I want to start this review by saying that I really wanted to love Hisense’s latest addition to its lineup of RGB Mini-LED TVs, the UR9. I’m usually an OLED guy, but after hearing about the hype behind the UR9 — which is basically a more compact version of the Hisense 116UX that dazzled us at CES 2026 — I was excited to see how the brand’s RGB Mini-LED technology could be miniaturized in one of the best TVs of the year.

Unfortunately, after spending some time with the UR9, I walked away with mixed feelings. While the TV certainly excels in the brightness department, it ultimately falls short in a few key areas, including inconsistent color depth and balance, and just-okay gaming features. While I could be more forgiving of its flaws at a more budget-friendly price point, that’s a lot harder to do at its launch price of $3,500.

There are some highlights that I think show promise for the future of Hisense’s RGB Mini-LEDs, and the price should dip in just a few months, but it might be best to hold off on buying a UR9 until later this year — or, if that feels too soon, until 2027 when the next iteration of RGB Mini-LED comes out.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Price and release date

The UR9 is the latest addition to Hisense’s 2026 lineup of RGB Mini-LED TVs. The UR9 is currently up for preorder, and was officially released on April 23.

Below is a breakdown of the available sizes and pricing (we reviewed the 65-inch model):

• Hisense UR9 RGB Mini-LED TV (65-inch): $3,499.99
• Hisense UR9 RGB Mini-LED TV (75-inch): $4,999.99
• Hisense UR9 RGB Mini-LED TV (85-inch): $5,999.99
• Hisense UR9 RGB Mini-LED TV (100-inch): $8,999.99

The UR9 is the only mid-budget model of Hisense’s RGB Mini-LED TVs that you can buy right now. The next step up would be its flagship model, the 116UX, which will run you anywhere from $19,999.99 to its original MSRP of $29,999.99, depending on sales and discounts. In other words, if you’re at all interested in trying out one of Hisense’s RGB Mini-LED TVs without having to take out a loan, the UR9 is going to be the most accessible option at this time.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Design

The UR9 is a bulky TV. It has thick bezels and feels heavy to move around, but the sturdiness you get in return may be a good tradeoff for you, depending on your preferences.

The TV still looks nice from a design standpoint, but it will definitely take up a lot more space compared to something like an LG C6 OLED or TCL QM8L Mini-LED TV. If you’re thinking of mounting it, I could see it being more of an eyesore just because of how much it’ll protrude from the wall.

I will say, I thought the setup of the Hisense UR9’s central pedestal was a little overcomplicated. Although very durable, I thought the way it all fit together wasn’t very intuitive, and the assembly instructions didn’t help all that much.

The multiple layers of screws felt like overkill, but one thing’s for sure: This pedestal will stay attached, barring some sort of disaster.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Ports

The TV has a nice suite of ports, including three HDMI 2.1 ports (one of them being eARC-compatible in case you want to connect a soundbar), two USB-A ports, a LAN port, an antenna port, and an optical digital audio out port. A pretty standard setup without any glaring omissions.

One extra port that’s definitely worth mentioning, though, is the unique USB-C DisplayPort that works perfectly with smartphones, tablets, and laptops. I was able to plug in all of my devices on the fly and mirror their displays on the UR9’s screen, which was really convenient.

Not everyone has a DisplayPort cable on hand, but I’m willing to bet almost everyone has a spare USB-C cable lying around. That alone will encourage more people to get a lot of use out of this port. It’s a great addition that you’re not going to find in other mainstream TVs.

How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we set the TV to Filmmaker Mode (usually the most accurate out of the box) and take measurements using a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’s Calman TV-calibration software. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer but usually include anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our “How we test TVs” page.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Performance

While testing out the Hisense UR9, I watched a variety of films, TV shows, and YouTube videos to get an idea of how it would perform during daily use. I also played a few PS5 titles to judge its gaming performance and features.

Upon booting the UR9 up and starting to watch some content, I immediately noticed how bright the TV was, even in the fully lit room I was testing it in. I was definitely impressed, but I quickly started to notice some issues. While watching 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” in the UR9’s standard picture mode, I couldn’t help but become distracted by the near-blinding whites in multiple scenes from the movie, and the color balance just felt “off.” I’d seen this movie at least ten times by now, and the range of colors felt way less vivid than ever before.

Even with all the lights in the room turned on, I was having trouble focusing on the film because of the brightness and lack of balance. With the lights off, I had to squint to avoid discomfort. Switching to a dimmer picture preset like filmmaker modes helped ever so slightly, but the picture felt even more washed out and muted in terms of color depth. So, I switched up what I was watching to see if the problems persisted.

Unfortunately, they did, to varying degrees. I watched a bit of “Thrash,” a new shark-attack thriller from Netflix, and had the same brightness issues, especially when it came to the TV’s whites. Trying to tone them down had negative effects on the contrast and blacks, and I just couldn’t get the color saturation to look right. I eventually settled on switching over to the vivid picture mode and tweaking the brightness myself, which looked better, but I was still frustrated that I had to do so much work to get a brand-new flick to look good.

I had better success watching an episode of Hulu’s “The Bear” in filmmaker mode, but still had to make some adjustments to balance everything out. No matter what I put on, I had to go through a bunch of extra steps to get the settings right, and it got old fast.

Switching over to YouTube to watch some Coachella 2026 highlights and 4K travel videos yielded similar results, but the UR9’s vivid mode played nicer with the YouTube app than it did with Netflix and Hulu. When viewing in 4K, the details actually looked really nice, but had just a slight grain over it — a product of the TV’s lackluster upscaling. I did notice some blooming around the YouTube logo, but didn’t encounter that issue within any other apps.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Gaming performance

The UR9’s gaming mode also left me wanting more, especially after reviewing the LG C6 OLED just a few weeks ago, which has some of the most stellar gaming performance I’ve experienced on a TV. Still, there’s some worthwhile stuff here: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro mitigates screen tearing, a dedicated HDR gaming picture mode, and 120Hz support.

I also liked the UR9’s game bar interface, though, which lets you hop between different game genre presets, make brightness adjustments, and add helpful overlays like aiming reticles and an FPS counter.

The Hisense UR9 isn’t necessarily a poor gaming TV, but I wouldn’t buy one solely for gaming purposes.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Test results

From our test results, you can see that the Hisense UR9 is a super-high performer in the brightness department. In HD/SDR, it blows the TCL QM8L Mini-LED, LG C6 OLED, and Samsung QN90F QLED out of the water with a peak SDR brightness of 2,486 nits. That is extremely bright, and explains why the UR9 is at its best during daytime viewing. It has a peak brightness of 3,327 nits in HDR mode, which is also impressive and on par with TCL’s QM8L Mini-LED TV (3,772 nits). The LG C6 (1,251 nits) and Samsung QN90F (2,109 nits) fall pretty far below those two.

Our Delta-E test results, which is how we measure a TV’s color accuracy, paint a different picture. The Hisense UR9 scored only a 2.72 Delta-E, which isn’t terrible, but illustrates why the TV’s depth of color seemed a bit “off” during my testing period. When it comes to Delta-E results, the lower the number, the better, and as you get closer to a Delta-E of 3 and above, color accuracy issues start to become noticeable to the naked eye.

Compared to the TCL QM8L, which scored a Delta-E of 3.74, the UR9 is definitely better in this category, but when compared to the LG C6 (1.62) and Samsung QN90F (1.83), there’s something left to be desired.

When it comes to gaming, the UR9 isn’t great compared to the competition. It scored 12ms in our input latency test, which underperforms against the TCL QM8L, Samsung QN90F, and LG C6. Even in the UR9’s gaming mode, there was no way to boost this, which resulted in a choppier experience overall. You can still definitely enjoy gaming on the Hisense UR9, but there are much better options out there if it’s your top priority.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Audio

If you don’t go into the settings to tweak them, you likely won’t be impressed by the UR9’s built-in speakers, which sounded a bit tinny and crackly to me, especially at higher volumes. During action sequences or scenes where music takes the foreground, the speakers’ flaws became even more noticeable.

The good news is that the TV does have different sound modes that you can play around with, including modes designed for sports, music, speech, gaming, and more. The speech-enhancing mode, in particular, was a lot better than some of the other TVs I’ve reviewed — it didn’t wash out all the other noise in a given scene as a lot of other speech modes do, and was overall pretty balanced while still giving spoken dialogue a nice boost. I actually thought the TV’s theater audio mode sounded best, and it became my default audio mode for the remainder of my time with the UR9.

Still, I always think it’s worth investing in a great soundbar to go with your TV. Stock TV speakers are almost always lackluster (at least in my experience), and the best soundbars will enhance your media setup by a wide margin.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Interface and apps

The Hisense UR9 uses Google TV with Gemini as its OS of choice, and I thought it worked well. The home screen was situated in a way that everything I needed was easy to find, and menu navigation was simple in the best way. Just a solid, uncomplicated OS that I expect most users won’t have an issue getting used to.

The implementation of Gemini wasn’t bad either, although I wasn’t able to use it long enough to really get the most out of its personalized recommendations. In theory, those recommendations should suit you more and more over time as Gemini learns your content preferences.

However, I was able to get some good use out of the TV’s Gemini search function, which can help you find specific movies and shows, or even suggest something to you based simply on the vibe that you’re looking for. I can see this coming in handy whenever you encounter the all-too-common choice paralysis that we experience when it comes to streaming apps today.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Remote

If you regularly lose your remote in between the couch cushions because they just make them too small nowadays, you’ll appreciate the Hisense UR9’s larger remote. That being said, it will definitely take up more of that precious coffee table real estate. I personally like more compact remotes, but that’s just me.

In terms of buttons, the UR9’s remote is well-rounded, with five streaming app buttons, voice controls, and a dedicated mute button. I appreciated having the customizable star button, which you can assign to your go-to app, most-used input, or specific TV functions like a sleep timer, audio output adjustments, and more. Also, I like that silver, brushed metal finish.

Hisense UR9 Mini-LED TV review: Verdict

The Hisense UR9 isn’t perfect, but it actually has a lot going for it. The TV generally looks good in a bright room as long as you have the patience to make some settings adjustments, the UI is clean and unobstructive, and fresh additions like the USB-C DisplayPort show that the brand is interested in pushing TV tech forward.

However, due to the inconsistent performance I experienced throughout my time with the UR9, I just can’t say it’s a “run out and buy this now” type of TV. This TV should have dazzled me with an excellent balance of cutting-edge brightness and depth of color, but it just didn’t. If you’re dead-set on trying a UR9 on for size because you’re intrigued by the brand’s RGB Mini-LED technology, your best bet is to at least wait for it to go on sale.

Considering this is Hisense’s first iteration of RGB Mini-LED tech, I have a feeling the next RGB Mini-LED from Hisense will be a big step up in almost every way.

TCL introduced a raft of complex display technologies earlier this year, but reserved them for its rather expensive X11L line (one of this year’s best TVs).

Now those technologies have made their way down to the cheaper (though not cheap) QM8L models. They include upgraded Mini-LED backlighting and smaller nanoscale color filters that have brought LED-LCD TVs up to par with OLED in a number of categories. The result is a new TV line with impressive picture quality — especially its deep blacks with fine detail, powerful dynamic range, and impressive brightness that holds up in well-lit rooms.

The QM8L compares favorably to the best 75-inch TVs available in stores right now, and while it might not be the cheapest Mini-LED on the market this year, I still recommend it for folks who want the latest in cutting-edge TV tech.

TCL QM8L review: Pricing and availability

The QM8L sits just below the flagship TCL X11L line, but comes at a significant price decrease. The 75-inch version we evaluated lists for $2,999; a 65-inch version (the most-popular size for households buying a new set) has a $2,499 price tag.

All things considered, that's a big discount from the 75-inch X11L's $7,000 price tag, but if three grand is too much for you (perfectly understandable) you can find still-impressive quality in cheaper 75-inch models from 2025, such as TCL's own 75QM6K (under $1000), or the Hisense 75U8QG (around $1600).

To get better black levels, however, you might have to move into OLED models with pricing similar to the QM8L's, such as the excellent LG C5. The 77-inch C5 originally listed for $3,699 but can now be had for less than $2000.

Like the C5 mentioned above, expect the QM8L to drop in price later this year; If that’s not something you can wait for, TCL is also launching another new TV line, the QM7L, which incorporates similar — though less high-end — screen technologies at lower prices. That 75-inch model will be available for $1,999, while a 65-inch will only set you back $1,499. We opted to test the QM8L first, but will shortly call in the QM7L for review.

TCL QM8L review: Design

This TV is not especially skinny by modern standards, at two inches thick; but that's the reasonable trade-off for its sophisticated full-array LED backlighting behind the screen. The QM8L also leaves room for a speaker system, with mid-bass speakers for deeper tones.

As with most flat panels today, the QM8L's bezel is of negligible thickness, leaving essentially all screen and just the letters "TCL" at the bottom.

The screen sits on a central pedestal, allowing you to place it on a smaller table. (Cheaper TVs tend to have feet close to each end of the screen.) That's especially useful for the 75-inch model that measures nearly five-and-a-half feet wide.

TCL QM8L review: Ports

The QM8L TV has a full array of connectivity. It starts with four HDMI ports, all supporting the 2.1 standard that allows input up to 4K at 144Hz (the panel's max refresh rate). Most video sources top out at 120Hz, although some high-end gaming rigs do go up to 144Hz. Pair that with the 9.5ms input lag (one of the fastest we've measured), and you have a cutting-edge gaming screen.

One HDMI port features eARC, providing Dolby Atmos and DTS Premium Sound digital audio output to a soundbar or home-theater system. The QM8L also has optical S/PDIF audio output for legacy systems, however. In addition, this TV offers a range of wireless speaker options (more about them below).

The set sports a pair of USB ports. One supports the 2.0 standard, with adequate power (0.5 amp) for the best streaming sticks, such as those from Amazon and Roku (providing an option if you don't like the Google TV interface). The other supports USB 3.0, with up to 0.9 amp — generally enough to power a small external hard drive and with the bandwidth to smoothly deliver large video files from it.

There is a LAN networking port (pretty much a vestigial organ in the era of fast Wi-Fi), and the RF input attaches to a tuner supporting the latest ATSC 3.0 standard for higher-quality broadcast TV features, such as high dynamic range (HDR). It has no bearing on content from online streaming or cable-TV boxes.

Aside from the power-cable input on the right, all ports cluster on the left side of the TV, when viewed from behind.

How we test

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we set the TV to Filmmaker Mode (usually the most accurate out of the box) and take measurements using a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’s Calman TV-calibration software. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer but usually include anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our “How we test TVs” page.

TCL QM8L review: Performance

Image quality from the QM8L is generally excellent, with some minor caveats. Deep blacks and wide dynamic range are undisputed strengths. TCL emphasizes that this LCD-based screen is not an "OLED Killer," but it's pretty darn close. The claims for color reproduction are equally grand compared to the brand-new LG C6 OLED, though the test results are mixed.

The QM8L leverages a full-array LED backlight, with 2,584 illumination zones behind the 75-inch screen, each zone tunable to over 67 million (26-bit) discrete brightness levels. (The 75-inch X11L is more expensive in part because it has even more zones, although TCL declined to specify how many.)

That fine degree of control is combined with other features, such as microlenses to concentrate the backlight and an LCD panel that TCL says better blocks light from bleeding through. The result is amazingly dark blacks, which could appear next to extremely bright items with none of the "blooming" or ghostly halos around them. We saw this in a photo of a brilliant blue neon sign against a deep-black background. Even the brightest, overexposed parts of the sign had distinct boundaries, with no gray zones around them.

Deep black is of little value if a TV can't also retain detail in the slightly less-than-black areas. The QM8L accomplishes that task. In a photo of a woman wearing a black straw hat, for instance, the details of the weave were clearly visible, as were the strands and shading in her dark brown hair. Yet the brighter elements also shined, without being washed out.

We saw the same in a digital restoration of "8½," Federico Fellini's 1963 black-and-white fever dream of a movie. One scene, set in a dim bedroom, shows details equally fine in people's dark clothing and a brilliant white sheet. A later scene in a sun-drenched garden achieves equal fidelity across the range of shades.

Both extremes were a bit overpowering in Standard Mode, however. The film had more subtle elegance in the TV’s Movie mode. While Filmmaker mode is meant to be the most accurate setting (and the benchmark for instrument testing), I tend to find it a bit dreary on all TVs: too warm and muted. For dark room viewing, I found the slightly livelier Movie mode more enjoyable.

The QM8L leverages its technology with newer high-dynamic range material, such as Chapter 4 in the Blu-ray of "Spiderman: No Way Home." Details are perfectly clear and luminous in the firelit conversation between Peter Parker and Dr. Strange, as well as the later scene in which Strange weaves his ill-fated fiery spell in a nearly black room.

I enjoyed the broad yet subdued range of hues in "Bridgerton" (Season 1, Ep 3, 17:00-19:00), especially the riot of colorful sundresses in a glittering outdoor scene. The QM8L also captured detail well in highlights, such as strong sunlight glinting off a woman's forehead. Like this Netflix series, the QM8L supports Dolby Vision, which embeds extra data to ensure that the TV more faithfully reproduces the content. I found the nearly identical Dolby Vision Light and Dolby Vision IQ best for preserving detail for faces that were shaded in an indoor party scene. Colors in our test photos were also pleasing, such as the muted-orange ribbon on the woman's hat.

TCL QM8L review: Test results

*As measured in Filmmaker Mode

Lab tests back up these results: an astronomical HDR brightness of 3,719 nits (measured in the 10% window method). That's one of the highest we've recorded (the top TV being over 5,000 nits) and about twice the average for TVs tested in 2025 and 2026. These results were recorded in the set's Filmmaker mode, the benchmark setting for our tests of all TVs, although it was an equally impressive 3772 nits in Standard Mode, the default setting that many people will likely watch the TV in.

Color is a more nuanced story: TCL certainly packs the technology, which it dubs SQD-Mini LED. Instead of generating light from blue LEDs as many TVs do — or a pricey trio of red, green, and blue LEDs — this TV starts with white light. It passes through a quantum-dot layer (common in modern TVs), with crystals that re-emit deeper reds and greens, before reaching the color filters in each pixel. TCL went higher-end in these aspects, as well.

The company claims that its quantum-dot crystals are engineered to produce richer shades, and that the smaller nanoparticles in its color filters (just 5nm across) can dial in better hues at the pixel level. TCL puts a number on this technology, claiming it covers 100% of the massive BT.2020 color gamut.

In our lab tests, however, we measured a bit less, at 90.34% in Filmmaker mode, which is the most color-accurate mode on this and generally all other TVs. The results were virtually identical in the Standard, Movie, and Vivid modes. It's worth noting, however, that little or no content is made to fill this color space, so the stat is more for theoretical bragging rights.

While the QM8L has big color guns, it doesn't aim them as accurately as other TVs: We saw that in Delta-E, a measure of how far a screen's colors differ from how they should appear, in which a lower number is better. In Filmmaker mode, the QM8L posted a Delta-E of 3.7. That's one of the worst in a field with a lowest measure of just 1.1 (essentially perfect) and an average of 2.5.

Few people watch TV with a colorimeter in hand, however, and the 3.7 measured in Filmmaker mode is just on the edge of perceptibility for a casual viewer. Instruments aside, the real-life experience of watching the QM8L is quite pleasant.

TCL QM8L review: Audio

TCL also claims bragging rights for the QM8L's sound system, provided by big-name audio company Bang & Olufsen. It's labeled as "2.2-channel" sound, indicating a pair of mini-subwoofers for deeper tones. However TCL describes these as mid-base drivers, not true subwoofers. The company did not respond to our request to clarify, nor to specify the wattage of the speakers.

In practice, I found performance to be on the higher-end of built-in speaker systems, but not radically better than other TVs I've heard. For instance, the Hisense QD7 (about $500 for the 65-inch model I tested or around $550 for a 75-inch) produces rumbling bass from its 30-watt stereo system.

I found the Movie audio mode to be the best in all respects. Versus Standard, it produced a clearer and richer sound in the deep, soulful voiceover of the "Stranger Things: Part 3" trailer, for instance. (That clip also showed brilliant HDR detail, too.) The aforementioned conversation was a bit crisper in "Spiderman," as well.

The difference was less dramatic in music from the "K-Pop Demon Hunters Sing Along" trailer, however. It still sounded better in Movie mode, but not by much, over Standard and Intelligent modes. Music mode also didn't yield the improvement one might expect. In fact, I scarcely noticed a difference between Standard and Intelligent modes with anything I listened to. Perhaps Intelligent was a bit clearer, but it's hard to say.

The QM8L also supports both the Dolby Atmos and DTS Premium Sound formats for enveloping spatial audio: either virtualized using the built-in speakers or in full effect with a surround sound system. The set also supports Dolby's new FlexConnect 4.1.4 system for attaching up to four wireless speakers (in addition to a wireless subwoofer) to provide true Dolby Atmos surround sound.

TCL QM8L review: Interface and remote

Navigating the QM8L's Google TV interface is a mixed experience. On the plus side, accessing device settings is as simple and intuitive as I've seen. Simply press the three-line "hamburger"-icon in the upper right of the remote to pull up a ribbon of settings at the bottom of the screen. These include brightness, picture mode, sound mode, and display & soundsettings. Tapping any one of these brings up the full set of controls for the category.

If you’re someone who’s concerned about personal data collection, I recommend going to Settings > Privacy and poking around. If you have signed in with your Google account, the TV will be collecting a lot of information on you. You can limit that by turning off location tracking, for instance, or deleting your Advertiser ID. Also take a look at what apps may be accessing other information, such as your calendar or email.

In the future, you may be able to put the remote down to do some of this. TCL plans to roll out new Google TV capabilities that allow Gemini to make adjustments based on natural language voice prompts such as, "my screen is too dark." Those features were not enabled when I tested the QM8L, however.

But I could take advantage of the current ability to ask Gemini for content recommendations, and it's up for the challenge. For instance, my colleague asked Gemini: "Can you suggest a romantic comedy that's also an action movie that's also a racing movie that also has Brad Pitt in it." Gemini suggested the 2025 film "F1," probably the best possible answer to that ridiculous request.

Although it’s not something I’ve seen reported elsewhere, I had issues initially getting Google TV set up: The Google TV app either failed to realize that I was trying to set up a TV, or it failed to transfer the wireless network settings from my phone. Signing into my Google account was also hit or miss. What's more: Setup often timed out as I was dealing with these glitches, forcing me to start all over again.

Issues aside, the Google TV interface is attractive, easy to navigate and responsive. I’m not sure if I’d say it’s better than Samsung’s Tizen or LG’s webOS platform, but those aren’t without their own set of flaws, either.

TCL QM8L review: Verdict

TCL's X11L and now its QM8L TV lines show how far LCD technology can be pushed into OLED territory. It may not quite reach perfect black-level performance, but it's getting closer. Its elegant, local-dimming white LED technology achieves far higher brightness levels than OLEDs. That huge brightness range can help blacks appear deeper than they actually are and achieve impressive high dynamic range.

Lab results for color are a bit mixed, with lackluster Delta-E in the Filmmaker mode — but the real-world effect is less significant than the numbers might indicate. The QM8L is a relatively strong performer on color fidelity in the other modes, such as Standard.

Then there's the price. It's reasonable for the cutting-edge tech and OLED-adjacent performance, but it's your call if bleeding-edge tech is worth bleeding your wallet. If not, you have two options: Select a still-good, cheaper top 75-inch TV or wait six months to a year for the price to drop. Either way, the QM8L proves SQD is here to stay.

In 2026, nearly every major TV brand — including TCL — is rolling out a whole new type of TV: RGB LED. But TCL wasn't satisfied to simply follow the rest of the industry and call it a day. In addition to launching its own RGB LED TVs in the coming months, TCL is also busy debuting a new type of quantum-dot TV, too.

Dubbed Super Quantum Dot (or SQD for short), the TCL QM8L and QM7L are souped-up Mini-LED TVs that shake up the tried and true formula for quantum-dot color. These sets will live alongside the RM9L as an alternative to TCL's RGB Mini-LED TV this year.

Recently, we put the flagship-level QM8L through its paces in our test lab, and there's one aspect of its performance that truly surprised me: its color.

The TCL QM8L delivers incredible color

If you're looking for the brightest, purest color money can buy in 2026, there are three types of TV that ought to be on your radar: quantum dot-enhanced OLED (QD-OLED), RGB LED, and now, SQD Mini-LED.

We got our first taste of SQD Mini-LED earlier this year when we tested and reviewed the TCL X11L, the top TV to tap this cutting-edge technology this year. The X11L's gobsmackingly good color immediately made an impression, setting the stage for how this display type might perform on a more-affordable model like the QM8L.

We'll publish a full list of the TCL QM8L's test results soon, but for now, let's take a look at how its color volume compares to its both its predecessor and some of the most colorful TVs we've ever reviewed.

The QM8L delivers significantly brighter, purer color than its predecessor, the TCL QM8K. The QM8K is a Mini-LED TV that leverages quantum dots the good ol' fashioned way, so this gives us a pretty clear indication that color volume has improved quite a bit year over year.

The Samsung S95F is a quantum dot-OLED TV that has set the bar for color within the entire OLED class. According to our tests, the QM8L just barely edges out the S95F when it comes to color volume. That's nothing to sneeze at.

Most impressive is how close the QM8L's color result is to the wildly expensive TCL X11L, a TV whose color is at the very center of its own marketing campaign. The QM8L starts at $2,499 for the 65-inch model, while the 75-inch X11L starts at a whopping $6,999. If you're looking for a similar presentation at a lower cost, the QM8L could be your best bet this year.

The power of Super Quantum Dot color

The Super Quantum Dot recipe is made up of a few ingredients: reformulated quantum dots, a new color filter for said quantum dots and some algorithmic tweaking (which TCL is calling its Advanced Color Purity Algorithm) designed to keep colors consistent.

Together, all of these elements make up TCL's all-new Deep Color System. To date, the X11L, QM8L and QM7L are the only three SQD Mini-LED TVs slated for 2026.

As mentioned, the QM8L starts at $2,499 for a 65-inch model. A 75-inch version will set you back $2,999, and an 85-inch QM8L is available for $3,999.

I expect the step-down QM7L to be a popular choice for A/V enthusiasts on the hunt for a good deal, as this version is available in a smaller, 55-inch screen size and costs less than the QM8L. The 55-inch QM7L starts at $1,199, and the 65-inch version comes in at $1,499.

TCL QM8L SQD Mini-LED TV: outlook

There are a ton of TVs hitting shelves this year that promise bright, captivating color, and the QM8L is right in the mix. We've only just begun to measure some of the recently released RGB LED TVs from Samsung and Hisense, but from what we've seen so far, their red-, green- and blue-colored backlights appear to have a slight edge over TCL's reformulated quantum-dot display.

Nevertheless, it's exciting to see some of the biggest names in the TV industry upping the ante in the LED space. For a while now, QD-OLED TVs have been the top option for viewers looking for the most-colorful experience, but there seems to be a worldwide effort at work to rewrite the script.

More from Tom's Guide

• TCL’s “Super QLED” TV is the new king of color — here’s what our test results say
• I tested TCL’s $8,000 SQD Mini-LED TV — here's my verdict
• TCL and Sony are joining forces to sell more TVs — but is that bad news for shoppers?

The TCL QM9K is a great TV and one that I actually quite like, with a panel so bright it’s tailor-made for rooms with lots of windows and ambient light. However, its unfortunate release timing really hurt its chances of becoming the best TV of 2025. It launched at the last-minute and followed on the coattails of the ultra-popular (and more affordable) TCL QM8K.

These days the QM9K bumps up against other carryovers from 2025 like the Hisense U8QG and the Samsung QN90F, two of the best TVs from last year when it comes to show-stopping Mini-LED screens. It’s also around the same price as the LG C5 OLED, the only TV to be awarded a perfect score from our editorial team in 2025.

Given its current price of $1,499 and its above-average performance, it’s certainly still a compelling buy in the face of new 2026 models that are priced much higher (see: the $6,999 TCL X11L) but the QM9K’s biggest mistake is that it’s a casualty of circumstance: There’s better value below it and better performance above it, plus new models that leverage Mini-RGB technology right around the corner.

TCL QM9K review: Price and release date

The TCL QM9K is the ultimate TCL Mini-LED from 2025. It launched back in September in 65-, 75-, 85- and 98-inch screen sizes.

Here are the current sale prices for the TCL QM9K:

• 65-inch 65QM9K: $1,999 at launch | $1,499 on sale
• 75-inch 75QM9K: $3,499 at launch | $1,999 on sale
• 85-inch 85QM9K: $2,999 at launch | $2,499 on sale
• 98-inch 98QM9K: $5,999 at launch | $3,999 on sale

If you’re looking to buy the QM9K, I think the 75-inch model is the best bang for your buck. You’ll get all the performance and features of a flagship TV at a slightly more affordable price.

If $2,000 is more than you wanted to spend — and I certainly wouldn’t blame you — you can find both the 65-inch QM8K and 75-inch QM7K for just under $1,000. You’re losing out on some specular highlights and better on-board audio by buying one of the two cheaper TCL Mini-LED TVs, but I wouldn’t let that stop you.

TCL QM9K review: Design

For review, Tom’s Guide was sent the 75-inch version of the QM9K. All models use a QD-Mini-LED backlight and color system with Full Array Local Dimming, but larger sizes come with more dimming zones (up to 6,000). The 75-inch model, as the middle child between the 65- and 85-inch models, offers a nice compromise between the upper and lower limits.

All models in the lineup except the 98-inch version use a central pedestal stand that allows you to place them on smaller tables. It’s not something I’d recommend, as TVs with pedestal designs are easier to tip thanks to a higher center of gravity — but not everyone has to worry about an overly curious one-and-a-half year old toddling around their office.

Should you decide to hang it on the wall, the 75-inch model is compatible with a standard 400mm x 400mm VESA mount.

Wall-mounting is going to be slightly problematic, however. The QM9K isn’t exactly slim at roughly two inches thick and, even without the stand, you’re looking at lifting around 63 pounds. It’s definitely a two or three person job.

For what it’s worth, though, I do like the limited brushed aluminum bezel that beautifully frames the glossy, perhaps-slightly-too-reflective screen.

TCL QM9K review: Ports

On the TCL QM9K you’ve got four full HDMI 2.1 ports — two more HDMI 2.1 ports than you’ll find on the more affordable QM8K and QM7K. Most folks probably won’t need all four of them right now in 2026, but it’s good to be prepared for the future.

In addition to the HDMI port selection, you’ve got USB ports to pick from (one of which is 3.0 compliant), an ethernet port, optical audio out and a coaxial port for an HD TV antenna.

