TCL’s Latest Budget-Minded TVs Put a Discounted Price on Premium

Most folks who walk into a room with an 85-inch TV, let alone a 98-inch TV, offer one of two impressions, often verbalized with some screech of surprise. One is, “Wow, look at the size of that thing.” The other is, “That’s just too damn big.” Related ContentLG Unveils Transparent OLED TV CCShare SubtitlesOffEnglishRelated ContentLG Unveils Transparent OLED TV CCShare SubtitlesOffEnglishIt’s the Q series where things start to get more robust and a bit more expensive. There’s no OLED option either, but TCL is hanging its coat fully on mini-LED. The company’s reps tried to stress how the picture quality and contrast on its top TVs were just as good, or even better than OLED–especially thanks to the extra brightness of backlit screens. TCL claims its top-of-the-line QM8 has a peak brightness of up to 5,000 nits and more than 5,000 dimming zones. It reminds me most of AdvertisementIt’s certainly a big and bright TV, and while I only watched a few standardized shots, I came away largely impressed with the black levels on the screen. TCL brought me aside to compare Samsung’s and LG’s QLEDs directly to their own and even LG’s G3 OLED. Yes, the QM8 could hold its own in the company’s demo session, but I still would need to get my hands on the TV for further testing before I come to any judgments.AdvertisementThere are new updates to the Q65 and Q68 QLEDs with better color accuracy and brightness. And, of course, the cheaper QM7 starts at 55 inches and $700, a little more than 1,500 dimming zones and 2,400 nits of peak brightness. It’s a rather fair alternative to the QM8, with solid black levels that can hold up on their own.The QM8 line starts with the 65-inch 65QM751G at $2,000 MSRP, though that’s still $700 less than AdvertisementTCL Makers Want to Make Big on BIGOn first glance, TCL’s S5 packs some of the most bang for buck on TCL’s direct LED TV line.Photo: Kyle Barr / GizmodoAdvertisementSure, big is big, but even listing off that pricing makes me squeamish. Then again, other brands also try to push absurd TVs for the status-obsessed. Take this 114-inch Micro LED TV from Samsung for $132,630. That’s so much money that you get an extra 8K QLED as a bonus. Sure, you won’t be buying it, but some rich guy with too much money to spend will. If you feel the same pinch in your stomach reading about six-figure screens, then I shouldn’t tell you about Samsung’s The Wall All-in-One 146-inch TV that costs $220,000.Why the new obsession with big? TCL’s reps told me that, in their minds, there’s a real market for 98-inch screens. If you have the space and deep pockets for a massive TV at 85 inches, you can probably go for the 98-inch. As somebody who doesn’t spend much time hanging on the coattails of the rich and powerful, I don’t think there’s any way I can say they’re wrong. Although I will make note of the QM8’s starting price being $300 more than last year’s model for the same size, TCL is promising a massive bump in picture quality and dimming zones.AdvertisementTCL is one of the top-selling screen brands in the U.S., though they don’t seem to get as much prevalence as Samsung, LG, or Sony. They also Want more of Gizmodo’s consumer electronics picks? Check out our guides to the best laptops, best TVs, and best headphones. If you want to learn about the next big thing, see our guide to everything we know about the iPhone 16.

Based on reporting by gizmodo.com.