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When you're in the market for a high-end 65-inch television in 2025, you'll likely find yourself choosing between two impressive display technologies: Mini LED and OLED. Each represents the pinnacle of their respective approaches to creating a stunning picture, and both have passionate advocates. The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV and Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV showcase these technologies brilliantly, offering premium viewing experiences through fundamentally different methods.
OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology has dominated the high-end TV market for several years, prized for its perfect blacks and incredible contrast. Meanwhile, Mini LED has emerged as a formidable competitor, offering exceptional brightness and eliminating concerns about image retention. Understanding the strengths and limitations of each will help you determine which is right for your specific viewing environment and preferences.
Released in early 2025, the TCL QM6K represents the latest evolution in LCD display technology. It combines two advanced approaches: Mini LED backlighting and Quantum Dot color enhancement.
Mini LED fundamentally improves traditional LED backlighting by using thousands of tiny LED lights (less than 0.2mm in size) behind the LCD panel. These smaller LEDs allow for more precise control of the backlight through local dimming zones. The QM6K features up to 500 dimming zones, meaning the TV can independently adjust brightness in 500 different areas of the screen. When a scene has a bright object against a dark background, the TV dims the zones displaying black while keeping the bright areas illuminated, reducing the "blooming" effect (light bleeding into dark areas) that plagues traditional LED TVs.
The "QD" in QD-Mini LED refers to Quantum Dots, microscopic particles that, when hit with light, emit very pure colors. This technology significantly enhances the color gamut (the range of colors a display can produce) beyond what traditional LED-LCD TVs can achieve. TCL has improved their Quantum Dot implementation with what they call "Super High Energy LED Chip" technology, which delivers 53% increased brightness and 10% improved energy efficiency compared to their previous generation.
The Samsung S90D, released in March 2024, uses QD-OLED technology—Samsung's advanced take on traditional OLED. Unlike LCD-based displays that require a backlight, OLED displays have pixels that emit their own light. When a pixel needs to display black, it simply turns off completely, resulting in perfect, absolute black levels.
Samsung's QD-OLED technology combines traditional OLED with Quantum Dots. In conventional OLED TVs, white OLEDs are used with color filters, which can reduce brightness. Samsung's approach uses blue OLED materials as the light source and Quantum Dot layers to convert some of that blue light into red and green, creating a more efficient design that maintains OLED's perfect blacks while improving brightness and color volume compared to traditional OLED displays.
The S90D represents Samsung's second-generation mainstream QD-OLED, with refinements to brightness capability and processing over the first generation that debuted in 2022.
When it comes to contrast—the difference between the brightest whites and darkest blacks a TV can produce—the display technology fundamentally determines performance.
The Samsung S90D offers what can only be described as perfect blacks. Since each OLED pixel generates its own light and can be turned completely off, when the TV displays black, it's truly black—there's simply no light being emitted. This creates what's technically an infinite contrast ratio, making dark scenes in movies look exceptionally realistic, especially in dimly lit rooms.
The TCL QM6K delivers impressive but not perfect blacks. Its 500 dimming zones allow for good control over the backlight, making dark scenes look quite convincing. However, because the light sources are still illuminating regions of the screen rather than individual pixels, some light inevitably bleeds into dark areas, particularly when bright objects appear against dark backgrounds. In practical terms, while watching content like space scenes in sci-fi movies, you might notice some subtle haloing around bright stars against the black of space.
In a completely dark room, the contrast difference between these TVs would be noticeable to most viewers, with the S90D having a clear advantage. However, in rooms with some ambient light, the gap narrows significantly.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) content relies on high brightness to deliver its impressive visual impact, and this is where the TCL QM6K truly shines (quite literally). With peak brightness measurements between 750-931 nits (a unit of brightness), the QM6K can produce dazzling highlights in HDR content like sunlight reflecting off water or explosions in action movies.
The Samsung S90D has made significant strides in brightness for an OLED, reaching 600-700 nits in its brightest highlights. While this is impressive for OLED technology and sufficient for good HDR performance in controlled lighting, it still can't match the raw luminance output of Mini LED.