Inside the TV is a tuner that supports ATSC 3.0 for 4K over-the-air broadcasts (these are location-dependent so be sure to check before buying it based on this one spec alone) and Wi-Fi 6. There’s also support for Dolby Atmos FlexConnect in addition to standard Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast Built-in. FlexConnect, Dolby’s latest technology that allows you to place speakers anywhere in your living room and get calibrated spatial audio sound tuned to wherever you want to sit, is one of the biggest advancements in audio in the last five years, so it’s great to see it included here.

TCL QM9K review: Performance

Under the glass, the QM9K has a lot going on. According to TCL, the QM9K has more than 6,000 local dimming zones in the largest screen sizes that are all powered by the AIPQ Pro Processor and WHVA panel.

Wide High-vertical alignment (WHVA) panels are TCL’s advanced version of the industry-standard VA panels that, in theory, offer better off-axis viewing angles and wider color gamut. Our test results do show a small boost in color saturation, and anecdotally, this is one of the best LED-based TVs for off-axis viewing I’ve ever seen as color almost never desaturated no matter where I moved in the room.

On top of all that, the additional local dimming zones do create better overall contrast with less bleed. “Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse” is chock full of scenes where bright, ultra-vivid colors sit directly next to inky blacks and dark greys — and they look phenomenal on the QM9K. I actually might like the look of this movie on the QM9K more than on the much more expensive Samsung QD-OLED I own.

Sports and darker content like “The Batman” both looked decent on the QM9K, but not earth-shatteringly better than on other Mini-LED TVs I saw in 2025. Scenes with lots of dark details could sometimes get lost due to some light black level crushing and motion artefacting cropped up a few times while watching MLS on Apple TV+.

Are the latter points absolute deal-breakers for me? No, especially considering how much vibrancy the QM9K retained when viewed off-axis and its blinding (in a good way) levels of peak brightness. They’re just small flies in what is otherwise excellent ointment.

To test its gaming chops, I played a few hours of Final Fantasy XVI on PS5. The game’s fast-motion action sequences looked great at 4K/60 — and keep in mind that it’s possible for the QM9K to hit refresh speeds of 144Hz when connected to a gaming PC. The downside is that its input latency (the time it takes for a signal to come in, be processed and reach the screen) is a bit high at 13ms.

I mostly play single-player games where input latency really doesn’t affect the gameplay, but gamers who want to shave every millisecond off their reaction times might want to go for an OLED instead.

How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subject tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer, but usually feature anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV.

TCL QM9K review: Test results

When it comes to Mini-LED TVs, the QM9K is really the pinnacle of performance. It’s bright in SDR (4,802 nits in Vivid mode) and even brighter in HDR (5,413 in Standard). Comparable models from Hisense and Samsung have a hard time keeping up here.

Now, I should note that the QM9K doesn’t produce a wall of light every time you turn it on. What our tests look for is the peak brightness in a 10% window — basically one small portion of the screen that could represent, say, a sunrise or an explosion. The only real competition the QM9K has in that category right now is the $8,000 TCL X11L that we measured at over 6,000 nits.

While peak brightness is the real highlight here (pun absolutely intended), the color volume and color accuracy of this TV — measured by the Gamut Coverage percentages and Delta-E score, respectively — are also top-notch. The QM9K’s Delta-E score of 1.82 is the lowest of any Mini-LED TV we tested in 2025. It doesn’t beat the LG C5 OLED’s nearly perfect score of 1.25, but it’s still incredibly impressive. (Keep in mind, of course, that any score under 3.0 is almost imperceptible to the human eye.)

But — and you knew this was coming — 2026 models are nearly here and they’re both brighter and more colorful than what we’re seeing with the QM9K. The newest Mini-LED TVs like the Samsung MR95F, LG MRGB95 and Hisense UR9/UR8 use Mini-RGB backlighting systems that simply produce purer colors and have Rec2020 scores in the 90% and up range and actually output 8,000 nits (again only in small portions of the screen). The QM9K still offers flagship performance… just at a very inconvenient time.

TCL QM9K review: Audio

To make the QM9K sound the best it can, TCL teamed up with Bang & Olufsen. The result is a multi-channel Dolby Atmos that sounds pretty good … under most circumstances. Calmer scenes, like ones with ongoing dialog between two characters, or action sequences without any dialog in it all, sound totally fine.

But the QM9K’s audio performance takes a hit when there’s a lot of audio overlapping. Take, for instance, the fight with Spot near Miles’ school in “Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse.” Spider-Man is tussling with a villain, so we’ve got the sound of two teleporting around plus the dialog between the characters. While that’s happening, Miles’ father is chasing them on the street, which has its own set of sounds — traffic noise, footsteps pounding on the pavement and his dad’s reactionary dialog — while chaos ensues all around him. Scenes with this much happening struggle to separate all the different sounds. Dialog might make it through OK, but the rest of what’s happening blends together in an amalgamation of noise.

The good news? The TCL QM9K is one of the only TVs that currently supports Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, which allows you to place compatible speakers anywhere in your room and get calibrated spatial audio sound tuned to wherever you want to sit. I wasn’t able to get a pair of TCL’s new FlexConnect home speakers to try it out for this review, but I’m currently testing the LG H7 FlexConnect Soundbar in a different room of the house and it’s great.

TCL QM9K review: Interface and apps

The QM9K uses the latest version of Google TV with Gemini. It’s one of the first TVs to host Google’s AI agent and while I didn’t find it all that helpful on a day-to-day basis, I could see it being handy to have down the road as AI continues to integrate into our everyday lives.

Google TV works supremely well here. Everything loads quickly and there’s no real negatives to speak of. It’s one of the best smart TV platforms for a reason. It’s well-stocked with all the major streaming services and, thanks to the Play Store integration, there’s even a few game streaming services like Nvidia GeForce Now and Boosteroid. (Sadly, Google TV doesn’t have Xbox integration yet, but that’s likely to appear at some point in the future.)

The only real issue I have with it is that the QM9K has a built-in microphone for voice support. There’s a physical switch at the bottom of the TV to turn it off — which I really appreciate — but I know some folks are adamantly (and rightfully) against having a microphone built into their TV.

TCL QM9K review: Remote

There’s nothing to dislike, aesthetically, about the QM9K’s silver-and-black remote. It looks premium when it’s sitting on the table and feels weighty in the hand.

Practically, however, there are a few places for improvement. For starters, the remote has a lot of empty space that could’ve been used to include more quick access buttons. You’ve got three of the main players there — Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video — as well as the company’s own TCL TV channel, but it wouldn’t have hurt to have buttons for Hulu/Disney+ or Max… or even Peacock and Paramount+. You’ve got the space, you may as well use it.

The other issue I have here is that the remote is still using regular batteries instead of rechargeable ones. Not every remote needs to be equipped with a rear solar panel like Samsung’s SolarCell remotes, but having USB-C rechargeable batteries seems like a more sensible, planet-friendly option.

TCL QM9K review: Verdict

The TCL QM9K is under siege from all sides. There’s TCL’s own QM7K and QM8K models from 2025 that aren’t quite as bright but deliver most of the same performance for almost half the price, and new models that use Mini-RGB tech arriving shortly. There’s also the LG C5 OLED to consider — it’s Tom’s Guide’s 2025 TV of the Year for a reason.

With all that in mind, there’s still a case to be made for the QM9K. It’s incredibly bright with wonderful specular highlights that help to make it a better fit for rooms with lots of ambient light. Its four HDMI 2.1 ports mean that it’s well-equipped for the future, and its Google TV smart platform runs effortlessly thanks to the TV’s advanced processor. It’s simultaneously smooth and sharp when it comes to performance, and that’s not something I say about a TV very often.

It’s going to be up against some tough competition throughout the rest of the year, but if you’re someone who wants an ultra-bright screen for a sun-drenched living room at a decent discount, you’ll find something special with the QM9K.

If you're looking for a big-screen bargain, the Hisense QD7 should be on your shortlist. Colors are generally pleasing and accurate; contrast and high dynamic range (HDR) performance are adequate; and sound, especially bass, is quite booming from the built-in speakers.

Of course, Hisense had to cut corners somewhere. A slow 60Hz native refresh rate is sometimes noticeable in action scenes, although tweaking the motion settings can help. Middling brightness levels can be a challenge in well-lit rooms; and the Amazon Fire TV interface can be agonizingly slow.

Despite the drawbacks, however, this TV offers a lot for the money, and could very well be one of the best TVs under $500

Hisense QD7 review: Pricing and availability

With a list price of about $500, regularly discounted, QD7 sits in the middle of Hisense's 2025 model year TV offerings. Below it are sets like the new QD6 (selling for about $380), which lacks local dimming for improved contrast and dynamic range, runs at 60Hz native refresh rate, and provides just 20W of audio output.

Above it, the Hisense U7QG (also a 2025 TV, priced around $1,500) upgrades to HDMI 2.1 ports (vs. the QD7's slower-frame rate HDMI 2.0), a native 165Hz refresh rate (vs. 60Hz), up to 3,000 nits peak brightness (as advertised, vs. 600 nits, as measured for the QD7), and 50W multi-channel audio (vs. 30W).

However, the QD7 is no slouch and a solid deal, holding its own on content standards, supporting Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision Gaming, and the full HDR10+ Adaptive suite (more on those, below). The 65-inch QD7 is also priced competitively against rivals from companies and quite cheaper than the pricier 65-inch Samsung Neo QLED QN70F (at about $900), which we tested side-by-side and found lacking in most respects.

It's worth noting that the larger versions of the Hisense QD7 line — the 75-, 85-, and 100-inch screens — provide significant upgrades, especially for gaming. These include a native 144Hz refresh rate (vs. 60Hz) and two HDMI ports supporting the 2.1 standard for full-bandwidth PS5, Xbox Series X, and high-end PC gaming.

Hisense QD7 review: Design

The Hisense QD7 is virtually all screen, save for a slim bezel measuring about 8mm on the top and sides. A 15mm strip on the bottom is empty, save for a barely legible "Hisense" in the lower-left corner.

The TV's a tad chubby, measuring roughly 7 mm (2.76 inches) at its thickest point on the bottom. This wouldn't be very noticeable if the TV is on a table, as the stand would push it out even farther from the wall, but it could look a bit chunky if wall mounted. Should you decide to pair it with one of the best TV wall mounts, the QD7 has the four VESA standard screw holes forming a 400 x 400 mm square on the back of the TV.

The 65-inch QD7 rests on the common two-foot design, with feet extending perpendicularly about 4.5 inches beyond the front and back of the panel. They are spaced about 44 inches apart, so you'd want a table at least a few inches wider on both sides to hold it safely.

Hisense QD7 review: Ports

When viewed from behind, the QD7's power cable connects in a well on the left side. All ports are to the right, in two groups: a LAN, digital audio out, and one HDMI port point straight out the back.

A recess to the right holds the remaining three HDMI ports, an RF-in for cable or antenna reception, a 3.5mm headphone-style jack, a mini combo analog audio/video port, and two USB ports. All these ports face to the side, so the cables are parallel to the TV panel.

The HDMI ports are limited to the 2.0 standard, supporting up to 4K input but at just 60Hz — the native refresh rate of the panel. One of the HDMI ports supports eARC to provide lossless Dolby Atmos audio to a soundbar or home theater system. The USB-A ports provide power at 5 volts and 0.5 amps — which should suffice to power streaming sticks from Roku or Google. I’d highly recommend either as an alternative to the TV’s sluggish Fire TV interface (more about that below).

An RF-in port takes input from terrestrial (over-the-air), cable, and satellite broadcasts. The set includes an analog tuner and an ATSC/Clear QAM digital tuner. Supporting only the aged ATSC 1.0 standard (we're now on ATSC 3.0), it's limited to the 1080i standard dynamic range versions of TV broadcasts, which could be phased out in the U.S. in two or three years (though nothing has been set in stone).

How we test

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set’s performance. For our technical tests, we set the TV to Filmmaker Mode (usually the most accurate out of the box) and take measurements using a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’s Calman TV-calibration software. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer but usually include anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our “How we test TVs” page.

Hisense QD7 review: Test results

*As measured in Filmmaker Mode

Hisense QD7 review: Performance

Aside from a sluggish 60Hz refresh rate and older HDMI 2.0 ports, the QD7 ticks some key boxes for a modern LED LCD TV. These include some key terms we'll discuss below: quantum-dot color technology, full-array LED backlighting, and support for the Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio formats. These features boost overall quality compared to simpler models.

Pretty common in today's TVs, the QD7 uses quantum dot crystals to absorb a portion of the backlight and re-emit it as more-saturated green and red (blue isn't generally a problem with LED backlights). More important: This TV makes good on the tech's promise. I saw faithful colors in a wide range of content, including an NFL Super Bowl recap reel on YouTube, “Bridgerton” on Netflix, and the Blu-rays for “Dune: Part One” and “Spider Man: No Way Home”. I especially appreciated the fine tonality that brought skin tones of all shades to light with subtle shading. This was true in both the Filmmaker mode (that aims for greatest precision) and the brighter Standard mode that the TV is set to out of the box.

Lab results back this up. Its Delta-E score (a gauge of color fidelity in which lower numbers are better) was 1.75, which fell in the middle of the pack among similarly priced 65-inch TVs.

The TV has thousands of individually controlled LEDs in a grid behind the LCD screen. This full-array backlight is a step up, even from some more expensive sets. The local dimming this enables should help the screen produce a better dynamic range from dark to bright; and it does, to some extent, after some tweaking.

I saw it in clearly rendered shadowy content in clips from Netflix's “Stranger Things” (Trailer 1, Part 3). Chapter 10 of “Dune” is a great test for this: It begins with Duke Leto waking up in near darkness and proceeds to an epic battle that lights up the night. The Duke's face was easy to make out at the beginning, and the orange and blue explosions popped against the night sky.

Despite the name, Filmmaker mode is not best for high dynamic range content. It produced a dull, muddy appearance in the meeting between Peter Parker and Dr. Strange in Chapter 4 of “Spiderman,” for instance. Switching to Movie mode improved both highlights and shadows.

The QD7 supports Dolby Vision, which provides extra metadata to help the set render images as the director intended. (One feature I especially like: Movies play in the original 24 fps format, rather than being soothed into a newscast-style 60 fps.) In “Bridgerton,” the set kicked into Dolby Vision Dark, producing a grayish cast that obscured detail in shadows — especially noticeable in faces during a candlelit party scene (Season 1, Ep 3). Switching to Dolby Vision Natural or even Vivid (there's not much difference) cleared up faces that had been lost in shadow and managed to retain detail in highlights, such as sunlight glinting on a character's forehead.

The need for these tweaks is obvious from our lab tests. In Filmmaker mode, HDR brightness peaks at just 659 nits (measured in 10% window), vs. an average of 1260 among TVs we've recently tested. Brightness with standard dynamic range (SDR) content is also poor, at 449 nits in Standard mode, vs. an average of 831. All this poses challenges for viewing in a bright room with the lights cranked up or daylight streaming in. The QD7 could do little to dispel glare from bright overhead lights in our tests. This isn't a dealbreaker, just something you have to consider when placing the TV.

The set's weakest specs are the HDMI 2.0 ports and a native panel refresh rate that are both limited to 60Hz. This was noticeable with some content, such as some choppiness in the Super Bowl clips. Switching on Smooth Motion Processing noticeably reduced the effect, however.

I was perhaps most impressed not with how the 65QD7QF renders top-quality content, but how it cleans up lousy material. My torture test is the 1975 premiere episode of police procedural comedy “Barney Miller,” streamed from Amazon Prime. Scenes are often overexposed, blurry, or sometimes woefully lacking any detail. The QD7's upscaling to 4K was stupendous, filling in an almost blank face in Barney's wife and rendering fine texture in his hair, moustache, and face.

Hisense QD7 review: Audio

Audio is another standout feature — again, after some tweaking. The pair of downfiring speakers produced such powerful bass that several colleagues in the office took notice (one of them, with slight annoyance). One colleague even asked if we were using a soundbar. The audio was powerful enough to fill a room at just 25% volume; even 50% could be overwhelming.

The downside is that, in the default Standard audio mode, voices sounded a bit muffled and flat, as if the speaker were inside a wooden box. This occurred with both music, as in the trailer for the “KPop Demon Hunters Sing-Along,” and dialogue, such as an intense conversation in “Spiderman: No Way Home.” But the fix is simple: Switch to the Movie audio mode.

Hisense QD7 review: Gaming

This TV has an incongruous collection of specs and performance for gaming.

With our Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester, we measured input lag (the time between a video signal entering the set and appearing on the screen), at a miniscule 9.4 milliseconds. That's the lowest of the rival TVs we tested (next-fastest: 9.8 ms, average: 10.9). This should help save you from getting fragged because the images can't keep up with the pace of the game.

That 60Hz refresh rate is the downer, however, in a field where 120Hz is becoming the norm. The QD7 offers some image interpolation and smoothing that may help. I tested it with the low-impact Astro's Playroom on a PlayStation 5 Slim. Video seemed smooth enough, so this shouldn't be a hindrance for casual gaming, but the QD7 would not be a top choice for serious gamers paying high-end titles rigs: consoles that output 120Hz content and high-end gaming PCs at up to 144Hz.

Hisense QD7 review: Interface

The Amazon Fire TV interface, or at least its performance on this model, is the QD7's glaring weak spot, due to its agonizingly slow response (possibly the result of bloated software, an underpowered processor, or both).

The TV took 50 seconds to start up — which may not sound like much, until you're forced to stare at the screen all that time. Amazon Prime Video (the house brand of this OS) took about seven seconds to launch — still slow, but lightning fast compared to the full minute for Netflix. If this drives you batty, adding a streaming device such as a Roku stick or box is an easy fix.

Snail's pace aside, the TV's operating system is easy to navigate and similar to other interfaces, such as Samsung Tizen's. A massive graphic for rotating featured content takes up nearly the top-half of the screen. A bar below it shows a selection of your video apps: Click one to see its featured content, without having to launch the app.

Other key items include broadcast TV mode, input selector, search, and the full suite of settings: both picture and audio as well as nuts-and-blots items like Wi-Fi setup. The right-side menu provides all the day-to-day items you need, such as input selection, TV mode, and screen mirroring. It also gives access to full picture and audio adjustments — even the most advanced items such as Dolby Vision modes, local-dimming level (for HDR performance), and Dialog Enhancer. This is far more complete than the quick-settings popup in Samsung Tizen, for instance.

Hisense QD7 review: Remote

The remote control is a straightforward affair with the standard four-direction ring and central button and shortcuts to select video apps, plus video play, TV channel, and audio controls, as well as a menu button.

Up top is a light-blue button for launching the Alexa voice assistant to answer questions about and make recommendations for what to watch.

Hisense QD7 review: Verdict

It’s never easy knowing which features to leave on the cutting room floor, but Hisense did a commendable job in its selection with the QD7.

It would be nice, of course, to have a 120Hz refresh rate like the TCL QM7K, and Fire TV doesn’t quite function as well as it does on, say, the Hisense U65QF, but the colors are good and the upscaling is exceptional given the sticker price.

The competition for the best TV under $500 is fierce — but its lower-than-average price and above average performance makes the 65-inch QD7 worthwhile bargain in a world where most prices keep climbing.

The Samsung QN70F is a handsome TV with an array of first-rate features, such as HDMI 2.1 and minimal lag for gamers, a clean smart TV interface, a voice assistant and, most impressively, Samsung's AI Mode. That final feature helps to make up for an often-mediocre viewing experience.

The highlights here are the QN70F’s enhanced brightness in Standard mode that makes for good daytime (or brightly lit room) sports, news, or sitcom viewing, and fast refresh rates for gameplay (further aided by minimal input lag).

Unfortunately, rival TVs from the likes of Hisense and TCL — like the Hisense U65QF and TCL QM7K — offer better backlight technology, Dolby Vision support, and greater color performance for around the same price or, in Hisense’s case, less.

SAMSUNG QN70F REVIEW: PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

The QN70F is at the low end of Samsung's "Neo QLED" line of LCD TVs. This is the company's nomenclature for Mini-LED backlighting and quantum-dot color technology (which we'll get into further down). The Neo QLED line goes as high as $2,699 for the flagship 65-inch Samsung QN90F, so there’s plenty of headspace if you want better performance.

For right around $900, the 65-inch QN70F's performance — especially in brightness, HDR, and color accuracy — trails rivals from other companies we've tested, such as the Hisense U75QG ($799) and the TCL QM7K ($997), and you can expect similar performance from the series’ 55-, 75-, and 85-inch screen sizes.

SAMSUNG QN70F REVIEW: DESIGN

The QN70F is virtually all screen, with just a miniscule bezel that leaves no room for branding. Consider it "quiet luxury" for your home electronics.

While many TVs have feet towards the two edges of the screen, the QN70F sits on a rectangular central stand, so you could place it on a table narrower than the set.

Spin it around to the back and you’ll find VESA standard screw holes (400 x 300 mm) for attaching to a wall or freestanding mount. With a maximum thickness of about one inch, it would fit snugly in place — a feature it shares in common with Samsung’s The Frame.

SAMSUNG QN70F REVIEW: PORTS

When viewed from behind, the QN70F's power cable connects in a well on the right side; all other ports are on the left, facing to the side, so the cables are parallel to the TV panel.

They include four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 120Hz refresh for video sources (including game consoles) providing this extra-smooth output, and up to 144 Hz for high-end gaming PCs.

One of the HDMI 2.1 ports supports eARC for outputting lossless Dolby Atmos audio to a soundbar or home theater system, providing a remedy for the TV's meager pair of built-in speakers. Other options are S/PDIF optical audio output and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.

An RF-in port takes input from terrestrial (over-the-air), cable, and satellite broadcasts. The set includes an ATSC/Clear QAM digital tuner and an analog tuner — though, like all 4K Samsung TVs, it’s limited to ATSC 1.0. That's limited to the 1080i, standard dynamic range versions of TV broadcasts. The current ATSC 3.0 standard can support up to 4K resolution, high dynamic range, and better audio (for the growing list of broadcasters that support it). It's also more resistant to interference.

SAMSUNG QN70F REVIEW: HOW WE TEST

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set’s performance. For our technical tests, we set the TV to Filmmaker Mode (usually the most accurate out of the box) and take measurements using a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’s Calman TV-calibration software. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer but usually include anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our “How we test TVs” page.

SAMSUNG QN70F REVIEW: PERFORMANCE AND TEST RESULTS

The QN70F is a case where results from the lab closely track real life impressions, especially in color fidelity and brightness in several settings. Performance may be limited in part by a Mini-LED edge-lit screen, which is less-capable of matching the high dynamic range of a panel with a full array of LEDs behind the screen.

* As measured in Filmmaker mode

As you can see from the chart, comparably priced full-array models we have tested have delivered better brightness and high dynamic range (HDR), as well as more accurate color.

In a high-quality extended recap of Super Bowl LX that the NFL published on its YouTube channel, the lack of tonality made the faces of lighter-complexion players look a bit flat and less detailed. The field had a slight neon-green hue.

This tracks with a notably poor Delta-E, a measure of color accuracy in which lower numbers are better. Four of five other LCDs we tested ranged from 8.57 to 13.91 in the out-of-the-box Standard Mode. This model came in at 26.18 (in Standard Mode). The second-worst TV, Samsung's QN80F, came in at 22.56.

In its Standard mode, the QN80F only slightly trails four of five other TVs we've recently tested for reproducing the range of hues in the benchmark Rec. 709 color gamut. But that didn't translate on the football field. In comparison, brightness was in line with most rivals, reaching 733 nits in Standard mode. For perspective, most of the five other TVs cluster around 700 nits — excluding the insanely bright Hisense U75QG model at 2,222 nits.

Though subdued, color and shading were at least applied equally well across a wide range of skin tones and lighting conditions in several scenes of Netflix's “Bridgerton”, streamed in 4K HDR. We recorded a brightness of 625 nits for HDR content in Filmmaker mode. Most competing models came in between about 1,100 and 3,000 nits, or 1,100 to 1,700 nits without the Hisense model.

In either case, the QN70F is quite dim, beating only the 65-inch Samsung Q70C, at 444 nits. Delta-E color accuracy in this mode was nearly as poor, at 3.48, vs. a range of 2.83 to 1.44.

Switching to the “Dune: Part One” 4K Blu-ray, the experience was quite underwhelming: Leto's face was lost in grayness in the early bedroom scene on Arakis, and a general pallor covered the raging battle that follows. Unlike some rival sets, this model does not support Dolby Vision, which provides metadata to help the TV match the intended image characteristics of the original content, and its absence is felt here.

Then I engaged AI Mode, running on the TV's NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor. It was a dramatic improvement and made the content look a lot closer to what I saw on a TV supporting Dolby Vision. Leto's face was suddenly far clearer, without the set noticeably blowing out the darkest tones to make that happen. The explosions gained some pop, and audio also boomed.

There are limits, though: The QN70F did virtually nothing – even in AI mode – to upscale standard-definition video. I used especially challenging material, however. The 1975 premiere of the police comedy “Barney Miller” streamed from Amazon Prime, is notably blurry and overexposed. Thankfully, the 1970 debut episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” looked much better on the QN70F, but Amazon's copy was of far higher quality than “Barney Miller”.

SAMSUNG QN70F REVIEW: AUDIO

You can't expect much from tiny speakers squeezed into a thin panel and firing downward at a table (as we tested) or the floor. This TV's two-channel stereo system is especially low-powered, with just 20 watts driving both speakers. Some other TV speakers run on 40W, which does not make them sound twice as loud, but still helps.

Big speakers are better for deep tones, however I found the highs and mids to be more pleasing than expected, for instance in the earworm songs of “K-Pop Demon Hunters”. Dialogue was clear across the sources I tested. Deeper tones, as in the should-be-soaring music of “Dune” and a trailer for “Stranger Things” sounded hollow — but that’s not surprising.

Switching the Sound Mode from Standard to Amplify helps a bit with this kind of content. But when I engaged AI Mode, the QN70F sounded like a different TV. It filled out the bass in music; thundering explosions were fuller; and the throaty voiceover in the “Stranger Things” trailer was deeper.

SAMSUNG QN70F REVIEW: GAMING

In comparison to middling performance with video, this TV is well equipped for gaming. The time from a signal entering the TV to showing on the screen was just 9.8 milliseconds, according to tests with our Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester. Anything below about 16ms (the length of a single video frame) is good, and this TV's result is excellent. The QN70F tied two TVs in terms of input lag and handily beat three others.

The high frame-rate HDMI 2.1 inputs ensure smooth animation, and features like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low-Latency mode (ALLM) provide additional boost.

Translation: Games will play smoothly, and you have less worry of getting fragged because the screen can’t keep up with the action.

SAMSUNG QN70F REVIEW: INTERFACE AND REMOTE

Samsung’s house-made Tizen OS is basic and clean. A splashy recommended content item (such as Olympics coverage when I tested) appears across the top, with smaller images for more below them. App icons appear across the bottom (all major video and audio streaming platforms are supported). Apps launch quickly, even notoriously sluggish Netflix. Samsung includes an app for its own TV Plus streaming service featuring free, ad-support video.

I appreciated the ease of getting to the settings shortcut menu, which pops up in the lower-left of the screen with one button-press. The main options for casual viewers are here: Brightness, Picture Mode (Eco, Movie, Filmmaker, Dynamic, Standard), Audio Mode, and the all-powerful AI Mode.

The remote is tiny: small enough for most people to operate one-handed. But everything you need is there, including the standard four-direction ring and central button, shortcuts to select video apps, and the shortcut menu button. A button with the multiple-stars symbol that has come to denote "AI" launches the Bixby voice assistant for content recommendations and other chatbot question-answer features. The remote charges via USB-C or a solar panel on the back.

SAMSUNG QN70F REVIEW: VERDICT

The slim, spare design makes the TV as unobtrusive as a 65-inch screen could be. The remote control is minimal and intuitive, and the Tizen OS smart TV interface is fairly intuitive.

Its out of the box picture quality leaves something to be desired, especially in HDR, but don’t sleep on the AI mode that makes substantial improvements to image as well as audio quality, without introducing noticeable oddities.

I feel that other TVs around the same price and lower offer better native picture performance — an issue that I’m chalking up to the edge-lit backlight — so I recommend auditioning sets from TCL and Hisense before settling on this Samsung.

Released in 2025, the Samsung Q7F is one of the most affordable Samsung TVs to come with a QLED display. This means that, unlike run-of-the-mill, ultra-affordable sets with a standard LCD display, the Q7F arrives with an air of sophistication.

But while this TV’s price is pleasantly low (especially if you manage to find it on sale), it faces some stiff competition in the form of budget-friendly TVs like the Hisense U65QF that include both quantum dot-color and Mini-LED backlighting — the latter of which goes a long way toward improving brightness and overall contrast.

My testing of the Q7F bears this out. The display offers well-saturated, accurate color, but without a backlight with full-array local dimming, the picture looks flat and HDR content lacks the visual impact it’s known for. There’s also a dearth of features for gamers that makes the Q7F tough (but not impossible) to recommend.

Samsung Q7F QLED TV review: Pricing and availability

Like many affordably priced Samsung TVs, the Q7F is available in a wide range of size options. Right now, many of these sets are seeing discounts, so I’ve included their sale prices at the time of publishing.

• Samsung UN43Q7FAAFXZA (43 inches): $399 | on sale for $329
• Samsung UN50Q7FAAFXZA (50 inches): $449 | on sale for $379
• Samsung UN55Q7FAAFXZA (55 inches): $529 | on sale for $379
• Samsung UN65Q7FAAFXZA (65 inches): $629 | on sale for $499
• Samsung UN75Q7FAAFXZA (75 inches): $999 | on sale for $699
• Samsung UN85Q7FAAFXZA (85 inches): $1,499 | on sale for $1,099
• Samsung UN98Q7FAAFXZA (98 inches): $2,499 | on sale for $1,999

Our review unit is a 43-inch model that we purchased ourselves. I don’t expect there to be any major differences in performance from one model to another since all sizes leverage a similar direct-LED backlight without local dimming.

Samsung Q7F QLED TV review: Design and remote

The Q7F’s rudimentary display hardware frees it up to be slightly more breezier-looking than many TVs in its price range. It won’t earn itself any compliments from friends and family members that come over to check out the new TV, but at the very least, the Q7F plays the part of a premium set quite well.

The panel is kind of a chonkster (that’s an official TV-testing term, by the way), but it’s wrapped in a textured plastic, giving it an air of, if not sophistication, something approaching sophistication. Admittedly, “textured panel” isn’t high on my list of nice-to-have TV features, but considering how cheap-looking lower-end TVs often look, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the touch.

