The Hisense E78Q 65″ 4K Ultra HD QLED Smart Freely TV is a 2025 big-screen set that aims to deliver premium picture tech and next-gen gaming features at a more accessible price than the flagship brands. You’re getting Quantum Dot QLED, 4K resolution and a fast 144Hz panel, wrapped in a sleek 65-inch design.
Hisense has built a strong reputation in the UK for offering strong performance and features for the money, and this model fits that mould. With a 4.8 out of 5 user rating from hundreds of reviews, it’s clearly gone down well with real households, especially those wanting a cinematic upgrade without moving into true luxury pricing.
It’s not the most energy-efficient set and the built-in audio is fairly modest, but on paper this looks like a very compelling mix of size, gaming capability and picture tech for the price.
This 65-inch Hisense is ideal for anyone turning their living room into a main family cinema space. The combination of 4K resolution, QLED panel and Dolby Vision IQ makes it well suited to film fans and box-set bingeing, especially if you sit a few metres back from the screen.
Gamers will get a lot from this model. The 144Hz Game Mode Pro, AMD FreeSync Premium and low 8 ms response time are exactly the kind of specs console and PC players look for to keep motion smooth and input lag down. If you’ve upgraded to current-gen consoles and want a screen that can keep up, this is a strong candidate.
It also suits households looking to cut down on clutter and subscriptions. With Freely built in, you can stream live TV over the internet without an aerial, and VIDAA smart TV gives you the usual apps and catch-up services, making it a good fit for renters or homes where aerial or satellite cabling is awkward.
If you’re particularly fussy about absolute black levels, or you want reference-grade HDR brightness, you may still prefer a higher-end OLED or Mini-LED set. But for most buyers wanting a big, colourful, modern TV at a sensible mid-range price, this model hits a very sweet spot.
The 4K QLED panel with Quantum Dot Colour means you get rich, vibrant images with over a billion shades and strong clarity, which really helps modern HDR films, sport and games stand out. Dolby Vision IQ and IMAX Enhanced support further polish picture quality by optimising brightness and tone mapping to match the content and your viewing environment.
For gamers, 144Hz Game Mode Pro, AMD FreeSync Premium and an 8 ms response time add up to impressively smooth, responsive play. Fast-paced shooters, racers and sports titles benefit from reduced tearing and blur, and the dedicated Game Bar gives quick access to settings without diving into deep menus.
The inclusion of Freely is a big win for UK households; being able to watch live TV over broadband without an aerial makes installation easier and more flexible, particularly in flats or older properties. Four HDMI ports with eARC, two USB ports, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 and Apple AirPlay 2 give plenty of ways to hook up soundbars, consoles, streaming sticks and Apple devices.
Owners also get reassuring extras like a wide 178° viewing angle, effective 4K AI upscaling for HD content and support for modern audio formats including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, so pairing the TV with a soundbar can unlock a much more cinematic soundstage.
The energy rating of E and relatively high HDR consumption (150 kWh per 1000 hours) mean this isn’t the most economical 65-inch TV to run, particularly if you watch a lot of HDR content in the evenings.
Audio is serviceable rather than spectacular. With 20W 2.0-channel speakers and no built-in subwoofer, dialogue is clear but bass impact will be limited; most film and gaming fans will want to budget for a soundbar or speaker system to match the screen size.
While the VIDAA smart platform covers the essentials and adds web browsing, it’s not as polished or app-rich as the very best interfaces from the biggest brands. There’s also no Google Assistant support, so if you’re heavily invested in Google’s ecosystem you may miss that integration.
Finally, the typical brightness of 365 nits is fine for most living rooms, but if you watch a lot in very bright, sunlit spaces, some high-end HDR sets with significantly higher peak brightness will deliver more punch.
Living with the Hisense E78Q is largely straightforward. The included desktop stand and clear quick start guide make initial setup simple, and VESA wall-mount support (300 x 400 mm) gives you flexibility if you prefer it on the wall. At 65 inches it’s a sizeable presence, so you’ll want a wide enough TV unit or a solid wall mount.
The VIDAA operating system is designed to be simple and responsive, with easy access to streaming apps, Freely channels and settings. Voice control support and Amazon Alexa compatibility make changing channels, launching apps or adjusting volume hands-free, provided you have a compatible device.
Everyday navigation is helped along by useful touches such as Timeshift for pausing live TV, an electronic programme guide and screen mirroring for quickly sharing content from your phone or tablet. Apple AirPlay 2 support means iPhone and Mac users can beam photos, videos and apps to the big screen with minimal fuss.
Thanks to wide viewing angles, everyone on the sofa gets a consistent picture without having to sit directly in front. The slim flat-screen design also sits neatly in modern living spaces, and standby power consumption is just 0.5W, so it’s not wasteful when left in standby mode.
The core picture performance is built around a 65-inch 4K Ultra HD QLED panel with a 3840 x 2160 resolution and Quantum Dot Colour. This combination produces crisp detail and richly saturated colours, particularly noticeable with UHD streaming and 4K Blu-rays. The Hi-View AI Engine and 4K AI Upscaler work to clean up lower-resolution broadcasts and streaming content, so HD channels and older box sets still look sharp on the large panel.
HDR support is strong for this price point. Dolby Vision IQ dynamically adjusts the image based on both the content and ambient light, while IMAX Enhanced certification indicates the TV can handle filmic content with appropriate colour and aspect treatment. Typical brightness of 365 nits is good for most homes, though not at the very top of the HDR performance ladder.
Motion handling is a key strength. The 144 Hz refresh rate, MEMC (motion estimation motion compensation) and FreeSync Premium tech combine to reduce blur and judder, whether you’re watching fast-paced sport or gaming. Game Mode Pro further trims processing for lower latency, and the dedicated Game Bar gives a quick snapshot of frame rate and settings, which more serious gamers will appreciate.
On the audio side, the TV supports advanced formats including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Dolby MS12, so when you connect a compatible soundbar or AV receiver via eARC you can enjoy proper immersive sound. The built-in 2.0 system is fine for casual viewing, and the equaliser lets you tweak the balance, but external speakers will unlock the full potential of those audio formats.
Smart and connectivity features are comprehensive. VIDAA offers streaming apps and HDR streaming support, while Freely provides internet-based live TV. Four HDMI ports (including eARC), two USB ports, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, screen mirroring, HbbTV 2.0.4 and Apple AirPlay 2 cover virtually all modern devices, from soundbars and games consoles to laptops and smartphones.
At around £699 for a 65-inch QLED with 144Hz refresh, Dolby Vision IQ, Freely and a strong gaming feature set, this Hisense offers very solid value. You’re getting many of the headline features that appear on more expensive flagship TVs, but at a mid-range price point that’s easier to justify for most households.
The generous 65-inch size, four HDMI ports and wide format support mean it should serve as a long-term living room centrepiece, rather than something you’ll quickly outgrow. The 2-year manufacturer warranty adds some extra peace of mind compared with sets that only carry a single year as standard.
Running costs are a touch higher than the most efficient models due to the E energy rating, and you may also want to add a soundbar to complete the package. Even factoring that in, the high 4.8/5 owner rating and rich spec sheet suggest you’re getting a lot of TV for the money, especially if you care about gaming performance and big-screen impact.
The Hisense E78Q 65″ 4K Ultra HD QLED Smart Freely TV is an impressive all-rounder that punches above its price. It delivers a colourful, sharp 4K picture, strong HDR support and excellent gaming credentials, all on a truly cinematic 65-inch canvas, backed up by a very positive owner score.
It isn’t perfect: energy use is only average, the built-in speakers are basic for such a large screen, and the VIDAA platform, while capable, lacks some of the polish of the very top-tier systems. However, these are understandable compromises at this price level and are easily addressed with a soundbar and a streaming stick if you’re particularly picky.
If you’re looking for a big-screen upgrade for films, sport and next-gen gaming without straying into eye-watering premium prices, this Hisense should be high on your shortlist. Enthusiasts chasing absolute best-in-class OLED black levels may want to look higher up the range, but for most homes this is a very well-judged mix of performance, features and value.
