I spent weeks testing the TCL QM8L TV and I

TCL QM8L: two-minute review

The TCL QM8L SQD-Mini LED TV may technically be the company’s third-tier TV this year, but it’s good enough to give you a flagship-like experience for a very reasonable price.

When I used the TCL QM8L, I was very impressed across the board – almost as much as my dad, who probably stole even more time using it than I did during testing. Its bright screen makes daytime monitoring easy, even in bright rooms, and TCL’s backlight technology does a great job delivering a sharp, bloom-free image, highlighting details no matter how bright or dark the image.

In fact, I think everything this TV has to offer makes it not only a strong contender among the best TVs of 2026, but also one of the best gaming TVs thanks to its four HDMI 2.1 ports and broad gaming features of the current generation.

There’s plenty more to like about the 75QM8L (I received the 75-inch size for this review). Hands-free control is still a nice feature and the Google Gemini’s conversational interaction is quite nice, although I did run into issues with some of the information it would offer during use.

And I also found that it wasn’t up to the best of the best in color accuracy or color coverage compared to what TCL claimed it would be capable of.

That said, if you looked at this TV without looking at any benchmarks, you would – like me – not think about any of this and would just be captivated by the sharp, smooth and bright picture (and brightness is a key area where the benchmarks look pretty good).

If you’re looking for a great mini-LED TV that comes in large sizes and can hold even the brightest rooms while still delivering nuanced picture quality, I can highly recommend the TCL QM8L.

TCL QM8L review: Price and release date

• Release date: April 2026
• 65 inches: $1,799
• 75 inches: $1,999
• 85 inches: $2,999
• 98 inches: $4,999

TCL has taken a “big or go home” approach this year, releasing impressive updates for its two main TV lines, including the QM8L series reviewed here. While the TV was on display at CES, it wasn’t available for purchase until April 2026.

It sits below the TCL X11L (which is this year’s flagship) and TCL RM9L TVs in this year’s lineup, but it uses the same SQD-Mini LED panel technology as the X11L. (The RM9L uses a new RGB LED panel, just to confuse things.)

As for the actual prices, the prices are not for the faint of heart, although they are third on the list. I’ll discuss how it compares to the competition later (and TCL offers good value), but that doesn’t change the fact that a $1,999.99 price tag for the 65-inch, the smallest size available for the QM8L, is a lot of money to invest in a TV.

That’s less than the LG G6 OLED TV, but it’s still undeniably premium – even if it’s already dropped massively in the few weeks since its launch, and will drop further – as is always the case with TCL TVs.

I think adding a few hundred dollars to upgrade to the next size, the 75-inch reviewed here, is reasonable if you’re already planning to spend that kind of money on a TV.

TCL QM8L review: Specifications

TCL QM8L test: benchmark results

TCL QM8L review: Features

• Supports full range of HDR and spatial audio formats
• Uses a few different TCL technologies to improve picture quality
• Hands-free control via Google Gemini

The TCL 75QM8L has a good number of features, as befits TCL’s near-flagship TV. It has all the different HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and DTS support one could need, which no rival from LG, Sony or Samsung offers in full.

The TV also uses some exclusive features to improve picture quality. For example, the TCL Deep Color system is intended for a wider color gamut, to achieve a claimed 100% BT.2020 color coverage.

I’ll cover our test results in the next section, but briefly mention that the TV performs well but doesn’t actually achieve that 100% color coverage for BT.2020 or DCI-P3 in our measurements. Still, this technology improves colors beyond what has been normal for mini-LEDs in the past (and TCL says there are several ways to test BT.2020 coverage).

Available in 65, 75, 85, and 98 inches (my review unit is the 75-inch model), these TVs come with up to 4,000 local dimming zones with full, precise local dimming thanks to the SQD-Mini LED panel, and up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness to really get the most out of HDR content.

For reference, the flagship X11L claims up to 20,000 local dimming zones and 10,000 nits of brightness. Considering the 75QM8L is much more affordable (comparatively), its specs are quite impressive.

The “enhanced halo control system” in the LED backlight promises to minimize glare, in part through the use of 26-bit backlight controllers. After spending a lot of time looking at this display with HDR content (as well as a few test videos with colored objects on black backgrounds), I didn’t notice much, if any, in terms of flourishing for real-world use.

Colorful or bright objects retained their shape against darker backgrounds without spilling over, so to speak, onto these darker sections.

The WHVA 2.0 panel that TCL hopes will make you forget about OLED TVs also sports a 144Hz refresh rate and a 178º viewing angle.