I appreciate a no-nonsense stand situation on my affordable TVs, so I was pleased to see a pair of super-slim feet when I unboxed the Q7F, and doubly pleased when I realized that they connect to the panel without screws.

The Q7F comes with one of Samsung’s best innovations in the last decade: the Solar Cell remote control. Do I hate that this clicker comes without a dedicated input button and a backlit face? You bet. Does its solar-powered, rechargeable battery make up for this deficit? Yes — one thousand times over.

You’ll probably never have to manually charge this remote, and even if you need to in a pinch, its built-in USB-C port will erase the problem. As someone who hates collecting and disposing of dead batteries, I can’t overstate how friendly this feature is.

Overall, the Q7F’s design falls squarely between “basic” and “thoughtful,” which is good enough for budget-conscious shoppers.

Samsung Q7F QLED TV review: Ports

Take a trip behind the Q7F and you’ll find all of its ports located in a rectangular, right-facing cutout. There’s not much to go over: three HDMI inputs (one of which stands in as the eARC-enabled port), a USB-A port, an ATSC tuner and an Ethernet port, should you decide to use a wired internet connection over a wireless one.

There are a few things you should keep in mind about these options. Most importantly, all three of the Q7F’s HDMI inputs are of the 2.0 variety, meaning they are not HDMI 2.1 compatible. I’ll break down why this matters later in the review, but gamers ought to be aware of the Q7F’s lack of HDMI 2.1-related features.

Secondly, the Q7F’s ATSC tuner is 1.0 rather than 3.0, so this TV won’t be able to showcase over-the-air broadcasts in its native 4K resolution. This content remains scarce for the time being, but without the proper tuner, the Q7F is shut out.

Samsung Q7F QLED TV: Performance & Test Results

The Q7F offers decent overall performance compared to many cheaper, entry-level LED TVs, but its decidedly simplistic display renders its picture quality unimpressive unless you’re making the leap to 4K for the first time.

So, what do I mean when I call its hardware simplistic? The Q7F leverages a direct LED backlight but lacks local dimming. This setup is affordable to manufacture but comes with a major downside: poor contrast.

Without local dimming, the Q7F can’t brighten or dim independent LED zones. As a result, bright objects don’t look as bright as they might on a TV with local dimming, nor dark areas as dark. It’s why the teeny-tiny lights found in Mini-LED TVs are so desirable. The contrast woes will be present to varying degrees on each size in the series.

The Q7F’s presentation in Samsung’s Movie and Filmmaker modes look fine — not garish in the way affordable TVs sometimes look, but not captivating, either. I only occasionally notice visual artifacts while the TV upscales 1080p and 720p content, but this is mostly dependent on the source. Live TV via Samsung TV Plus, for instance, looks pretty rough, but there are plenty of reasons for that outside of the Q7F’s performance chops.

For everyday, good-ol’-fashioned TV-watching — cable TV, sports and the like — the Q7F will get the job done, but I highly recommend keeping it in dimly lit rooms, and especially out of the sunlight.

The Q7F is brighter than many bottom-of-the-barrel sets you can find for shockingly low prices, but it's not that much brighter than those options. It looked fine in my dimly lit study, but moving it next to a window in my living room created visibility issues.

This limitation is especially disappointing during HDR content. The Q7F isn't appreciably brighter in HDR than it usually is during basic, garden-variety SDR content. When you combine this with the shallow black levels brought about by the Q7F's lack of local dimming, you're left with HDR performance that doesn't really look like HDR at all.

On balance, the Q7F's performance will probably satisfy people who just want an affordable 4K that doesn't look weird while streaming Netflix shows or watching the nightly news. For folks who want more of a cinematic presentation, the Q7F will likely disappoint.

Samsung Q7F QLED TV: Smart Platform & Features

This TV comes with Samsung’s own smart platform, Tizen, pre-installed. The Q7F’s entire experience is built around this software, and even if you plan on pairing the TV with the best streaming device for your viewing habits, you’ll probably still bump up against its interface every now and then when the time comes to swap inputs or juggle settings.

On one hand, Tizen offers access to streamable content, including all of the major streaming services you’re likely to want. This is important, because I suspect that most folks shopping in the Q7F’s price range will want to lean on their smart TV’s streaming features for daily use.

On the other hand, the Tizen experience isn’t perfect. There are huge ads that take up large portions of the home screen and it often takes several extra steps to carry out basic functions due to the software’s meandering layout. This is tough enough to deal with on a top-shelf Samsung TV with a lightning-fast processor — it feels a lot worse on a TV with a less-capable chipset like the Q7F.

Without as much processing power, I find myself pushing buttons more than once, then accidentally needing to undo something because the software finally caught up with the inputs. It can be especially tough to navigate an on-screen keyboard to type in login credentials.

If you’re dead-set on using your next TV’s built-in smart platform for everyday use, the Q7F is good enough for the job, albeit occasionally frustrating. If you want a silky-smooth software experience, adjust your expectations accordingly.

Gamers will have to settle for the Q7F’s severely limited spread of gaming-related enhancements. You’ll get access to Samsung’s cloud-based gaming hub (appropriately named Samsung Gaming Hub), but unless you plan on doing console-free gaming via Xbox, GeForce Now or another supported service, this doesn’t account for much.

Nuts-and-bolts-wise, the Q7F is equipped with a trio of HDMI 2.0 inputs that are capped at 4K/60Hz support. Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and FreeSync support aren’t included. Casual gamers might find that sufficient, but high-level players looking to get the most out of an Xbox Series X and/or a PlayStation 5 risk disappointment.

Samsung Q7F QLED TV review: Verdict

The Q7F is a relatively affordable TV that doesn't particularly excel at any one thing. Unlike some competitive sets in its price range, the Q7F doesn't sneak in a surprising amount of extra features for gamers or A/V enthusiasts, which is a bummer.

It's a better — but pricier — pick than ultra-cheap TVs that drop to ridiculously low prices during sales events. Unfortunately, it's priced higher than it ought to be given its lackluster performance and minimal features.

Consider the Hisense U65QF. This entry-level Mini-LED TV comes with local dimming, and in our Hisense U65QF review, our reviewer praised its terrific, class-leading brightness. Right now, the 55-inch U65QF is $399 at Best Buy — just $20 more than the Samsung Q7F. The U65QF comes with Dolby Vision support, to boot.

Alternatively, you might want to check out the TCL QM5K, whose 55-inch version is $349 right now. That’s $30 less than the 55-inch Samsung Q7F. Although we’ve yet to formally test it, the QM5K arrives with basic Mini-LED backlighting and local dimming. It also comes with Dolby Vision support.

The Q7F isn’t a bad TV by any means, but it’s just not the best option for most shoppers looking to spend between $350 and $500.

Hisense has begun rolling out its 2026 ULED Mini-LED TVs today with the Hisense U7 Series. The series will come in two variants: the U7SG, which supports Google TV, and the U7SF, which supports Fire TV.

Besides a difference in smart platform, both versions feature the same native 165Hz refresh rate and Hi-View AI Engine Pro processor alongside a 50W 2.1.2 Dolby Atmos speaker system — perfect for World Cup watching.

As of this morning, the 65-inch U7SG is already available to order on Best Buy for $1,499.

A confusing (but affordable) Mini-LED lineup

Hisense’s 2026 lineup is a little more complicated than last year — last year, the Hisense U7QG sat above the U65QF and below the U8QG. Pretty logical, right?

This year, it’s more confusing: The U7 sits above the U6SF Pro, which itself sits slightly above the base U6 (both of which were also announced today).

The U7 will sit below the brand’s new UR8 and UR9 RGB Mini-LED TVs, which we first saw at CES 2026. The latter will obviously use a more advanced backlight that promises better color volume — a claim I'm taking with a grain of salt.

At the top of the pyramid this year is the Hisense UXS that I called “the best-looking LCD TV at CES 2026.”

According to Hisense, the U7 will start at $1,299 for the 55-inch model, and the U6 will cost even less when it begins rolling out in a few weeks.

More mid-range models to come this month

With flagship models already announced at CES, expect several new mid-range models to be announced this month.

TCL has already hinted at its new L-Series mid-range models (the QM8L, QM7L and QM6L), and Samsung won't be far behind with its 2026 Neo QLEDs.

LG will push on with its QNEDs, though they no longer occupy a spot as the brand's top-tier LCD TVs; that honor now belongs to its MicroRGB TVs.

Overall, 2026 will be an interesting one for TV shoppers — and we're already starting to receive review samples for our in-depth lab tests. We should have full reviews ready to roll out sometime in the next few weeks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested TCL’s $8,000 SQD Mini-LED TV — here's my verdict
• RGB LED TVs are flagship killers, but there's one big catch
• The RAM crisis came for computers first and now it's coming for TVs — here's why I recommend upgrading while you still can

If you followed our CES 2026 coverage, you probably heard about a new technology coming this year called RGB Mini-LED or MicroRGB. Every company has a different name for it, but they all work by shrinking the size of red-, green- and blue-colored LEDs in the backlight of an LCD TV (hence the name).

The benefit of these shrunk-down LEDs, as it was explained to me at CES, is better color saturation — and early testing results have been promising — but it turns out that the truth is more complicated.

See, instead of using their native colors to boost color volume to its maximum extent in your favorite shows and movies, some TV makers' LEDs mostly default to the same old white backlight that we’ve had on Mini-LED TVs for years. Here’s why that’s a problem.

RGB TVs: Impressive for TV testers, but less so for the everyday viewer

If you search up RGB TV technology, one of the first big claims that you'll see is for 100% Rec.2020 color coverage. It looks good on the box, but as you'll soon learn, it's not the whole truth.

To test color vibrancy, we measure what the TV outputs against one of the three major color spaces: Rec.709, DCI-P3 and Rec.2020. The last one, Rec.2020, has the widest color volume and is physically impossible for an LCD-based TV to cover.

But, interestingly, if you use a software called Calman to grab some data points on how colorful RGB TVs are, you'll actually see that they surpass the Rec.2020 color space. Usually Mini-LED TVs don't come close.

While some the newest Mini-RGB TVs might reach 100% of the Rec.2020 color gamut, they can only do it when you’ve got one of these test patterns pulled up. Turn on real content, like the latest episode of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”, and the output of these LEDs go from red, green and blue back to pure white (at worst) or some combination of two of the RGB LEDs (at best) then use a color filter to transform it into another color.

Here’s a less technical explanation

Imagine you’ve built a supercar that, thanks to your cutting-edge engineering, can reach blistering speeds. In simulations it’s the fastest car ever made, but on a real-world racetrack, it never gets higher than third gear.

That’s what it feels like is happening with Mini-RGB TVs.

Now, in their defense, both Samsung and LG have shown me a version of the technology that actually uses these Mini-RGB LEDs for their intended purpose, however that was in their flagship MicroRGB TVs, which is just two of about a half-dozen new RGB TVs coming our way in 2026.

What separates 'good' RGB TVs from 'bad' ones?

It all comes down to how the TVs use those RGB LEDs. The bad RGB TVs, due to their low number of zones, will need to default to a white backlight more often than the good ones will.

The good ones will also use less power because they won't be running all three RGB LEDs at all times. They'll just use the one or two LEDs needed to create the color in that particular part of the screen.

The better the processor and the more LED zones on the TV, the more saturated the colors will be.

In lab tests, good and bad TVs might offer similar results, but real-world content will be the ultimate deciding factor.

Real-world testing is going to be key

The good news is that, here at Tom's Guide, we don't rely on lab test data alone — we actually bring each TV into one of our living rooms to test for a few weeks.

We watch regular content, not boring test patterns, to give you a better idea of what you’re going to experience if you buy whatever TV you’re reading about.

For these new Mini-RGB TVs, it’s that part that’s going to be absolutely critical. Our lab tests might say that these TVs cover 90% or more of the Rec.2020 color space, but until I see color saturation in real-world content that justifies the high sticker price, I'm not sold.

Now I just need to find myself some more Rec.2020 test content. (That's a joke, it doesn't exist yet.)

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested TCL’s $8,000 SQD Mini-LED TV — here's my verdict
• RGB LED TVs are flagship killers, but there's one big catch
• The RAM crisis came for computers first and now it's coming for TVs — here's why I recommend upgrading while you still can

As someone who reviews TVs for a living, I don’t often see a downside to recommending older models. Take, for example, the 2025 LG C5 OLED. It’s one of the best TVs we’ve ever tested, sure, but the 2024 LG C4 OLED is still an incredible TV that, to most folks, would look great.

However, sometimes there’s such a leap in performance between one year and the next, that it becomes hard to recommend buying a previous year’s model.

That’s exactly how I feel about the TCL QM9K — the brand’s flagship Mini-LED TV from 2025 that is, by all accounts, a very good-looking screen, but one that just pales in comparison to the new TCL X11L SQD Mini-LED and the upcoming 2026 Mini-RGB TVs from Samsung, Hisense and LG. Here’s why.

Not enough color where it counts

When we talk about color on TVs, we’re talking about two distinct metrics — color volume and color accuracy. To make your favorite movies and shows look their best, you need both.

The QM9K has rock-solid color accuracy. In our lab tests, the QM9K was incredibly accurate with a Delta-E score of 1.8 (the lower the score, the more accurate it is). That rivals most OLED TVs. But its color vibrancy is comparatively lacking — it only covers 97% of the DCI-P3 color space and 79% of the more-advanced Rec.2020 spectrum.

Five years ago, these numbers would’ve blown my mind. Even last year, these numbers were relatively good. But in 2026, the year that we’re getting Mini-RGB and TCL's own SQD TVs, these numbers just aren’t as impressive as they once were.

So why aren’t they good enough? Well, the QM9K has been superseded by the TCL X11L, the brand’s first SQD TV and its flagship model for 2026. In our lab tests, the X11L not only had a similar Delta-E score of 1.8, but it covered a lot more of the DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 color spaces (97.82% and 91.77%, respectively). That’s a lot of extra color.

We’re still awaiting the new Mini-RGB TVs from Hisense, Samsung and LG, but each claim that their Rec.2020 coverage will all be in the 90% range or better.

But brightness in spades

While color isn’t exactly a strong suit for the QM9K, it’s very good at combating ambient light thanks to its high peak brightness stats. In our lab tests, we measured the QM9K’s peak brightness at 4,207 nits in a 10% window in Standard mode — and we probably could’ve pushed that number even further had we played around with more of the settings.

To help combat potential haloing from this ultra-bright backlight, the QM9K uses TCL’s new Halo Control system that includes 5,000 contrast control zones. I haven’t seen any haloing in my time with the TV so far, so that’s incredibly impressive.

I’ve been watching it in a room with a side-facing window that just lets light in like you wouldn’t believe. Again, the QM9K isn’t phased by it.

The jury is still out on how bright these new Mini-RGB TVs will be — but I don’t think we’ll see a precipitous drop off in peak brightness once they arrive in our test labs later this year. As it stands, the aforementioned X11L can reach upwards of 6,000 nits in the same settings without breaking a sweat, thanks to its Super Quantum Dot (SQD) display. Ambient light, watch out.

How good is good enough?

This is the question that’s delayed my review of the TCL QM9K. It’s a good TV — and for a 2025 model I’d even say it’s great. But I keep coming back to the issue with its color saturation. It’s good enough for now, but it pales in comparison to what’s coming.

The problem, however, is that those TVs could come at untenable prices. The X11L, for example, starts at $6,999 for the 75-inch model. Conversely, the 75-inch QM9K can be purchased for $2,299 at Best Buy.

Should we give up the pursuit of vibrant color for a lower sticker price? I'm not sure. As a reviewer, it's something I'm still grappling with.

What I do know is that, after seeing them in-person, Mini RGB TVs are at the top of my wish list for 2026 and the QM9K... well, probably won't be.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested TCL’s $8,000 SQD Mini-LED TV — here's my verdict
• LG G5 OLED TV review
• The RAM crisis came for computers first and now it's coming for TVs — here's why I recommend upgrading while you still can

Last month at CES, while nearly every major TV brand was showcasing tantalizing RGB LED TVs featuring exciting new display technology, TCL was putting the X11L SQD Mini-LED TV on its highest pedestal. Unlike the parade of RGB LED TVs (which make use of an all-new type of display technology), the X11L — named after TCL’s Super Quantum Dot technology — is built around a souped-up, refined version of a classic Mini-LED screen.

We’re still weeks away from getting our grubby paws on an RGB LED TV from Samsung, LG or Hisense, but we have had a chance to test drive the TCL X11L. And, while our official review is still being prepared, I can give you a sneak-peek.

TCL has boasted about the X11L’s color, and I can see why. The question now is whether or not these incoming RGB LED TVs can give the X11L a run for its money.

TCL X11L color: how does it stack up?

I'll let our upcoming TCL X11L review speak for itself in the coming weeks, but I wanted to highlight one of the TV's color metrics for a few reasons. First, color volume has been an area of performance where Mini-LED TVs (like the X11L) have lagged behind quantum dot-enhanced OLED TVs in recent years.

Secondly, color is at the heart of what TCL's new TV is all about. This so-called Super QLED leverages TCL's all-new Deep Color System, which I'll explain shortly.

So, while we don't yet have data from any competing RGB LED TVs, we can see how the X11L stacks up to the Hisense U8QG (a Mini-LED TV with excellent color volume) and two quantum dot-enhanced OLED TVs that feature some of the best color we've ever measured.

Here's a quick refresher: BT.2020 (also known as Rec.2020) is an international color space standard for newer displays. The percentages describe how much of that color space these TVs are capable of covering.

As you can see, the Sony Bravia 8 II and the Samsung S95F — two QD-OLEDs that previously put up some of the best BT.2020 measurements we've ever measured — are a hair behind the X11L.

The X11L is significantly ahead of the Hisense U8QG, another quantum dot-enhanced Mini-LED TV that specializes in bright, punchy color. In other words, the bar for Mini-LED-based color was just raised — all the way above QD-OLED.

To be fair, with the right content and the best picture mode, all of these TVs look absolutely stunning. They're bright, high-contrast screens backed by powerful picture processing algorithms. There's a good chance that, from a color perspective, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between these sets unless they were set up side by side.

Nevertheless, what we have here is a proof of concept. TCL just demonstrated that a Mini-LED display can be pushed into the color realms we've come to expect from premium, quantum dot-enhanced OLEDs, provided you have access to TCL's engineering.

Now, all we have to do is wait and see how RGB LED TVs from Samsung, LG and Hisense stack up. These brands, too, have promised big performance numbers when it comes to RGB LED's color capabilities.

Super Quantum Dot vs RGB LED: what's the difference?

The TCL X11L's secret sauce is made up of a few ingredients: reformulated quantum dots (now dubbed "Super Quantum Dots"), a new color filter for said quantum dots and some algorithmic tweaking designed to keep colors consistent (which TCL is calling its Advanced Color Purity Algorithm). Together, these elements define TCL's Deep Color System.

It's all very familiar in the world of traditional Mini-LED displays, albeit upgraded and refined. RGB LED, meanwhile, is a whole different story.

Like the best Mini-LED TVs, RGB LED displays leverage an array of ultra-small LEDs that can be broken up into dimmable zones. This goes a long way towards enhancing contrast and brightness in TVs like the TCL X11L.

Unlike the X11L, however, RGB LED TVs have a secret weapon: Their LEDs are red-, green- and blue-tinted. While the white light of Mini-LEDs like the X11L rely on a color filter, RGB LEDs do not.

Like TCL's Super QLED TV, the primary purported benefit of RGB LED TVs is color, and in some reported cases, brands are reporting that their RGB LED TVs are capable of reaching up to 100% of BT.2020.

Here's the thing: In a TCL X11L press release, TCL also claims that SQD TV can reach "100% of BT.2020 color." We, of course, only measured 91%.

Crucially, they add the following footnote: "Actual results may vary based on specific units, environmental conditions, source material, and testing equipment." This qualifier makes sense, too — TV-testing is a finnicky process.

TCL 2026 TVs: outlook

The TCL X11L SQD Mini-LED TV will be available in 75-, 85- and 98-inch sizes, so if you were hoping to buy a new 55- or 65-inch TV in 2026, the extra-large nature of the X11L may not be for you.

The good news is that the 2026 TCL TV lineup will also feature two new TVs that are reported to make use of the brand's SQD technology: the QM7L and the QM8L. They're new versions of the TCL QM7K and the QM8K, two quantum dot-enhanced Mini-LED TVs that have proven quite popular. I'm eager to see how their performance compares to the ultra-premium X11L.

TCL is also launching an RGB LED TV of its own. Not much is currently known about the TCL RM9L, but so far, it's been announced exclusively in big-screen sizes: 85, 98 and 115 inches.

It may not be a matter of if these TVs make our list of the best TVs, but a matter of when.

More from Tom's Guide

• I went hands-on with TCL’s first SQD Mini-LED TV — and it made me forget about RGB TVs
• 5 TCL TV settings to change for the best possible picture
• Buying a TV in 2026? Here are the 9 terms you need to know

The Sharp Aquos QLED TV is a budget screen with little going for it beyond its low price. Despite its 4K resolution, Dolby Vision support, and enticing affordability, it pales in comparison to major rivals due to its subpar performance and frustrating TV interface.

The picture quality is extremely lackluster, with perpetual visual noise, blooming, and washed-out colors highlighting some of the most egregious setbacks. Off-axis performance and minimal brightness also make the Aquos QLED a poor choice for angled viewing and sunnier environments.

Even if you’re not in the market for one of the best TVs and solely want an ultra-affordable display to fill a slot in your home, the Sharp Aquos QLED likely isn’t the best option for your living room. A wide swath of more reliable TVs at similar prices, such as the Hisense U65QF and the TCL QM5K, make for better alternatives. Here’s why.

Sharp Aquos QLED TV review: Price and release date

Sharp launched the Aquos QLED TV range in October 2025, putting it up against Roku and Amazon with five size variations. It’s a budget-conscious set that rounds out Sharp’s 2025 TV catalog.

Here’s a full breakdown of the sizes and prices of the Sharp Aquos QLED TV:

• Sharp Aquos QLED TV 4T-C50HP7050U (50-inch) – $349 | $259 on sale
• Sharp Aquos QLED TV 4T-C55HP7050U (55-inch) – $399 | $309 on sale
• Sharp Aquos QLED TV 4T-C65HP7050U (65-inch) – $499 | $389 on sale
• Sharp Aquos QLED TV 4T-C75HP7050U (75-inch) – $749 | $529 on sale
• Sharp Aquos QLED TV 4T-C85HP7050U (85-inch) – $1,099 | $829 on sale

There are no major differences in speaker setup, stand design, and picture quality across screen sizes. We tested the Sharp Aquos QLED in its 55-inch configuration.

For what you get in terms of performance and features, the Aquos QLED feels expensive and mispriced, especially against major rivals. Amazon is currently selling the 55-inch model for $379, which puts it into contention with several Mini-LED models, such as the TCL QM5K, Hisense U65QF, and 2025 Roku Plus Series TV.

However, each of these TVs has Mini-LED backlighting, whereas Sharp’s Aquos TV uses a standard direct LED backlight (among other notable downgrades). It’s also similarly matched with the 2025 Amazon Omni QLED TV, which is currently $519 for the 55-inch model.

If you’re unsure about which size TV you need, check out our ‘What TV size should you buy?’ guide to help you pick the right one.

Sharp Aquos QLED TV review: Design

As QLEDs go, the Aquos TV is built similarly to market counterparts. The 55-inch model is thin and lightweight, measuring 3.2 inches in depth and weighing 21 pounds, both without the stand. The Aquos TV also has particularly thin bezels, denoted by Sharp as its “Frameless Design,” but the borders are still perceptible when watching content.

The setup is fairly breezy. This QLED TV is equipped with two V-shaped legs, which are very easy to install and offer suitable sturdiness. However, you will need a screwdriver to install them. Wall-mounting is another option, as the 55-inch Sharp Aquos QLED is equipped with a 300 x 300 VESA pattern. (Note that the VESA pattern will be different across sizes.)

It’s not the most gorgeous set on the block, but it should look fine on most countertops and surfaces. One neat aspect Sharp added is a handy cable management system that minimizes clutter and offers a cleaner setup.

Sharp Aquos QLED TV review: Ports

Swivel the Aquos TV around, and we’ll find a full set of ports located on the right-hand side of the TV’s rear. The Sharp Aquos TV features three HDMI 2.0 ports, which is expected given its lower price, as well as two USB 2.0 ports, a LAN network connection, digital audio output, and an audio jack for wired headphones.

Given that the Sharp Aquos QLED is built on a 60Hz refresh rate, don’t expect any extreme gaming features. It also doesn’t have an ATSC 3.0 tuner, as you might find on Hisense and TCL Mini-LED TVs. However, the Sharp Aquos QLED does support Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 wireless connectivity, and it’s also equipped with Alexa and AirPlay voice controls.

Sharp Aquos QLED TV review: Performance

I tested the Sharp Aquos QLED TV in various settings using content primarily from streaming services, such as Prime Video, Netflix, and HBO Max. I typically would switch back and forth between the Standard picture mode and Sharp’s version of Filmmaker mode, called Theater.

Overall, picture quality is very poor on this set. “Sinners” on Prime Video was totally blown out, with visual noise taking up most of the screen. Colors were washed out, with the blue sky in day scenes overexposed. Night shots looked even worse, with shadows and darker portions looking more gray than black.

The “Fallout” TV show didn’t look much better. Certain scenes were filled with visual noise and over-processing, particularly in the TV’s Theater mode. This mode washes the screen in a subtle yellow hue, which is very distracting and makes content look suboptimal. It doesn’t help that the Sharp Aquos QLED has very poor luminance, making highlights drab and unrefined.

I even tried watching some anime to get a taste of the TV’s color volume, which didn’t lead to great results. Shows like “Frieren,” “Lazarus,” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” were off as colors looked abnormal, and I noticed subtle blooming in the subtitles. I also noted choppy, fast-paced action sequences, highlighting the TV’s poor motion processing.

The wonkiness in colors also extends to close-ups. “Oppenheimer” and “Wake Up Dead Man” are two great examples of this, offering several close-up shots of characters with oddly-colored skin tones. There was also a great deal of artefacting around the subject’s faces, as well as the persistence of visual noise throughout scenes.

One thing the Aquos TV does have going for it is Dolby Vision support, which you can freely adjust across three main settings, including Dolby Vision Dark, Dolby Vision Bright, and Dolby Vision Dynamic. The “Dark” setting offered the best picture quality in most content that supports it, but it didn’t help minimize other picture quality concerns.

How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subject tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer, but usually feature anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV.

Sharp Aquos QLED TV review: Test results

I measured the Sharp Aquos QLED TV against similarly-priced budget TVs, such as the Fire TV Omni QLED Series, Sony Bravia 3, and Hisense U65QF.

The Aquos QLED clearly struggles to contend with similarly priced market rivals. Luminance is a major setback, largely because this QLED TV isn’t equipped with a Mini-LED backlight. Even the Sony Bravia 3 LED TV offers slightly better luminance, which is surprising given it doesn’t have a quantum dot layer like Sharp’s QLED.

Another debilitating factor for the Sharp Aquos QLED is its higher-than-average Delta-E score, which means colors on the screen don’t appear accurate and lifelike. Still, its Delta-E isn’t quite as bad as the Fire TV Omni QLED, but picture quality takes a hit in everything from anime to close-ups of faces.

Color coverage is largely similar across the board. However, the Sharp Aquos QLED tested with the highest input latency at 15.2ms, making it a poor choice for gamers. With its 60Hz refresh rate and barebones gaming features, it’s to be expected.

Sharp Aquos QLED TV review: Audio

The Sharp Aquos QLED TV doesn’t offer the most robust audio experience. On the one hand, the Aquos QLED can hit a very high ceiling in loudness, which is great if you want the entire neighborhood to hear your movies. On the other hand, audio quality is very lackluster, sounding tinny and flat.

This poor performance is largely due to the dual 15W internal speakers inside the TV, giving it a total 30W output. It’s also only equipped with a 2.0-channel system, so it makes sense why audio isn’t robust on this TV. Fortunately, you can pair it with one of the best soundbars for improved audio performance, especially given its Dolby Atmos support.

Sharp Aquos QLED TV review: Interface and apps

The Xumo interface is at the heart of the Aquos TV experience… and it’s not great. Everything from the layout to the performance is problematic in one way or another, leading to a rather frustrating experience. On the bright side, it offers a slew of free channels via Xumo Play, and many of the best streaming services are available on the Xumo store.

Xumo's layout is similar to Google TV: At the top of the home screen is a row of most recently opened apps and inputs, followed by another row with your featured inputs and apps, which you can customize. Under this row are various collections, such as “My list,” “TV Shows,” and “Movies,” but it also includes “Search” and “Settings,” which are oddly out of place.

When I first turned the TV on, I couldn’t find the settings page for the life of me. It would make more sense to place the settings menu at the top right of the screen, similar to Google TV, or at the start of the “My List” row, so it’s much easier to find and access.

Xumo is also very slow and cumbersome to use. It’s noticeable in both navigation and startup, with the TV often taking over a minute to hit the Home Screen after being powered back on. While it is frustrating to use right now, the interface could see major enhancements over time. After all, this is only version 1.3 of the OS, so there’s room for improvement.

Sharp Aquos QLED TV review: Remote

Sharp’s remote is a vast detour from other TV remotes in the space — it’s wider with a more rounded feel versus the slimmer options from rival brands. Despite its size, the remote is surprisingly lightweight and ergonomic. It also offers four quick access buttons to Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, and Xumo Play.

One notable absence on the remote is a dedicated settings button. Instead, there is a button with three dots that pulls up a quick access settings bar, where you can adjust only a handful of things, such as the picture mode, audio output, closed captions, and more.

In theory, these quick settings are a handy addition for adjusting things on the fly, similar to Samsung’s quick access settings bar, but it would be much better if it could access the full settings tab. Otherwise, you have to navigate from the home screen to the settings page, which is clunky and time-consuming.

Sharp also opted to put the mute button at the top of the remote, away from the volume controls. While it’s a minor gripe, it can prove confusing at first, especially since the voice controls are located right next to the volume sliders, which is slightly jarring.

Beyond these minor gripes, I have no major complaints about the Sharp TV remote. It’s a bit larger than I would prefer and has a convoluted button arrangement, but its lightweight and ergonomic design should still work fine for most people.

Sharp Aquos QLED TV review: Verdict

There’s no getting around it, the Sharp Aquos QLED TV isn’t a strong contender in the budget TV space. It offers subpar picture quality even for its budget price, and doesn’t match up to its rivals. It’s also built on a TV interface that’s plain frustrating to use.

