TCL QM8 Review: Incredible Value

The state of mid-range TVs is currently excellent. While Samsung and LG continue to dominate the high-end segment, Chinese companies like Hisense and TCL are building TVs that are 90% as good for 50% of the price. This year, we are spoiled with two stunning mid-range models: the Hisense U8N and the TCL QM8.

I’ve already reviewed the Hisense U8N and I think it’s an amazing TV for the price. But for the past few weeks, I’ve been testing its biggest competitor, the TCL QM8. The QM8 may not be as massive as its cousin, the 115-inch QM89, but it still has a lot going for it, including slightly more digestible dimensions like the 65-inch model I reviewed.

How does the TCL QM8 compare to what many consider the best TV under $2,000? I’ve been using the TCL QM8 for a while now to find out.

TCL QM8 Specifications

Display size	65, 75, 85, 98 inches
Resolution	3840×2160
Display type	Mini LED QD
Refresh rate	144Hz
Ports	2 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, optical, ethernet, aux
HDR support	HLG, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Software	Google TV
Price	$1699.99 – $7999.99

Elegant and stylish design

I really like the overall design of the TCL QM8. It’s not necessarily the most premium TV out there, nor is it as thin or as well-designed as the Samsung S95D, but the S95D is also a much more expensive TV. And as far as TVs in this price range go, the TCL QM8 looks good and feels solid.

I like the fact that mid-range TV manufacturers are moving to stands instead of feet, and the QM8 lets you adjust the stand to one of two positions: high and low. But while the stand looks better on its own, it’s a bit more intrusive for those using a soundbar. In the low position, the soundbar blocks the TV screen, so if you’re using a soundbar, you’ll want to use it in the high position.

Image Source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The TV is relatively thin, though certainly not as thin as some more expensive options that have a junction box rather than building ports and processing directly into the TV. Again, it’s still relatively thin and will look great on any TV stand or entertainment center, or mounted on a wall.

The TV isn’t as heavy as some of the alternatives, but it’s still relatively heavy and large, considering the smallest size is 65 inches. You’ll want to set it up with a friend.

Selecting the port we would like

The TCL QM8 offers more or less what you’d expect in terms of ports, though I hope TVs in this price range start offering all four HDMI ports as HDMI 2.1. For now, you get two HDMI 2.1 ports along with two HDMI 2.0 ports. For gamers who play on multiple consoles, the fact that the HDMI eARC port doesn’t support HDMI 2.1 will be good news. The flip side of the coin, however, is that eARC is limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth.

In addition to the HDMI ports, the TV offers two USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port, as well as an optical audio port and a headphone jack. There’s also an Ethernet port for wired data transfer. Looking at the TV screen, the power port is on the left side of the back, while the HDMI ports and other inputs and outputs are on the right side.

That’s a good selection of ports and pretty much everything you’ll need in 2024, though I hope manufacturers in this price range have included HDMI 2.1 on all HDMI ports.

Elegant and slim remote control

Image Source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The remote that comes with the TCL QM8 is made entirely of black plastic, but it looks and feels relatively nice to the touch. It’s a long, slender remote that’s mostly used for software control, including a button to access Google Assistant. There are also quick-access buttons for streaming services, including Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, and Apple TV. Unfortunately, two of those buttons are taken up by TCL Channel and TCL Home, which seems a bit wasteful. I’d have preferred buttons for Hulu or Max.

The remote control isn’t as solidly made as the one included with the Hisense U8N, but its overall shape and feel are more to my liking.

The setup process is relatively straightforward. If you use the included stand, you screw it onto the back of the TV and can choose between two positions, which is nice. I chose the lower position, which looked very elegant but would block the soundbar if I used the TV with it. When you turn on the TV, you’ll sign in to your Google account and install any available updates. Once the update is installed, you’ll be able to choose which streaming services you want to download to your TV.

As part of the setup process, you pair the remote. Some people are confused by the pairing process for the remote, considering that the remote works out of the box with batteries. The pairing process connects the remote to the TV via Bluetooth, which allows it to work without line of sight. When it works out of the box, it does so via infrared codes that it sends to the TV, which require line of sight.

