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The television landscape has transformed dramatically over the past few years, with two distinct technologies now dominating the high-end market: advanced Mini-LED displays and OLED panels. If you're shopping for a premium 4K TV in 2025, you're likely considering these leading technologies—each with distinct strengths and compromises.
In this detailed comparison, we'll examine two standout models: the TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV priced at $998, and the LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV at $2,199. These TVs represent different approaches to achieving spectacular picture quality, but with a price difference of over $1,200, the question becomes: is the OLED experience worth the premium, or does the Mini-LED offer better value?
The LG G4 OLED hit the market in early 2024 as part of LG's flagship lineup, building upon previous innovations with their new α11 AI processor and enhanced OLED evo panel with MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology. This technology uses microscopic lenses to better direct light outward, boosting brightness without increasing power consumption—addressing one of OLED's historical limitations.
Meanwhile, the TCL QM6K launched in early 2025, making it one of the first TVs of the new year. It represents the continued refinement of Mini-LED technology, which TCL helped pioneer in the consumer market. The QM6K features TCL's latest "Super High Energy LED Chip" that delivers 53% increased brightness and 10% improved energy efficiency compared to previous generations.
These release timings matter because they reflect different stages in technological maturity. OLED is a more established premium technology now finding ways to overcome its limitations, while Mini-LED represents a newer approach to enhancing traditional LCD displays that continues to close the performance gap.
Before diving deeper, let's clarify what makes these technologies fundamentally different:
OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode): Each pixel creates its own light and can turn completely off, resulting in perfect blacks and infinite contrast. Think of millions of tiny, individually controlled lights that can switch from maximum brightness to completely off.
QD-Mini LED: Combines two technologies—a Mini-LED backlight (thousands of tiny LEDs behind the screen) and a quantum dot layer (microscopic particles that enhance color). The Mini-LEDs are grouped into "dimming zones" that adjust brightness across different screen sections, while quantum dots convert blue light into pure red and green wavelengths for more vibrant colors.
This fundamental difference explains why they excel in different scenarios and why there's such a price disparity.
Contrast—the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image—is arguably the most important aspect of picture quality.
The LG G4 delivers what many consider to be perfect blacks. Since each OLED pixel emits its own light and can turn completely off, dark scenes in movies like "Dune" or "The Batman" appear with incredible depth and realism. Stars in a night sky look like they're punched through the panel, with no glow or haze around them.
The TCL QM6K employs up to 500 local dimming zones, allowing different screen sections to dim independently. While impressive, physics prevents this approach from matching OLED's precision. In dark scenes with bright objects (like credits on a black background), you might notice slight "blooming"—a halo effect where light bleeds slightly into dark areas.
I've observed this difference most strikingly when watching movies like "Interstellar," where space scenes on the G4 maintain perfect darkness around stars and spacecraft, while the QM6K shows slight illumination of the "black" space.
Where Mini-LED takes the lead is in overall brightness, particularly important in well-lit rooms.
The TCL QM6K can achieve significantly higher brightness levels—especially for HDR highlights—reaching well above 2,000 nits in small highlights and maintaining strong full-screen brightness. This makes it excellent for daytime viewing and creates impressive HDR pop in scenes like sunlight reflecting off water or explosions.
The LG G4, while brighter than previous OLED generations thanks to its MLA technology, typically maxes out around 1,300-1,500 nits for small highlights and offers more modest full-screen brightness. In a dark or dimly lit room, this difference is minimally noticeable, but in a bright living room with large windows, the TCL's brightness advantage becomes obvious.
Both TVs offer exceptional color performance, covering nearly the entire DCI-P3 color space used for most HDR content today.
The TCL QM6K's quantum dot technology delivers remarkably vivid colors while maintaining accuracy. Its new quantum dot film provides approximately 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. Colors appear punchy and vibrant without looking artificial.
The LG G4 offers reference-level color accuracy right out of the box, with nearly 100% DCI-P3 coverage. Its color precision is often used as a benchmark by professionals and enthusiasts alike.
In practical terms, both TVs will display stunningly accurate colors for movies, games, and TV shows, with differences that would require professional measuring equipment to distinguish in most content.
HDR content—which offers a wider range of brightness and colors than standard content—showcases both the strengths and limitations of these technologies.