If you want to save a buck on a new TV, I recommend the Hisense U65QF. The 55-inch model is currently $399, putting it right up against the Sharp Aquos QLED, and is equipped with Fire TV, which offers a wider array of fancy features. You can also opt for the TCL QM5K Mini-LED TV for $379 if you want Google TV, but we don’t have any testing data on that particular display.

Although the Sharp Aquos QLED looks enticing at its $259 sale price, and even comes with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to boot, there’s not a whole lot else that makes it worth the investment. Visual noise, blown-out backgrounds, and washed-out colors make it truly hard to recommend, and if you’re really in need of a budget TV under $500, there’s a wealth of better models to choose from.

CES 2026 was the epicenter of innovation in the tech industry. In keeping with tradition, new TV innovations were on display, and the brands behind the best TVs in the business unveiled many of their newest models.

But while LG and Samsung showed off some (if not most) of their mainline 2026 TVs at CES, Hisense focused almost exclusively on its souped-up, cutting-edge displays. Instead of the immensely popular U6, U7 and U8 Series that shoppers have gravitated toward in recent years, we were treated to the big-screen models with fancy technology and lofty price tags.

That raises some questions: Why are all of the Hisense 2026 TVs we know about the sets that are bound to be more niche in their appeal, and probably pricier than the company’s perennially popular, mainline series? If Hisense is gearing up to launch another slate of Mini-LED TVs in 2026, why haven’t we seen them yet?

New Hisense TVs are almost here

Over the last couple of years, Hisense has treated CES almost exclusively as an opportunity to showcase its biggest TVs and its fanciest display innovations. This is why we’ve learned all about the Hisense UR9 and UR8 (the brand’s first RGB Mini-LED TVs to be made available in smaller, more-popular screen sizes), as well as its 116-inch and 163-inch models (the latter of which uses an ultra-premium Micro-LED display).

Most TV-makers treat CES similarly, the difference being that we also usually learn a lot more about the rest of their lineup. Hisense will almost certainly wait until late March or early April to reveal the successor to the entry-level U65QF, the U75QG, and of course, the Hisense U8QG — one of the brightest TVs we’ve ever tested.

After last year’s CES, Hisense didn’t unveil its primary Mini-LED TV lineup until the last week of March. I haven’t received any advanced notice about such an announcement, but I’m inclined to believe that the brand will follow a similar trajectory in the coming months.

Hisense's main TV lineup probably won't feature RGB Mini-LED backlighting

Hisense is remaining tightlipped about the newest versions of the Hisense U6, U7 and U8, so for now, these model names remain unconfirmed.

However, the U7 and U8 were briefly shown on screen during Hisense's CES keynote, which momentarily caused me to believe that Hisense's primary TV lineup would also feature RGB backlighting. Today, a representative from Hisense informed me that the models shown belonged to the brand's global RGB Mini-LED lineup.

They added, "the 2026 U.S. lineup will only feature the 116UXS RGB Mini-LED evo, and the RGB Mini-LED UR8 and UR9 Series. We’ll have more to come on our US lineups in the next couple of months."

If you read between the lines, it's not a stretch to interpret the "more to come" as a sign that we'll eventually get a formal announcement about more TVs, and that these models are wholly separate from the brand's premium, RGB Mini-LED catalogue.

Does that mean that Hisense will skimp on the innovations in its mid-range Mini-LED TVs? I doubt it. But, for now, all we can do is speculate as to what's to come for some of the most affordable, value-priced TVs on the market.

More from Tom's Guide

• Hisense’s new RGB Mini-LED is probably the best-looking LCD TV at CES 2026
• Should you buy a Micro RGB TV this year? Here are all of the RGB TVs coming in 2026 from brands like Samsung, Hisense and LG
• Micro RGB TVs vs OLED TVs — here's the TV I'd buy in 2026

Not wanting to be left out of the cavalcade of CES 2026 TV news, Amazon has just announced a new lifestyle screen — called the Ember Artline — as well as several updates to its Fire TV platform that promise faster performance and easier search functionality.

As a potential rival to Samsung’s popular The Frame series, the Ember Artline will come in two sizes (55 and 65 inches), support Dolby Vision — something that Samsung TVs currently don’t have — and include your choice of one of 10 adjustable color frames.

The Amazon Ember Artline will go on sale in four countries (the U.S., Canada, Germany and the UK) starting later this spring. The updated Fire TV OS will be available via a software update on select devices starting in February.

Watch out Samsung, Amazon has entered the chat

The obvious comparison for the Amazon Ember Artline is Samsung’s The Frame series, but it has a few unique features that it’s bringing to the table.

For example, at launch the Ember Artline will have six more bezel options than the Frame (Walnut, Ash, Teak, Black Oak, Matte White, Midnight Blue, Fig, Pale Gold, Graphite and Silver) and integration with Amazon Photos and Alexa+.

In terms of specs, Amazon says the TV will support both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ (The Frame is limited to the latter) and uses a matte 4K screen.

Most importantly, in my opinion, the Amazon Ember Artline will be available starting at $899 for the aforementioned 55-inch version. That’s $200 less than Samsung’s 2025 The Frame.

Fire TV will get a speed boost for 2026

On the OS side of things, Amazon says Fire TV will see both a speed boost and a refreshed UI starting in February.

When it hits, you’ll be able to press and hold the Home button on your remote to bring up a quick list with your most-used settings and pin up to 20 apps on the home screen.

Amazon claims it’s seeing a “20–30% gains” in speed compared to the current OS, which it says is due to optimized coding.

To complement the on-screen experience, you’ll soon be able to use the Fire TV app on your phone or tablet to add content to your Watch List and find new recommendations — and you’ll see them update on the TV.

The new UI and all of the accompanying features will roll out first on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series here in the US before rolling out to more devices and territories later in the year.

Hopefully, we'll have a chance to check out all of Amazon's new releases here at CES 2026, but if not, at least we won't have to wait long to test them for ourselves at home.

More from Tom's Guide

• Samsung's new Micro RGB TV lineup will go toe-to-toe with LG at CES 2026
• Micro RGB vs OLED TVs: What’s the difference?
• CES 2026 Preview: 6 biggest trends to watch

Samsung's The Frame TV has become very popular for one simple fact — when you're not actually using it to watch TV, instead of looking like a giant black rectangle in your living room, it looks like art, better blending into your decor. It's popular with folks who care about design, though it's always been criticized for not quite matching the picture quality of regular TVs at the same price.

Samsung's response? The Frame Pro. It's a higher-end version of the TV meant to fix some of those performance issues while keeping the lifestyle appeal intact. Both TVs still have that gallery-style, ultra-slim design, but there are some technical differences that make The Frame Pro a better-performing TV.

The Frame vs The Frame Pro: Design and connectivity

The design is still the main reason you'd buy either of these TVs. They're built to disappear when you're not watching them, looking like framed art instead of technology. Both have an ultra-slim profile for flush wall mounting, customizable bezels in different finishes, and an anti-reflective matte display that looks like canvas or paper.

The standard Frame comes in more sizes though: 43", 50", 55", and 65", at least for the 2025 model. The Frame Pro only comes in larger sizes — 65", 75", and 85" — which might immediately rule it out if you need something smaller or don't have the space.

There's also a difference in how they handle connectivity. The standard Frame uses a wired One Connect box, consolidating all your inputs into one external unit that connects to the TV with one nearly invisible cable. The Frame Pro has a Wireless One Connect box, eliminating visible cables completely. That means it can sit nearby without having to connect directly to the TV, making its placement a little more versatile than the wired option.

The wireless solution is cleaner, but it comes with a trade-off — the Pro relies entirely on wireless connectivity (except for one port) with no wired option. For most people, that won't be an issue, but if you're in an environment with a lot of wireless interference or need low-latency connectivity, it's worth considering. On the plus side, the Pro makes installation much simpler since you don't have to worry about hiding cables or running them through walls.

The Frame Pro does have one wired port — a Micro HDMI 2.1 input, which is largely there for low-latency gaming. You may or may not want to use it, and if you do, it's up to you if you want to keep something permanently connected — but doing so would obviously defeat the purpose of a Wireless One Connect box.

The Frame vs The Frame Pro: Performance

Performance is where these two models start to diverge a little more. The standard Frame uses Samsung's QLED technology with between 500 and 600 nits of peak brightness — fine for normal viewing, but potentially underwhelming in bright rooms or for HDR content. The Frame Pro improves on this, hitting up to 1,000 nits of brightness.

Here's the thing though: While Samsung markets the Pro as having "Mini-LED" technology, the implementation is a bit misleading. Unlike traditional Mini-LED TVs that have thousands of tiny LEDs across the entire back panel for precise light control, The Frame Pro only uses Mini-LEDs in its edge-lighting system.

That means while light control is better than the standard model, it still doesn't match what you'd get from true full-array local dimming, or what you'd expect at all from a TV that's branded as "Mini-LED." It makes sense Samsung might have to compromise to keep that slim profile — Mini-LED backlighting generates a lot of heat, and most Mini-LED TVs require a little more cooling that what the slim Frame Pro can offer.

The Pro still performs better in bright rooms though. With around double the peak brightness of the standard model, it delivers much more vibrant images in well-lit spaces. HDR content in particular looks punchier and more dynamic, with highlights that pop a little more. That makes the Pro a lot more versatile for all-day viewing in rooms with plenty of natural light.

One thing to note is that the edge Mini LED arrangement might result in less uniform brightness compared to traditional full-array backlighting. You might notice subtle variations in brightness across the screen, especially in very dark scenes, though it's less noticeable than with the standard Frame.

Both versions support a 144Hz refresh rate for smoother motion in sports and gaming, though the Pro has slightly cleaner motion handling thanks to its more powerful processor. The difference is subtle during normal viewing but might be noticeable during fast action or competitive gaming.

It's also worth noting that the smaller models of The Frame only support up to 60Hz (43" and 50" models). Neither of the two TVs support Dolby Vision (like any other Samsung TV), but they do both support HDR10+.

The Frame vs The Frame Pro: Features

The processing is another upgrade. The standard Frame uses Samsung's NQ4 AI Gen2 processor, which handles basic upscaling and image enhancement well enough. The Frame Pro steps up to the NQ4 AI Gen3 processor — the same chip in Samsung's flagship S95F OLED — bringing more sophisticated AI-driven picture optimization.

This processing upgrade enables features exclusive to the Pro. Auto HDR Remastering can transform standard content into more vibrant HDR-like visuals, and the improved upscaling delivers cleaner, more detailed images when you're watching non-4K content. These improvements are particularly noticeable with cable TV, streaming services with variable quality, or older content.

Art Mode, the signature feature of The Frame series, also benefits from the Pro's better display. The increased brightness and contrast make displayed artwork look more realistic, especially in well-lit rooms. Shadow details and subtle gradations in paintings and photographs look more authentic, enhancing the illusion that you're looking at actual framed art.

The Pro also supports Samsung's SmartThings Calibration Pro feature, letting you use your compatible smartphone to do basic picture calibration. It's a user-friendly way to get more accurate colors without professional calibration.

Both models support that 144Hz refresh rate for gaming and sports content, ensuring smooth motion no matter which version you choose. That said, the Pro's better processing and additional HDMI 2.1 ports make it the better choice for serious gamers or households with multiple gaming consoles.

Verdict

The Frame Pro is a better TV than the standard Frame, delivering improved picture quality across almost every metric. That said, it's important to keep things in perspective — neither model will give you the absolute black levels of one of the best OLED TVs or the peak performance of Samsung's flagship non-lifestyle TVs at similar prices.

Consider the standard Frame if you need a smaller screen (43"-55"), you're on a budget, or you're mainly using the TV in dimmer rooms where the Pro's brightness advantage wouldn't be as noticeable. It's still a great choice if you prioritize design over absolute performance.

The Frame Pro makes more sense if you have a larger wall that can accommodate bigger screen sizes, you have a bright living space where the extra brightness will make a real difference, you'll be watching movies and gaming regularly, or the wireless connectivity provides meaningful installation benefits.

Neither model is ideal if you're mainly looking for OLED-level black depth or flagship performance over lifestyle design. If picture quality is your top priority, traditional TVs at similar prices will deliver better performance — though you won't get the distinctive art display capabilities that make The Frame series unique.

More from Tom's Guide

• I test TVs for a living — and Hisense needs to improve its TVs in one way before I recommend them
• Samsung just dropped the first ever Micro RGB TV — and it's a total game changer
• I'm a TV expert and this is the one picture mode you should avoid at all costs

Finding the right TV for your brand-new gaming system isn't as simple as it might sound. In theory, you can connect your new PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2 with practically any TV, but you might not be getting the best performance from the console.

I've been gaming all my life, and I've even reviewed a few games this year, alongside many of the best TVs. Pairing your TV with exceptional features and display technologies can lead to better immersion and picture quality. You don't need the most expensive display on the block, as even several budget Mini-LED TVs make for incredible gaming upgrades.

To save you time and money, I chose my favorite displays for every platform. I focused on finding the best deal available across retailers, so you're not only getting tons of features and improved picture quality, but the best price to boot. Here are my top gaming TVs for each platform.

Quick List

• Hisense 65" U75QG Mini-LED 4K TV: was $1,098 now $729 at Amazon
• Samsung 65" S84F OLED TV: was $1,999 now $899 at Best Buy
• LG 55" C5 OLED TV: was $1,999 now $1,196 at Best Buy
• Sony 65" Bravia 8 OLED TV: was $2,299 now $1,499 at Best Buy
• Panasonic 65" Z95A OLED TV: was $1,999 now $1,579 at Amazon

LG C5 OLED — Best overall

You can't go wrong with the LG C5 OLED, no matter which gaming console you're working with. It's a great value and offers a slew of incredible upgrades that make it a good fit for any type of gamer, and it's available in a wide range of sizes.

One of the main features I like to call attention to is the C5's absurd upscaling. The LG C5 can make 720p content look gorgeous, upscaled to 4K, and the added headroom of its 144Hz refresh rate makes it perfect for PC gamers. I even replaced my PC monitor with last year's LG C4 OLED to great results, which should be no different with the newer model. Even though the PS5 and Xbox Series X are limited to 120 frames per second in 4K, the LG C5 is also a stellar pick for both.

The LG C5 OLED is one of the only TVs we tested all year that got a perfect score, making it a remarkable offering for anyone looking to buy a new TV.

Sony Bravia 8 — Best PS5 TV

As makers of some of the best OLED TVs in the market, choosing a Sony model to pair with your PS5 or PS5 Pro is a no-brainer. While you could buy the Sony Bravia 8 II, which launched earlier this year, I recommend choosing the 2024 Bravia 8 OLED so you can save a little cash and still unlock excellent performance and features.

Such features include exclusive settings tied to Sony systems, offering Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode so you get the best picture quality in all your PS5 games. The Bravia 8 is also one of the few Sony TVs with an input latency of less than 15ms. At 12.6ms, it's within arm's reach of the ideal sub-10ms threshold.

It's not just its extensive gaming features that make the Bravia 8 stand out. It's built on Sony's world-renowned engineering, offering the most gorgeous picture quality and picture processing money can buy. The Bravia 8 is also one of the few OLED TVs in the market with an ATSC 3.0 tuner, so if you're keen on diving into 4K OTA broadcasts via Nextgen TV, it's the one to get.

Samsung S84F — Best Nintendo Switch 2 TV

Unfortunately, we don't have any hands-on testing with the Samsung S84F OLED TV, but its specs speak for themselves. It doesn't hurt that it's also one of the cheapest 65-inch OLEDs on the market, and doesn't skimp on features. It's the OLED TV I'd buy to saddle alongside my new Nintendo Switch 2.

The Switch 2 isn't the most demanding system by any stretch of the imagination. It's designed as a handheld gaming machine, but it still offers 4K HDR gaming support via its included dock.

What makes the Samsung S84F such a good partner for the Switch 2 is its OLED panel and 120Hz refresh rate. It doesn't support Dolby Vision, so you're not paying extra for something you won't need if you're pairing the TV solely with your Nintendo Switch 2 (or PS5, for that matter, as it also doesn't support Dolby Vision).

Games played in 4K on the Switch 2 might not run as well as they would on the PS5 or Xbox Series X, but pairing a Switch 2 with the S84F's NQ4 AI Gen2 processor allows you to drop the resolution down to 1080p on the system and still get 4K visuals.

For gamers looking to upgrade to an OLED, the S84F is a cheap alternative to the LG C5 without some of the unnecessary features.

Hisense U75QG — Best Gaming PC TV

Few 2025 TVs come close to the sheer value offered by the Hisense U75QG Mini-LED TV. It's one of my favorite sets to release this year and for good reason: The U75QG is a gamer's paradise, delivering all the best features with some of the highest brightness in the market. And, it's still well under $1,000.

Not only do you get four total HDMI 2.1 ports, but the U75QG also boasts a 165Hz refresh rate. It's one of the few models launched all year to come equipped with the higher specification, making it the ideal choice for PC players who love gaming on their couch over their desk. It also offers a minimal 9.8ms of input latency, so you can rest easy knowing you're getting top-tier performance in your favorite games.

Even outside of gaming, the U75QG is a total workhorse. I loved my time with this Mini-LED TV, particularly when watching HDR movies, such as "Sinners," "Weapons," and "Black Bag." With its full support of the IMAX Enhanced, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ formats, all your content will look its best, whether you're a seasoned PC gamer or a horror movie connoisseur.

Panasonic Z95A — Best for sound

The Panasonic Z95A ticks almost every box you can think of, offering the widest support for gaming, picture quality, and even audio. It's an out-of-the-box wonder, but it doesn't come cheap. Fortunately, given that it launched last year, the price of the Panasonic Z95A has dropped significantly since its debut, and it's currently being sold at its lowest price ever.

Most TVs fall flat with an underperforming sound system, but Panasonic's 2024 model boasts a 160W 5.1.2-channel speaker for in-your-face, bone-shaking immersion. Although it may not match the scale of some of the best soundbars, it's a solid OLED TV if you're looking for an all-around system built for gaming and HDR movies alike.

With an input latency of 12.6ms and a 144Hz refresh rate, plus access to every HDR format, it's basically your one-stop shop for all your entertainment needs. Whether you're gaming on an Xbox Series X or a Switch 2, the Panasonic Z95A offers a solid mix of features and performance for practically everyone.

More from Tom's Guide

• What is the Dirty Screen Effect and how can you tell if your TV has it?
• Help me, Tom’s Guide: Which OLED TV should I get for my new home theater?
• I'm a TV expert and this is the one picture mode you should avoid at all costs

The Hisense U6QF Mini-LED TV and the TCL QM6K Mini-LED TV are among the cheapest Mini-LED TVs released in 2025. Despite their affordable pricing, they're still packed with tons of features for cinephiles and gamers, plus they look great to boot.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals well behind us, you might be wondering which of these two inexpensive Mini-LED TVs is the right buy. That's why we're putting them head-to-head in a battle to see which is the best budget TV money can buy.

Hisense U65QG vs TCL QM6K: Specs compared

Hisense U75QG vs TCL QM7K: Design

Both Mini-LED models are particularly sleek with thin bezels. They're basically identical in terms of size and weight, with the U65QF measuring 3 inches in depth and weighing 42lbs while the TCL QM6K measures 2.2 inches in depth and weighs 37lbs. If anything, the QM6K is slimmer by a hair, but you wouldn't see a noticeable difference between the two.

The QM6K and U65QF are equipped with two V-shaped legs that are easily attachable, however they don't look as good as pedestal stands or prove as practical, making it harder to fit on top of smaller furniture. That said, you can also wall mount either set using their VESA patterns; the QM6K is 300 x 300mm, and the U65QF is 400 x 400mm, both for the 65-inch models.

TCL and Hisense are known for delivering remarkable brightness metrics in their Mini-LED sets, and that's no different with these models. While this is often more than enough to handle glare, some sets will offer anti-glare coating on the panel. However, only the TCL model has it with a special matte HVA panel.

Don't expect wall-thumping sound from either TV. Given the sticker price for both models, you won't walk away with an immersive soundstage. The 65-inch Hisense U65QF is equipped with just 40W of output on a 2.1-channel system, and the QM6K is identical but offers a built-in subwoofer. While you get Dolby Atmos support on both TVs, you'll need one of the best soundbars for the full experience.

Note that the speaker configurations will vary across sizes, so you could eke out a bit more power and additional channels on 75-inch and 85-inch models. However, you'll still get a more immersive experience from a dedicated audio system or soundbar, which is recommended.

As for remotes, I like Hisense's more than TCL's. Hisense remotes offer backlit buttons on a lightweight design and a silver chrome finish, which stands out. The QM6K is a bit rudimentary, but slightly more ergonomic. It's painted fully black and is much smaller than the Hisense remote.

It's hard to draw a conclusive victor for design, given the similarities between the Mini-LED TVs in audio and build quality. I'm going to give the win to the TCL QM6K due to its slightly thinner design, but both TVs are practically identical.

Winner: TCL QM6K

Hisense U65QF vs TCL QM6K: Performance

Before diving into their individual performance, here's a look at how these two Mini-LED TVs performed in our lab tests.

As you can see, neither the Hisense U65QF nor the TCL QM6K deliver show stopping performance. You get what you pay for, and while they might be rich with features, they aren't exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to their metrics.

However, both TVs are largely neck and neck in color performance. They share similar values across the board, whether we're discussing color accuracy or color coverage. You can see this in both their UHDA-P3 gamut and Rec 2020 gamut coverage, which is borderline identical in value.

It's also represented in their respective Delta-E scores, a measurement of their color accuracy. The lower this score is, the better the color accuracy, which means the Hisense model technically wins this bout with a score of 1.8 over the QM6K's 2.3. However, it would be nearly impossible to tell any major differences between them, as most of the scores are largely negligible.

However, their luminance is another thing entirely. The U65QF offers far better brightness in both SDR and HDR, which is great, given it supports the full range of HDR formats and is equipped with an ATSC 3.0 tuner. This means you get good brightness control in general TV broadcasts as well as in HDR content, which isn't true for the QM6K.

At 968 nits in HDR, the U65QF outshines the TCL QM6K. Even in Filmmaker mode (which we recommend above all other modes), the Hisense model still topples the QM6K by offering 946 nits against 559 nits. The same is true in SDR, as well.

Speaking from experience, TV tester Matthew Murray, who reviewed the Hisense U65QG, noted how "More conventionally lit and brighter movies had no trouble at all" on the set. He also highlighted that "although glare and reflections on the screen were noticeable with the U65QF, they weren't bad enough to be disruptive."

The same can't be said of the TCL QM6K, which was negatively impacted by glare despite having a special screen to counter it. The major takeaway is that the QM6K "shines in Filmmaker mode," as Malcolm McMillan reports in his review; however, the format isn't available for every occasion. He adds that the QM6K produces exceptional picture quality, "So long as you use the right picture settings," which doesn't bode well for most users.

Overall, both TVs offer great picture quality, but lack hardware improvements that make experiencing movies and shows even better. This comes with the territory for most inexpensive Mini-LED models, with blooming, poor off-angle viewing, and glare being the most common culprits, which is true for both sets.

However, since the QM6QF handles glare with improved precision and offers far better performance metrics, it takes the win in performance.

Winner: Hisense U65QF

Hisense U65QF vs TCL QM6K: Smart platform and features

Here's the other major difference: Although the TCL QM6K runs Google TV, the Hisense U65QF Mini-LED TV is actually built on Fire TV. This sets it apart from the TCL model (and even other Hisense Mini-LEDs) giving it a slight variance in app support and integrations, with a standout feature being Alexa Plus support.

That said, the Hisense U6QF is one of the few 2025 TVs with Alexa Plus access outside of a few select Panasonic sets and Amazon models. That means you can try special features with Prime Video and some automated smart home functionality, including the recently launched scene jumping feature.

Similar to Google TV, Fire TV also offers a bunch of free content. It also gets access to all of the best streaming services, so you won't miss out on your favorite shows and movies. Beyond streaming content, Fire TV is also home to some of the best cloud gaming services, including Xbox Game Pass, GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna.

Still, Google TV is no slouch and it's routinely called out as one of the best smart platforms. It's quick and snappy, offers one of the best search functionalities in the industry, and is home to its own slew of free channels and content. You really can't go wrong with the platform, but there's no doubt it is missing several key features that Fire TV offers.

Following in the footsteps of the TCL QM7K, the cheaper QM6K is also without an ATSC 3.0 tuner, while the Hisense U65QG is equipped with one. This gives the Hisense model a broader range of coverage for free OTA channels with Nextgen TV access and 4K broadcasts. You'll still have to wait a while for 4K broadcasts to be more widely available, but it doesn't hurt to have the future-proofed spec available.

Another standout feature of the Hisense U65QF is its support for Wi-Fi 6 versus Wi-Fi 5, offered by the TCL model. You may experience slightly better Wi-Fi speeds and improved stability on the U65QF, but these enhancements will be negligible for the most part. Additionally, I recommend hard-wiring your TV to the router for optimal performance when streaming content, whether it's cloud gaming or general entertainment.

Although we tend to side with Google TV for its reliability and slew of features, I think Fire TV is the better choice in this faceoff. Plus, the Hisense U65QF offers slightly better hardware upgrades over its rival, giving it an edge in the competition.

Winner: Hisense U65QF

Hisense U65QF vs TCL QM6K: Outlook

In all fairness, you can't go wrong with either of these inexpensive Mini-LED TVs, but if I were deciding which model to pick, I'd go for the Hisense U65QF. Some of the standout features that make it a worthy choice over its opposition include serviceable glare mitigation, Wi-Fi 6 support, access to Alexa Plus, and better performance.

When it comes to sticker price, the U65QF still comes out on top. At the time of writing, the 65-inch Hisense U65QF is $547 at Amazon, while the 65-inch TCL QM6K is $649 at Best Buy. That's a $100 premium for a TV that might show slightly better motion processing performance.

My money is still on the Hisense U6QF. It's a great value, offering a suite of features for gamers and movie lovers alike, all built on top of an excellent platform.

More from Tom's Guide

• TCL QM7K Mini-LED TV review
• TCL QM8K Mini-LED TV review
• TCL finally added this key feature to its 2025 TVs — here's why you should use it

I wasn’t expecting the new Amazon Omni QLED (2025) ($849, as tested) to be one of the best TVs, but I had high hopes.

The main draw of the Omni QLED is its Fire TV operating system, which offers newly integrated Alexa+ features that enhance the experience. It’s also equipped with the full suite of HDR formats, so you should always get the best coverage in dynamic color and contrast. (You’ll see why you don’t in a minute.)

Sadly, those features can’t make up for the Omni’s shortcomings, such as its subpar performance and specs that pale in comparison to its main rivals, the TCL QM6K and Hisense U65QF. Add that to its launch price of $849 for the 65-inch model, and it’s clear the Omni QLED is a middling offering in a crowded TV market.

Fire TV Omni QLED Series TV review: Price and release date

Amazon announced the refreshed Fire TV Omni QLED model at its Device & Services Event held on September 30, and the TV went on sale in early November. It sits in the middle tier of Amazon’s TV lineup, coming in just below the Omni Mini-LED Series, which debuted last year, and above the 4-series LED set.

Here are the current prices for the Amazon Omni Series:

• Fire TV Omni QLED Series (50-inch): $479
• Fire TV Omni QLED Series (55-inch): $589
• Fire TV Omni QLED Series (65-inch): $849
• Fire TV Omni QLED Series (75-inch): $1,199

As you can see from the prices above, the Omni QLED is priced at a premium for what’s being offered, especially in the 65-inch configuration. These prices will undoubtedly drop even more following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but the launch price is significantly higher than we expected.

It would make more sense if the 65-inch Omni QLED were at least $100 less, making it far more attractive for buyers looking to save on a relatively good set with built-in bespoke AI capabilities — but, for now, the price is what it is.

Fire TV Omni QLED Series TV review: Design

Unlike competing sets, the Omni QLED opts for full-array local dimming (FALD) backlighting rather than Mini-LEDs, which would give it slightly improved brightness and contrast. It’s a bit of a letdown, most especially seeing as Roku added Mini-LEDs to its 2025 Plus Series, which already puts the new Amazon TV well behind the competition.

However, it is a thin TV, especially when compared to Mini-LED rivals. The 55-inch model is just 3.3 inches deep without the stand, and weighs only around 33 pounds. It comes with two triangle legs similar to some Mini-LED and QLED models. I’d prefer a pedestal stand, particularly given the price, as this design makes it easy to place on any surface, but the legs are par for the course. Admittedly, they do stand out with a brushed-silver finish, which gives them a more premium look.

Mirroring other TVs in 2025, the Omni QLED also has a standby mode with widgets, similar to the Samsung QN90F and TCL QM9K. Essentially, the TV turns on when you walk near it and displays various details, like the weather and news reports. It’s a handy function that I really enjoy, but some users might not like seeing the TV turn on constantly. (Thankfully, this can be turned off if you never want to use it.)

Fire TV Omni QLED Series TV review: Ports

One misstep Amazon made when designing the Omni QLED is its port selection: it only offers one HDMI 2.1 port, and it’s the only eARC-compatible option. The other three ports are 2.0, so they’re not the newer standard.

While the single HDMI 2.1 port supports ALLM and VRR, two specs gamers look for in a new TV, it only has a refresh rate of 60Hz, so it feels odd that it’s so heavily limited.

In addition to the aforementioned HDMI ports, the Omni comes equipped with an Ethernet port, USB port, digital audio output, and RF port for an antenna. Sadly, there’s no ATSC 3.0 tuner for Next-Gen TV.

Fire TV Omni QLED Series TV review: Performance

The Fire TV Omni QLED has two major drawbacks based on our testing: minimal brightness and poor color accuracy, both of which show in its performance across a variety of different shows and movies.

Color was a big letdown. “Superman” looked particularly dull and devoid of its colorful expression. It’s evident right from the beginning, with Superman’s blood-red cape and blue outfit missing that pop of immersion.

The Omni QLED also doesn’t sport a high color coverage (denoted by its UHDA-P3 gamut score down below), which means HDR content won’t look as dynamic and realistic as superior sets. “Frieren,” for example, was missing the detailed color presented in the backdrops, and “Mononoke” didn’t have the same visual flair I’m used to seeing.

This Amazon TV doesn’t handle contrast very well, either. While this is expected, given it’s a backlit QLED, I was hoping for better contrast control given the price. Shadows look washed-out and flat, especially in darker content like “Weapons” and “Task.” There’s also a major lack of detail when presenting these darker scenes, with textures in the darker areas missing finer points.

The Omni QLED wasn't the best in motion handling, which is probably due to its 60Hz refresh rate. Faster content, like Superman whipping around at Mach speed mid-air, showed subtle blurring. That means this is probably not the TV you want to watch Thursday Night Football on.