Image Source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The TCL QM8 has Google TV built in. Google TV has gotten a lot better over the years, and TVs have gotten a lot better at supporting it without too many freezes or slowdowns. I’m an Apple TV user, and there’s still nothing that can run as fast as the Apple TV. But the Apple TV is also a separate hardware device, which isn’t necessarily cheap in a world of built-in software and cheaper streaming devices. Despite that, I found that the TCL QM8 was able to run Google TV quite easily.

The TV also offers other smart features for those who aren’t in the Google ecosystem. For example, it works with Apple HomeKit, so you can add it to your HomeKit home and access controls directly from the Apple Home app. It also has AirPlay 2 built in, allowing you to stream content to your TV from your iPhone or other Apple device. Of course, these are features you’ll get if you’re using an Apple TV with the QM8, but if you don’t have an Apple TV and still rely heavily on Apple devices, it’s nice to be able to get some controls for your TV.

The TV is a great option not only for console gamers but also for PC gamers. It supports variable refresh rate technology for use with modern consoles, and it also supports AMD FreeSync technology. And it has very low input lag when you run games at 120Hz. At 240Hz, the input lag is a bit higher, but it is still low enough.

Stunning image quality throughout

The TCL QM8 uses a range of modern technologies to deliver a better picture. For starters, it’s a Mini-LED TV, which means it has thousands of dimming zones for more natural black levels and higher contrast. Additionally, the TV uses Quantum Dot technology, which allows it to deliver higher brightness levels and more vibrant colors. On paper, this TV should be one of the best Mini-LED TVs on the market.

Specifically, the 65-inch TCL QM8 offers over 2,300 dimming zones and is capable of delivering up to 2,000 nits of brightness. That’s a lot, and brightness is a clear benefit of using technology like Mini-LED over OLED display panels, although high-end OLED TVs like the Samsung S95D are also getting a lot brighter. That said, the QM8 really does get incredibly bright — brighter than the vast majority of available alternatives.

Image Source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The TCL QM8’s picture quality is excellent. Its mini-LED backlighting allows it to deliver on its promise of deep, natural-looking black levels. Keen eyes might spot a little blooming with very bright objects against very dark backgrounds. For the most part, though, it was rare and non-intrusive. The TV handles reflections quite well, ensuring that highlights aren’t distracting in darker scenes.

In HDR, the TV was able to deliver high levels of contrast with stunningly bright colours and a natural overall look. The same was true in SDR, and I found that the TV’s upscaling was pretty good for the most part, especially with content already at 1080p. Lower-resolution content won’t look quite as sharp, but that’s to be expected.

Gaming on the TV was also great. I tested the TV with a PlayStation 5 and it looked smooth and crisp thanks to the built-in variable refresh rate support.

Of course, the real question is how this TV compares to the Hisense U8N. The TVs are very similar, and whether you buy the TCL or the Hisense, you’ll find that you get excellent picture quality. I find that the U8N is slightly better at handling reflections and offers deeper black levels with a touch less bloom. But the difference is incredibly minimal and the vast majority of users won’t notice it.

Perfect sound quality when you need it

Image Source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The TCL QM8 offers a built-in 2.1 speaker system, which includes a subwoofer on the back of the TV. The sound quality was generally good at best, but as with almost all TVs with built-in speakers, it was really just okay. I liked that the bass was a bit stronger than some of the alternatives, but most users will still want to use the QM8 with a decent soundbar. Even a cheaper soundbar will sound better than the speakers built into this TV.

Conclusions

The TCL QM8 continues TCL’s trend of mid-range TVs offering incredible picture quality at lower prices than higher-end alternatives from manufacturers like Samsung and LG. The TV isn’t perfect. The sound quality is only okay, and its design isn’t necessarily as premium as the higher-end options, but it does deliver high levels of brightness, super-deep blacks, and vibrant colors. You’ll need to be comfortable buying a 65-inch or larger TV to get this one, though, and a 55-inch option would be nice.

Competition

Should I choose the TCL QM8 or the Hisense U8N? Well, it’s not that simple. Both TVs offer stunning picture quality for the price and no matter which one you choose, you’ll be impressed. I liked the design of the TCL QM8 a little more than the more angular Hisense U8N. However, I also felt that the Hisense U8N did a slightly better job of deep black levels without introducing blooming. The blooming on the QM8 was barely noticeable though. So don’t expect the Hisense to offer dramatically improved picture quality, because it doesn’t.

Should I buy the TCL QM8?

Yes, consider the Hisense U8N as well, but the TCL QM8 is an excellent TV.