This brightness advantage makes the QM6K particularly well-suited for bright living rooms with large windows or spaces where you frequently watch TV during daylight hours. The S90D performs best in dimmer environments where its infinite contrast can shine without being washed out by ambient light.
Both TVs support HDR10+ and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) formats, but there's a key difference in Dolby Vision support: the TCL QM6K supports Dolby Vision, while Samsung has historically avoided this format in favor of their own HDR10+ standard. For viewers with extensive Dolby Vision content libraries (available on services like Netflix and Disney+), this could be a significant consideration.
Both TVs employ Quantum Dot technology to achieve exceptional color performance, but implement it differently.
The Samsung S90D has a slight edge in color volume (the range of colors at different brightness levels) thanks to the intrinsic advantages of its QD-OLED architecture. Colors appear vibrant yet natural, with particularly impressive reds and greens that maintain their richness even in very bright scenes. Samsung's panel has been professionally calibrated to achieve Pantone Validated certification, ensuring accurate representation of the Pantone color system widely used in design and printing.
The TCL QM6K offers excellent color performance as well, with its own Quantum Dot implementation providing coverage of around 95% of the DCI-P3 color space (the standard used for digital cinema). Out of the box, the QM6K's color accuracy is surprisingly good, which is impressive considering TCL's more competitive price point.
For everyday viewing, both TVs will provide gorgeous, vibrant colors that look realistic, though professional content creators might give the slight edge to the S90D for critical color work.
If you frequently host movie nights or have seating arrangements where people view the TV from off-center positions, viewing angles become an important consideration.
The Samsung S90D maintains almost perfect picture quality regardless of your viewing position. Colors stay consistent and contrast remains strong even when viewed from extreme angles—a natural advantage of OLED technology where each pixel emits light directly toward the viewer.
The TCL QM6K uses an improved HVA (Horizontal Vertical Alignment) LCD panel, which offers better viewing angles than traditional VA (Vertical Alignment) panels found in many LED TVs. While color and contrast remain good from moderate angles, there's still visible degradation when viewing from positions greater than about 30-40 degrees off-center. Blacks may appear more grayish and colors slightly washed out from these extreme positions.
Modern premium TVs have become increasingly focused on gaming features, and both of these models excel in this area, though with different strengths.
The TCL QM6K boasts a 144Hz native refresh rate, meaning it can display up to 144 frames per second, resulting in exceptionally smooth motion. It also features what TCL calls "Game Accelerator 288," which enables variable refresh rate (VRR) support up to 288Hz. VRR synchronizes the TV's refresh rate with your gaming device's output, eliminating screen tearing (where parts of multiple frames appear simultaneously) and stuttering.
The Samsung S90D matches the 144Hz refresh rate capability and offers robust VRR implementation through both the HDMI Forum VRR standard and FreeSync Premium Pro certification. Samsung's implementation includes a dedicated Game Bar interface that makes adjusting gaming-specific settings straightforward.
Both TVs support HDMI 2.1 on multiple ports, allowing for 4K resolution at high refresh rates (up to 120Hz from current consoles, and potentially higher from future gaming hardware or high-end PCs).
Input lag (the delay between a signal reaching the TV and appearing on screen) is critical for gaming, and both TVs perform admirably here.
The Samsung S90D has a slight edge with measured input lag around 9.1ms in game mode at 4K/120Hz, which is imperceptible to even professional gamers. More importantly, OLED technology provides near-instantaneous pixel response times (how quickly a pixel can change from one color to another), virtually eliminating motion blur in fast-paced games.
The TCL QM6K is no slouch either, with input lag measurements of approximately 11.5ms in game mode. Its pixel response time is very good for an LCD-based display but can't quite match the instantaneous pixel transitions of OLED, which may result in slightly more motion blur in extremely fast-paced games like competitive first-person shooters.
Both TVs include gamer-friendly features like ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which automatically switches to game mode when a console is detected. They both support HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) guidelines for more accurate HDR tone mapping in games.
The TCL QM6K includes TCL's Game Master Pro suite, which provides gaming-specific picture modes and enhancements designed to improve visibility in dark areas of games without compromising competitive advantage.
