteristics. At lower resolutions, it noticeably brightened the darkest elements of the image, and with HDR content, the brightness curve (eotf) simply wouldn't conform as it should. Initially, the television excessively darkened the smallest details, only to then overly brighten larger areas. Fortunately, the E7NQ PRO provides us with plenty of calibration tools, so knowing that there is potential within it, we decided to take matters into our own hands and try to adjust it to eliminate these problems.

Fortunately, Samsung provides a wide range of calibration tools in all its televisions, including 2-point and 20-point grey scale adjustment as well as advanced CMS. This allowed us to significantly improve the quality of SDR and HDR content. The vast majority of errors have been corrected, and the image that the Samsung Q70D now generates is definitely closer to the reference. Higher deltaE errors in wide dynamic range content are primarily due to the display's insufficient luminance.

Thanks to the tools available in E7NQ PRO, we managed to extract quite a decent image from it, especially with lower quality content. After refining the white balance of the SDR materials, the colours look much more natural, and what we see on the screen seems closer to the vision that the manufacturer intended to present. Additionally, we improved the brightness characteristic (Gamma), which means the television is no longer prone to excessive brightening, and everything presents itself distinctly better than before our intervention.

We also managed to achieve some results with HDR materials, although it isn’t quite as rosy here. Indeed, the white balance has approached an acceptable level, but the problem lies elsewhere. It concerns the EOTF curve, which is the way the television manages brightness and tonal range of the image. At first glance, it might seem that the biggest issue only relates to mid-tones being overly brightened. However, after more detailed testing and enabling the filters for displaying the EOTF curve, it becomes apparent that the receiver tends to brighten the entire screen. This appears to be a limitation arising from the small number of local dimming zones and generally modest brightness management capabilities. Such hardware limitations are simply insurmountable. Despite this, after our calibration, the image is noticeably better than at the outset. One just needs to be aware that in terms of contrast and brightness management, this model has its limits, which even good calibration cannot fully overcome.

Considering how important lighting is in films and series, the overlapping structures and the fluidity of tonal transitions constitute an extremely significant element in assessing the quality of the image. The colour grading in the tested television stands at a fairly decent level. It cannot be said to be outstanding, but it is also not bad. We assess it as adequate. Brighter scenes perform best here, showing the least amount of stuttering. In scenes recorded in darker settings, slight deficiencies in grading can already be noticed, although this is not an issue that would cause discomfort while watching. This may be disrupted by the bleed of the backlighting, which is clearly visible in the last image.

We must honestly admit that the fluidity of tonal transitions in this television is among the best we have had the opportunity to test in 2024. Even in really demanding scenes, we hardly notice any distinct "steps" between colours. Of course, with a keen eye, one can detect minor flaws, but those are at a level that is virtually microscopic. You really need to have a very "alert" eye to catch them. This, in turn, means that while watching even the most complex shots in a full palette of colours, one can simply focus on the story and visual experiences without the irritating, artificial effect of posterisation.

The function responsible for improving gradation has been named "Noise Reduction" in the menu. As we have confirmed, it is worth enabling, as it has a positive effect on tonal transitions. More importantly, it does not negatively affect the film grain or the fine details, which the competition sometimes "blesses" us with.

The image scaling on Samsung Q70D should be rated as average. The manufacturer does not intend to artificially sharpen the image, but rather to leave it naturally softened.

When it comes to the function of smoothing tonal transitions in lower quality materials, the "smooth and gradient image" feature in Hisense E7NQ PRO unfortunately does not impress. At the lowest setting, the change is hard to notice at all – it is rather a cosmetic improvement. Switching to "Medium" mode yields a noticeable effect, but it is still nothing special, and in the process, the television begins to excessively interfere with other elements of the image, which can look unnatural.

Moreover, image scaling is rather average. On the test screen, where a portrait of a model and text are displayed, slight jagged edges are visible, making the overall appearance less smooth and aesthetically pleasing than one would expect in this class of device. It's simply difficult to talk about truly effective improvement in the quality of lower resolution.

Samsung Q70D is the first model in the manufacturer's portfolio featuring a 120Hz panel. Consequently, its motion smoothing functions are more advanced than those in lower-tier models. Within the menu, we find three functions responsible for improving smoothness: "Motion Blur Reduction," "Judder Reduction," and "Clear Motion (LED)." We will discuss the third one later. The first function is responsible for sharpness in motion, while the second adjusts the level of smoothing. The smoother in Samsung Q70D performs satisfactorily, and each setting brings noticeable changes. Therefore, those who dislike the characteristic juddering in films or are avid sports viewers will be able to achieve a personalised level of smoothing. In the picture, we present a setting with slight smoothing, without the soap opera effect.

The panel used in Samsung Q70D features a fairly good response time for this type of display. Of course, it won't be as sharp as a proverbial razor, but at this price, it is a recommendable choice for all kinds of sports.