A TSR AI Pro processor powers the TV, with its processing partly focused on Google’s AI-powered Gemini voice assistant. And Wi-Fi 6 is available for a more responsive TV – in reality, your Wi-Fi will be the biggest bottleneck on a newer TV, so it’s a welcome upgrade.

If you’re like me, hands-free voice control, using the Google Gemini AI voice assistant, will be the most impressive and visible. Every time I say “Hey Google” I find the TV responds, even when it’s turned off and I ask it to turn back on.

I can open apps and much content just by talking to them. I can also ask more general knowledge type questions than with a voice assistant (weather, sports results, news, etc.).

Of course, there are some limitations in that it doesn’t always take me to the right streaming location for certain content (more on this in the Smart TV section).

Beyond the voice assistant, AI capabilities, powered by the TSR AI Pro processor, include an AI art gallery as a screensaver, AI news briefs, and AI image settings.

For gaming, you get 144Hz at 4K and variable refresh rate support on all four HDMI ports, as well as the option for a 288Hz refresh rate at 1080p (still with VRR).

• Features rating: 4.5/5

TCL QM8L review: image quality

• Incredibly limited flowering and bright colors
• Filmmaker mode and Dolby Vision help deliver rich images
• Color accuracy isn’t totally ideal out of the box

I spent a few weeks with the TCL 75QM8L, sharing screen control with my dad, which meant a combination of Phillies games, British murder mysteries, blockbusters, 90 Day Fiancé And Leave it to the beaver – as well as next-generation games. I’ll go into detail on that last bit in the games section, but it’s also informative about how the screen looks.

When using it, the TCL QM8L is a real bluff. What I think sets this TV above many other options are the color and halo control systems I mentioned above, combined with full HDR support, meaning the images are gloriously rich.

We measured 3,719 nits of peak HDR brightness in a 10% window in Filmmaker mode, which is absolutely stunning – but the model I tested’s more than 2,000 local dimming zones helped maintain clear separation between light and dark areas despite the brightness.

There is no bleeding from one color to another and I am able to clearly see details in the shadows thanks to the high gradation capability of each section.

Full-screen HDR brightness in a 100% window is also colossal, reaching 760 nits in Cinematographer mode and 790 nits in Standard mode (which is what you’re more likely to use for sports).

Even in SDR in Standard mode, it reaches 518 nits. This blows away every TV I’ve tested so far and means the screen will only have reflection issues in dark scenes – watching sports during the day will be no problem.

What’s also useful for sports or family room viewing is that it has a fairly wide viewing angle, allowing me to watch something at a very sharp angle and still see the image impressively clearly.

Speaking of sports, movement management is fluid. Whether watching NBA basketball or even a drone shot, the screen doesn’t show much stutter. And of course, the films look unctuous.

Regardless of what is happening on the screen, the TCL QM8L always manages to reproduce all the details of the image. Whether it’s the fine lines of a petal in one of those high-resolution screen tests or the crowd in the background of a game, everything looks clear and natural.

Even lower resolution content looks very sharp with a decent amount of detail. I never knew Leave it to the beaver could look so good, thanks to AI upscaling in “super resolution” (which is optional, but enabled out of the box).

As for color, TCL’s claimed BT.2020 rating of 100% is a bit of an exaggeration, as the best we measured was 90%. (TCL told us there are multiple ways to measure BT.2020 and it makes a difference.)

DCI-P3 color coverage is incredibly strong for a mini-LED TV at 98% – this is what we normally get from the most elite OLED TVs, with mini-LED falling even further behind.

A bit more concerning is color accuracy. We measure how close the color reproduction is to “perfect”, measured by a “Delta E” score, which means how far the image is from the signal it is trying to recreate. We look for a score below 3, because at this point the human eye cannot distinguish any difference from the reference model.

In Filmmaker mode, the TCL QM8L scores 3.7, which is a bit disappointing for a premium TV, but not a dealbreaker. But in Standard, we measured a score of 9.9, which is incredibly high for something in this price range.

Sure, this is outside the box, but most people don’t calibrate their TV. As I said above, I found the colors really punchy and involving, but Cinematographer mode is definitely the way to enjoy things if you want a sharper, more natural look – the standard isn’t where we expect it to be.

• Image quality rating: 4.5/5

TCL QM8L review: Sound quality

• This seems good enough to ignore the soundbar in general
• Bass is the main missing area
• Spatial audio sounds pretty good

The sound quality of the TCL 75QM8L is quite impressive, as it should be, considering the price and the fact that the sound system is branded by Bang & Olufsen.

I’ve tested everything from blockbuster movies to reality TV to various games and music, and I think the audio here is good enough that you can avoid adding a soundbar until you’re looking for a home theater-style listening experience.