The TCL QM6K supports Dolby Vision IQ (which adjusts HDR performance based on room lighting), HDR10+, standard HDR10, and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma, used primarily for broadcast). Its higher brightness allows it to display the brightest parts of HDR content with more impact, especially in well-lit environments.
The LG G4 supports Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, and HLG, but not HDR10+. Where it excels is in shadow detail and the contrast between very bright and very dark elements within the same frame. A scene with a flashlight in a dark cave, for instance, looks more realistic on the OLED because the darkness surrounding the light can be perfectly black.
If you often have viewers sitting off to the sides, viewing angles become important.
The LG G4 maintains consistent colors and contrast when viewed from extreme angles—a natural advantage of OLED technology. Even at 45-degree angles, the picture quality remains largely unchanged.
The TCL QM6K, like most LCD-based TVs, shows some color shifting and contrast reduction when viewed from the sides. While better than budget LCD TVs, it's still best enjoyed from directly in front or within a 30-degree viewing cone.
Modern premium TVs now double as excellent gaming displays, with features previously found only in gaming monitors.
Both TVs support 144Hz refresh rates, meaning they can display up to 144 frames per second, resulting in smoother motion compared to standard 60Hz TVs.
The TCL QM6K offers something unique with its Game Accelerator 288 technology, which can provide up to 288Hz VRR at half resolution. This super-high refresh rate can make competitive games feel more responsive, though you'll sacrifice some resolution to achieve it.
The LG G4 maintains its 144Hz capability across various scenarios and includes excellent VRR implementation compatible with both NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium.
Input lag—the delay between pressing a button on your controller and seeing the action on screen—is crucial for gaming.
The LG G4 achieves an extremely low input lag of approximately 9.4ms at 4K/60Hz in game mode, making it one of the most responsive TVs available.
The TCL QM6K isn't far behind with approximately 13.1ms of input lag at 4K/60Hz—a difference of less than 4ms that even competitive gamers would struggle to perceive.
Both TVs include four HDMI 2.1 ports capable of 4K/144Hz, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) that automatically switches to game mode, and VRR support for compatible consoles and PCs.
The LG G4 adds a Game Optimizer dashboard that makes adjusting gaming-specific settings more intuitive. It provides easy access to VRR controls, black stabilizer settings (for better visibility in dark game scenes), and genre-specific picture modes.
After testing both TVs with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, I found that while the G4 offers slightly faster response times, both deliver exceptional gaming experiences with modern consoles.
The TCL QM6K runs Google TV, which offers excellent content recommendations, seamless integration with Google services, and a vast app selection. Voice control through Google Assistant works well for finding content and controlling smart home devices.
The LG G4 uses webOS 24, LG's latest smart platform. WebOS has evolved significantly over the years and now features a full-screen home interface with customizable content recommendations. It supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for voice control.
In daily use, Google TV feels slightly more polished and responsive, though both systems offer comprehensive smart features and app support.
The LG G4's α11 AI Processor represents a significant upgrade over previous generations, with 70% faster graphics processing and 30% faster overall performance. This translates to smoother navigation, better upscaling of lower-resolution content to 4K, and improved motion handling.
The TCL QM6K's AiPQ Pro Processor similarly handles content upscaling well and provides smooth operation throughout the interface. While perhaps not quite as sophisticated as LG's offering, it performs admirably for the price point.
The LG G4 features an ultra-thin design (just 1.1" depth) with a premium "gallery" aesthetic intended primarily for wall mounting. In fact, it ships without a standard stand in most markets, reflecting LG's vision of this TV as a wall-mounted art piece when not in use.
The TCL QM6K employs what TCL calls a "FullView 360" nearly bezel-less design that looks sleek from all angles. While not as thin as the OLED, it's still quite slim for an LED TV and includes a standard tabletop stand.
Neither TV will replace a dedicated sound system or soundbar for a true home theater experience, but they do differ in audio capabilities.
The TCL QM6K features a 2.1 channel Onkyo speaker system rated at 30W, providing decent bass response and clear dialogue for casual viewing.
The LG G4 includes a more robust 4.2 channel system rated at 60W with AI Sound Pro technology that analyzes content and optimizes audio settings accordingly. The result is fuller, more room-filling sound that better matches the premium visual experience.
