I am not surprised the TCL QM8K made my list of the best 4K TVs of 2025—its predecessor, the TCL QM851, was one of my favorite TVs last year for delivering amazing picture quality at a great price. This year's upgrade features subtle, but meaningful design and hardware improvements, enhancing an already-strong balance of price and visual fidelity. The 65-inch model starts well below $2,000 at all major retailers, and is currently available for less than $1,300, a steal for a feature-rich set this size. Technically, the sticker price is a bit higher this year, though, which pushes the QM8K into direct competition with many of the best OLED TVs, as well as other top-tier Mini-LED options. After several weeks of testing, though, I found that it is still a gem of a screen hiding in plain sight.How I TestedTo evaluate the QM8K's picture quality, I streamed hundreds of hours’ worth of HDR-enhanced content from Netflix, HBO Max, and Paramount+, to name a few leading platforms. I also watched standard TV broadcasts to determine the device’s performance with standard content minus the HDR enhancements. I also played a couple of the latest AAA games on my PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X to give the QM8K’s display and gaming features a proper look. Of course, I also scrutinized its sound quality, Google TV platform, remote control, and onboard connectivity features to get a full sense of its feature set.Deep Contrast + High Brightness = Top Picture Quality Simply put, the TCL QM8K picture quality is superb. Its Quantum-Dot-enhanced Mini-LED display features thousands of local dimming zones for ultra-precise control of its backlighting. The technology is vastly superior to standard LED backlighting, bringing better contrast and color reproduction.Having so many dimming zones — well over 2,000 in the 75-inch unit I tested, and up to 3,800 in the 98-inch version, to be precise — allows the TCL QM8K to provide deep contrast that approaches OLED territory. The halo effect around bright objects (e.g., subtitles, lights, etc.) in dark scenes — a traditionally weak point for TVs with LED screens — is close to non-existent, allowing the TV to punch above its price category in this critical picture quality department.The TV’s high peak brightness (literally) shines best when displaying HDR content. The display’s deep contrast makes colors more vibrant, and the overall viewing experience significantly more dramatic and enjoyable. Almost all new movies and series that drop across the streaming services these days are HDR-enhanced, so this should be a major factor in your decision to upgrade.The brightness and color are further enhanced by a sophisticated processor, which uses AI to enhance the picture's colors, clarity, and motion in real time. The result is a detailed picture, whose vivid colors and deep contrast belie the product’s price tag. Action-packed on-screen content — from live sports to gameplay—predictably looked excellent on the TCL QM8K. Its 144-Hertz native screen refresh rate and processor combined to produce smooth visuals while watching live MLS soccer and playing video games like Doom: The Dark Ages on the Xbox Series X. TCL’s mini-LED TVs have consistently been stellar performers during these activities when put to the test, so I expected nothing less from the QM8K.I also appreciated that the QM8K has wider viewing angles than last year's model. These have been enhanced with TCL's proprietary WHVA (wide high vertical alignment) tech, addressing one of its predecessor’s most notable flaws. During my testing, I found that viewing content on the TV from sitting at any spot on my sectional couch was always enjoyable. The superb visuals changed only when I moved to an armchair, sitting at about a 30-degree angle to the left of the TV’s screen. These upgrades don't quite elevate the QM8K to the same level of overall fidelity as my favorite OLEDs of the year, like the LG c5, but its higher brightness and lower price tag are both compelling reasons to compromise a little, especially if you're furnishing a room with lots of windows that might make the screen hard to see. Sound That Makes a StatementThe QM8K features a Bang Olufsen-tuned, Dolby Atmos-capable speaker setup, which is about as credible a case as you can make for sticking with TV speakers. The 75-inch version of the TV filled my living room with powerful, immersive, and detailed sound, complete with strong bass, especially by today’s standalone TV standards.I was genuinely surprised by how loud the TV got when I put its audio credentials to the test. When I streamed a Monolink live performance recording from YouTube with the volume set at 40 (out of 100), my Apple Watch detected a hefty 75 decibels from a distance of 12 feet. That was enough to fill the room with crisp audio, and not far from the 90-decibel level, which would have triggered loud noise alerts on my Apple timepiece.The intuitive, BO-branded on-screen interface gave me a bevy of options that made it feel like I was interacting with a costlier set. No TV speakers can truly replicate the sound quality you get with a high-end soundbar and a dedicated subwoofer, but I wasn’t lacking in decibels or sheer entertainment value.Additional Features You'll AppreciateThe QM8K features a Google TV operating system, which has apps for all the major streaming services. More remarkably, it also features smart home support with Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Amazon Alexa integrations. In that vein, you can operate the TV (or smart home systems) with voice commands via the Google Assistant. Simply ask the sleek, backlit remote with a built-in microphone, and you shall receive your content. There’s also an option to interact with the TV directly with voice commands without the remote via an integrated microphone with a dedicated button to disable it.)When it comes to wired and wireless connectivity features, the QM8K checks all the boxes. Two of its HDMI ports support the 2.1 protocol, which is essential for gaming consoles, and Wi-Fi 6 ensures reliable wireless network speeds.I found the TV’s support for Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast connectivity super helpful, allowing me to seamlessly link Apple and Android devices and share content from them.Wrap-UpOn spec, the TCL QM8K is an outstanding TV and absolutely worth the upgrade. When you factor in other options and constantly fluctuating prices of the modern TV market, though, things get a little trickier. At full price, it is just a couple of hundred dollars less than our favorite TV of the year, the LG C5. Given the small price gap, I'd recommend going with the OLED.That said, as of this reporting, TCL seems to have semi-permanently dropped the price considerably. The 65-inch QM8K currently costs just $1,300. That's about $500 less than the 65-inch C5, which is more than enough to justify what is ultimately a pretty small compromise. And when it costs less than $1,000, as it did on Amazon Prime Day earlier this summer, it's an absolute steal. On the mini-LED front, I’d take the TCL QM8K over high-profile competitors like the much pricier Samsung QN90F for delivering a brighter picture with Dolby Vision HDR and more value for money. Comparing the TCL QM8K to the Hisense U8 with similar specs, features, and performance is a toss-up, but I’d take the former for its sleeker design and superior audio credentials.