The high end has plenty of presence while not being brittle like an ice pick, letting sounds like flutes, strings, cymbals, and anything else one might consider “bright” (think chimes) through with full clarity.

The midrange is full-featured in a way that many TVs aren’t capable of and is, in my opinion, the biggest reason to generally add a soundbar to a setup. When listening to music, the vocals and guitar have the appropriate amount of aggression, while the dialogue has weight in films, which helps it stand out clearly.

There’s a decent amount of mid-bass, so you’ll still hear a little thump when listening to music or watching an action movie, but the two built-in woofers aren’t capable of reproducing the frequencies that are typically the responsibility of a subwoofer. If you really want to feel the audio, you’ll need to add one.

Fortunately, TCL has a wireless subwoofer that can be added for this purpose, but it requires an additional purchase. Likewise, although the TV supports Dolby Atmos and DTS, you’ll need to get TCL’s Dolby Atmos FlexConnect speakers to hear surround sound if you don’t want to buy or build a full home theater system.

The TV, however, manages to reproduce spatial sound without any add-ons. Enabling it adds a sense of height to everything I watch, so you should definitely try it.

I also like that there are other audio options to fine-tune, like a bass boost, an (admittedly subtle) dialogue booster, an automatic volume control that works a bit like night mode in that it compresses audio volume, and an AI sound adaptation feature that helps compensate for reflections in your room for cleaner sound.

The latter feature works, but not as well as something like Dirac, so don’t expect audiophile-level sound.

• Sound quality rating: 4.5/5

TCL QM8L review: Design

• Zero Edge glasses look very premium
• Excellent double height stand with cable management
• The remote control is larger than average

The 75QM8L’s “zero-edge” bezels almost make me feel like I’m watching on a floating screen: there’s almost no bezel.

The center stand, which can be adjusted in height during installation to accommodate a soundbar, makes the TV more balanced and stable than many TVs I test (and we usually get 65-inch models for testing).

The stand also incorporates cable management – ​​it has a rear panel that pops out to hide cables – which we always appreciate.

I also like that all four HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1, which means you don’t need to think about which one you’re going to use and fiddle around. Well, most importantly: there’s still only one HDMI eARC port, so if you’re connecting one of the best soundbars or an AV receiver, you need to know what it is.

Finally, the remote is actually a bit larger than I’m usually used to, which might please some. It is heavier and therefore easier to follow and the bottom is angled to fit the hand perfectly. It’s also backlit and has a talk button, but you can also communicate with the TV via Google Gemini.

• Design rating: 4.5/5

TCL QM8L test: Smart TV and menus

• Google Gemini is conversational and responsive but not always correct
• Good amount of free content available on Google TV and all major apps
• There is a quick menu for changes to common settings

Google TV’s interface is one I’ve become accustomed to after reviewing a number of TVs and streaming devices that use it. The way it’s implemented on the TCL 75QM8L is essentially the same, with the only notable difference from most TVs being the inclusion of Google Gemini.

Google Gemini is a very robust voice assistant. Since it’s powered by AI, it’s conversational and fast, but also error-prone, as generative AI typically is.

For example, I asked Gemini to search for the movie Sweptand while it offered correct information that there are two versions, it was wrong about where it was available to stream. Strangely, just as I had just used the interface’s search function, I was sent to a landing page suggesting that it was available for streaming on Tubi, which still only hosted the most recent and much-maligned 2002 version.

Gemini is pleasant to use, however, with a selection of different voice tones that sound natural when speaking. I can ask about more than just movies or TV shows because it’s a full-fledged voice assistant. It even displays a nice little graph when talking about the weather.

For some reason it defaulted to relevant YouTube videos when I asked more general questions. For example, I asked “Recommend a movie to me based on my viewing habits” and it simply brought up a bunch of YouTube videos (I wasn’t in the YouTube app, mind you) related to must-see movies.

The rest of the Google TV interface is more standard. A rotating banner covers the top of the homepage, followed by rows of recommendations including “Must Watch,” “Continue Watching” and more, not to mention a row of apps if you want to open one and browse.

Still, many will appreciate being able to browse much of the content available from the home page. Please note, this is not exhaustive, because the interface may not extract information from certain applications.

As all manufacturers do these days, there is a large amount of free content available. Google FreePlay, in particular, offers a lot of content and works a bit like a cable guide interface. Who knew Google would be able to quench my father’s thirst Leave it to the beaver – there was a whole channel broadcasting episodes.