For home theater enthusiasts, I'd still recommend an external audio solution with either TV, but the G4's built-in sound will satisfy more viewers out of the box.
OLED technology, including the LG G4, carries a small risk of burn-in—where static images displayed for extended periods can leave a permanent ghost image. Modern OLEDs include numerous mitigations that make this rare under normal use, but it remains a consideration for those who watch content with static elements (like news channels with logos or games with fixed HUDs) for many hours daily.
The TCL QM6K, being LED-based, doesn't face burn-in concerns. LED backlights do gradually dim over time, but this occurs very gradually across tens of thousands of hours of use.
The LG G4 comes with a 1-year standard warranty but includes a 5-year panel warranty, reflecting LG's confidence in their OLED panel durability.
The TCL QM6K typically includes a standard 1-year warranty, which is common for the industry but less comprehensive than LG's panel coverage.
For dedicated home theater environments—typically darker rooms optimized for movie viewing—these TVs offer different strengths.
The LG G4 truly shines in controlled lighting. The perfect blacks and infinite contrast create a cinematic experience that rivals professional projection systems. When watching films like "Blade Runner 2049" or "Dune" in a darkened room, the G4 delivers a breath-taking experience that captures every nuance of shadows and highlights as the filmmaker intended.
The TCL QM6K performs admirably in home theaters as well, especially with its excellent color accuracy and strong HDR performance. However, in completely dark scenes, the limitations of zone dimming become apparent to discerning viewers when compared directly to OLED technology.
For serious home theater enthusiasts who primarily watch movies in controlled lighting, the LG G4 justifies its premium price. For mixed-use environments that serve as both living rooms and occasional movie nights, the TCL QM6K's versatility and brightness make it a compelling alternative at less than half the price.
After thoroughly comparing these impressive TVs, here's how to determine which is right for you:
Choose the TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV if:
Choose the LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV if:
Final Value Assessment:
The TCL QM6K at $998 delivers approximately 80-85% of the LG G4's performance at less than half the $2,199 price. For most consumers, this represents the better value proposition and an excellent entry point into premium TV technology.
However, for cinephiles, home theater enthusiasts, and those who can appreciate (and afford) the last 15-20% of picture quality improvement, the LG G4 remains the gold standard. Its perfect blacks, infinite contrast, and pixel-level precision create an unmatched viewing experience in the right environment.
The good news? Both TVs represent the impressive state of modern display technology, and either will provide a spectacular upgrade to most existing setups. The decision ultimately comes down to your specific viewing habits, environment, and budget priorities.
| TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV | LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV |
|---|---|
| Price - Key factor in determining overall value | |
| $998 (exceptional value for the performance) | $2,199 (premium pricing for top-tier technology) |
| Display Technology - Fundamentally shapes all aspects of performance | |
| QD-Mini LED (LCD with quantum dots and mini-LED backlighting) | OLED evo with MLA (self-emissive pixels with micro lens array) |
| Black Levels - Critical for creating depth and realism in images | |
| Good black levels with visible blooming in challenging scenes | Perfect blacks with infinite contrast (no blooming) |
| Peak Brightness - Determines HDR impact and visibility in bright rooms | |
| Up to 2,000+ nits in highlights; excellent for bright rooms | Up to 1,300-1,500 nits; good but not as bright as Mini-LED |
| Color Performance - Affects vividness and accuracy of images | |
| 98% DCI-P3 coverage with quantum dot enhancement | Nearly 100% DCI-P3 coverage with reference-level accuracy |
| Local Dimming - Controls contrast precision | |
| Up to 500 dimming zones (good but limited precision) | Perfect pixel-level dimming (8.3 million individually controlled points) |
| Refresh Rate - Important for motion clarity and gaming | |
| 144Hz native with Game Accelerator 288 technology | 144Hz native with G-Sync and FreeSync Premium support |
| Input Lag - Critical for responsive gaming | |
| Very low (13.1ms at 4K/60Hz) | Extremely low (9.4ms at 4K/60Hz) |
| Viewing Angles - Important for group viewing | |
| Limited; image quality degrades at angles beyond 30° | Excellent; maintains quality at extreme angles |
| Smart Platform - Determines user experience and app availability | |
| Google TV (excellent recommendations and app selection) | webOS 24 (intuitive interface with good app support) |
| Audio System - Affects whether external speakers are needed | |
| 2.1 channel Onkyo system (30W) | 4.2 channel system (60W) with AI Sound Pro |
| Risk of Burn-in - Consideration for long-term reliability | |
| No risk of burn-in | Low but present risk with static content |
| Power Consumption - Impacts electricity costs | |
| Higher power consumption during bright scenes | Generally more energy efficient, especially in darker content |
| Best Use Case - Helps determine ideal match for your needs | |
| Bright rooms, mixed usage, budget-conscious buyers seeking value | Dark or controlled lighting, movie enthusiasts, premium home theaters |
The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV is priced at $998, while the LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV costs $2,199. This represents a significant price difference of approximately $1,200, with the LG G4 being more than twice as expensive as the TCL QM6K.
The LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV is superior for dark room movie viewing due to its perfect blacks and infinite contrast ratio. OLED technology allows each pixel to turn completely off, creating a true theater-like experience. The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV performs well in dark rooms but can't match the OLED's black levels and contrast precision.
The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV performs better in bright rooms thanks to its significantly higher peak brightness (up to 2,000+ nits compared to the G4's 1,300-1,500 nits). This makes the TCL better at combating glare and maintaining vibrant images even with sunlight or bright overhead lighting. The LG G4 can still perform adequately in moderately lit rooms but isn't ideal for very bright environments.
Both TVs offer excellent gaming features, but the LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV has a slight edge with its lower input lag (9.4ms vs. 13.1ms), perfect pixel response time, and comprehensive gaming dashboard. Both the G4 and the TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV support 4K/120Hz gaming, VRR, and ALLM, making either an excellent choice for next-gen console gaming.
Mini-LED technology in the TCL 65" QM6K typically has a longer theoretical lifespan with no risk of burn-in. While modern OLEDs like the LG G4 Series OLED evo have significantly improved burn-in protection, there remains a small risk with static content displayed for extended periods. Both TVs should last many years with normal use, but the Mini-LED has fewer long-term image retention concerns.
Both TVs offer comprehensive smart platforms with access to all major streaming services. The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV uses Google TV, which provides excellent content recommendations and seamless integration with Google services. The LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV runs webOS 24, which offers an intuitive interface and good app support. Google TV is generally considered slightly more user-friendly and feature-rich.
While both TVs have built-in speakers, most users would benefit from an external audio solution for a true home theater experience. The LG G4 has a more robust 4.2 channel 60W system compared to the TCL QM6K's 2.1 channel 30W Onkyo speakers. The LG provides fuller sound out of the box, but neither matches what a dedicated soundbar or speaker system can deliver for immersive movie watching.
The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV has advantages for sports viewing with its higher brightness for daytime games and excellent motion handling with its 144Hz refresh rate. The LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV offers slightly better motion clarity and wider viewing angles, which is beneficial for group sports watching. For most sports fans, especially those who watch during the day, the TCL represents better value.
OLED technology in the LG G4 uses self-illuminating pixels that can turn completely off for perfect blacks and infinite contrast. Mini-LED technology in the TCL QM6K uses thousands of small LED lights as a backlight behind an LCD panel, offering high brightness but less precise light control. OLED excels in contrast and viewing angles, while Mini-LED offers superior brightness and no risk of burn-in.
HDR performance differs between the two models. The LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV offers better contrast and more precise highlight detail, especially in dark scenes. The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV delivers brighter HDR highlights, making bright scenes more impactful. For overall HDR experience, the LG G4 has an edge in accuracy, while the TCL QM6K provides more visual punch in highlights.
For a dedicated home theater with controlled lighting, the LG 65" G4 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV is the superior choice. Its perfect blacks, infinite contrast, and reference-level color accuracy create a truly cinematic experience. The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV still performs well in home theater settings but doesn't match the OLED's precision in reproducing film content as directors intended.
The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV at $998 offers significantly better value, delivering approximately 80-85% of the performance of the LG G4 at less than half the price. For most consumers, the TCL provides an excellent balance of picture quality, features, and affordability. The LG G4 at $2,199 is only worth the premium if you specifically need perfect blacks, wide viewing angles, and are using it primarily in a controlled lighting environment.
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