Lastly, the Omni QLED’s poor anti-glare mitigation (owed largely to its minimal brightness metrics) means that you’ll struggle to make out details in rooms with lots of ambient lighting from a nearby window or overhead lights.

How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subject tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer, but usually feature anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV.

Fire TV Omni QLED Series TV review: Test results

Compared to budget Mini-LED TVs tested in our labs, including the Hisense U65QF, TCL QM6K, and Roku Pro Series, the new Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series doesn’t quite hold up.

Overall, the Omni QLED is unremarkable against its biggest competitors. Cheaper Mini-LED TVs outclass Amazon’s new QLED, especially when it comes to brightness and color accuracy.

Delta-E is how we measure a TV’s color accuracy, with the lower the number being better. The Amazon Omni QLED got a score of 6.9 in our labs, which is one of the highest Delta-E scores we’ve seen all year, meaning the colors you see on the screen won’t match the colors the director intended.

Although the Omni QLED offers high standard brightness, especially against the TCL QM6K, it simply can’t hold a candle to other competitors in HDR. Plus, it has very poor anti-glare performance from my testing, even with dimming zones set to high.

Fire TV Omni QLED Series TV review: Audio

As expected, the Omni QLED Series doesn’t have the most robust speaker system. It’s a common complaint on most TVs, and it’s especially true on this set, given its barebones 2.0 speaker system.

The speaker output will vary depending on the size of the screen: The 55-inch offers just 20W of output, and the 65-inch is 24W, so it’s not the most bombastic speaker system by any means.

What makes things even worse for the Omni QLED is that it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, meaning that even if you did get one of the best soundbars, you wouldn’t get the most out of it.

Fire TV Omni QLED Series TV review: Interface and apps

The Omni QLED runs on Fire TV, which has a slew of benefits, including tons of free content and access to the best streaming services. I’m personally not a fan of the interface, given that it’s a bit confusing to navigate and cluttered compared to major competitors, like Roku and Google TV. However, this set does make a case for itself with its new Alexa+ enhancements.

There’s a lot you can do with Alexa+ now, particularly when it comes to search functionality and discovery. You can ask it to find movies with simple descriptions (like “that movie where the three friends lose their friend in Vegas" to pull up “The Hangover”) or even search for specific scenes within a movie or show on Prime Video.

These may sound like parlor tricks, but Alexa+ makes it much easier to find what you’re looking for in your favorite shows and movies, and can extend that functionality for the first time to live sports and local food recommendations.

Additionally, you can also use Alexa+to create background wallpapers, a common feature on many other TV interfaces these days. Still, it seems a bit more interactive on the Omni QLED, especially when used in tandem with its Ambient Experience.

Fire TV Omni QLED Series TV review: Remote

I have no major complaints against the Fire TV remote. It’s small and lightweight, which is what I love most about it. The remote reminds me a lot of Samsung’s, which I enjoy. You also have quick access buttons to a variety of streaming apps, making it super easy to dive into your favorite shows and movies with just a click.

I’d love it if more brands copied Samsung’s approach with solar charging, or at least Roku’s with USB-C power. But, otherwise, I think the Fire TV remote is fine for most people and has quick access to a good variety of necessary apps for those who want them.

Fire TV Omni QLED Series TV review: Verdict

I was excited to dive into the Fire TV Omni QLED, but it leaves a lot to be desired. The Omni QLED does employ some interesting functionality built on Alexa Plus, but it doesn’t make up for this set’s mediocre performance and test results.

Making matters worse, the Omni is up against several inexpensive alternatives like the TCL QM6K and Hisense U6QF. Both are fantastic budget TVs with a string of amazing features that set them apart from this QLED, putting it to shame with stellar specs for gamers and better performance for nearly $200 less.

At its current price of $849 for its 65-inch model, the Fire TV Omni QLED doesn’t make a strong enough case for itself — it skimps on Dolby Atmos, spits out subpar metrics, and isn’t a robust platform for gamers. Even if pricing gets slashed this Black Friday, you’re better off buying another TV at a cheaper price.

The Samsung QN90F is the most expensive 4K LCD model Samsung plans on releasing in 2025, but it comes with a robust blend of advanced features, like surprising new ones in its bespoke Daily Board, as well as exciting advantages over competing sets.

One such advantage is its matte anti-glare coating. The QN90F mirrors Samsung’s flagship OLED TV in this way, offering some of the best bright-room performance and direct light mitigation you’ll get in a Mini-LED TV. It also boasts incredible black levels, leading to seriously stunning contrast.

The Samsung QN90F offers a refreshing mix of features and design considerations that make it a compelling Mini-LED TV. However, are these advantageous enough to make it one of the best TVs of the year? Here are my thoughts after a full week of testing.

Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV review: Price and release date

The Samsung QN90F is the flagship model in Samsung’s 2025 4K QLED TV lineup, which launched in April. It sits above other QLED sets, like the QN85F and QN70F, offering the most premium range of features and performance for Samsung’s 4K LCD line. However, it is outclassed by Samsung’s two 8K Mini-LED models, the QN99F and QN900F.

The Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV is available for purchase in the following sizes:

• Samsung QN43QN90FAFXZA (43-inch): $1,299 | Sale: $899
• Samsung QN50QN90FAFXZA (50-inch): $1,499 | Sale: $1,199
• Samsung QN55QN90FAFXZA (55-inch): $1,799 | Sale: $1,399
• Samsung QN65QN90FAFXZA (65-inch): $2,499 | Sale: $1,599
• Samsung QN75QN90FAFXZA (75-inch): $2,999 | Sale: $1,999
• Samsung QN85QN90FAFXZA (85-inch): $4,499 | Sale: $2,299
• Samsung QN65QN90FAFXZA (98-inch): $14,999 | Sale: $12,999
• Samsung QN65QN90FAFXZA (115-inch): $26,999

We reviewed the Samsung QN90F in its 55-inch configuration, but our lab tests were performed on the 65-inch model. You can expect several differences across sizes, with the 43-inch and 50-inch sizes equipped with a smaller speaker system and fewer dimming zones versus the larger sizes. The 115-inch version also only offers 144Hz VRR, not 165Hz like its smaller sizes.

The Samsung QN90F is similarly priced with competing flagship Mini-LED TVs. At the time of writing, the 65-inch model is marked down to $1,497 on Amazon, putting it in direct contention with the TCL QM8K. Normally, it would be similarly priced to the Hisense U8QG; however, Hisense has the U8QG currently discounted to $1,097.

Mini-LED TVs aren’t the only sets the QN90F is competing with, as it also faces the LG C5 OLED. Arguably one of the best OLED TVs, the 65-inch LG C5 is $100 cheaper than the QN90F at the time of writing, and it could drop even further during Black Friday sales.

Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV review: Design

Taking a page from the best Samsung TVs, the QN90F is built particularly slim for an LCD set. It measures just 1.1 inches deep without the stand and features some of the thinnest bezels, giving it a framed look that’s perfect for wall mounting.

If you’re not keen on using the 200 x 200mm VESA mounting configuration, the included stand is more than adequate. It is made of both plastic and metal, offering a nice balance between sturdy construction and simple installation. All you need is a screwdriver to attach the stand; otherwise, no tools are needed.

One of the most exciting features of the QN90F is its anti-glare coating, mirroring the Samsung S95F OLED TV. The matte finish not only makes it look like a painting, but it also combats reflections very well. It’s one of my favorite aspects of the QN90F, because glare was such a big problem on the Hisense U8QG.

One of the newest features the Samsung QN90F offers is an automatic standby mode with widgets, called Daily Board. It essentially turns the TV on in a low-power state whenever you walk near it. The feature can be enabled in the setup stage, so if you don’t want it, it’s easy to ignore, but I found it rather irritating and distracting, as the TV would often turn on even if I was sitting further away from the screen.

Over time, I’m sure the feature will be improved, and additional functionality could be added to it, but in its current state, it feels sort of half-baked. I think it could be a gateway to a future where TVs don’t rely on remotes, but right now it’s still too early.

Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV review: Ports

At the rear of the TV, located on the left side, you’ll find an array of ports. Mirroring other flagship Mini-LED and OLED TVs, the QN90F comes loaded with four HDMI 2.1 ports, making it one of the best gaming TVs of the year. These ports not only offer 4K/120Hz for console gamers, but also support up to 165Hz speeds for PC players.

The QN90F also includes two USB-A ports, an optical digital output, a LAN port, and an RF connection. Additional wireless connectivity is also supported, including Bluetooth version 5.3 and Wi-Fi 5. While this spec is fine for most people, the Hisense U8QG is equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, offering a slight improvement in speed over the Samsung model.

Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV review: Performance

If there’s one thing the Samsung QN90F excels at, it’s bright room performance. The matte anti-glare coating built into the screen works wonders and is aided by its rather high brightness. Admittedly, the QN90F might not match the same luminance as the QM8K or U8QG, but it performs better than either in sunnier environments.

Brightness isn’t its only strength — it also offers incredible contrast for a Mini-LED TV. Black levels and shadows are lifelike, expressed best in evening shots of “Sinners” and “Weapons.”

Another standout surprise was the minimal amount of blooming I noticed, particularly when subtitles were presented in darker scenes or in bright highlights. This is owed to Samsung’s incredible precision dimming.

While it’s not something I’ve seen Samsung TVs praised for often in the past, I was also pleasantly surprised by the upscaling potential on the QN90F. Sports broadcasts in 1080p, like NHL games, were uplifted with minimal artefacting or downgrades. It also helps that you don’t lose picture quality while watching off-axis.

So, where does it fall in picture performance? The QN90F has excellent color accuracy, but its color coverage doesn’t match many of its rivals, specifically in HDR. It doesn’t help that the QN90F is also without Dolby Vision support, so a large catalog of movies won’t get the benefit of improved colors and contrasts using the format.

Overall, while colors still look vibrant in animated content, especially the likes of season three of “Star Wars Visions,” other content featured muted colors that were less saturated, like “Superman” and “Dune 2.” You can regain some of that color vibrancy by switching to the Vivid picture mode, but that comes at the cost of color accuracy.

Ultimately, the QN90F stands out from other Mini-LED TVs with excellent glare mitigation and off-axis viewing, which is a major plus. The muted colors in certain movies are concerning, but I think most people won’t notice this drawback.

How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subject tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV review: Test results

The Samsung QN90F outperforms its competitors in some metrics, but is outclassed in others. Here's how it fares against similarly-priced flagship Mini-LED TVs, including LG’s QNED92, TCL’s QM8K, and the Hisense U8QG.

The Samsung QN90F won’t blow you away with its lab test results. In fact, it offers the lowest HDR color coverage and brightness of the bunch, which is surprising given its real-world performance.

On paper, the Hisense U8QG boasts the highest brightness metrics in our tests, hitting an astronomical high of 3,685 nits in HDR in a 10% window. The QN90F doesn’t come close, barely hitting over 2,000 nits. The TCL QM8K similarly outclasses the Samsung model, but neither TV offers the most robust anti-reflective measures for bright room viewing.

Interestingly, the LG model has the best color accuracy, sporting a Delta-E score of 1.5. The Samsung QN90F comes second, and that really panned out in my real-world testing — colors looked natural, if slightly muted. One thing the Samsung model does offer is some of the best gaming performance with its 9.5ms of input latency, which is perfect for PC gamers.

Sure, it might not boast better performance metrics than its rivals, but in everyday viewing scenarios, you probably won’t even notice these discrepancies.

Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV review: Audio

The Samsung QN90F’s audio performance is fine, but it’s nothing to write home about. It gets the job done in most scenarios, but if you want a broader and fuller sound stage, you’ll want one of the best soundbars and a subwoofer to give you expert immersion.

Dolby Atmos support helps in some scenarios, but the 60W 4.2.2-channel system simply doesn’t have enough power. Action scenes feel less immersive, and dialogue is particularly hard to hear in certain scenes. I noticed this most in “Superman,” with Clark Kent’s pivotal monologue closer to the end of the film, feeling less punchy under the louder music.

Samsung does have some ways of amplifying TV audio, especially if you’re using one of its Q-Symphony soundbars, allowing you to make use of the speakers in tandem with the sound system. It also has several AI audio features, like Adaptive Sound Pro and Object Tracking Sound Pro+, which can be useful to some users, but aren’t recommended.

In short, what’s here is average at best, and feels very middling for the sticker price.

Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV review: Interface and apps

Samsung’s smart platform, Tizen OS, has seen major improvements over the last year, but there are still some mishaps Samsung needs to address. The best part about the interface is its slew of free channels through Samsung TV Plus.

Samsung’s interface also has access to several cloud gaming services, like Xbox Game Pass and Amazon Luna. It’s a nice addition for those who need it beyond simply diving into the best streaming services, but if you do end up using them, I recommend hard-wiring the TV via Ethernet.

One major issue with the updated interface is the Now Playing carousel, which gets bombarded with Samsung TV Plus content. I mentioned this in my Samsung S90F review, and there are ways of disabling the function, but it would be much better if Samsung simply disabled audio playback so Samsung TV Plus doesn’t loudly start playing right when you turn the TV on. It’s not a dealbreaker, but definitely something to consider.

Overall, Tizen OS is generally fine and does offer a set number of upgrades over Roku and Google TV, despite those platforms having simpler navigation and improved stability. However, I do like the zoomed-in look and highlighted apps, which have changed on the 2025 version.

Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV review: Remote

Samsung TVs offer some of the best remotes in the market, right next to Roku. The QN90F’s remote is small, lightweight, and is equipped with all the quick access buttons you might need to your favorite apps, including YouTube, Prime Video, Netflix, and Samsung TV Plus. It’s also solar powered, so you never have to worry about charging it or changing the batteries.

Samsung added a new button to its 2025 models that brings up all things Vision AI. Think of it like a full AI assistant, offering a wide range of features. You can ask the AI companion practically anything, and it’s built on Microsoft Copilot, so it has some neat functionality.

Practical? Not exactly, but it’s a nice addition for those who might want it.

I think if Samsung wanted to add anything to its remote to make it stand out even more, it would be backlit buttons. These aren’t a must, but other major competitors, including Hisense and Roku, offer backlit buttons on their remotes, so Samsung should follow suit.

Samsung QN90F Mini-LED TV review: Verdict

The Samsung QN90F offers some of the best contrast and black levels for a Mini-LED set, and is probably the best option in this category for a bright room, thanks to its stellar anti-reflective coating.

The QN90F also offers serious gaming performance. It matches the Hisense U8QG with a refresh rate up to 165Hz and also excels with a 9.5ms input latency, making it one of the best gaming TVs. You also get the added benefit of cloud gaming access via Tizen OS.

Despite this, it is up against some truly stunning Mini-LED TVs from TCL and Hisense, as well as the award-winning LG C5 OLED that can be found for $100 less. Each of these competing models not only offers Dolby Vision but also better color performance. The improvements these TVs offer in brightness and color volume might be imperceptible to most, but they’re hard to ignore, especially considering the QN90F’s sticker price.

However, if you’re willing to sacrifice Dolby Vision and pay a little more for improved bright room performance, the QN90F serves as a good investment. It might not hit the same performance metrics offered by cheaper models, but it’s still a great TV for folks with bright living rooms thanks to its incredible black levels, gaming features, and upscaling for sports.

In recent years, Amazon has crashed the affordable TV market with its own lineup of 4K TVs. These budget-friendly sets emphasize streaming and smart home integration over high-level performance.

Essentially, Amazon wants shoppers considering an affordable Roku TV to choose one of its Alexa-ready Fire TVs instead. And it has seen plenty of success.

That said, after having put the latest 2025 Amazon Fire TV Omni TV through our rigorous lab tests, I'm a little worried. If you’re in the market for the newest Fire TV Omni, you should probably wait a few weeks to seal the deal. Here’s why.

The Fire TV Omni's price will probably crash during Black Friday

Amazon is listing the 65-inch version of the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED for $849. There are no discounts attached to this listing — $849 is its full price.

If you're a certified Fire TV fan and you're absolutely, positively committed to buying Amazon's newest QLED right now, then far be it from me to get in the way. However, if you can hold off for a few weeks, you might be setting yourself up for some serious savings.

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events, Amazon slashes prices on a slew of new TVs. Typically, this includes many of the TVs in its own lineup, be them lower-end Fire TVs or more advanced sets like the Omni series.

If I were a betting person, I'd put down a considerable amount of cash on the newest Fire TV Omni crashing in price once Black Friday rolls around. Having covered TV sales for over a decade, I know how to spot a future deal candidate. More importantly, having seen the test result for the Omni, I'd go so far as to say that its current price is too rich for what this TV's got going on under the hood.

At its current price, the Omni isn't as value-packed as the competition

I was shocked to learn that the newest Omni opts for a basic QLED display with full-array local dimming instead of smaller, potentially brighter Mini-LEDs.

Don't get me wrong: I'd rather see a standard backlight with local dimming than be saddled with the sort of less-capable, edge-lit displays you might find on a dirt-cheap TV. But without Mini-LEDs, you've already lost a step to the competition.

To illustrate this, let's take a look at how the all-new Omni stacks up against a pair of budget-friendly Mini-LED TVs: the newest Roku Pro Series and the TCL QM6K.

Not only is the Omni dimmer on average compared to these two rival sets, but its out-of-the-box color accuracy (represented here by Delta-E) is worse than these TVs, too.

You might decide that the Fire TV interface and Omni's Alexa integration is the real draw, but if this is the case, I highly recommend waiting until Black Friday to see if the Omni does what I suspect it'll do: plummet in price. Then and only then will its value more closely align with its price.

Right now, the Google TV-powered, 65-inch TCL QM6K is just $599 at Best Buy, which is a full $250 lower than the 65-inch Omni. But my personal recommendation for folks looking to simplify streaming and secure Mini-LEDs is the Roku Pro Series. Currently, the 65-inch Roku Pro Series is $798 at Best Buy.

Not only is the discounted Roku Pro Series about $50 cheaper than the full-price Amazon Fire TV Omni, but there's a very good chance that the Pro Series will also crash in price on or around Black Friday. Keep an eye on it, if you're open to using a Roku TV instead of a Fire TV.

We'll be posting our full review of the newest Fire TV Omni in the coming weeks. From where I'm sitting, however, it's shaping up to be a TV whose value is wholly dependent on sale price. Keep that in mind if you're on the cusp of buying it.

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Sharp just stealth-dropped a set of five new 4K QLED TVs starting at $350. The new Aquos models will feature the TV interface Xumo and support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Led by Comcast and Spectrum, the Xumo platform offers over 350 free channels and a variety of features, like Amazon Alexa and Apple AirPlay connectivity. Smart home fans can also leverage Apple's HomeKit for further integration across all of their devices.

Sharp's newest lineup is already available on various retailers, including its own store page, Amazon, NFM, ABC Warehouse, and Best Buy.

The new Sharp Aquos TVs are 4K QLEDs with quantum dots and 60Hz panels, though it's unclear what type of panel they will use. It's also unclear how many HDMI ports they will have, or which among them will be HDMI 2.1 compatible for improved connectivity with modern gaming consoles.

Tom's Guide has reached out for further clarification on these features. Here's a breakdown of prices for each size variation:

• 50-inch: $350
• 55-inch: $400
• 65-inch: $500
• 75-inch: $750
• 85-inch: $1,100

Major competition for Roku and Amazon

On the surface, Sharp's new sets might seem like some of the best budget TVs to launch all year, but it's unclear how well they might perform against the competition. Add this to the fact that Xumo is a relatively small player in the face of Google TV or Roku, and Sharp's new TVs are a mixed bag of uncertainties.

Sharp also isn't the most well-known TV maker in the US. Back in 2015, Hisense scooped up Sharp's US TV business, but Sharp bought it back four years later. Since then, it's been making TVs for the US market, but most get left in the dust by major players like Roku and Amazon.

It's also important to note that Amazon recently announced a new lineup of TVs, including an Omni QLED TV that starts at $479. While Fire TV isn't the most beloved TV interface of the lot, it's definitely more well-known and offers far more features than Xumo.

We'll have to wait and see what Sharp's new Aquos Xumo TVs have to offer when we get them in for testing.

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TCL has surprised us all with a new TV in its 2025 roster: Meet the TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV, its most premium model yet, featuring a slew of enhanced gaming features in tandem with superb brightness and color volume. It's one serious new entry and goes toe-to-toe with the Hisense U9QG.

I got to see the QM9K in action at a special event held in New York a few weeks back. The new set was saddled up alongside the TCL QM8K, one of this year's best TVs, to show the leaps in brightness and color control its extra dimming zones offer.

As a huge fan of the Hisense U9N Mini-LED TV from last year, I was excited to see what TCL could bring to the table in a premium set like this. Read on to see my initial thoughts of TCL's new 2025 flagship.

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Sizes, pricing and availability

TCL hasn't given any word on pricing just yet, but expect a high premium for this set. The 65-inch TCL QM8K launched at $2,499 earlier this year, but is currently marked down to $1,299 in the midst of Labor Day TV sales.

You can expect the QM9K to be slightly more expensive, though it's hard to say where the MSRP might end up.

The next closest TV we can look to for guidance on its potential sticker price is the 75-inch Hisense U9N, which launched at $3,000 last year. (The U9N is only available in 75-inch and 85-inch configurations.)

Thus, the TCL QM9K could be anywhere from $2,799 to $3,299 for the 65-inch model, but we should know more later this month.

Fortunately, the TCL QM9K will be available in a range of sizes, including 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch, and 98-inch models. It would be nice to see the display in some extra smaller sizes, but given its premium specs and features, it only makes sense to keep it in a higher range.

TCL has given no word on any official launch date, aside from a projected release "later this month." You'll be able to buy it at Best Buy, Amazon, and other select retailers in your region.

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Specs

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Design

The TCL QM9K is a lot like other Mini-LED sets in the market; super thin with slim bezels. According to the spec sheet, the 65-inch and 75-inch models measure with a depth of just 2.0-inch without the stand. The spec sheet also lists the weight of the TV at just 50.9lbs with the stand, which means you'll definitely want some help setting it up.

TCL has gone with a chrome polish for the framing around the TV, which matches well with the pedestal stand that's available on all but the 98-inch model. I personally find the pedestal stands more optimal over the leg variety, as they're often easier to fit on smaller surfaces. (Even TCL had it placed on one of the smallest stands in the room at the event.)

If you're not too keen on using a stand and would rather mount it to a wall instead, it will come equipped with a 300x300 VESA mounting pattern on the 65-inch model. This will vary depending on size, so be sure to check depending on the model you end up going with.

Mirroring other models in its lineup, the TCL QM9K is kitted with an audio system made in partnership with Bang & Olufsen. Speaker specifications, like channel numbers and power output, are still unclear at this time, but Tom's Guide has reached out for more information.

It's also unclear if the QM9K will have a set of four HDMI 2.1 ports or just two sets of 2.0 and two 2.1. We've also asked for further clarification on this and will update this page when we know more. It does come equipped with a 144Hz refresh rate, which is much lower than the 165Hz presented across Hisense's 2025 TV lineup.

One specification the QM9K will have that no other TV this year can claim is a bespoke sensor that detects your presence when you walk into the room. It's a handy feature for those who want to get quick bites of info from their TV widgets, like news and weather forecasts, all without touching the remote.

Speaking of the remote, TCL's hasn't changed much over its other 2025 models. The QM9K will have the same chrome silver design with backlit buttons and instant access buttons to some of the best streaming services.

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Performance and features

According to TCL, QM9K boasts over 6,000 dimming zones, gifting it improved control in its brightness and contrast. TCL also claims it can spit out 6,500 nits of brightness, which definitely sounds unreasonable. We won't be able to confirm that number until we get it in for testing, but the QM8K did show some of the highest we tested this year at 4,437 nits in HDR.

In our hands-on demo, TCL had the QM9K set up next to the QM8K and an unnamed OLED TV. The team played scenes from "Gemini Man," as well as other stock 4K HDR content with bright, colorful floral patterns on the screen. It was all done in a super dark room, which gave us a great perspective on its contrast control and highlights.

Its 6,000 dimming zone are definitely aiding in enhancing performance, as the QM9K had some excellent contrasts. Colors also looked superb on the screen. You can tell the QM9K is a step above the QM8K by quite a large margin, as the former is far less bright and has more muted colors against the new flagship.

A particular highlight for me was a closeup of Will Smith wearing a white robe. Smith's skin tones looked natural and the white color of the robe was a flawless enamel, which was less vibrant and accurate on the QM8K. Even the OLED TV struggled a bit in this particular section, showing a slight tinge of green on the white robe.

While the QM9K shows promise in its performance, especially in darker scenes, the issues plaguing most Mini-LED TVs still persist. These include some concerning blooming and poor anti-glare mitigation, which were more noticeable on the TV that was in the outside room, where more natural lighting was present.

Although we didn't get any hands-on time with the TV speakers, as TCL wanted to flex its new Dolby Atmos FlexConnect functionality, I can see this being of major concern, as well. Even with the Bang & Olufsen sound system, the QM9K might not have the most bombastic speaker output. Unfortunately, even the best flagship TVs have lackluster speaker systems which is why we often recommend pairing them with a soundbar or a dedicated speaker system.

Despite these setbacks, the QM9K definitely shows promise. From what I saw, I was thoroughly impressed with its performance, most especially in color volume and accuracy. Overall HDR brightness will also be a particular highlight for this TV, but we'll have to get it in for testing for a full analysis.

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Outlook

As its top-of-the-line Ultimate Series TV, the QM9K serves as a window into unparallel performance. TCL aims to go to toe-to-toe with some of the best OLED TVs with its new flagship, and it seems a worthy challenger.

Without a definitive price for the TV just yet, it's hard to say where the QM9K might land in the market. It has some incredible performance to my eye, especially against the QM8K, plus the QM9K offers more in terms of its features, highlighted best in its wrangling of Google Gemini and an ambient sensor that automatically turns the screen on when you walk near it.

Are these features for everyone? Probably not, but at least TCL is going slightly against the grain with its new flagship, and that could be what sets it apart from the rest.

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As my colleagues and I make our way through the Sony TV lineup, testing and reviewing each of the brand's mainline TVs for 2025 to see if they'll make our list of the best TVs, one set stands out: the Bravia 2 II.

It's one of the most affordable TVs that Sony is promoting this year, which means it has the potential to be a pretty popular model. Oddly, though, it bears a striking resemblance to a Bravia TV that made its debut in 2024 that I personally reviewed. Here's what you need to know about the Sony Bravia 2 II — including how it compares to last year's Bravia 3.

Where does the Bravia 2 II fit in Sony’s TV lineup?

Sony’s 2025 Bravia TV lineup is a blend of new and old models, so TVs that launched last year are sharing shelf space with their newer counterparts. This might seem confusing at first, but broadly speaking, each set fills a niche, and you can glean a great deal from each model’s numerical designation.

At the bottom of the lineup sits the entry-level Bravia 2 II (that’s “two mark-two,” in case you’re wondering how to pronounce it). It’s an affordable QLED TV with a modest selection of features and it’s brand-new for 2025.

At the top of the lineup is the flagship Sony Bravia 9, a super-impressive Mini-LED TV jam-packed with bells and whistles. There’s nothing above the Bravia 9 within Sony’s TV hierarchy, but this is technically an older model, as it made its debut in 2024. In between are several other sets — some from 2024, some from 2025. Here’s the series at a glance:

• Bravia 2 II (QLED, 2025)
• Bravia 3 (QLED, 2024)
• Bravia 5 (Mini-LED, 2025)
• Bravia 7 (Mini-LED, 2024)
• Bravia 9 (Mini-LED, 2024)

I’ve yet to watch (and test) the all-new Bravia 5, but given its numerical designation and its hardware specifications, I can reasonably assume that its performance ceiling falls somewhere in between the Bravia 3 and the Bravia 7. Pricing reflects this, too.

But from where I sit, I can’t make a similar assumption when it comes to the Bravia 2 II's performance relative to the next TV up the chain: the Bravia 3.

Bravia 2 II vs Bravia 3: What's the difference?

One might expect the Bravia 3 to offer better performance and a more thorough selection of features than the Bravia 2 II based on the naming convention, but on paper, there's a much smaller gap between these two than any other pair of TVs in Sony's current lineup.

In fact, I can't find very many meaningful distinctions at all.

In my Sony Bravia 3 review, I lamented the TV's lack of local dimming, as it burdened the picture with shallow black levels and dim highlights.

The Bravia 2 II appears to be leveraging a similar display type: direct LED with no mention of full-array local dimming. The official listing for the Sony Bravia 2 II mentions a feature called "Frame Dimming," but this is a rudimentary version of backlight control when compared to full-array local dimming.

In other words, when it comes to their display hardware, the Bravia 2 II and the Bravia 3 are apparently very similar.

Now, I can't be certain that these TVs deliver comparable contrast, color and brightness without having seen the Bravia 2 II in person and measured its performance. But I can tell you that I'd be surprised if there was a significant difference between them.

I've spent hours poring over specs and press materials, and as far as I can tell, the most significant difference between these two TVs (other than their price and size availability) is that the Bravia 3 supports Dolby Vision.

And, given the Bravia 3's aforementioned performance struggles, I'm here to tell you that its Dolby Vision certification isn't nearly as beneficial as it is on higher-end, better-performing TVs. In other words, you can live without it.

I'll be reaching out to Sony to get to the bottom of this, but when all's said and done, I'll need to get our hands on the Bravia 2 II before I can recommend one over another.

Currently, the Bravia 3 is available in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65-, 75- and 85-inch versions, starting at $449.

The Bravia 2 II is available in the same slate of sizes except the 43- and 85-inch versions. However, Sony's website lists a 43-inch Bravia 2 II that might be made available at some point in the future.

Even as a year-old model, the Bravia 3 is currently $50 more than the Bravia 2 II at the 55-inch size point. If you want to save as much money as possible, stick with the newer Bravia 2 II.

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Samsung is adding to its line-up of oversized displays with the new 115-inch QN90F Neo QLED TV that’s available starting today on Samsung's website for… well… a lot. At launch, this super-sized TV will cost $26,999, which is strange considering that’s nearly as much as Samsung’s recently unveiled 115-inch RGB MicroLED TV that costs $30,000.

Back in April we did our Samsung QN90F hands-on review with a 65-inch version of this set, and we came away impressed with its bright picture and local dimming performance. You also get full HDMI 2.1 support in an elegant design. However, we thought some of the AI-features felt half-baked and that the color volume was a bit lackluster.

Despite a number of picture-enhancing technologies, it's not exactly clear how the supersized Neo QLED TV is supposed to compete with its MicroLED stablemate — unless Samsung has plans to cut its price significantly in November for Black Friday.

Big screen, big value?

At 115 inches corner-to-corner, the new QN90F is larger than any consumer OLED TV — but it now feels par for the course for QLED TVs put out by Samsung and Hisense.