The Samsung S90D features Samsung's Game Bar, an overlay menu that provides quick access to gaming-specific settings and real-time information about frame rate and HDR status. Samsung has also implemented impressive upscaling for lower-resolution game content through its NQ4 AI Gen2 processor.
The TCL QM6K runs Google TV, which evolved from Android TV and offers a content-focused interface that aggregates shows and movies from your subscribed streaming services. Google TV provides access to thousands of apps through the Google Play Store, including all major streaming platforms. The system integrates well with Google services and devices, supports Google Assistant voice commands, and allows for Chromecast streaming from mobile devices.
The Samsung S90D uses Samsung's proprietary Tizen OS, which has matured into a polished, responsive system. Tizen provides access to all major streaming services and includes tight integration with the Samsung ecosystem, including SmartThings compatibility for controlling smart home devices. Voice control is available through Samsung's Bixby as well as Amazon Alexa.
Both smart TV platforms are mature and capable, though Google TV generally offers a wider selection of apps and better integration with Google services, while Tizen excels at Samsung ecosystem integration.
Google TV on the TCL QM6K presents a clean, intuitive interface that focuses on content discovery. The home screen displays personalized recommendations across your streaming services, making it easier to find something to watch without diving into individual apps. Navigation feels smooth thanks to the TV's powerful processor.
Tizen on the Samsung S90D offers a similar content-focused approach with a row of apps at the bottom of the screen and personalized content recommendations above. Samsung's implementation includes additional features like Multi View (which allows you to watch two sources simultaneously) and an ambient mode that displays artwork when the TV isn't in active use.
The Samsung S90D exemplifies premium design with its incredibly thin profile—just 1.6 inches at its thinnest point. The virtually bezel-less display creates a floating screen effect that looks striking in any room. The build quality feels premium throughout, with high-quality materials and attention to detail in the stand design.
The TCL QM6K features TCL's "FullView 360" design with minimal bezels, though it can't quite match the ultra-thin profile of the OLED due to the physical requirements of the Mini LED backlight system. Still, it presents a modern, attractive appearance that looks more premium than its price would suggest.
Neither TV will replace a dedicated sound system for a true home theater experience, but both offer respectable built-in audio.
The TCL QM6K includes a 2.1 channel Onkyo speaker system with dedicated woofer for improved bass response. It supports Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound processing, which creates a more spacious soundstage than typical TV speakers.
The Samsung S90D features Samsung's Object Tracking Sound Lite system, which uses speaker positioning and processing to create the impression that sound is coming from specific parts of the screen. This works particularly well for dialogue and creates a more immersive experience without external speakers.
For serious home theater enthusiasts, I'd recommend pairing either TV with at least a quality soundbar with a subwoofer, or ideally a full surround sound system to match the exceptional picture quality.
At $998, the TCL QM6K represents exceptional value in the premium TV market. It delivers many features and performance characteristics that were limited to much more expensive models just a year or two ago. TCL has aggressively priced this model to compete with more established brands while offering similar or better specifications.
The Samsung S90D is currently available for $1,081 (a significant discount from its typical $2,700 MSRP). While more expensive than the TCL, it still represents solid value for OLED technology, which typically commands a premium price due to its manufacturing complexity and unmatched contrast capabilities.
The TCL QM6K has an inherent advantage in longevity due to its LCD-based technology. Unlike OLED, LCD displays don't suffer from the potential for permanent image retention (burn-in) when static content is displayed for extended periods. This makes the QM6K potentially more suitable for use as a PC monitor or for households that watch a lot of news channels or play games with static UI elements.
The Samsung S90D incorporates several protective features to minimize burn-in risk, and QD-OLED is generally more resistant to this issue than early OLED generations. For most typical viewing habits, burn-in shouldn't be a concern, but it's worth considering for specific use cases like extended PC monitor use or displaying static business content.
Choose the TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV if you:
Choose the Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV if you:
For my own living room, which has multiple large windows and significant daytime ambient light, I'd personally lean toward the TCL QM6K for its brightness advantage and exceptional value. The Mini LED technology provides more than enough contrast for most viewing conditions, and the substantially lower price point is compelling.
