TCL’s 2025 QM8K serves as the brand’s flagship Mini LED TV (for now), equipped with a new QD Mini LED WHVA panel for improved viewing angles, higher brightness, an enhanced backlight controller, and a glossy panel aimed at premium clarity. Is the QM8K worth the premium price point, or are you better off buying an OLED?
Today we look at the 65” version to find out.
Aiming for premium performance, TCL’s 2025 QM8K delivers strong contrast, great SDR color accuracy, and low gaming latency, all wrapped in a sleek design with a glossy panel and robust Google TV experience. But despite its flagship billing and high brightness, it comes with compromises—HDR EOTF tracking issues, off-angle blooming, sound problems, flickering in some low FPS content, and a price that puts it too close to superior OLED options.
That said, with a few firmware updates and a small price drop this will likely become one of the best TVs in 2025.
Disclaimer: This TV was lent to me by TCL for review, but all opinions are my own. Additionally Home Theater Review may run advertising campaigns with various manufacturers including TCL.
For this review I used an X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, Color Checker Display Plus colorimeter, Calman Ultimate, Portrait Displays Video Forge Pro 8K pattern generator, a Sony RX100 VII 1000fps camera, an SM208 Screen Luminance Meter, and a Sony Cinema Line FX3 mirrorless video camera. Plus years of display testing experience.
The price for the TCL QM8K is similar to the 2024 QM8.
Above is the Connectivity for this TV. Most importantly it does come with two HDMI 2.1 ports capable of 4K 144Hz, and two HDMI ports capable of 4K 60Hz (one of which is eARC).
Unboxing the QM8K is straightforward and typical of modern premium TVs. The packaging is tidy, the stand is easy to attach, and the build quality feels upscale. With its glossy screen, slim bezels, and refined rear panel, the design clearly aims for a high-end impression. Initial setup through Google TV is quick and seamless, with WiFi, account login, and updates handled efficiently.
Mini LED typically does a good job with color, and often sits between WOLED and QD OLED in terms of vibrancy. This remains true for the QM8K, which does a solid job of representing bright HDR colors that are sure to please buyers.
For home theater enthusiasts below are all my Calman results measuring the accuracy of the display. For everyone else, feel free to skip to the TLDR.
Rec. 709 Testing
Out of the Box in Film Maker Mode, the TCL QM8K follows the EOTF curve ok, but has issues with white balance on my unit.
SDR Color Accuracy Test
Color Accuracy in Film Maker Mode for SDR content is solid.
HDR Testing
The default HDR FMM mode in HDR has significant issues with under-tracking, leading to dim HDR imagery.
This can be mostly solved, but unfortunately the shadow detail issues cannot be fixed easily.
HDR Color Gamut
The TCL QM8K has good HDR color coverage out of the box delivering up to nearly 80% BT.2020 UV.
HDR Color Accuracy
HDR Color Match results were above expectations considering the price.
The short version: SDR performance on the QM8K is quite good, especially after calibration. EOTF tracking improves significantly with minor adjustments, and white balance aligns well with the D65 standard, resulting in a reference-level SDR image. CalMAN analysis confirms this with an average Delta E around 1.5—well under the visible threshold for most viewers, meaning colors appear very accurate.
HDR performance is a bit more complicated. While generally solid, the QM8K tends to undertrack near-black detail, leading to crushed shadows depending on the scene. Although adjustments help, I couldn’t completely correct the issue.
Brightness is a mixed bag. In synthetic tests using 10% windows, the 65” QM8K scored as the second brightest Mini LED I’ve tested to date. However, it came in below the 2024 75” QM8K, which is surprising considering its newer hardware and premium positioning.
The TCL QM8K is a slight decrease in brightness over the 2024 QM8.
Strangely the QM8K is less bright than last year’s QM8.
In real-world HDR scenes, that trend continues. It’s worth noting that panel size could account for part of this—larger panels often have higher zone counts, which may allow higher sustained brightness.