According to the press release sent to Tom’s Guide, the 115-inch Samsung QN90F Neo QLED TV will use the NQ8 AI Gen3 processor (the same one found in last year’s Samsung QN900D 8K TV) that has access to Supersize Picture Enhancer, an upscaling technology that helps reduce noise on larger screens.

To help mitigate glare — a huge problem for TVs this size — Samsung is equipping the QN90F with Glare Free technology, a technology that has worked exceedingly well in its QD–OLED TVs, the 2025 S95F OLED and the 2024 S95D OLED.

For enhanced contrast and color, the QN90F will use a combination of its Neo Quantum HDR Pro and Plus, Quantum Matrix Technology Pro technology.

All these technologies sound great on paper, but I'm not sure any Neo QLED TV will be able to compete with Samsung's new RGB MicroLED TVs.

Neo QLED vs RGB MicroLED vs OLED

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In my opinion, the Hisense U8QG Mini-LED TV is one of the best TVs in 2025. But so is the TCL QM8K. Making matters tricky is that both 65-inch models of both TVs come in at the exact same price, sitting just under $1,300, which isn't half bad when considering the performance curve. So, which one is the better buy?

It's Hisense U8QG vs TCL QM8K to see which Mini-LED TV is the better Mini-LED TV. Read on below to see which one wins in this faceoff.

Hisense U8QG vs. TCL QM8K: Specs compared

Hisense U8QG vs. TCL QM8K: Design

Both the Hisense U8QG and TCL QM8K are very similar displays, leveraging Mini-LED backlighting and a quantum dot film. The QM8K has a WHVA panel, while the U8QG has an ADS Pro panel, both of which boast several advantages over IPS and VA types.

Neither is slim and light, however. The 65-inch U8QG, in particular, weighs about 53 lbs without the stand and 10 lbs more with the stand, making it a pretty hefty display. The TCL QM8K, on the other hand, weights less at just 46 ponds without the stand, but you'll still want some help if you decide to wall-mount it.

In terms of their audio, the U8QG has a 4.1.2-channel system with a power output that varies across screen sizes. The 65-inch model sits at 72W, and supports Dolby Atmos surround sound. Meanwhile, the QM8K has a 2.2.2-channel Dolby Atmos system designed by Bang & Olufsen.

It's tough to pick out a major winner here, given the similarities between these two TVs. If there is one thing the U8QG has over its flagship Mini-LED TV rival, it's that punchier sound system, which could be a particular highlight for users who don't want to spend extra on one of the best soundbars.

For that, I feel the Hisense U8QG is the better choice here in terms of design.

Winner: Hisense U8QG

Hisense U8QG vs. TCL QM8K: Ports

The Hisense U8QG is a bit of an oddball when it comes to its port selection. Instead of having four HDMI ports like most TVs, it's equipped with just three HDMI 2.1 inputs and a USB-C port video output and charging.

While that's an interesting addition on the U8QG, I find it a little niche for most TV buyers. It would make a whole lot more sense for the U8QG to have four HDMI slots with the USB-C port, as it's intended primarily for PC gamers.

The TCL QM8K does have four HDMI ports, but only two of them are the higher HDMI 2.1 spec. This is common for most budget Mini-LED models, but with so many sets moving away from HDMI 2.0 and the introduction of HDMI 2.2 making waves in the market, it's about time TV makers start offering a full range of 2.1 ports.

From this, you can deduce the U8QG is a slightly better display for gaming, but only if you're running one of the best gaming PCs. I do like the addition of a USB-C port, but I think it's a little niche right now. Even so, the U8QG still has three HDMI 2.1 ports, giving it a slight edge against its counterpart.

Winner: Hisense U8QG

Hisense U8QG vs. TCL QM8K: Remote

Both Hisense and TCL have some great remotes to offer. There isn't too much of a difference between them, though I do like how the U8QG has a bit more button variety.

I think all-in, both are fantastic pieces of equipment and work well in bringing out the full range of use across your TV. It's also handy having a backlight on both remotes, so hats off to both contenders here.

Winner: Tie

Hisense U8QG vs. TCL QM8K: Performance

Let's take a peek at the test results of both Mini-LED TVs to see how they stack up before diving into their performance.

As I already mentioned, the U8QG sports some of the highest metrics we've seen this year and doesn't hold back in either SDR or HDR content.

That being said, the QM8K still topples it in the HDR category, which is really interesting, but the excess brightness might not be very valuable: Although Dolby Vision and HDR10 can spit out HDR images at up to 10,000 nits, most HDR content is mastered between 1,000 and 4,000 nits.

This means the U8QG hits the perfect number of 3,916 nits for HDR content. It also has a wider range in color coverage, if only very slight, with a Rec2020 gamut of 83.98% and UHDA-P3 of 97.53%. Those are especially superb, seeing as most TVs can barely top 70% of the Rec2020 gamut. Of course, the QM8K isn't too far behind.

Their low Delta-E scores (the lower the better) are particularly noteworthy for their excellent color accuracy right out of the box. These TVs are truly neck-and-neck, showing just how far Mini-LED TVs have come in the last five years.

In terms of non-quantifiable qualities, both TVs have an anti-glare film to diminish reflections, but I found the U8QG still suffered from them. This was especially true for late-night viewing with the lights on, which is really unfortunate.

On the other hand, the QM8K seemingly didn't standout in its off-axis viewing potential. That's a common complaint on a lot of Mini-LED TVs, so it only makes sense seeing it here on TCL's flagship 2025 set.

We also noted some poor audio performance on the QM8K, which is certainly not the case on the U8QG. The latter display has a truly bombastic system.

Give its higher SDR brightness metrics, subtle improvements in color volume and accuracy, improved input latency, and better audio, the standout winner here is the U8QG. But, it's still a very close competition.

Winner: Hisense U8QG

Hisense U8QG vs. TCL QM8K: Smart platform and features

Both the Hisense U8QG and the TCL QM8K run on Google TV, making them both pretty adept in navigation and content curation. I've mentioned it before, but Google TV is probably the best interface you can ask for, even if it doesn't see many updates like its rivals in webOS and Tizen.

That being said, you still have access to all of the best streaming services, with the addition of tons of free content to dive into. Google TV has its own slew of channels to enjoy, but also has the Roku Channel for even more coverage of free FAST channels, which is great if you're not glued to one particular platform.

Google TV is also equipped with several smart home features, making it a great combo piece if you have smart shades, lights, or other smart tech around the house with hands-free voice controls. Gemini AI is also set to be added to Google TV later this year, which could give such sets a major boost in quality, especially in search and recommendations.

We can't recommend Google TV enough here at Tom's Guide. It's great on both TVs. Thus, both TVs get the win in my book.

Winner: Tie

Hisense U8QG vs. TCL QM8K: Gaming

It's here where things get a little tricky. The TCL QM8K is built with several awesome features that make it stand out for gamers, even though it skimps on HDMI 2.1 ports. Meanwhile, the U8QG has a really low input latency and a USB-C video output for wider PC adoption.

What stands out for me on the QM8K is its dynamic refresh rates: It can run games at higher speeds in lower resolutions, like 1080p and 1440p content in 288Hz, which is pretty awesome but really only pertains to PC gamers.

Both have pretty extensive gaming hubs and they're both equipped with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which is great if you have an AMD GPU in your PC. Otherwise, it won't be that much of a major improvement for most users.

I find both TVs are fine for gaming, though I do think the U8QG might be the better comprise here for console players given its low input latency and additional HDMI 2.1 port. If you're more of a PC gamer, though, it really won't matter which TV you pick, as they're both some of the best gaming TVs.

Winner: Hisense U8QG

Hisense U8QG vs. TCL QM8K: Outlook

The Hisense U8QG is one of the best TVs you can buy right now for the price, but given it shares the same price as the QM8K, you really can't go wrong with either one.

Both displays are built on the robust Google TV smart platform, offering you tons of free content to enjoy. Design-wise, they share almost identical qualities. Their panel types differ only ever-so-slightly, but you'll still get largely the same results out of both.

You can find the 65-inch QM8K for $1,297 and the 65-inch U8QG for $1,297 on Amazon at the time of writing. That's pretty incredible, especially seeing as the QM8K has dropped in price by a lot since its launch.

I think what matters here is the type of content you're watching on the regular. The U8QG has a better overall color volume and accuracy, but I find the QM8K will be beneficial most for those who want to get the best performance in HDR.

If you're more of a gamer, especially someone running a PS5 or Xbox Series X, the U8QG might be the better option. Then again, the QM8K does have some interesting features for PC players, but seeing that it doesn't have anything lower than 65-inch, I wouldn't recommend it.

Overall, the Hisense U8QG ekes out a win, but I wouldn't fault you for picking either.

More from Tom's Guide

• LG G5 OLED TV review
• Samsung S95F OLED TV review
• This new TV breakthrough looks like a game-changer for OLED TVs

Mini-LED TVs have come quite a long way over the past five years. Prices have dropped drastically since their inception and TV manufactures that solely focus on Mini-LED TVs in the US, like TCL and Hisense, have capitalized on this major success by offering lower-cost alternatives to LG, Samsung and Sony TVs.

That's where the Hisense U8QG Mini-LED TV comes in. It sits at the top of Hisense's 2025 TV lineup, sporting some of the highest brightness levels in our testing this year. It's also built on the robust Google TV smart platform and offers an incredible sound system.

Similarly, the LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV is a premium, top-of-the-line model that sports serious color accuracy, a wide selection of HDMI 2.1 ports, and some of the best motion processing. But at a current price of $1,699, is this LG 2025 flagship Mini-LED TV worth the investment when the Hisense could be had for $500 less?

I crunched the numbers, pitting the LG QNED92 vs the Hisense U8QG to see which Mini-LED TV is the better buy.

LG QNED92 vs Hisense U8QG: Specs compared

LG QNED92 vs Hisense U8QG: Design

The Hisense U8QG and LG QNED92 are both QLED TVs with Mini-LED backlighting, each using a VA (Vertical Alignment) panel. This means you'll get solid contrasts on both sets, though neither will out-contrast the LG C5 OLED.

Given they're LCD TVs with big backlighting systems, both models are plenty hefty. The 65-inch Hisense U8QG weighs a little over 10 pounds more than the LG QNED92 in the same configuration, 53.4lbs vs 41.9lbs, respectively.

This weight disparity could have something to do with the larger speaker system on the U8QG: It's built with a 4.1.2-channel setup with a 72W total output, which includes side-firing and up-firing speakers in addition to a 20W subwoofer.

Meanwhile, the LG QNED92 with just a 2.2-channel speaker with a 40W output. This can't hold a candle up against the Hisense system, even with its Dolby Atmos support.

Another downside on the LG TV is that it comes with triangular legs as opposed to a pedestal stand, which the U8QG has. This makes it rather difficult to place on smaller entertainment stands.

Winner: Hisense U8QG

LG QNED92 vs Hisense U8QG: Ports

When it comes to ports, LG knocked it out of the park. Like its OLED lineup, LG built the QNED92 with a full set of four HDMI 2.1 ports. The Hisense U8QG has three HDMI 2.1 ports, but foregoes the fourth in favor of a USB-C video input.

Why USB-C? While practical for gamers, the concept is still a little strange to me. You'll really only get major benefits from the USB-C port if you're connecting a PC into the display, which will probably be rare in most cases.

It would be far more beneficial if Hisense had included an HDMI 2.2 port instead, giving it a leg up against other major TV brands — but we'll have to wait until next year for this specification to arrive on most displays.

Winner: LG QNED92

LG QNED92 vs Hisense U8QG: Remote

As I mentioned in our LG C5 OLED vs TCL QM8K faceoff, LG's re-designed remote is a welcome change, but still has its quirks. No dedicated input button makes switching between TV sources a tedious process, and its dual scroll wheel and select button are real pains.

Hisense's remote, on the other hand, is pure bliss. It comes with backlit buttons and a full array of instant access to many of the best streaming services. It could be made a bit smaller, but otherwise it fits comfortably in your palm.

Winner: Hisense U8QG

LG QNED92 vs Hisense U8QG: Performance

Let's take a peek at the test results of both Mini-LED TVs to see how they stack up before diving into their performance.

The metrics here heavily favor the Hisense U8QG. As is expected, the Hisense has best-in-class brightness, spitting out nearly 3,000 nits in standard content and just under 4,000 nits in HDR.

The QNED92 is no slouch when it comes to HDR (1,199 nits in a 10% window is about what we'd expect to see from a Mini-LED TV in 2025), but the U8QG clearly is the winner here when it comes to brightness.

When it comes to color volume, the Hisense's UHDA-P3 and Rec2020 gamut coverage are slightly higher against the LG QNED92, coming out to 97.53% and 83.98%, respectively. This will translate directly to a more vibrant, colorful image.

It's not a complete sweep, though. The QNED92 does have a lower Delta-E. This metric covers color accuracy, with a lower number being better than a higher one. Unfortunately, while colors may technically be more accurate on the LG Mini-LED TV, anything under a score of 3 is largely imperceptible to the human eye.

In my testing, I found the LG QNED92 had far better anti-glare support despite it not having any anti-glare coating like the Hisense. Typically, the TV with higher luminance would be better at dealing with ambient light, but the Hisense U8QG suffered greatly in this regard, primarily in the evening when background lights in my kitchen were on.

Unfortunately, better anti-glare coating and slightly higher color accuracy aren't enough to help the the QNED92 eke out a win here. LG's top QNED just can't compete with the U8QG in the two most important performance metrics, brightness and color volume.

Winner: Hisense U8QG

LG QNED92 vs Hisense U8QG: Smart platform and features

Let's not mince words here, both TV interfaces are marred with intrusive ads that can detract from the whole experience. In a perfect world, we just wouldn't have to deal with ads on either platform.

The downside to the LG QNED92 is that it lacks an ATSC 3.0 tuner, which the Hisense U8QG is equipped with. This nets you access to NextgenTV and 4K broadcasts via an over-the-air digital antenna. That technology isn't quite ubiquitous yet, but give it a few years and it will definitely be a major boon for the Hisense U8QG.

But there is something webOS offers that Google TV doesn't: a five year upgrade path. This means LG will maintain upgrades to the software for up to five years, keeping your LG QNED92 up-to-snuff against potential security breaches.

You can argue it both ways, but I think webOS has Google TV beat right now. The LG TV interface has its own slew of free channels to dive into, cloud gaming services, and a five year upgrade path, all of which help it to stand up against Google's smart TV platform.

Winner: LG QNED92

LG QNED92 vs Hisense U8QG: Gaming

The U8QG and the QNED92 are both exceptional gaming displays. It's clear to me the Hisense U8QG leans more into the PC gaming realm due to its 165Hz refresh rate and USB-C video output, but that doesn't mean it's the de facto choice for gamers. The LG QNED makes a solid case for itself, too.

The QNED92 comes equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports versus just the three on the U8QG. Plus, it has a sophisticated Game Optimizer, which I personally loved testing out in my review.

Although both TVs share similar gaming features, like VRR, ALLM, and AMD FreeSync Premium, what sets them apart is their input latency. The Hisense U8QG hits a low of 9.7ms while the LG QNED92 comes in at 13.3ms. While that's not a terrible number, as anything under 16ms is perfectly reasonable, input latency under 10ms offers the best gaming performance.

If you're looking for a vibrant, glare-mitigating screen to pair with your Xbox Series X or PS5 Pro, the LG QNED92 is a safe bet. If you're aiming to get the best possible results while running one of the best gaming PCs, go with the Hisense U8QG.

Winner: Tie

LG QNED92 vs Hisense U8QG: Outlook

Hisense is still the king of Mini-LED TVs and the U8QG offers some of the best performance metrics we've seen in our testing lab this year.

The QNED92 is no slouch in the performance department, but the proverbial nail in the QNED92's coffin is its price. Unlike the U8QG, which has arguably the best price-to-performance ratio in the Mini-LED market right now, the QNED92 is far too expensive to make it a worthwhile investment.

Taking both their prices into consideration, the Hisense U8QG is definitely the right call if you're looking to get the best possible QLED right now... but you might be better off waiting until Black Friday later this year before picking one up.

More from Tom's Guide

• LG G5 OLED TV review
• Samsung S95F OLED TV review
• This new TV breakthrough looks like a game-changer for OLED TVs

Gaming TVs are tough to shop for: Not all displays meet the standards required by the Xbox Series X and PS5, and those that come close are often far too expensive.

At the high-end of the market are OLED TVs that are often among the best gaming TVs you can buy. Their inky blacks and perfect HDR performance coupled with some of the lowest input latency, make OLEDs perfect for both console and PC gamers — too bad there's only a handful of them available for under $1,000.

Meanwhile, Mini-LED TVs are a safe bet when you're trying to save some cash. Several Mini-LED TVs come relatively cheap and have a have higher brightness specs against OLEDs, offering slightly better glare mitigation if you're gaming during daylight hours.

Both types of TVs have their advantages, and both can be amazing gaming TVs if you know what to look for. To help, I've wrangled my personal favorite picks and the TVs I'd buy if I were looking to get the best gaming performance for the lowest price.

Quick List

• Smart TV sale on Amazon: deals from $69 @ Amazon
• Panasonic 75" W95A 4K Mini-LED TV: was $2,299 now $749 @ Amazon
• Hisense 55" U8QG 4K Mini-LED TV: was $1,499 now $997 @ Amazon
• LG 42" C5 4K OLED TV: was $1,396 now $1,196 @ Amazon
• Panasonic 65" Z95A 4K OLED TV: was $3,199 now $1,997 @ Amazon
• Sony 55" Bravia A95L 4K OLED TV: was $2,799 now $1,998 @ Amazon

LG C5 OLED — Best overall

It's hard to compete with the LG C5 OLED. It's one of the few TVs we've given a perfect rating this year, with our review citing its incredible contrast and color metrics.

The C5 can spit out as much as 344 nits in standard content and 1,179 nits in HDR, which is pretty commendable, but it's the inky black levels that gives it world-class contrast.

And the LG C5 OLED is even better when we turn to its gaming features: Not only does it hit a 144Hz refresh rate with VRR, but it also has a low 9.1ms of input latency. It's one of the few TVs that falls under 9.5ms in our testing, right next to the Samsung S90F OLED.

No console? No problem. WebOS has access to several cloud gaming services, making it an ideal choice for those who don't even have a PC or console. Just be sure to hard-wire the TV for the best results when using Xbox Game Pass or GeForce Now.

Panasonic W95A — Best budget

Panasonic came out swinging last year in its return to the US market by delivering not only two OLED TVs, but also launched a well-rounded Mini-LED TV called the W95A. I was totally blown away by this TV and it shows in my Panasonic W95A review, in which I gave it a four out of five stars.

The biggest letdown for me at the time was its price — it launched at $1,799 for the 65-inch model, far above similarly-specced TVs from Hisense and TCL. But with the Panasonic W95A now at an all-time low of $479 for its 55-inch model (and a whopping $797 for its 75-inch model), there's really no reason to ignore it. For gamers, it offers everything you could ask for in a 144Hz refresh rate, AMD Freesync Premium, and cloud streaming platforms through Fire TV.

The downside? It only has two HDMI 2.1 ports and a relatively high input latency of 13.7ms. While we do like to see this number under 10ms, this is mostly fine for the average gamer, and its picture performance (especially in HDR) make up for these setbacks.

Sony Bravia A95L — Best OLED

Despite releasing nearly three years ago, the Sony Bravia XR A95L still remains one of the best gaming TVs — if not one of the best TVs, bar none. This year it's being replaced with the Bravia 8 II OLED, which has some incredible test results already. But there's still life left in the A95L, largely as its price dips with age.

In our Sony Bravia A95L OLED review, we highlighted three main aspects that set it apart from most of its rivals: gorgeous picture quality, wide HDR color gamut, and bombastic sound. At the time, these pros made it highly attractive and, while you might find some TVs a bit more appealing today in the Mini-LED camp, it still remains the high-end gaming OLED to beat.

Unlike the C5, however, you will have to contend with just two HDMI 2.1 ports and a max 120Hz refresh rate. The former should be more than adequate, especially with modern consoles topping out at 4K/120 anyway. Plus, the A95L has some PS5 exclusive features, like Auto HDR tone mapping and Auto Genre mode.

You can get it at its lowest price right now, and while the Bravia 8 II might be replacing it this year, the A95L will still remain the top-of-the-line Sony OLED with its 77-inch configuration carrying over into 2025 and beyond.

Hisense U8QG — Best Mini-LED

As far as Mini-LED TVs go, the Hisense U8QG is one of the best releases this year (so far). It's dropped in price dramatically since launch and is equipped with a string of awesome gaming features. Best of all, it's at an unbeatable price of just $1,279 for its 65-inch model.

The U8QG was a great TV to have while I reviewed Death Stranding 2. They matched up perfectly, letting me test out this Mini-LED TV's 9.7ms if input latency in tandem with its bonkers brightness. It's also one of the few affordable TVs this year that comes with a 165Hz refresh rate — though it's highly unlikely you'll ever need this much power unless you're running one of the best gaming PCs.

It's also got an incredible sound system, too. I never needed to raise the volume higher than 35 in my review of the U8QG. That's owed largely to its bombastic 72W of power output and 20W subwoofer, a rarity on most conventional TVs.

The U8QG only offers three HDMI 2.1 ports, sadly. It drops the fourth port in favor of using a USB-C input for video output and charging, which is a neat add, but would make more sense if you had four total HDMI ports with the USB-C.

Panasonic Z95A — Best audio

It's no secret that the Panasonic Z95A is one of my favorite OLED TVs. It ticks a lot of the boxes when it comes to gaming; OLED panel, incredible color volume, high brightness, both screen tearing technologies (G-Sync and FreeSync), and a fully in-depth gaming menu.

But of all the things that makes the Panasonic Z95A stand out, its audio is the strongest. TV speakers are often fairly flimsy to bring down costs and save more room on the TV chassis. But Panasonic went above and beyond with its 2024 flagship OLED, outfitting it with a 160W 5.1.2-channel speaker for incredible audio performance.

And it doesn't stop there, as Panasonic's Sound Focus feature lets you fine-tune the audio in a variety of ways. One setting is called Area, which allows you to customize the audio output in a 120 degree axis, and Pinpoint can (as the name suggests) pinpoint the sound to a particular area in the room.

This was one of my favorite features to test while gaming on the Panasonic Z95A. You can customize the audio to specific genres, making them feel more immersive, and the Z95A's in-depth game menu lets you make tons of changes on the fly.

The biggest issues here are its reliance on the Fire TV ecosystem, as well as its relatively high input latency of 12.6ms. We like to see that number below 10ms, but generally anything under 16ms is more than adequate. It's also only available in 65-inch and still pretty expensive, but at least it's dropped to under $2,000 since its debut last year.

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The LG QNED92 swoops in to replace last year’s QNED90T, bringing with it a host of major enhancements to set it apart from the ever-growing crowd of LED-LCD TVs with Mini-LED backlighting. While it might at first seem like a great new display, the QNED92 doesn’t quite offer the same value — or performance — as the similarly priced LG C5 OLED.

On the positive side, the QNED92 does have incredible features built into webOS, plus fantastic motion processing. Color accuracy is also very good compared to the best TVs in its class. And even though this set doesn’t have an anti-glare coating, it proved versatile against reflections, which is surprising for a Mini-LED TV.

In spite of those highlights, though, the QNED92 doesn’t quite surpass the Hisense U8QG. Compared to the U8QG, the QNED92 not only generates low luminance, but also is equipped with slightly worse audio. If it didn’t cost $1,699, the QNED92 would stand a better chance, but for now I’d recommend the Hisense U8QG — or the TCL QM8K — over the QNED92.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Price and release date

The LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV (also known as the QNED93 in other regions) launched in April 2025 at the top of LG’s QNED range. It’s available in four main sizes, including 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch, but the 55-inch model is only available outside of the US.

As with most Mini-LED TVs, different sizes means differing numbers of dimming zones. Given that we tested on a 75-inch model, we might see enhanced performance in blooming mitigation and contrast support against its lower sizes. That being said, specs and features will remain largely the same across configurations.

• LG 65QNED92 (65-inch): $1,799 | Sale $1,699
• LG 75QNED92 (75-inch): $2,299 | Sale $2,199
• LG 85QNED92 (85-inch): $3,499 | Sale: $3,299

These prices put the LG QNED92 into contention with other major flagship Mini-LED TVs of the year, including the TCL QM8K and Hisense U8QG (before its massive sales slashing). Still, it does prove cheaper than some alternatives with more premium pricing, like the Samsung QN90F and Sony Bravia 9.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Design

When it comes to its outer shell, the LG QNED92 is by no means slim. Like other Mini-LED models (looking at you Hisense U8QG), it’s a bit bulky and hefty. The 75-inch model we tested has a width of about 65 inches and weighs 56 lbs, which means you’ll definitely want an extra pair of hands to get this set up properly.

Bezels can be pretty noticeable too, but they don’t detract from the experience. I’ve reached out to ask if LG added an anti-glare coating to the QNED92, but was told it does not feature one. Still, it provides incredible protection against reflections, something the Hisense U8QG suffered from, despite having an anti-glare coating.

It’s kitted with pedestal-style feet that are pretty easy to slot into the base, but they do require a screw driver. These feet are sturdy enough, but are a bit wide, measuring just over 15 inches. This means you'll need a particularly wide surface for this TV, as it requires the full width of its triangular sizing to sit properly.

You can always forego the stand in favor of a wall mount instead: The QNED92 uses a 400x300 VESA mounting interface on its 65-inch and 75-inch models, while the 85-inch version uses a 600x400 mounting solution.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Ports

The QNED92 is equipped with tons of connectivity, including a range of four HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is eARC compliant. You’ll also find two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, SPDF optical digital audio output, RF input for an antenna, and an RS-232C input jack.

Unfortunately, LG still hasn’t brought back the ATSC 3.0 standard for NetGenTV, so you’re stuck with an ATSC 1.0 tuner on the QNED92. In terms of wireless-supported features, you’ll also find that it’s Bluetooth 5.3-capable and also equipped with Wi-Fi 6E.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Performance

I put the QNED92 to task with a variety of different movies and shows that could test its color, HDR performance, and luminance. These include “Interstellar,” “The Batman,” “Hereditary,” as well as more colorful experiences, like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” and “Mob Psycho.”

Although not an OLED TV, the LG QNED92 handles these darker movies quite well thanks to a technology called Precision Dimming Pro. Mini-LED TVs and LED-LCDs in general aren’t always the best when it comes to contrast control, but the QNED92 stands out in this regard. It’s best exemplified in fast-paced space scenes in “Interstellar,” with the backdrop of the cosmos looking crisp and full of information.

Two of my favorite aspects of the QNED92 were motion control and glare mitigation. The latter was a major sticking point for me on the Hisense U8QG and I’m quite impressed with how LG’s flagship QNED handles glare, even when watching movies with more shadows and darker elements.

Another highlight is its color accuracy. “Super Mario Bros. Movie” really popped on this screen, thanks to its low Delta-E of 1.5, which measures color accuracy. While it might miss the mark ever so slightly when it comes to specific color gamuts, particularly in both standard and HDR content, these will largely be imperceptible to most eyes.

It’s more in the HDR realm where I see the QNED92 falling flat. Specifically, specular highlights take a big hit on this TV, largely due to its limited brightness output. Jumping back to "Interstellar," you can see this take effect on the planet that’s full of white clouds of ice, with the QNED92 struggling to hit those vibrant white details in this regard.

You’ll also find that it can't match up to its C5 OLED counterpart when it comes to upscaling chops. I tried watching some content in lower resolutions, like “Tenet” and “The Fighter” in base Blu-ray and noticed a lot of noise and limited detail.

How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subject tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer, but usually feature anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Test results

Let’s compare the LG QNED92 to similarly-priced Mini-LED TVs, like the TCL QM8K, Sony Bravia 7, and the Samsung QN80F. (Note that the Bravia 7 launched last year, but is still being sold in 2025.)

There’s a lot to unpack when you take a look at the metrics of the LG QNED92, especially when put up against some of its rivals. It might boast some serious vibrancy and color accuracy, but LG falls behind its biggest rivals on brightness and color volume.

Hisense and TCL top the charts with blazingly-high brightness when displaying HDR content, with the Hisense U8QG exceeding 3,900 nits and the TCL QM8K hitting over 4,400 nits. Meanwhile, the QNED92 maxes out at just under 1,200 nits.

We saw similar results in UHDA-P3 color gamut coverage, which focuses on HDR performance. The QNED92 sits a little over 95%, whereas other LED-LCDs are topping out over 97%, and the same is true for standard content represented in the Rec709 gamut.

At just 97.79%, the QNED92 is actually the odd man out compared to most other TVs in our metrics, which primarily sit at or above 99%.

What the LG QNED92 does have going for it is a low Delta E of 1.5, mirroring its Sony Bravia 7 counterpart. While that might seem good on paper, anything below a score of 3 is pretty much imperceptible, but it does show that the QNED92 has incredible color accuracy.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Gaming

The QNED92 is ready to get your game on thanks to a slew of awesome features, like VRR support up to 144Hz, ALLM and AMD FreeSync Premium. Its native 120Hz refresh rate is adequate enough, especially for more modern consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

An input latency of 13.3ms might give you pause, and it’s definitely something you might want to consider if you’re playing more fast-paced FPS games or online experiences that require precision timing, but it’s fine for the average gamer. We tend to like the input latency under 10ms, but anything under 16ms works just as well.

The big feature that sets the QNED92 apart from other TVs is the LG Gaming Portal, which plays host to some of the best cloud gaming services, namely Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now. While these won’t exactly replace your gaming hardware, they’re nice to have in the event that a game isn’t available on your platform of choice.

I played a lot of different games on the LG QNED92 and all looked stunning, but none more so than Death Stranding 2. While it does look stellar when it comes to more color-bound aspects, like hair and skin tones, the game did get a bit wonky with HDR, particularly in more sun-drenched scenarios.

LG’s game optimizer is a great resource, though, as you can tailor the experience to suit your liking.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Audio

Where the LG QNED92 falls flat, like most TVs, is in its audio performance. It’s not terrible, but it’s also not great — rather middling. This is largely due to its 40W 2.2-channel speaker that pales in comparison to the 65-inch Hisense U8QG, which has a 72W output on a 4.1.2-channel system. Without more power, the QNED92 doesn’t hold much weight in its soundstage.

Of course, you could opt into getting one of the best soundbars for improved audio performance, plus it does help that this Mini-LED TV has a virtual Dolby Atmos 9.1.2 up-mix if you want to play with that.