Thanks to the use of a 144 Hz panel, E7NQ PRO performs excellently with nearly every type of content. Whether we are watching fast-paced matches, dynamic games or action films – the smoothness of motion leaves a good impression. When it comes to films, the manufacturer has equipped the television with two key tools: "motion blur reduction" and "judder reduction". Each of these functions can be adjusted on a scale from 1 to 10.

At lower values, the processing is subtle, barely noticeable, and gently smooths out motion without compromising the cinematic quality of the image. The higher we move up the scale, the more the television interferes with the presented material, smoothing out motion more intensely, and consequently – minimising any judders or micro-cuts. Conversely, the highest settings can resemble the so-called "soap opera effect", which makes the image appear excessively smooth, slightly losing its filmic atmosphere. However, with such a scale, we can find a happy medium, adjusting the smoothness of motion to our own preferences.

The tested television is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports. Interestingly, all of them have a bandwidth of 40 Gbps; however, during the conducted tests, we did not find any negative effects related to this state of affairs. Moreover, and more importantly, Samsung Q70D supports all functions resulting from the aforementioned standard. This news will surely please all gamers, as it means that whether using a console or a PC, we can count on the highest possible comfort during gameplay. Given the typical absence of HDR Dolby Vision for this manufacturer, it is significant that the HGIG mode has been correctly implemented and there is no issue with setting the calibration checkerboard. We particularly note that Samsung, as the only manufacturer, allows gameplay with the smoothener turned on, without significant degradation. This means that titles running at 30 fps will be perceived like those with native 60 frames per second.

Samsung, as one of the first manufacturers, introduced the Game Bar to its televisions, which it has consistently refined since then. It contains all the necessary information regarding gameplay parameters that we can change "on the fly".

To summarise: Samsung Q70D performs excellently both with a console and a computer. All functions worked perfectly and there were no issues with them. The ability to enable the smoothener without a significant increase in input lag is a true game changer.

If we sometimes enjoy turning on the console and immersing ourselves in the world of games for long hours, E7NQ PRO can make quite an impressive impact. Thanks to the 144 Hz refresh rate, gameplay is surprisingly smooth, and support for HDMI 2.1 and VRR ensures that the picture doesn't 'tear' even during the most dynamic actions. Additionally, there's ALLM, which automatically sets the lowest latency as soon as we switch to the console – so we don't have to fiddle with the options ourselves.

A major plus is also the ability to run games in Dolby Vision, making colours and contrast simply look better. Hisense has also added a clear 'gamebar', allowing us to constantly monitor the most important parameters and change settings without leaving the game. The only thing we might regret a bit is the lack of HGIG support. While it may not be a crucial element, it could matter to some gamers aiming for the most faithful representation of the creators' vision. Nevertheless, in practice, the E7NQ PRO performs excellently and provides truly enjoyable gaming experiences.

The latency results in Samsung Q70D are at a high level, regardless of the signal or resolution. All gamers will certainly appreciate the manufacturer's efforts, which allow for a game running in 4K 120 Hz with HDR to have a mere 7 ms latency, which is virtually unnoticeable even in online games. It is worth adding that the lag with the smoothness enhancer switched on increases by about twice, which still means very comfortable gaming in this case.

In this regard, Hisense E7NQ PRO really delivers. At a frequency of 60 Hz, we recorded around 15 ms, and at 120 Hz, the latency drops even to 6 ms, allowing for very quick response and smooth control in games. It is also worth mentioning that even in Dolby Vision mode, the input lag does not increase drastically. This means we can enjoy better image quality without having to sacrifice responsiveness, which will certainly please any avid gamer.

After connecting the television to the computer and wanting to use it as a monitor, we can expect a low input lag of 13 ms, which is practically unnoticeable along the mouse-screen-eye line. Thanks to the correct implementation of chroma 4:4:4, the readability of fonts is at a high level, so one can confidently connect the Samsung Q70D to the computer as a monitor and anticipate comfortable work with text.

The subpixel arrangement is BGR, which does not negatively impact the use of the television as a monitor. However, since operating systems are not adapted to such a subpixel format, this may cause slightly less clear outlines. Nevertheless, this is practically negligible and only a handful of people may notice it.

By connecting the E7NQ PRO to a computer, we will have no reason to complain. The overall readability of the fonts is quite good, although with very thin, horizontal lines (the so-called “serifs” of letters) we noticed a slight dimming. This is not a major issue, but it's worth mentioning if we plan to spend long hours in text editors or browsers.

As for gaming on PC, the television shows its true colours. Support for G-Sync, connection to a 144 Hz panel, and low input lag ensure that even the most demanding titles run smoothly and responsively. As a result, we have a screen that will work well not only with a console but also as a solid “window” to the world of PC entertainment.

Due to the VA panel, the performance of the Samsung Q70D in terms of viewing angles is its Achilles' heel. Even a slight shift from the axis results in a significant loss of contrast and a substantial degradation of colours.