That said, this panel is still extremely bright for everyday viewing. HDR content looked vivid and punchy across various genres, from animated films to dark dramas. Performance was scene-dependent: non-standard test content often showed higher brightness levels, which suggests TCL is tuning for actual content more than benchmark charts. Personally I feel this is TCLs best looking TV ever, despite it's flaws.
Contrast is one of the most important aspects to evaluate on a Mini LED TV, and thankfully, the QM8K delivers some excellent results. In my testing, macro contrast came in over 19,000:1, with micro contrast measured at over 7,600:1. That’s an outstanding result for this panel class, and places it among the top-tier performers in the Mini LED space.
The TCL QM8K shows a massive improvement in contrast tests.
The 65-inch QM8K I tested featured roughly 1,800 local dimming zones, a noticeable bump from both the QM6K and QM7K. While that higher zone count should, in theory, bring major advantages, the real-world differences weren’t always huge. Even the more budget-friendly QM6K trailed closely behind in certain tests. Still, on paper and in some practical scenarios, the QM8K does hold a lead.
TCL QM8K Zone Test Blooming Issues.
TCL’s 23-bit backlight controller, along with the tighter stacking of panel layers, contributes to smoother brightness transitions and better control overall. In difficult scenes—like fireworks shows or white text over black letterbox bars—blooming is present but significantly reduced when viewed directly in front of the TV.
TCL QM8K Firework Blooming Issues.
Off-axis, blooming remains a challenge. Like all Mini LEDs, the QM8K shows more blooming when viewed at an angle. On-axis, though, this issue is much less prominent and shows the benefits of TCL's updated design.
Ultimately, while OLED is still in another league, the QM8K narrows the gap and delivers one of the strongest contrast showings I’ve seen from a TCL Mini LED display.
One of the most impressive aspects of the QM8K is its clarity. Text appears pin-sharp and image detail feels well-defined, thanks to its use of a true RGB subpixel structure—something not all LCD TVs offer. This gives it an edge when rendering fine detail, especially in apps, menus, and games where UI sharpness matters. It’s an important and sometimes overlooked win for users who do more than just watch movies.
TCL 65QM8K RGB subpixel layout.
The glossy screen further enhances perceived sharpness and gives the panel a punchier, more premium look. While it does introduce some reflections, the anti-reflective coating handles them reasonably well. Unlike some QD-OLED displays, which suffer from lifted black levels, the QM8K holds onto contrast extremely well.
TCL QM8K glossy coating & reflection handling.
Thanks to its strong native brightness and high-quality glossy panel, the QM8K handles bright-room viewing exceptionally well. It maintains clarity and vibrant color even when exposed to daylight or overhead lighting—something not all panels can manage effectively. Unlike many matte or semi-gloss screens that tend to mute contrast and color under ambient light, the QM8K preserves visual impact, offering a more dynamic image.
TCL QM8K excellent ambient light handling.
This is particularly impressive for an LCD TV. Competing Mini LED and QD-OLED models often struggle with color washout or reduced contrast in these conditions, but TCL’s improved panel coating mitigates those issues. Whether you're watching with sunlight pouring through the windows or gaming in a room with mixed lighting, the QM8K holds up better than expected. For viewers in brighter environments, it stands out as one of the more capable options in its class.
Motion is generally smooth and free of jarring judder. The TV includes robust motion interpolation features, and the low setting does an admirable job of improving 24fps content without introducing too much soap opera effect or artifacts.
TCL QM8K judder control off vs on.
However, I did encounter a frustrating issue: flickering in some low frame rate content. This appeared mostly in streamed 24fps scenes featuring micro-contrast (e.g., shadows on leaves). The issue resembled PWM flickering and could not be fully disabled without enabling motion smoothing. TCL acknowledged the issue but had no consistent solution at review time.
While motion blur is present—particularly against dark backgrounds—it’s not egregious. Compared to OLEDs like the LG G4, the QM8K lags slightly, but still performs well enough for most users.