Some additional AI features, like Clear Voice Pro, also help to give some scenes better clarity, but I try to avoid these for fear it will ruin the director’s intent for the film or show.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Interface and apps

The QNED92 is built on LG’s webOS interface, which comes with all of the best streaming services baked into it. It’s a well-rounded system, if only held back by its use of in-your-face ads that might only multiply in the future.

For now, though, it’s stacked with everything you would need in a TV interface, plus tons of free channels to enjoy. As already mentioned, you also have access to a variety of different game streaming platforms, which are only available on LG’s webOS and Samsung’s Tizen OS interfaces.

Through webOS, you can also connect smart home devices using LG’s Google Home integration, which is a nice touch. This might really only matter for users with doorbells or cameras, but having an extra smart home hub built into your entertainment system is a nice get.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Remote

One of the biggest pitfalls on previous LG TVs was the remote, which is why I’m excited to say it’s been redesigned with some excellent changes. It’s a lot less bulky and heavy, slimmed down just a bit so it fits better in your palm. It still uses the annoying magic remote feature, but at least you can shut that off pretty easily in the settings.

Despite my praise for the design change, I do have one major gripe: Input selection on the new remote is dedicated to LG’s Home Hub button, which isn’t readily known and might take a while to figure out. Using this button also takes a minute to populate on-screen, which is slightly frustrating but mileage may vary in this regard.

LG QNED92 Mini-LED TV review: Verdict

I had a great time testing the LG QNED92. It’s built on a well-rounded interface with tons of control for all things gaming and entertainment, but I can’t deny it is held back by some middling performance metrics.

When you put the LG QNED92 up against some of its biggest contenders, it doesn’t deliver in the luminance department. It might have vibrant colors and tons of gaming features to enjoy, but its minimal brightness in both standard and HDR holds it back — especially when you’re paying $1,699 for its 65-inch model.

Overall, it’s tough to give a full recommendation to the QNED92 when displays like the Hisense U8QG and TCL QM8K are spitting out nearly 4,000 nits in HDR content. Add to that the fact that the QNED92 is still without an ATSC 3.0 tuner, which comes readily available on the Hisense U8QG, and that’s just $997 for its 65-inch model (at the time of writing).

I really enjoyed my time with the LG QNED92, but there are simply better Mini-LED TVs at much cheaper prices. Its performance issues coupled with its high asking price makes the QNED92 hard to recommend over rival Mini-LED TVs, like the Hisense U8QG and TCL QM8K, much less the LG C5 OLED that can be had for just $100 more.

Mini-LED TVs offer you the best bang for your buck when buying a new TV. While OLEDs might get all the hype for their rich blacks and improved contrast, there's no denying that Mini-LED TVs are up there in terms of picture performance.

What Mini-LED TVs offer over OLEDs is cheaper prices at higher configurations. Who doesn't want a new 98-inch Mini-LED TV for less than $2,000? Models like the Panasonic W95A and TCL QM7K Mini-LED TVs give you that big screen kick without the exorbitant price tag.

Below I've listed my favorite Mini-LEDs in terms of general pricing and performance, but there's no real order to the list. In fact, the Sony Bravia 9 is probably one of the best TVs you can buy bar none, but I personally recommend the Hisense U8QG for its current sticker price of just under $1,000.

Quick List

• Smart TV sale on Amazon: deals from $69 @ Amazon
• Hisense 65" U8QG 4K Mini-LED TV: was $1,499 now $997 @ Amazon
• TCL 65" QM7K 4K Mini-LED TV: was $1,499 now $799 @ Amazon
• Panasonic 65" W95A 4K Mini-LED TV: was $1,799 now $597 @ Amazon
• Sony 65" Bravia 9 4K Mini-LED TV: was $2,999 now $2,798 @ Amazon
• Samsung 65" QN900D 8K Mini-LED TV: was $4,999 now $4,799 @ Samsung

Best Mini-LED TVs

Hisense U8QG Mini-LED TV

So far, the Hisense U8QG has proven its mettle as one of the best Mini-LED TVs for under $1,000 in 2025. I reviewed the Hisense U8QG earlier this year and loved its slew of gaming features, especially its higher 165Hz refresh rate. It's also a unicorn in terms of its speaker configuration, offering one of the most bombastic sound systems I've tested on a TV this year.

It's mostly held back by its minimal glare mitigation and blooming, which is easy to look past when you're paying just under $1,000 for a 65-inch TV released in 2025. You'll also have to contend with just three HDMI 2.1 ports, but if you're a PC gamer you'll love the USB-C connection.

TCL QM7K Mini-LED TV

The TCL QM7K is yet another Mini-LED that benefits from budget pricing. Like most Mini-LED TVs on this list, you'll find it comes resplendent with tons of luminance, which we tested at 1,734 nits in HDR. It's also equipped with a low Delta-E of just 1.4 (the lower the better), making it incredibly color-accurate.

Like the Hisense U8QG, we also gave the TCL QM7K four stars in our official review. It struggles at handling off-angled viewing and is built with a middling speaker system, but that's nothing one of the best soundbars can't fix.

Panasonic W95A Mini-LED TV

The Panasonic W95A Mini-LED TV was an exciting model to test and review last year, coming from a renowned TV maker that only just returned to the US market after an eight-year hiatus.

While it has superb color accuracy, HDR performance, and anti-glare mitigation, the biggest downside was its price: The W95A launched at $3,000 last year, making it no match against similarly-specced TVs from TCL and Hisense.

Since release, its price has dropped dramatically and you'd be hard-pressed to find as good a screen at such a low price.

The only major issue is its Fire TV smart platform. This is an easy fix, though, as you can easily replace the interface using one of the best streaming devices.

Sony Bravia 9 Mini-LED TV

One of the things that sets the Sony Bravia 9 apart from other Mini-LED TVs is its picture quality, which we noted as being "(almost) as good as an OLED" in our Bravia 9 review. This is owed largely to its serious color accuracy and high brightness metrics.

We measured its HDR performance at 2,713 nits, which is the ultimate sweet spot. Most HDR content is mastered between 1,000 and 4,000 nits, which means the Bravia 9 will net you the best possible detail when streaming or viewing HDR content.

Still, while it might be one of the best screens in terms of picture performance, its high asking price of $2,798 might make you wince. It's also not the best gaming display, given its high input latency of 17ms in tandem with just two HDMI 2.1 ports.

Samsung Q900D Mini-LED TV

Let's face it, 8K TVs are all but dead in 2025. One of the only companies still making them is Samsung and its QN900D from last year still remains the highest-rated 8K models we've ever tested. That's because, while totally expensive, it sports one of the best upscaling engines in the market.

In our review of the Samsung QN900D 8K TV, we gave it a perfect score. That's very rare, especially for a Mini-LED TV, which can have all kinds of issues from improper glare mitigation to poor off-axis viewing. The QN900D shows none of that, offering outstanding brightness in tandem with an incredible sound system.

The big setback for Samsung displays, not just the QN900D, is the absence of Dolby Vision. If you're willing to look past that and live with HDR10+ as your main source for all things HDR, the QN900D will serve as the ultimate viewing experience.

More from Tom's Guide

• What is the Dirty Screen Effect and how can you tell if your TV has it?
• Help me, Tom’s Guide: Which OLED TV should I get for my new home theater?
• I'm a TV expert and this is the one picture mode you should avoid at all costs

If you’re a stickler for preserving the creator’s intent when watching movies and shows at home, this news is for you: TCL has finally added the popular FIlmmaker picture mode to its latest TV lineup.

Previously, TCL had been one of the last remaining holdouts to incorporate Filmmaker mode among the biggest TV brands in the industry. For several years, Filmmaker mode has been a common feature among the best TVs on the market. Now, TCL is finally in the fold.

As a TV expert, I not only use it everyday when evaluating TVs in my day-to-day duties at Tom’s Guide, I also use it when watching flicks at home. In fact, I love Filmmaker mode so much that I recommend it to folks whenever I get the chance.

What is Filmmaker mode?

Making its debut in 2019, Filmmaker mode is the brainchild of the UHD Alliance — a group of TV manufacturers and Hollywood studios — along with some of the biggest names in filmmaking, including Patty Jenkins and Christopher Nolan.

The goal was (and still is) to bring the cinema experience into the living room by offering a TV picture mode that adheres as close as possible to the reference standards used by Hollywood in the production of shows and movies.

In other words, Filmmaker mode ensures that your TV is delivering a picture that falls in line with the creators’ intent as much as possible.

It achieves this by fixing the TV’s white point to the industry standard, disabling motion smoothing and reining in the TV’s color saturation.

As a TV-reviewer and a film buff, I've been an avid user of Filmmaker mode since its inception.

Comparable picture modes — like Movie, Cinema, and Theater — often adhere quite close to Hollywood reference standards, but brands frequently enable various picture processing enhancements (like motion smoothing) for these modes, too. Filmmaker mode is stricter in its approach.

Compared to over-processed, over-sharpened and oversaturated picture modes like Vivid (a picture mode you should avoid at all costs), Filmmaker mode is a breath of fresh air.

In action, Filmmaker mode’s impressiveness ultimately comes down to the overall performance of your TV. That said, regardless of the price and performance of your set, there’s a good chance that Filmmaker mode will be the most accurate picture mode available to you.

In fact, because it's so accurate, Tom's Guide runs several picture-related tests in Filmmaker mode for every TV review we publish. This ensures that we’re reaching a valuable conclusion about a TV’s ability to produce an accurate picture.

Which TCL TVs have Filmmaker mode?

At the time of publishing, Filmmaker mode is a confirmed feature across all of the models in TCL’s 2025 main TV lineup.

This includes the recently announced TCL QM8K, the brand’s flagship Mini-LED TV this year (and a follow-up to the superb TCL QM8). The QM8K also arrives with a special Bang & Olufsen sound system and a new “Precise Dimming” feature for better backlight control, so Filmmaker mode should add to an already-cinematic experience.

It can also be found on the fantastic QM7K, a mid-range TV that just got way more affordable thanks to a recent discount. In our TCL QM7K review, Matthew Murray made note of how impressive “Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” look on the QM7K in Filmmaker mode.

Filmmaker mode can also be found on the brand’s entry-level Mini-LED for 2025, the TCL QM6K.

Given its performance profile, this set benefits greatly from Filmmaker mode’s careful guidance. It doesn’t offer the high-level brightness you’ll find on the QM7K and the QM8K, but you’re getting a lengthy list of features for the price, including Dolby Vision and a handful of gaming enhancements.

Is Filmmaker mode coming to older TCL TVs?

According to FlatpanelsHD, while TCL has not ruled out the addition of Filmmaker mode to models from 2024, there are currently no plans to add the picture mode to older models.

If Filmmaker mode made its way to TVs like the 2024 TCL QM7 and last-year's TCL QM78, the feature would arrive in the form of a firmware update.

For now, however, picture purists and all-around A/V enthusiasts will have to stick with the brand's latest offerings, should they want a taste of Filmmaker mode on a TCL-branded TV.

More from Tom's Guide

• What is the Dirty Screen Effect and how can you tell if your TV has it?
• Help me, Tom’s Guide: Which OLED TV should I get for my new home theater?
• I'm a TV expert and this is the one picture mode you should avoid at all costs

If you’re shopping for a TV and you’ve already decided that Sony is the brand for you, the choice will most likely come down to two options: a QLED or an OLED.

These terms refer to the TV’s display technology, and depending on your budget, your viewing habits and your overall needs, one of these types might be better than the other.

Some of the best TVs you can buy are among these two categories, and even if you don’t intend to spend top-dollar on a high-end model, it’s in your best interest to understand their many differences.

Sony QLEDs vs OLEDs: overview and price

Sony QLEDs are LED TVs with quantum dots. These nanocrystals enhance color and brightness, and while a ton of TVs feature quantum dots, many ultra-affordable models you can buy don’t come with them.

Until recently, Sony did not refer to its quantum dot-enhanced TVs as QLEDs. Instead, the feature was referred to by the brand as offering Triluminos color, sometimes called Triluminos Pro.

Today, you can still find Triluminos color as a feature on a Sony TV’s spec sheet. Some marketing materials refer to them as QLEDs. If you don’t see these terms, chances are the model in question is without quantum dots.

Unless you’re trying to spend as little as possible, I recommend buying a quantum dot-equipped set if you’re buying an LED TV. They’ve become enough of a standard feature that even budget-friendly Sony LED TVs have them.

For instance, the Sony Bravia 3 — one of the brand’s most affordable offerings (but a set we don't recommend) — comes with quantum-dot color. The higher-end Sony Bravia 7 and the flagship Bravia 9 come with quantum dots, too, but these TVs also feature Mini-LED backlighting, so you’ll have to spend more for that upgrade.

Like all OLED TVs, Sony’s OLEDs don’t rely on traditional backlighting at all. Instead, every single pixel in the display is self-illuminating, which has a positive impact on almost every aspect of performance — especially contrast.

Despite this fundamental difference, there are Sony OLED TVs with quantum dots, too. Commonly referred to as QD-OLED TVs, these souped-up sets (like the Sony A95L and the upcoming Bravia 8 II) offer better color volume — and in many cases better brightness — than traditional WOLED TVs (like the Bravia 8 OLED).

You can take a closer look at the benefits and drawbacks of each of these display technologies in our Mini-LED vs OLED guide, but as I’ll soon explain, one isn’t necessarily better than another. It largely depends on your viewing habits.

Price is another important factor. Of these types, you can expect to pay the least for a Sony QLED with basic backlighting, more for a Sony QLED with Mini-LEDs and the most for a top-shelf Sony OLED.

Sony QLEDs vs OLEDs: design

If you’re shopping for a Sony-branded TV, I’ve got good news: They’re well-designed TVs, both aesthetically and functionally.

In recent years, mid-range and high-end Sony TVs offer multiple ways to configure their respective stands. This makes them plenty accommodating regardless of living room layout, especially if you’re trying to fit a large TV on a narrow credenza.

And, although everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, I find Sony TVs to be among the nicest-looking in the game. There’s an attention to detail that is often lacking among rival TV-makers, from the crosshatched pattern on the back of some displays to the pinpoint alignment of their stand.

The brand’s OLED TVs tend to offer the slimmest panels, but Sony doesn’t lean into the ultra-thin look the way rival OLED TVs do. Its Mini-LED TVs tend to be bulkier-looking than competitive sets, but not in ways that belie their excellent build quality.

Sony QLEDs vs OLEDs: features

At the time of publishing, all mainline Sony TVs leverage the Google TV smart platform. They also lean on the same basic interface for their settings menus.

This means that the core Sony TV experience will be mostly the same on an entry-level Sony QLED as it will on a high-end Sony OLED. Certain settings and enhancements are tailored to display type, however. (You won’t find OLED-specific settings on a Sony Mini-LED’s settings menu, for instance, or local dimming settings on a Sony OLED.)

Across the board, though, Sony TVs offer a tremendous range of settings for tweaking the picture and audio. If you like to tinker with that stuff, you’ll feel right at home with any Sony TV.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, as is the case with all TV brands, lower-end Sony TVs will likely feel less snappy than higher-end Sony TVs due to their relatively limited processing power. I’ve never reviewed a Sony TV whose software was outright unusable, but it’s something to remember if you’re particularly sensitive about sluggish software.

Additional features — be them gaming-, A/V-related or otherwise — will come down to which series the TV belongs to. In general, you can expect lower-level Sony QLEDs to offer the lightest amount of bells and whistles, while higher-end models offer the most.

That said, even if you’re splashing out on a top-of-the-line Sony flagship, you ought to be aware of their limitations. At the time of publishing, even the best Sony TVs you can buy are limited to just a pair HDMI 2.1-compatible inputs. This means only two of the four total ports will be able to make the most out of current-generation gaming consoles.

What makes this issue even thornier is that one of the ports that offers HDMI 2.1 compatibility also serves as a dedicated eARC input. If you have two consoles and a soundbar, even the most expensive Sony TVs won’t be able to make the most of all three.

Needless to say, this is not the case with high-end TVs from LG and Samsung.

Sony QLEDs vs OLEDs: Performance

Here’s the simplest way I can put it: Sony’s Mini-LED and OLED TVs will almost always perform better than budget-friendly Sony QLEDs that don’t offer Mini-LED backlighting, but when comparing high-end Sony TVs, your mileage may vary.

The flagship Bravia 9 Mini-LED TV looks incredible. It’s one of the best Mini-LED TVs you can buy. The Sony A95L looks incredible, too. It’s one of the best OLED TVs you can buy.

Both of these sets will set you back a considerable amount of money, but deciding which is best for you will depend on your viewing habits. In either case, they’re both better-performing TVs than the Bravia 7 — a terrific mid-range Mini-LED TV that is nevertheless mid-range for a reason.

I’ll once again direct you to our Mini-LED vs OLED guide for an in-depth comparison between these display technologies, but here’s the basic gist: High-performance Mini-LED TVs typically offer better brightness than most OLED TVs, particularly if those OLED TVs use a traditional WOLED-style display, like the Bravia 8.

However, a Mini-LED TV lacks the depth, clarity and unparalleled contrast control of an OLED. Many Mini-LED TVs come close to replicating the patina of an OLED display — the impressive Bravia 9 being a prime example — but pixel-level dimming control is ultimately the difference-maker.

QD-OLEDs, like the Sony A95L, are capable of cutting the brightness gap even more. Its highlight brightness stands toe to toe with heavy-hitting Mini-LEDs (though full-screen brightness remains much dimmer).

The addition of quantum dots also allows TVs like the A95L and the Bravia 8 II to deliver some of the brightest, most voluminous color in the industry. If you’re chasing color, there’s nothing quite like QD-OLED.

Regardless of how much you’re looking to spend on a Sony TV, you can be confident that the finer aspects of picture processing have been carefully considered. Many industry experts — myself included — laud Sony’s attention to detail when it comes to things like upscaling, motion handling and out-of-the-box color accuracy.

Sony QLEDs vs OLEDs: Which should you buy?

Much ink has been spilled about the so-called “Sony tax” — a built-in upcharge for Sony TVs (relative to the competition) that some folks find hard to stomach.

While it’s true that Sony TVs are typically priced higher than comparable sets from rival brands, I’ve never found Sony prices to be out of bounds.

Whether you’re shopping for an entry-level Sony QLED or a top-shelf Sony OLED, you’re very likely to get a well-engineered, well-designed TV that squeezes every ounce of performance out of whatever hardware is strapped to the panel.

That said, I wouldn’t blame anyone for carefully considering the value proposition inherent in competitively priced sets that tap the same tech and offer a similar slate of features.

More from Tom's Guide

• Samsung QLED vs OLED: What do you get when you pay a little more?
• Help me, Tom’s Guide: Which OLED TV should I get for my new home theater?
• I'm a TV expert and this is the one picture mode you should avoid at all costs

In my estimation, the Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV is unquestionably the most advanced television ever produced by the South Korean manufacturer from a technical standpoint. However, a couple of quirks hold it back from being one of the best TVs, period.

The QN990F boasts a number of clear advancements over last year's Samsung QN900D, though some of them may be seen as a double-edged sword when judged solely by the TV's unexceptional benchmark scores. Of course, context is everything.

Arguably the most immediately obvious upgrade comes with the addition of Samsung's glare-free display tech, which blew my socks off on the Samsung S95F OLED TV recently. Needless to say, I consider this a welcome inclusion, though some A/V purists will disagree.

Next, Samsung's One Connect Box has gone wireless this time around, meaning it can now transmit 8K/120Hz or 4K/240Hz signals to the screen from up to 10 metres away, so long as it isn't placed in a metal cabinet. Unfortunately, the move to a wireless signal means the introduction of significant input lag.

Of course, there is a workaround to that involving an additional Micro HDMI 2.1 port on the panel itself, allowing gamers to bypass the One Connect Box entirely to achieve minimal lag, but that can only be used by one source at a time. In other words, it's not very convenient.

My expectation going into this QN990F review was that it would effortlessly surpass last year's excellent QN900D. Surprisingly, I ended up discovering one particular advancement that I could've done without. The QN990F is still an impressive television, but it's no longer the GOAT in Samsung's stable.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: Pricing and availability

In the US and UK, Samsung's QN990F is available in 65-, 75- and 85-inch models, while in Australia, the 8K flagship is only offered in the largest 85-inch version.

From an MSRP / RRP standpoint, pricing for the QN990F starts at $5,499 / £4,999 for the 65-inch model, followed by $6,499 / £6,499 for the 75-inch model, and $8,499 / £9,499 / AU$13,799 for the 85-inch model.

However, many retailers are already selling the QN990F below the recommended price point. In the US, Best Buy and even Samsung itself are selling the 85-inch QN990F at a $500 discount, bringing its price down to $7,999.

Meanwhile in Australia, retailers like JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys are selling the same model for AU$11,995 — a whopping AU$1,804 less than what Samsung is asking on its online store.

Unsure about which TV size is right for you? Our 'What TV size should you buy?' guide can help.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: Design and remote

Judged purely on aesthetics, Samsung's 8K flagship is, in my opinion, the most beautiful TV in the world this year thanks to its thin design (the 85-inch model being reviewed here is just 13.3mm thick) and a near absence of bezels around its display. It also sports the same Infinity Air stand that came with last year's QN900D — it's flat, centered and makes the TV look like it's floating.

Like Samsung's S95F OLED TV, the QN990F achieves its slim profile by moving most of its inputs to a separate One Connect Box, making it easier to access its HDMI and USB ports — especially when the TV is wall-mounted.

However, the One Connect Box supplied with the QN990F differs from its OLED counterpart in a rather significant way: it's now capable of transmitting 4K/2400Hz (or 8K/120Hz) signals to the panel wirelessly rather than through a single cable.

That also means that this time around, there's no way to create a physical connection between the One Connect Box and the display — signals are delivered exclusively over Wi-Fi.

The decision to go wireless does provide one major benefit — it allows the user more flexibility in their living room layout. The new (much smaller) One Connect Box can now be placed anywhere within 10 metres / 30 feet of the display, meaning you can maintain a minimalist appearance for the screen itself while keeping any connected Blu-ray player or gaming consoles tucked away in a separate area.

But while previous iterations of the One Connect Box also delivered power to the display along with audio and video signals, the new wireless version does not. That means the QN990F's screen and One Connect Box each require their own power source.

Additionally, the ability to place the One Connect Box anywhere in the room may prove moot for those looking to use anything but a compatible Samsung soundbar with wireless Dolby Atmos capabilities — the Sonos Arc Ultra, for instance, will still require an HDMI connection, which defeats the purpose of placing the One Connect Box far away from the screen.

Recently, I reviewed Samsung's S95F OLED TV and was blown away by its anti-glare display. Now, that same glare-free display technology has made its way over to Samsung's Neo QLED TV range, and it's just as impressive on the QN990F.

Just like with the S95F, I tested the QN990F in a fully illuminated room with a chandelier positioned to potentially cause reflections. Once again, the glare-free display dispersed light in such a way that no discernible reflection was visible. At most, an extremely faint haze could be observed when the screen was black, but it was nothing close to the mirror-like reflection offered by my own television.

Some A/V purists will argue that anything but a pure glossy display will result in image quality loss, but I can honestly say that hasn't been my experience with the QN990F (or the S95F for that matter). It's also not realistic to expect the majority of people to only watch television in complete darkness.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: Remote

As for the QN990F's remote, there's nothing new to report — it's basically identical to what we got with the last few generations of Samsung's top Neo QLED TVs.

It's small, has a round directional pad and center button for getting around menus and selecting things, a settings button, a microphone button, a back button, a home button, a play/pause button, volume and channel rockers, and dedicated buttons for launching Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and Samsung TV Plus.

Once again, there's a small solar panel on the back of the QN990F's remote to help keep it charged, and there's also a USB-C port at the base of the remote for when you need to top it up quickly.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: Ports

As previously mentioned, most of the QN990F's ports are located on the wireless One Connect Box, with the exception of an additional Micro HDMI 2.1 port and a USB-C port on the rear of the panel.

On the One Connect Box itself, you’ll find four HDMI 2.1 ports (one of which has eARC capability) alongside three USB-A ports, an ethernet (LAN) port, a digital optical audio output, and a RF input for good old terrestrial broadcasting.

Unlike previous models, you won't find the standard One Connect cable port, as the new box will only transmit signals to the screen over Wi-Fi.

Of course, it's worth noting that the One Connect Box is no longer required for the QN990F to function now that the panel has its own power source. In fact, if your plan is to exclusively watch content via streaming and catch-up services, or game via the fifth HDMI port on the panel's rear, you can skip the One Connect Box entirely.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: How we test

At Tom's Guide, we follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review. Our benchmarks include technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer, but usually feature anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our “How we test TVs” page.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: Performance and test results

Having grown accustomed to Samsung topping its own peak brightness records each year, it's surprising to see the QN990F's HDR peak luminance (in a 10% window in Filmmaker Mode) falls short of last year's QN900D by a significant margin.

By default, the QN990F's Filmmaker Mode reached just 1,402 nits — well below last year's equivalent model, the QN900D, which reached 2,338 nits in the same test. It also failed to reach the 2,138 nits achieved by Samsung's top OLED of 2025, the S95F.

Needless to say, it's a curious result for a panel backed by thousands of typically ultra-bright Mini LEDs. The QN990F did manage to reach a more respectable 2,109 nits (in a 10% window) outside of Filmmaker Mode, so maybe there's just something amiss with that setting. Alternatively, maybe Samsung just wants to encourage users to apply its Vision AI features.

Finding the default Filmmaker Mode to be unusually dark, I set out to brighten it up by delving into the TV's expert picture settings, where I was able to set Contrast Enhancer to High and tweak a few other levels to improve the viewing experience.

Sitting down with the QN990F, my first instinct was to capture the metrics that really matter, such as how the 2006 big screen adaptation of "Miami Vice" looks on it. Immediately, I was impressed by how the TV handled contrast in the film's opening scene, which opens with a silhouetted woman dancing against a large, bright screen of swirling colors.

No obvious light blooming was present, although there was some loss of shadow detail around her arm, back and face. Of course, shadow detail can be tweaked in the QN990F's settings, though increasing it may come at the slight expense of the inky blacks this Mini LED TV is capable of.

During my QN990F review period, I took the opportunity to catch up on the "Mission: Impossible" movies, starting with "Mission: Impossible III" in 4K and was flabbergasted by how punchy and vibrant the film looked for the majority of its runtime.

Contrast and shadow detail were mostly excellent — particularly in the film's show-stopping bridge sequence, where explosions burn with vibrant orange intensity. However, the QN990F's backlighting system didn't handle the film's nighttime-set Shanghai sequence very well, with darker shots (particularly in close-ups) forcing the TV's Mini LEDs to overcompensate, resulting in swirling backlights and obvious blooming.

In terms of color accuracy, Samsung's QN990F faired decently in the all-important Delta-E test, which is used to determine color error and where lower scores are favored, measuring 2.1922.

That said, last year's QN900D performed better with 1.8413, while Samsung's flagship OLED of 2025, the S95F, achieved an exemplary 1.1972 measurement — the lowest color error reading of any TV we've tested this year.

Of course, it's believed that a Delta-E score of 3 is where the threshold of perceptibility lies, so it's unlikely for anyone to notice any real difference in color accuracy between any of the models discussed above (at least not with the naked eye).

In case you missed it, “The Terminator” movies were wrong — it turns out we will look back on 2025 as the year that AI took over. Samsung's QN990F is a testament to that, given how much of a focus there is on the company's Vision AI technology, which offers more than mere upscaling advancements.

Users can personalize the AI mode picture settings and UI through a screen-based interface. The customization process starts with selecting a scene type: sports, movie, or general. Subsequently, users are shown visual examples for brightness, contrast, color, and color tone, with four options available for each. Alternatively, users can choose to let Vision AI do its own optimizing based on your viewing environment and the content you’re watching.

I watched "Pulp Fiction" in 4K and used it to cycle through the AI modes offered by the QN990F. As you would expect, elements like color, shadow detail and tone all varied depending on which visual samples I selected, but I can say that image quality was exquisite in every instance.

Now that I’ve looked at different AI-tweaked picture setting combinations across multiple Samsung TVs, I’m not entirely convinced by the results. In my experience, the AI gives films an appearance verging on artificial, reminiscent of the Dynamic setting on most modern televisions (this one included). I appreciate that the functionality is there, but I’m glad it can be switched off.

Thankfully, the QN990F offers two Smart Calibration options through the SmartThings app for compatible smartphones. Basic Mode quickly optimizes white balance in about 15 seconds, while Professional Mode offers a more comprehensive calibration, taking several minutes and requiring a tripod-mounted phone in a dark room to perform a 20-point white balance adjustment, including gamma, grayscale linearity, and chromaticity fine-tuning.

Despite this, Samsung's continued refusal to incorporate Dolby Vision 12-bit color is a letdown. The company has chosen to use its own HDR10+ format, which unfortunately restricts the QN990F from showcasing many TV shows and movies at their best.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: Audio

Samsung’s QN990F features a 90W 6.2.4 speaker system, seemingly identical to last year's QN900D, delivering loud and high-quality audio with clear dialogue enhanced by Samsung's AI-powered Active Voice Amplifier Pro. As is typical with Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs, speaker grilles are positioned along the top and side edges of the panel.

The TV offers Dolby Atmos support, Object Tracking Sound+ (OTS+) technology and built-in height channels — all of which help to provide a subtle form of spatial audio. As always, you should probably consider purchasing one of the best soundbars available to achieve appropriately cinematic audio.

During my review of the QN990F, I tested its Q-Symphony feature with Samsung's flagship HW-Q990F soundbar. This technology allows the TV's built-in speakers and the soundbar to operate in tandem, creating a richer audio experience with noticeably improved dialogue clarity.

I should also note that Samsung's QN990F TV was able to transmit Dolby Atmos audio to the HW-Q990F soundbar wirelessly using Dolby Digital Plus, meaning eARC isn't required. That said, lossless Dolby Atmos TrueHD can only be achieved with a wired connection.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: Gaming

The QN990F boasts specs and features that make it seem like a gamer's dream, and in some ways, it is. That said, it's worth noting that there are a few asterisks on Samsung's claims about what the TV is capable of.

You may have read that the QN990F is capable of 4K/240Hz on all five of its HDMI 2.1 ports. However, the TV is actually using Samsung's Motion Xcelerator 240Hz technology to simulate a higher refresh rate via interpolation and VRR. This is because the QN990F's native refresh rate is only 120Hz.

Unfortunately, the biggest stumbling block comes in the form of the QN990F's new wireless One Connect Box, which introduces higher-than-normal latency. Our tests revealed an input lag of 36.4ms, which is almost 4x what the S95F recorded, and 3.5x what last year's QN900D achieved.