However, for a dedicated home theater room with controlled lighting, the Samsung S90D would be my choice. In a dark environment, nothing quite matches the cinematic experience of OLED's perfect blacks and infinite contrast, especially for movie lovers who appreciate the subtleties in shadow detail that OLED preserves so beautifully.
Ultimately, both the TCL 65" QM6K and Samsung 65" OLED S90D represent the best of their respective display technologies. Your specific viewing environment, content preferences, and budget should guide your decision between these two excellent options.
| TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV | Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV |
|---|---|
| Price - The bottom line cost difference | |
| $998 (exceptional value for premium features) | $1,081 (discounted from typical $2,700 MSRP) |
| Display Technology - Determines fundamental performance characteristics | |
| QD-Mini LED (LCD with quantum dots and mini-LED backlight) | QD-OLED (self-emissive pixels with quantum dot enhancement) |
| Contrast Ratio - Critical for movie viewing in dark rooms | |
| Very good (up to 500 local dimming zones) | Infinite (perfect blacks with pixel-level dimming) |
| Peak Brightness - Crucial for HDR impact and bright room viewing | |
| 750-931 nits (excellent for bright rooms) | 600-700 nits (good but not as bright as Mini LED) |
| Black Level Performance - Determines picture depth and realism | |
| Very good blacks (some slight blooming in high contrast scenes) | Perfect blacks (no blooming or light bleed) |
| Color Volume - Affects HDR color vibrancy and accuracy | |
| Excellent (~95% DCI-P3 coverage) | Slightly better (~98% DCI-P3 with better brightness retention) |
| Viewing Angles - Important for group watching | |
| Good (HVA panel with some degradation at extreme angles) | Excellent (consistent picture quality from any position) |
| Refresh Rate - Affects motion clarity for sports and gaming | |
| 144Hz native with VRR up to 288Hz | 144Hz native with standard VRR implementation |
| Input Lag - Critical for responsive gaming | |
| Very low (~11.5ms at 4K/120Hz) | Lowest in class (~9.1ms at 4K/120Hz) |
| HDR Format Support - Affects compatibility with streaming content | |
| Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG | HDR10+, HDR10, HLG (no Dolby Vision) |
| Smart TV Platform - Determines app availability and interface | |
| Google TV (extensive app selection, Google Assistant) | Tizen OS (polished interface, Samsung ecosystem integration) |
| Longevity Considerations - Affects long-term ownership satisfaction | |
| No risk of burn-in (better for static content/PC use) | Small risk of burn-in with static content (improved over earlier OLEDs) |
| Gaming Features - Important for console and PC gamers | |
| Game Master Pro, FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM | Game Bar, FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM, minimal motion blur |
| Audio Performance - Affects need for external sound system | |
| 2.1 Onkyo speaker system with Dolby Atmos | Object Tracking Sound Lite with virtual surround capability |
| Release Date - Indicates technology generation | |
| January 2025 (newest generation Mini LED) | March 2024 (2nd generation mainstream QD-OLED) |
| Best Use Case - Helping determine right product for your needs | |
| Bright rooms, daytime viewing, budget-conscious shoppers | Dark rooms, movie enthusiasts, wide viewing arrangements |
The main difference is in their display technologies. The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV uses Mini LED backlighting with local dimming zones behind an LCD panel, while the Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV uses self-emissive OLED pixels that each produce their own light. This fundamental difference means the Samsung S90D delivers perfect blacks and infinite contrast, while the TCL QM6K offers higher brightness levels for HDR content and bright room viewing. For most users, the TCL QM6K provides better value, while the Samsung S90D offers superior picture quality in controlled lighting.
The Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV is significantly better for watching movies in a dark room. Its OLED technology can display perfect blacks with no blooming or halo effects around bright objects, creating a truly cinematic experience. The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV performs well in dark rooms with its 500 dimming zones, but can't match the pixel-level precision of OLED displays. For dedicated home theater setups with controlled lighting, the Samsung S90D delivers a noticeably superior movie-watching experience.
The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV performs better in bright living rooms thanks to its significantly higher brightness capabilities (750-931 nits vs. 600-700 nits). Mini LED technology allows the QM6K to maintain vibrant HDR highlights even with ambient light present. While the Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV has made improvements in brightness over previous OLED generations, it still can't match Mini LED in overcoming glare and maintaining contrast in well-lit environments. For rooms with large windows or significant daytime viewing, the TCL QM6K is the better choice.
