3 days ago
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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- The TCL QM7K (65-inch) is connected merchantability for $999 ($500 off).
- It has exceptional opposition and superb glare resistance, positive AI features and gaming boosts.
- The setup process for this beautiful-looking TV is tedious.
Right present you tin get the 98-inch QM7K for $2,800 astatine Walmart. That's $1,200 off!
Recently, I took a look astatine this year's base-level Mini-LED acceptable from TCL, the QM6K. After spending immoderate clip with its higher-end sibling, the TCL QM7K, I instantly noticed immoderate advancements implicit the lesser model, but it's up to you whether it's worthy the other outgo (of astir $500 more).
Here's the breakdown aft investigating it for 3 weeks, including idiosyncratic observations, lab-tested results, and my definitive buying advice.
Unboxing and setup
As bully arsenic the QM7K looks erstwhile it's powered up and running, 1 of my complaints with the higher-end exemplary is simply a substance of plan alternatively than performance, truthful I'll get my gripes retired of the mode first. Simply put, I was amazed astatine however hard it was to connect the basal to the monitor, particularly due to the fact that mounting up the QM6K was easy-peasy.
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Perhaps aiming for elegance, TCL opted to marque this model's basal a cardinal pedestal alternatively of 2 disparate feet. The occupation is, it's not casual to connect astatine all. The pedestal is really composed of 3 parts you'll person to puzzle unneurotic involving 12 screws. The quick-start instructions didn't visually lucifer the carnal product, and the cablegram absorption clips noted successful that small booklet were missing.
While metallic plates are integrated into the bottommost piece, the bulk of the basal is made of plastic, and I recovered retired the hard mode that this integrative is not scratch-resistant. It has a benignant of laterally brushed integrative appearance, and conscionable by utilizing a screwdriver to enactment the happening together, I accidentally marred the basal with respective indelible marks.
All successful all, it took astir 45 minutes to acceptable up this 65-inch exemplary aft screwing unneurotic the stand, connecting to Wi-Fi, and letting the TV's OS tally done updates. Your mileage whitethorn vary.
Navigating the TV OS
As noted with the QM6K, TCL has consolidated with Google TV to powerfulness most, if not all, of its latest sets. Every 2025 exemplary present runs connected Google's OS with built-in Chromecast and entree to each the accustomed streaming apps similar Apple TV, Hulu, and Netflix, and I'm a fan.
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After mounting up Google TV (which volition necessitate you to judge a fewer disclaimers), the TCL Home app, and the AirPlay app for connecting Apple devices, you'll get the accustomed aesthetic options similar utilizing your saved photos arsenic the wallpaper. There's a steadfast assortment of personalization features to customize the location screen, with conscionable capable algorithmic suggestions to spark interest.
Hands-free cognition is disposable done Google Assistant -- you mightiness beryllium acquainted with the "Hey Google" punctual -- which I've ever recovered to be, well, handy. And portion perusing done the settings, I noticed that ACR (automatic contented recognition) was defaulted to the disconnected position. Nice.
Performance and testing
Before adjacent turning connected the QM7K, the archetypal happening that struck maine was its shiny, mirror-like screen. This is particularly noticeable successful examination with the much matte-finish QM6K screen.
When I did crook it on, I tuned into immoderate NFL highlights connected YouTube with our workplace lights blazing. The representation was affluent with colour and agleam capable to cancel retired immoderate overhead illumination. (I could spot wherefore TCL likes to diagnostic shot players connected surface successful its marketing.) Despite its glossy quality -- oregon possibly due to the fact that of it -- the screen's achromatic levels remained impressively heavy adjacent successful brighter conditions.
Then we ran immoderate laboratory tests successful our pitch-black investigating country to measure HDR analysis. In Filmmaker mode, the QM7K leaned disproportionately toward bluish for multipoint grayscale and highest luminance. Yet, to my bare eye, I recovered the Filmmaker mode to beryllium dimmer and benignant of "browned out."