When you first access the settings option via the remote control or by navigating the screen, a quick settings dialog box appears in the upper right corner of the screen. You still have to click one more time to get the full list of settings – sometimes it’s helpful, sometimes it feels like it’s just adding a step.

There are plenty of fine adjustments available, particularly for the display, so I can imagine the menus being a little overwhelming for anyone digging in for the first time. But it’s nice to have more options than not, especially with a TV as good as this one.

• Smart TV & menus rating: 4.5/5

TCL QM8L review: Games

• All HDMI inputs support 4K up to 144Hz, with variable refresh rate
• Game bar menu for fine-tuning game-specific settings
• Can automatically switch inputs and enter game mode when the console is turned on

The good news for gamers this year is that the QM8L’s four HDMI inputs are full HDMI 2.1, meaning they all support 4K at 120Hz or 144Hz. Just be sure to enable faster refresh rates in the TV menu.

Speaking of menus, if you tap the hamburger symbol (the three lines stacked lated) from the remote while you’re gaming, the TCL 75QM8L will bring up a specialized menu the brand calls Game Bar, allowing you to enable things like an FPS counter, Aim Assist, Game Accelerator 288 (which doubles the perceived refresh rate to 288Hz, but drops the resolution to 1080p), and Overdrive, which is a kind of motion blur that can’t be used. along with high refresh rates.

To test the TV for gaming, I used a Playstation 5 and had no problem running compatible games at 120fps. All looked sharp thanks to the 4K resolution with good HDR contrast despite the more limited processing you get in gaming mode.

The 9.5ms latency is excellent for a TV and is basically as good as you get on any of the best gaming TVs – and keeps everything feeling fast and snappy when you’re gaming.

Finally, not only can the TV automatically switch inputs when a console is turned on, but the TCL QM8L will automatically switch from picture mode to game mode.

• Game rating: 5/5

TCL QM8L test: Value

• It’s expensive, but it’s not really a flagship price, fortunately
• The larger the size, the better value TCL sets tend to be
• Some unique features like hands-free control are available on cheaper TVs

The 75-inch TCL QM8L costs around two thousand dollars (which is down from the $3,000 cost at launch) – it’s not cheap and it’s out of reach for many consumers.

However, compare it to LG’s mid-range OLED offering, the LG C6, and the TCL doesn’t look so bad. This comes with a price tag of $3,699 for the 77-inch. The TCL has a big price advantage, but the two TVs are broadly comparable in terms of features.

The big threat is actually last year’s TCL QM8K. It’s available now for around $1,500 for a 75-inch size and is undoubtedly a great TV at this price – the QM8L’s better color gamut, improved backlighting and four HDMI 2.1 ports mean it’s worth upgrading in my opinion.

It may not be the deal of the year at this price, it represents excellent value overall and is above average in terms of value for money.

• Value rating: 4/5

Should I buy the TCL QM8L series?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also think…

Drag to scroll horizontally

Header Cell – Column 0	TCL QM8L	Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025)	HisenseU65QF	LG C6
Price (65 inches)	$1,799	$849	$999	$2,699
Screen type	SQD-Mini LED	QLED	QLED with mini-LED	OLED
Refresh rate	144Hz	60Hz	up to 144Hz	165Hz
HDR support	HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision IQ	Dolby Vision/Adaptive HDR10+/HDR10	Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
Smart TV	Google TV	Television on fire	Television on fire	WebOS 26
HDMI ports	4HDMI 2.1	4 HDMI 2.0	4 (2x HDMI 2.1)	4x HDMI 2.1

How I tested the TCL QM8L series

• I used the TCL 75QM8L for a few weeks
• Tested with TV, movies, music and games
• Reference measurements performed by the Future US testing laboratory

I used the TCL 75QM8L regularly for a few weeks. I tested it using streaming shows, movies, music, and games (via PS5). I went through the various features, including the hands-free AI voice assistant, to see if they work as advertised. I also spent time listening to the audio and paying attention to the image quality.

Objective data measurements were taken by Future Publishing’s TV Test Lab, which uses the Klein K-10A colorimeter and Jeti 15VA spectroradiometer, Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software to record the results.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years, from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so I’ve been able to use my expertise to give an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, on any product I review.

You can read a detailed overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at this link.

• First revision: May 2026
• Read TechRadar Reviews Guarantee

James Holland loves checking out gadgets of all kinds, from audio equipment to laptops to vacuum cleaners (especially the robot type), and has done so for a number of future publications including TechRadar, Top Ten Reviews, Homes & Gardens and T3. He has acquired expertise in in-depth examination over the past four years. When he’s not working on the latest technology, he loves traveling, playing music, and eating questionable foods.

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