Game Mode on the QM8K delivers nearly identical picture quality to Filmmaker Mode, which is a major win for players who care about color accuracy and image fidelity.
Motion Performance is as expected for Mini LED.
When connected to a 144Hz PC setup, I measured the total system latency—including the display, PC, and keyboard input—at just 29 milliseconds. That’s a remarkably low figure for a Mini LED and puts the QM8K in competitive territory with high-end OLEDs. While not the absolute fastest display I’ve tested, it’s certainly among the quickest in this category.
29ms of total system latency.
This low latency translates into a responsive, fluid gaming experience. And thanks to broad HDR support—including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG—the QM8K handles modern game visuals well, whether you're on console or PC.
With its high refresh rate, fast input response, strong HDR format support, and surprisingly decent Game Mode, the QM8K is a fairly solid choice for gamers—especially those who want speed without major sacrifices to picture quality. That said, OLED displays still remain the better option for most serious gamers thanks to their near-instantaneous pixel response times, perfect blacks, and total lack of blooming.
The QM8K features a WHVA panel that TCL claims significantly improves off-angle performance, and in many ways, that claim holds up—though with limitations. Compared directly to the QM6K, the QM8K clearly does a better job retaining color and contrast when viewed from moderate angles. This means that for most living rooms with a few off-axis seats, viewers will see fewer shifts in image quality than on previous TCL models.
QM8K viewing angle issues.
This is especially helpful if you’re watching with family or in a wider seating arrangement. The reduction in contrast loss and color washout at medium viewing angles is tangible, and for an LCD-based panel, it's a noteworthy improvement.
However, it’s important to acknowledge the limitations. At sharper angles, the typical LCD issues persist. Blooming becomes more apparent, contrast drops off more noticeably, and subtle color shading is lost. This is where OLED still holds a major edge, offering far superior uniformity and image retention from extreme viewing angles.
So while the QM8K does improve viewing flexibility compared to TCL's more budget-friendly models, it’s not a miracle cure for the inherent weaknesses of LCD tech. It’s a step forward, not a revolution—but one that makes a real difference in practical use.
Sound is one of the few outright disappointments in the QM8K package. Despite its premium branding, the TV exhibited noticeable rattling at certain frequencies. Midrange and low-end performance were weak, resulting in a slightly thin sound profile that lacked punch or warmth. Compared to the QM6K, which sounded a tad fuller and more balanced, the QM8K was a step backward.
This could be due to unit-specific damage, and may be fixable via a firmware update, but it's disappointing nonetheless. I strongly recommend pairing the QM8K with a dedicated soundbar or surround system.
TCL’s Google TV implementation is snappy and polished. The interface responded quickly to inputs, opened apps swiftly, and transitioned smoothly between menus. This is an area where TCL continues to excel.
The QM8K offers extensive picture presets, deep calibration tools, and convenient toggles for motion, local dimming, and HDR adjustments. Whether you're a casual viewer or a settings enthusiast, you’ll find a flexible and intuitive interface here.
The TCL QM8K is undeniably one of the most ambitious TVs the company has released to date. Its high brightness, sharp clarity, robust contrast, and wide HDR format support make it a top-tier Mini LED in many respects.
TCL 65QM8K HDR Impact.
That said, a few critical issues hold it back. HDR tone mapping inconsistencies, flickering at low frame rates, and disappointing sound quality are not what you’d expect from a premium-priced product. The $1,799 price tag is hard to justify when the QM6K offers 90% of the performance (If you don't include the QM8K's MUCH higher brightness) at nearly half the cost—and OLED alternatives inch closer in price each month.
If you're looking for TCL's most refined Mini LED experience and can accept its quirks, the QM8K will impress. It looks premium, performs well in most scenarios, and is packed with features. But for most users, the QM6K remains TCL’s best all-around value—while the QM8K represents a flagship that’s excellent, but not essential.
With firmware updates and a price drop, this could become an easy recommendation. Until then, it’s a TV for enthusiasts who want the best TCL has to offer, but are willing to pay for it.