The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV at $998 offers significantly better value than the Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV at $1,081 (discounted from $2,700). The TCL provides 90% of the performance for considerably less money, with excellent picture quality, gaming features, and smart TV capabilities. While the Samsung S90D delivers superior contrast and viewing angles, the price premium is substantial. For budget-conscious buyers who still want premium picture quality, the TCL QM6K represents exceptional value in the high-end TV market.
Both TVs excel at gaming, but offer different advantages. The Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV provides lower input lag (9.1ms vs. 11.5ms) and instant pixel response times, resulting in virtually no motion blur during fast gameplay. The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV offers higher peak brightness and supports VRR up to 288Hz with its Game Accelerator technology. Both support 4K/120Hz gaming on multiple HDMI 2.1 ports. Competitive gamers might prefer the Samsung S90D for its faster response, while those who game in brighter rooms will appreciate the TCL QM6K's higher brightness.
Yes, the Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV can potentially experience burn-in with extended display of static content, though the risk is much lower than with earlier OLED generations. Samsung has implemented several protective features to minimize this risk. The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV uses LCD technology which is immune to permanent burn-in. If you plan to use your TV extensively for static content like news channels, sports with fixed scoreboards, or as a PC monitor, the TCL QM6K offers greater peace of mind for long-term use.
The TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV runs Google TV, which offers a wider selection of apps through the Google Play Store and better integration with Google services like YouTube and Assistant. The Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV uses Samsung's Tizen OS, which provides a polished interface and excellent integration with Samsung smartphones and SmartThings devices. Both support all major streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime. Users already invested in Google's ecosystem might prefer the TCL QM6K, while Samsung device owners might favor the Samsung S90D.
For sports viewing, the TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV has an advantage in bright rooms thanks to its higher brightness, which helps maintain vibrant colors and contrast during daytime games. Its 144Hz refresh rate handles fast motion well. The Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV offers superior motion clarity due to its near-instantaneous pixel response times and excellent viewing angles, making it ideal for group watching. For daytime sports in bright living rooms, choose the TCL QM6K. For night games or in dimmer environments where multiple viewing angles matter, the Samsung S90D performs better.
Yes, both the TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV and Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV support 4K resolution at 120Hz refresh rate through their HDMI 2.1 ports. Both TVs also support Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for optimal gaming performance with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles. The TCL QM6K additionally supports refresh rates up to 144Hz natively and VRR up to 288Hz with compatible PC hardware, while the Samsung S90D offers a Game Bar interface for quick access to gaming settings. Both the TCL QM6K and Samsung S90D are excellent choices for next-gen gaming.
Neither TV will replace a dedicated sound system, but the TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV features a 2.1 channel Onkyo speaker system with dedicated woofer for better bass response. The Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV uses Object Tracking Sound Lite technology, which creates more precise audio positioning relative to on-screen action. Both support Dolby Atmos processing through their built-in speakers. For the best home theater experience, either TV should be paired with at least a quality soundbar, though the TCL QM6K has slightly fuller sound out of the box thanks to its integrated woofer.
The Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV offers significantly better viewing angles than the TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV. With OLED technology, picture quality, color, and contrast remain consistent even when viewing from extreme off-center positions. The TCL QM6K uses an improved HVA (Horizontal Vertical Alignment) panel that performs better than traditional VA LCD panels, but still shows noticeable degradation in contrast and color when viewed from angles beyond 30-40 degrees off-center. For rooms with wide seating arrangements where viewers will be watching from various angles, the Samsung S90D provides a much more consistent experience.
For a dedicated home theater room with controlled lighting, the Samsung 65" OLED S90D TV is the superior choice. Its perfect blacks, infinite contrast ratio, and consistent viewing angles create a truly cinematic experience that's ideal for movie enthusiasts. The ability to completely dim pixels creates stunning contrast in dark scenes that the TCL 65" QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV can't quite match, despite its excellent local dimming implementation. In a light-controlled environment where brightness isn't as critical, the OLED advantage of the Samsung S90D becomes most apparent, making it the preferred option for serious home theater setups.
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