Switching to Cinema mode, the surface simply looked better, and the multipoint grayscale and highest luminance tests for RGB colour investigation were acold much balanced and truer to expectations.
In summation to the accrued fig of dimming zones (over the QM6K) is the integration of TCL's "CrystGlow" precocious vertical alignment (HVA) panel. HVA panels are known for superior opposition ratios and wide viewing angles. The QM7K lives up to this, though my eyes couldn't observe the quality from that of the QM6K. In theory, the "CrystGlow" designation signifies an enhancement to the panel's airy transmission oregon reflective properties, which lend to improved brightness, colour accuracy, and achromatic uniformity.
TCL is arrogant of its Halo Control system, which I tin attest minimizes blooming precise effectively. When moving done the accustomed artillery of ocular tests (dirty surface effect test/banding, subtitle blooming, question smoothness of scrolling text), I was arsenic satisfied with the results of the QM7K arsenic I was with the QM6K.
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This should travel arsenic nary surprise, fixed the upgraded physique and corresponding terms constituent of this model. Conversely, however, this does marque maine wonderment if the midrange exemplary is worthy the other cost.
Lastly, I should notation the audio upgrade from an Onkyo 2.1 strategy to a Bang & Olufsen audio setup, with 2 backfiring 10-watt speakers and a 20-watt subwoofer that supports Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X, and DTS:X. Translation? It doesn't dependable overmuch amended than the QM6K arsenic acold arsenic I tin archer (or hear), truthful I would inactive urge pairing the QM7K with a bully soundbar for the champion audio experience.
ZDNET's buying advice
So, who should bargain the TCL QM7K? From my testing, it's a large prime for shoppers looking to upgrade their existing budget/midrange TV, arsenic the QM7K's QD Mini LED exertion should output the astir noticeable benefits. Most buyers volition beryllium satisfied with the fantastic colour reproduction and HDR show (which a batch of contented tends to enactment now), each underscored by a user-friendly Google TV interface.
That said, prevention for the engineering upgrades centered astir representation quality, the lesser-priced TCL QM6K has astir identical specifications arsenic the TCL QM7K. And for much people, you whitethorn not announcement the ocular discrepency unless you're viewing some TVs broadside by side.
In airy of these things, I wouldn't unreserved retired to drawback a QM7K until the inevitable discount comes along. In fact, close now, the 65-inch exemplary I tested is already disposable connected Amazon for $500 off. If you tin people a woody connected the inferior QM6K model, that mightiness beryllium an adjacent sweeter purchase.
TCL QM7K's tech specs
- 144Hz Native Refresh Rate
- 4 HDMI inputs (one with eARC)
- 4K UltraHD Resolution
- Apple AirPlay 2
- Audio by BANG & OLUFSEN
- Auto Game Mode (ALLM) with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
- Bluetooth Personal Audio
- CrystGlow HVA Panel
- Dolby Atmos Audio
- DTS Virtual:X
- Game Accelerator 288
- Google Chromecast Built-in
- Google TV Smart OS with Hands-Free Voice Control and Backlit Voice Remote
- HDR ULTRA with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, & HLG
- High HDR2600 Brightness
- IMAX Enhanced Certification
- Motion Rate 480 with MEMC Frame Insertion
- QD-Mini LED
- TCL AIPQ PRO Processor
- TCL Halo Control System
- LD2500 Precise Dimming
- Wi-Fi 5
- Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit
The TCL QM7K deserves an Editors' Choice due to the fact that this QD Mini-LED show delivers stunning brightness and awesome opposition connected par with OLED TVs astatine a acold much accessible price. This exemplary is simply a measurement down from TCL's 2025 flagship, the QM8K. But, it's ZDNET's prime due to the fact that it's simply a amended worth successful that it offers a gorgeous representation and adjacent to each the features of the flagship for astir $1,200 less.
This nonfiction was primitively published connected May 7, 2025, and was updated connected June 23, 2025.
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