In the case of Hisense E7NQ PRO, the viewing angles are definitely a strong point, thanks to the IPS panel. This means that when we look at the screen even from a significant angle, the colours and brightness do not "wash out" as much as they do in televisions with a VA panel. Of course, compared to OLED or QD-OLED screens, where the image remains practically unchanged from every angle, IPS still falls short. Nevertheless, among LCD televisions, it is hard to find a solution that guarantees viewing angles as good as those offered by IPS. Unfortunately, everything comes at a cost – in this case, one has to come to terms with average blacks and lower contrast.

The satin finish of the panel in the Q70D allows for quite good performance in a strongly sunlit room. It is worth noting that the reflections do not extend beyond their source, thus not spilling over onto the rest of the panel. We also commend the maximum brightness of the television in SDR materials, which is 450 nits, allowing for comfortable content consumption during the day.

On a bright day, E7NQ PRO performs quite well. The "satin" display diffuses light effectively, preventing reflections and glares from turning into distracting "spots" on the screen. With an average brightness of around 500 cd/m², you can comfortably watch television in a sunlit room without much struggle to see details or clear content. It's perhaps not at the level of the highest premium models, but in everyday use, it still performs quite decently.

The operation of the Samsung Q70D is powered by the proprietary Tizen system. It is quite a well-known software, as the manufacturer has been developing it in its televisions for a really long time. Its main advantage is smooth performance and the absence of significant stutters, which we can confirm through conducted tests. The greatest downside, however, is its closed nature. Although the app store is quite extensive, we are still at the mercy of the manufacturer. Therefore, we will not be able to install missing items, even from a pendrive. A perfect example of this is this year's discontinuation of support for the Tidal app. On the other hand, a benefit, especially for users of Apple equipment, is the implementation of AirPlay, which allows for easy mirroring of content from a device to the television. Fortunately, Samsung has also provided the option to connect a keyboard and mouse for much quicker navigation through the television's menu. It is worth mentioning that the manufacturer has luckily included a remote that connects via Bluetooth this year, which often did not occur in the past. The Tizen system has one more advantage. It integrates very well with external devices such as the NC+ decoder or soundbars. The connection process is very quick and does not require any special skills.

In summary: The Tizen system is very smoothly functioning software, which is certainly a strong advantage of the television. Although more advanced users may complain about the lack of at least KODI, the rest will be satisfied.

Hisense E7NQ PRO operates on the VIDAA system, which has recently made significant progress. Most popular applications can be found here, although unfortunately, some music platforms like Spotify or Tidal are missing. Nevertheless, navigating the menu is quite enjoyable, and the responsiveness is at a satisfactory level. Yes, there are occasionally minor "stutters," but this is not something that will overwhelm our daily usage experience.

On the plus side, we can appreciate the support for voice search in Polish, which makes it easier to find favourite content without the tedious process of typing letters one by one. The television also offers plenty of additional options: we can record programmes, use AirPlay and mirroring, as well as enjoy extensive wireless connectivity options (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). Perhaps it lacks a backlit remote or Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, but these are rather niche features, so few will truly feel their absence. In everyday use, we simply have a solid foundation of useful tools and convenient solutions.

The built-in player Samsung Q70D is one of its major advantages. It handled almost all video and audio files prepared for the testing process excellently. The only exceptions in this regard are, of course, the Dolby Vision format (which is not surprising) and less popular codecs. Additionally, credit should be given for the support of Polish characters and the ability to change font colours. However, it performs worse with photo formats, as it only supports JPEG among the popular ones. There is definitely a lack of formats such as PNG or Apple's HEIC.

If we are counting on comfortable viewing of films with subtitles directly from a pendrive, we may unfortunately be disappointed. Just like with the previously tested A7NQ, we encounter a rather peculiar situation here: the television does not display subtitles, even if we correctly place them on the device and try various formats. Paradoxically, we find options to change the colour and appearance of the font, but as they say – what's the point if we still won't see anything?

In the case of other files, such as photos or music, the E7NQ PRO manages without major problems, playing the most popular formats without a hitch. Unfortunately, for those who would like to use the television as a multimedia player, the lack of functioning subtitles is quite a nuisance.

The built-in audio system Samsung Q70D, due to its slim design, is not among the most outstanding. The overall sound is fairly balanced, although we wouldn't advise increasing the volume above 2/4 of the scale. However, if we have a home cinema system, a number of codecs await us, notably featuring the most important ones, namely DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos.

When it comes to the built-in speakers, Hisense E7NQ PRO pleasantly surprised us. Of course, it is not on the level of a proper soundbar or home cinema system, but in everyday conditions, it performs quite well. During our tests, the dialogues remained clear, and the sound was sufficiently clean and spacious, so there was no immediate need to invest in additional audio equipment.

It also deserves credit for supporting multiple audio formats – from Dolby Atmos to the less common DTS:X. As a result, if we come across the right source materials, we can expect a more immersive, spatial experience. Although in terms of sound, it is still primarily at the level of a decent basic setup, Hisense E7NQ PRO should satisfy most users who simply want to turn on the television and hear clear, unblemished sound.

Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D vs Hisense E7NQ PRO

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound