TCL QM8L Series 65" Class 64.5" Review

The TCL QM8L has the best picture you can buy without spending Sony money. For $1800, it's an absolute steal that makes the competition look overpriced.

The TCL QM8L is a picture quality monster that punches way above its price tag. Forget everything you think you know about budget TV brands. This thing hits a staggering 6000 nits of brightness, making HDR content absolutely explode off the screen. It's the best picture we've tested in its class, period. The one thing to know? You're getting flagship-level performance for hundreds less than the big-name competition.

The brightness is the star, but the whole package is impressive. That 6000-nit peak is best-in-class, and the HDR performance is nearly perfect. Gaming is a dream with full 144Hz, FreeSync Premium Pro, and HDMI 2.1. The audio is strong too, landing in the top 10% of TVs we've tested. The only real letdown is the display's basic panel tech, which sits in the middle of the pack. But when the picture is this good, you stop caring about the spec sheet.

This is a no-brainer. At $1800 for a 65-inch Mini-LED with this performance, the value is incredible. You'd pay $500 to $1000 more for similar picture quality from Sony or Samsung. TCL is eating their lunch.

The Samsung Neo QLED is the direct competitor, and the TCL beats it on pure brightness and value. The LG OLED evo C5 has perfect blacks and better viewing angles, but it can't touch the QM8L's eye-searing HDR highlights. The Hisense U6 is cheaper, but its picture and gaming features fall well behind. For most people, the TCL offers the best blend of performance and price.

If you watch in a very bright room with wide seating, skip this. The viewing angles are just okay. Go get an LG OLED instead for its perfect wide-angle view. Also, if you absolutely need brand-name prestige, this isn't it. Go spend more on a Sony.

Buy it. If your priority is a breathtaking, bright, and detailed picture for movies and gaming, this is the TV to get. The lack of user reviews is the only hesitation, but the spec and benchmark data are so strong that we're confident recommending it. This isn't a compromise pick. It's a leader.