Granted, it's likely that the QN990F's fifth HDMI port, located behind the stand on the panel itself, would drastically cut down on said lag, however, I wasn't able to test this during my review period.

Sure, casual gamers might not even notice the lag, but it still feels counterintuitive for a TV to boast about blisteringly fast refresh rates while simultaneously offering the highest latency of any TV in recent memory.

Obviously, those who don't care about any of that stuff will be able to make their games look great without any fuss using the QN990F’s AI Auto Game Mode, which automatically optimizes picture settings based on the detected game genre.

However, serious players looking to fine-tune every aspect of their experience can still hold the remote’s ‘play’ button to open the QN990F's Game Bar UI, providing access to a comprehensive range of settings. Here, users also quickly toggle through features like Virtual Aim Point, Minimap Zoom, and Game Motion Plus while viewing their game’s resolution, FPS, and other relevant settings information.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: Smart features

Samsung's Tizen smart TV platform continues to offer one of the most cluttered interfaces on any television, with way too much to sort through when you press the home button on your remote.

In my review of Samsung’s S95F, I mentioned that the Tizen smart TV platform features a cluttered interface with an overwhelming amount of options accessible from the home button. Well, the same can be said for the QN990F, which offers an identical UI.

While Samsung aims to facilitate content discovery, I would personally prefer a straightforward list of apps and devices, and I have to imagine I’m not alone in that desire. Once again, the home screen is divided into three tabs: Discover (content suggestions), Live (Samsung TV Plus channels), and Apps (recommended apps).

All apps and content sources are located within the 'Discover' tab that initially displays a 'Recent' content row, followed by a row listing installed apps and connected devices, and numerous content suggestions from these apps. A large portion of the home screen will often be taken up by marketing for shows and Samsung TV Plus channels you may have no interest in, and it’s something I could do without.

On a positive note, Samsung has refined other UI elements. For example, the QN990F's settings now appear as smaller, floating windows on the left, improving content visibility during adjustments.

Additionally, Samsung has brought its Art Mode to more TVs than ever this year, and the QN990F is one of them. Along with the ability to access celebrated works of art and officially licensed content from the likes of Disney via the Samsung Art Store, the TV's Vision AI technology now lets you generate bespoke AI art through a series of prompts.

Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV review: Verdict

Despite a host of improvements, the Samsung QN990F Neo QLED 8K TV has a few drawbacks that prevent it from being the best Samsung TV of 2025.

I absolutely love its glare-free screen, but can appreciate that it won’t be to everyone’s taste. The main fly in the ointment for me, however, is that its new wireless One Connect Box causes significant latency on all but one HDMI port, located on the panel itself. That might appeal to PC gamers, but will likely turn off those of us with multiple consoles.

Given the QN990F’s hefty price, I would’ve liked for the One Connect Box to at least provide the option of a wired connection. While the QN990F is undoubtedly impressive in many ways, those seeking Samsung's top TV of the year might find the S95F a more suitable option.

If you’ve got your heart set on a Samsung-branded TV, there’s a good chance you’ll be choosing between two types: QLED and OLED.

These terms refer to the TV’s display technology, and depending on your budget, your viewing habits and your overall lifestyle, one might be better than the other.

With this in mind, I’ve put together an overview of how Samsung QLEDs and OLEDs compare to one another — from price to performance and everything in between.

Whether you’re looking for an affordable set or one of the best TVs money can buy, it all starts with the display. Here’s what you need to know about Samsung QLED TVs vs Samsung OLED TVs.

Samsung QLED vs Samsung OLED: overview and price

Samsung QLEDs are LED TVs with quantum dots. These nanocrystals enhance color and brightness, and while they’re quite common these days, not all TVs leverage them. For all intents and purposes, you can consider them a bit of a bonus; not all QLEDs are created equal, but it’s typically better if your LED TV uses them than if they didn’t.

One of the main reasons why Samsung QLEDs vary in price and performance has to do with the type of backlighting at work. Entry-level QLEDs (like the Samsung Q60D) often use LEDs alongside the edge of the panel. It doesn’t cost that much to manufacture, but from a performance standpoint, contrast and overall picture quality is less impressive.

Mid-range Samsung QLEDs (like the Q80D) are equipped with LED backlights and employ something called local dimming, which allows the display to brighten and dim separate areas of the picture independently. As you can imagine, this allows for tighter contrast control than an edge-lit QLED (or a backlit QLED without local dimming).

And then there are high-end Samsung QLEDs, which the brand refers to as Neo QLED TVs. These TVs implement Mini-LEDs, which are exactly what the name suggests: ultra-small LEDs that can be grouped together in far more zones than standard LED backlights.

Due to the sophisticated nature of this hardware, Samsung Neo QLEDs (like the Samsung QN90D) are among the best — and priciest — LED TVs on the market.

Like all OLED TVs, Samsung OLEDs don’t rely on LED backlights at all. Instead, every individual pixel is self-lit. As you’ll soon learn, this has tremendous cascading effects on almost every aspect of performance, with contrast being the big one.

Unlike Samsung QLEDs, however, there are fewer Samsung OLEDs to choose from, and their price range isn’t nearly as expansive. As I write this, the most affordable Samsung OLED on the market (the Samsung S85D) will set you back about $1,200 for a 55-inch model. The most affordable, 55-inch Samsung QLED (the Q60D) is currently $550.

Samsung QLED vs Samsung OLED: design

If buying a super-slim Samsung TV is one of your top priorities, you’ll find candidates in both categories. Samsung OLEDs, however, are much slimmer than Samsung QLEDs due to the fact that the panel doesn’t have to make room for LEDs. Samsung’s latest flagship, the S95D OLED, features a panel that’s under an inch thick. It’s quite a head-turning design.

Higher-end Samsung Neo QLEDs are typically svelte due to their upscale engineering. Lower-end Samsung QLEDs that rely on edge lights can be remarkably thin, too, but this is because of their rather rudimentary hardware.

Pay close attention to stand type, especially if you plan on placing one of the best soundbars in front of your Samsung TV. In recent years, the brand’s OLED TVs have relied on a pedestal-style stand — usually a heavy metal plate — that sits below the center of the screen and offers enough clearance for a soundbar. This has also been the case with recent Neo QLEDs.

Mid-range and entry-level Samsung QLEDs, on the other hand, often rely on a pair of wide-set feet that prop the panel up. For some of these sets, these feet can be attached in a higher configuration specifically to accommodate soundbars. Be sure to check before you buy.

Samsung QLED vs Samsung OLED: features

Like all TVs, the amount of features you get with a Samsung QLED or Samsung OLED depends on how much you spend: If you buy a top-shelf Neo QLED or Samsung OLED, you’re getting what I would call a full spread of features for gaming and beyond. These TVs offer HDMI 2.1 compatibility across all four inputs for 4K gaming at 120Hz, 144Hz or 165Hz. Other gaming enhancements include Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and AMD FreeSync support.

If you move further down the Samsung QLED line, gaming features vary, starting with HDMI 2.1 support. Lower-end Samsung QLEDs might also be limited to 60Hz, which would make 4K gaming at 120Hz out of the question.

There are two things that Samsung QLEDs and OLEDs have in common, however, regardless of price point: None of them support Dolby Vision (a popular, proprietary HDR format) and all of them run on Samsung’s Tizen-based operating system.

You can read more about whether or not you need Dolby Vision and decide if this is a deal-breaker for you. As for Samsung’s Tizen OS, here’s what I’ll say: There’s enough app support for it to be viable as your everyday streaming platform, but the overall experience is largely dependent on the processing power of the TV. It stands to reason that higher-end Samsung TVs feature a more fluid software experience.

Samsung QLED vs Samsung OLED: performance

The main difference between these two types of Samsung TVs lies in their performance. But while high-end Samsung TVs tend to perform much better than lower-end sets, you might find that one type suits your needs better than the other when comparing top-tier models.

The main advantage of OLED over any LED TV — regardless of whether or not quantum dots are involved — is the technology’s pixel-level control. Samsung OLEDs can display perfect black levels regardless of content type, and because each pixel is self-illuminated, the picture takes on a strikingly clear look.

Like all OLED TVs, Samsung OLEDs feature some of the widest, most accommodating viewing angles you can buy. If you’re shopping for a large TV and plan on entertaining a crowd, this is important.

But LED TVs are getting better every year, and Samsung’s high-end Neo QLED models in particular can look downright OLED-like depending on the content. With top-tier Samsung Neo QLEDs, you might only notice the backlight at work when bright objects are surrounded by darkness — like a spacecraft moving across a starfield, for instance.

Not all Samsung QLEDs are brighter than the brand’s OLED TVs, but as you move up the QLED lineup, you’re more likely to encounter a set that gets as bright or brighter than the company’s best OLED TV. With the newest flagship Neo QLED, the Samsung QN90D, we measured a peak brightness of around 2,000 to 2,100 nits, while the top-performing OLED, the Samsung S95D, clocked in at around 1,700 to 1,800 nits.

One important thing to keep in mind is that these are measurements of highlight brightness — small, concentrated areas of the picture that might manifest in real-world content as a sharp reflection of sunlight off the hood of a car, for example. Full-screen brightness is a different story. When taking the entire picture into consideration, Samsung QLEDs tend to be much brighter on average. This means that they’re much better equipped to overcome ambient light.

So, how do you decide which is right for you?

Samsung QLED vs Samsung OLED: outlook

If you’re working within a strict budget — say, under $1,000 — you’ll probably have an easier time shopping for a Samsung QLED, as there are far more options at your disposal. You could always shop for last-year’s OLEDs, but even then, you’ll most likely have to commit to a smaller-sized OLED to stay under $1,000.

If you're trying to keep things in a budget, you're probably limited to QLED. Mid-range models will likely offer more sophisticated display hardware, like LED backlighting with full-array local dimming. Entry-level models will save you some cash, but you might not get the sort of performance and features you’re looking for.

If you’re trying to decide between high-end Neo QLEDs and Samsung OLED TVs, your decision should lean more heavily on your viewing habits and the nature of your living space. If you want a large TV to entertain a crowd and you’re concerned about off-axis viewing, that might be a point in OLED’s favor. If your living room gets a ton of sunlight and you watch TV primarily during the day, a bright, punchy QLED might suit you better.

In other words, once you cross into the upper tier of Samsung TVs, the QLED vs OLED debate becomes more about your needs and personal preferences, and less about your budget.

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Not everyone needs a fancy, high-end TV with a laundry list of features. And, with the best budget TVs seemingly getting better every year, there are plenty of affordable contenders to choose from if you're looking to upgrade without spending a ton of cash.

Take the Sony Bravia 3 and the Samsung Q60D, for instance. These two entry-level QLEDs aren't the brightest and best TVs on the market, but they both deliver solid performance and access to smart features for less than the price of higher-end models. They might look similar, but there are plenty of differences you ought to know before deciding between the two.

Sony Bravia 3 vs Samsung Q60D: Specs compared

The Q60D is available in a wider range of size options than the Bravia 3. If you're in the market for a 32-, 50- or 70-inch TV, the Q60D is the model between the two that will meet your specific needs.

However, like all Samsung TVs (and unlike the Bravia 3), the Q60D does not support Dolby Vision, a popular, proprietary HDR format available on select Blu-rays, streaming platforms and Xbox game titles. Instead, Samsung has opted for HDR10+, a royalty-free version of the format that operates in largely the same manner.

You'll still be able to watch content mastered for Dolby Vision HDR on the Q60D, but it will fall back to standard HDR10 and won't be taking full advantage of all that Dolby Vision content has to offer. To learn more about Dolby Vision, check out our guide to whether or not you need Dolby Vision at all.

Another thing to keep in mind about the Q60D is that it's limited to just three HDMI 2.0 inputs. The Bravia 3, on the other hand, comes with the standard suite of four inputs (all HDMI 2.0, as well). In addition, the Bravia 3 comes with ATSC 3.0 tuner for NextGen TV support, while the Q60D is limited to ATSC 1.0. If you're hoping to watch over-the-air broadcasts in 4K, the Bravia 3 will get you there.

Sony Bravia 3 vs Samsung Q60D: Design

Both models make use of a pair of feet to prop up their respective panels, and neither TV requires the use of tools in order to attach these pieces. The Bravia 3's feet are slim and boomerang-shaped, while the Q60D's are more L-shaped.

Fortunately, if you intend on pairing your next TV with a soundbar, both of these sets offer enough clearance that even the chunkiest of soundbars won't obstruct your view. However, the Q60D offers a bit more flexibility in its setup.

When attaching the feet to the Q60D's panel, users have a choice of two configurations. The lower setup (pictured above) keeps the Q60D close to the surface of the credenza or media console upon which it sists. A secondary setup lifts the panel higher to accommodate a soundbar.

The Q60D is also much thinner than its Sony counterpart. It has a depth of about an inch, and its uniformly thick across the entire chassis. This gives the Q60D an air of elegance.

By comparison, the Bravia 3 is a bit on the beefy side. It's a little over two inches thick, and it bulges out partway down the panel.

Both TVs are designed in such a way that will blend in to most living spaces, but the Q60D plays the part of a higher-end model. This is mostly due to the slimness of its panel.

Winner: Samsung Q60D

Sony Bravia 3 vs Samsung Q60D: Performance

Both of these TVs make use of quantum dots, which is part of the reason they excel when it comes to overall color volume. They're also very well tuned out of the box, should you opt for their most accurate picture modes (Professional mode on the Bravia 3 and Filmmaker on the Q60D).

All told, the Bravia 3 has a bit of an edge in the color department, as it covers an impressive 96% of the UHDA-P3 color gamut compared to the Q60D's 91%. And, although both of these TVs deliver the same ho-hum HDR brightness, SDR highlights on the Bravia 3 are right in line with its HDR highlights (around 450 nits). The Q60D, on the other hand, offers much dimmer SDR highlights that sit at the 250- to 300-nit level.

In other words, both TVs aren't quite capable of showcasing HDR the way it was meant to be experienced, but the Q60D draws a bolder line between its SDR and HDR performance, at least in Filmmaker mode. The Bravia 3 is at full-throttle brightness more often.

Due to their limited display hardware, contrast is subpar on both sets. This means that most content — be it SDR or HDR — will take on a grayish, milky appearance during most content. I suspect that most people will get used to this, but it's worth noting in case you were expecting a high-quality, high-contrast picture.

Once again, though, the Bravia 3 has an edge when it comes to display tech. It leverages direct LED backlighting, and while it's nowhere near as adept at contrast control as a higher-end Mini-LED (like the flagship Bravia 9), it's better than the Q60D's edge-lit display.

The Bravia 3's excellent picture processing is worth calling out, too. The Q60D is no slouch in this department, but like most Sony sets, the Bravia 3 is superb when it comes to upscaling sub-4K content. There are very few visual artifacts on display when watching relatively low-resolution content on platforms like YouTube TV and when receiving an over-the-air signal.

On the gaming side of things, you shouldn't expect much from either model. These are entry-level TVs designed to work with current-gen gaming consoles, but they're not built to show off 4K titles the way most of them were meant to be played.

If you link up either TV to an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 Pro, you'll be limited to 4K gaming at 60Hz. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Bravia 3 and Q60D arrive without Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and FreeSync support. You'll have to spend up to get those features.

From a performance standpoint, these TVs have enough horsepower to look good to most people, but the Bravia 3 is better equipped to handle the little things: upscaling, motion handling and darker scenes. It features slightly better display hardware and superior picture processing. This doesn't put it that much ahead of the Q60D, but taken as a whole, it represents a fuller package.

Winner: Sony Bravia 3

Sony Bravia 3 vs Samsung Q60D: Smart platform

The Bravia 3 comes with Google TV built right in. I suspect that most people shopping in entry-level class are more likely to lean on their TV’s built-in features, and Google TV ensures that this can be done easily, regardless of your level of TV software expertise.

The interface is easy to navigate and Sony's menu options are integrated well. There is a vast library of downloadable apps to supplement those that arrive out of the box.

The Q60D's Tizen-based platform also offers a ton of additional, downloadable apps, but I find its overall design to be cluttered, harder to navigate than Google TV and, unfortunately, rather sluggish. You could always plug in one of the best streaming devices you can buy to outright replace the Tizen experience, but you'll be losing one of the TV’s three HDMI inputs in the process. If a soundbar is part of your setup, suddenly you're down to just one HDMI port.

Winner: Sony Bravia 3

Sony Bravia 3 vs Samsung Q60D: Outlook

If all you're looking for is an affordable, entry-level 4K TV with smart features available right out of the box, the Bravia 3 and Q60D are both up for the task. They're especially good picks for those who might be upgrading to 4K for the first time.

Right now, the 55-inch Bravia 3 is $578 at Amazon, while the 55-inch Samsung Q60D is also $578 at Amazon. Prices are closely in line across all size options, too, so the choice comes down to personal preference more so than price.

If I were choosing between the two, I would go for the Bravia 3. Neither TV is a showstopper, but the Bravia three has several advantages: superior picture processing, better display hardware, an extra HDMI input and a friendlier smart platform.

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The TV industry is chock full of acronyms that can often bog down even the most knowledgeable of cinephiles when it comes to display technologies. But arguably the two most important you need to know when on the hunt for a new display are OLED TVs vs QLED TVs.

OLED and QLED TVs are two very different types of displays with their own pros and cons. Thus, the battle over which might be superior isn't so cut and dry. Although we at Tom's Guide might praise the best OLED TVs for their improved picture quality, QLEDs have a lot going for them in terms of brightness and they're often a whole lot cheaper, too.

To make matters more confusing, there are now more advanced technologies building upon these foundations in the form of QD-Mini-LED TVs and QD-OLED TVs. For example, TCL has a new series of "QD-Mini-LED" TVs and LG has announced that it's moving to a new four stack OLED panel structure. The variations and names might make your head spin, but we're here to narrow the field and best explain these technologies so you can pick the TV that's right for you.

Fancy an OLED TV? Read this first

OLED, which stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode, describes the panel structure of the TV. OLED TVs are screens with organic materials that make up the foundation of the TV panel. OLED TVs have self-emissive pixels that produce their own light. That's good for a number of reasons that we'll get into in a few minutes.

The exact structure of an OLED TV varies across manufacturers, but they essentially use organic films placed between two electrodes. When electricity passes through these layers, the electrons within release a special kind of energy: light. This light then bounces through the emissive layer with its organic molecules, turning light into a rainbow of varied colors, primarily blue, green, red, and yellow.

I stress emissive here because that's one of the fundamental differences between OLED and QLED TVs. OLEDs are emissive whereas QLEDs (and LCD TVs before them) are transmissive. OLED TVs use pixels that emit their own light, but QLED TVs must rely on LED backlighting to ignite the on-screen pixels.

The structure of these OLED panels varies across manufacturers. For instance, LG's WOLED panels use a stack of three emissive layers, whereas Samsung's QD-OLED panels use four. According to Ross Young, co-founder and CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), both manufacturers are adding a new emissive layer to their OLED stacks this year, bringing LG's 2025 WOLED panels to four and Samsung's 2025 QD-OLED panels to five emissive layers.

These changes are making newer OLED TVs much brighter, which tends to be where they fall flat. You might often see OLEDs touted as the best TV type in the space, but that's not entirely accurate. They offer the best black levels and contrasts at the cost of several leagues lower luminance than their QLED counterparts.

And, often neglected when discussing them, OLED screens offer better energy efficiency. That's because they use those previously mentioned organic materials and don't require the use of a backlight to produce light. They also give off much less heat and usually come very thin.

But OLEDs do suffer dramatically from burn-in. It's the big make-or-break-it issue that holds back many OLEDs, especially LG's. There are ways you can prevent OLED burn-in on your TV, but the reality is that OLEDs simply don't have the same life expectancy offered by QLEDs.

So, what's the big deal with those QLEDs, then?

QLEDs and quantum dots

QLED, on the other hand, stands for Quantum Light-Emitting Diode — though, Samsung denotes them as "Quantum Dot LED TV." QLED TVs are, simply put, LED-LCD TVs with a internal film filled with (you guessed it) quantum dots.

It's these two technologies that are what separates QLEDs from OLEDs. QLED TVs need backlighting to light up these quantum dots and it's used in a variety of different ways. The main backlighting methods you need to know are Direct Full Array (FALD), Dual LED, and Mini-LED.

The latter backlighting type has become one of the most popular forms of QLED TV as Hisense and TCL make headway in the market against their biggest rival in Samsung, who was the first to introduce consumer-ready QLED TVs in 2017. Dual LED TVs are much less common than FALD and Mini-LED backlighting, but it can be found mostly in several models of Samsung's The Frame TV.

Thanks to this backlighting, QLED TVs tend to have incredible brightness metrics. I'm talking upwards of 3,000 nits. Take, for instance, the Hisense U8N Mini-LED TV. Not only was it one of the highest-rated QLED models we reviewed last year, but it also sports a peak brightness of 3,397 nits in a 10% window in our testing.

The closest any OLED TV has come to that metric is the Samsung S95D OLED TV, which topped out at 1,777 nits in a 10% window. That just goes to show how powerful QLEDs are against OLEDs in terms of luminance. But a step even further, like price, shows why QLEDs are so popular right now. The 65-inch S95D currently goes for $2,299 (on sale) while the U8N, at the same configuration, goes for just $899 (on sale).

This is what makes QLEDs particularly appealing for those looking to get big-screen value. TVs are getting bigger, after all, and QLEDs in sizes over 65-inch tend to be pretty affordable in the face of those extra-premium OLEDs (and don't even get me started on Micro-LED TVs).

The future of QLED and OLED TVs

LG did a great job of detailing how its new WOLED OLED panel structure works on its 2025 TV lineup. Its four stack OLED technology uses four emissive layers stacked, from the bottom, blue, green, blue and red (B-G-B-R). Its previous OLED TVs, like the LG C4 OLED, uses a WOLED panel that stacks layers as blue, green/yellow green/red, and blue (B-GYG-R).

Essentially what this means is that its newest OLED TVs are bound to be some of its most color-accurate and colorful yet. Of course, LG's also touting some serious gains in brightness, claiming as much as 2,000 nits in a 10% window (specifically on its LG G5 OLED). That's totally bonkers, but not out of the question.

And it's not just LG that's changing up its OLED panel strategy as Samsung has invited some new additions to its QD-OLEDs, as well. It's adding an extra emissive layer to its OLEDs, bringing the count to five for improved brightness and color.

Both TCL and Hisense are changing the Mini-LED game. The former launched its QD-Mini-LED technology last year that aims to rival even OLED in picture quality. The new technology swaps in ultra-wide angle lenses and a 6-in-1 LED processor to deliver state-of-the-art performance, specifically targeting haloing and blooming in things like subtitles.

At CES 2025, Hisense unveiled its 116UX Mini-LED TV that utilizes a new TriChroma LED panel devised by Hisense that similarly aims to improve highlights and colors on future models. Thus far, it's only available on its 116UX, but will probably find its way onto several other models in due time.

OLED TVs vs QLED TVs: the bottom line

As shown here, both technologies have their own pros and cons. OLEDs tend to be slightly better in terms of black levels, but it's hard to beat those brightness metrics out of Samsung, Hisense and TCL QLED TVs. Both are ever-improving, as well, and might be better served for particular pastimes, like OLED being more beneficial for gamers whereas Mini-LED is the hot spot for HDR movies.

So, if you are on the hunt for a new TV, take stock in your living room situation or maybe underscore what you're getting the TV for specifically. Both technologies offer a superb TV viewing experience, but you'll want to match up the right technology to fit your space — and, most importantly, your budget.

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The Hisense U9N Mini-LED QLED TV is neither a budget set nor a budget-buster, yet it has characteristics of both. It starts at $2,499 for its 75-inch model (well below other flagship TVs’ prices) but has excellent brightness (more than 5,000 nits in some scenarios), color, and even sound, just as you’d expect from other top-performing models.

The U9N falters only as far as the depth of its picture processing, which is less advanced than you’ll see from LG, Samsung, or Sony, and it costs considerably more than the Hisense U8N.

But because of how well the U9N competes against more expensive TVs, and how good it looks in nearly every situation, it earns its place alongside the U8N as one of the best TVs you can buy.

Hisense U9N review: Pricing and availability

Hisense offers a range of TVs designed to match every viewing room and budget, even with its ULED line, which in this generation moves up from the U7N to the U8N to this one (with only the large, luxury UX models positioned above it). The U9N is available only in 75- and 85-inch sizes, and it has the premium prices to match:

• Hisense 75U9N: $2,999.99 | $2,499.99 (on sale)
• Hisense 85U9N: $3,999.99

You may purchase the U9N at either Amazon or Best Buy. We evaluated the smaller of the two models, though the performance should be similar on the 85-inch version. Not sure which one is right for your living room? Check out our handy ‘What size TV should I buy?’ page.

Hisense U9N review: Design and features

Whereas most TVs these days try to blend into their surroundings, the U9N is designed to stand out. It’s big to begin with, measuring 39.4x67.5x2 inches and weighing 86.4 pounds without the stand, and it has a thick (nearly one-quarter-inch), shiny bezel on all sides and silver speaker bars spanning the full left and right edges.

You can set it up on a wide entertainment center with its simple stand (two feet that connect to the lower-left and -right corners) or mount it on the wall using the VESA holes on the rear panel. The port collection is easily accessible, with all of them angled out the TV’s left edge. It comprises a coaxial cable connector; S/PDIF optical audio out; service; AV in; headphone; two USB; and four HDMI, with two HDMI 2.0 (60Hz) and two HDMI 2.1 (144Hz).

Hisense’s smart OS of choice remains Google TV, arguably the best combination of power and ease of use on the market thanks to its connection with Google’s search ecosystem. Unlike other high-end TVs to come out in 2024, the U9N is equipped with an ATSC 3.0 tuner for watching over-the-air 4K broadcasts. You can also stream from mobile devices via Chromecast, Apple AirPlay, and Miracast.

The U9N’s shiny gray remote is larger than we see with most TVs these days, but it has a wealth of well-organized controls, including a button to activate Google Assistant for voice searches (which you can also perform with the TV’s integrated far-field microphone). Most of its buttons are backlit, too, with the six shortcut keys (for Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Tubi, and button customization) being the primary exceptions.

Hisense U9N review: Performance and test results

Until recently, TV buyers had to choose between OLED TVs, with astounding black and color levels but dim panels, and LED sets that were much brighter but lacking in the other areas. These days, however, the combination of quantum dots and Mini LEDs has made it possible to have both vibrant colors and intense black and white levels even on more traditional (and less-expensive) TVs. The U9N is proof of this, putting all these capabilities (plus thousands of local dimming zones) in service to create a TV that is a joy to watch.

The movies and TV shows I sampled during the evaluation period were immensely satisfying visually, with gorgeous colors and gleaming whites routinely etched with luscious black. (The U9N supports all four major HDR formats.) This was most evident in more eye-popping films like Avatar: The Way of Water and color-drenched titles like The Super Mario Bros. Movie or Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. But even Dune: Part Two and Oppenheimer, where shadows are far more important characteristics of the storytelling, looked terrific, if not quite as arresting as on an OLED (such as the similarly priced LG C4 OLED).

Not everything plays perfectly, though. The U9N lacks some of the processing chops of TVs like the Sony Bravia 9 ($3,500) or the Samsung QN90D ($2,200), and this manifests in poorer, flatter upscaling and chunkier fast motion in frantic action scenes. These are acceptable compromises when you’re paying less, but they may not appeal to you if you want the best performance you can get.

Hisense advertises 5,000 nits of peak brightness for the U9N, though you shouldn’t expect to see that all the time. We conduct our brightness tests in a 10% window. (We conduct our technical tests with a Jeti spectraval 1501 spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-6 Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software. Read more about how we test TVs.) In Filmmaker Mode (typically a TV’s most accurate mode), we measured 1,527 nits with SDR content, though we could get considerably brighter in both Standard (3,460) and Vivid (4,644). With HDR factored in, even Filmmaker Mode could get up to 3,841 nits. We saw 5,000 nits, and in some cases higher, only on smaller portions of the screen.

These numbers are considerably higher than you’ll see on OLED sets, of course, and even the QN90D (1,986 nits) and the Bravia 9 (2,713 nits), can’t compare. But because the human eye perceives brightness logarithmically, the higher brightness may not be a deal-breaker. The lower brightness of OLED sets and Sony’s best picture mode (Professional) also confer additional viewing benefits, particularly in dark rooms; with the U9N, you’ll always get the best picture in a brighter room. And though the U8N doesn’t get as bright, either, our HDR measurement of 3,296 nits with HDR is closer than you might expect.

Color performance on the U9N is impressive, too. Its Delta-E (which measures the difference in color between what’s produced at the source and what’s displayed on the screen, with lower numbers being better) was around 2.2, a fine result (if a tick above the Bravia 9), and it covered 99.4% of the Rec. 709 (SDR) color gamut. As far as HDR, the U9N’s 99.08% coverage of the UHDA-P3 color gamut and 82.68% coverage of the even wider Rec. 2020 are some of the best results we’ve seen from any TV.

With an unusually robust 82W 4.1.2 Dolby Atmos speaker system, the U9N sounds good across the board. It has no trouble filling a room with sound, and produces only slight traces of distortion at extremely high volume. You might garner some additional clarity by pairing it with one of the best soundbars, but only the hardest-core audiophiles are likely to find this necessary.

There is no shortage of gaming features, with a 144Hz refresh rate (through the HDMI 2.1 ports, which also allow for Variable Refresh Rate) and support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Dolby Vision Gaming. The Hisense Game Bar also puts a lot of additional settings and functionality right at your fingertips, without forcing you to leave the screen to get them. The U9N’s biggest gaming misstep in our testing was input lag: We measured it at 15ms, which is okay, but falls well short of our 10ms threshold for the smoothest playing experience.

Hisense U9N review: Verdict

Higher-end manufacturers had better watch out — Hisense has come on stronger than ever this year, making the case that you don’t need to spend luxury dollars to get a luxury TV. The U8N, U7N, and U6N represent some of the best value options on the market, and that’s tough to argue with, especially when companies like LG, Samsung, and Sony are putting out some of their best new products, too (if at higher prices).

The U9N competes well against them on most fronts, which is quite an accomplishment. What this TV lacks in premium fit and finish, it makes up in many other areas, provided you can live without an ultra-crisp picture in upscaled or fast-motion content and have somewhere to put (or, in a smaller room, the patience to put up with) a 75- or 85-inch TV, as there are no other side choices. But for everyday, bright-room viewing, the U9N is tough to beat.

The U8N lags behind the U9N less than you might suspect, and because comparable sizes of the U8N can be found for as much as $1,000 less, it’s likely to be the more compelling choice for most people. Those minor picture issues and fewer HDMI 2.1 ports become easier to forgive as you pay less, after all.

If you have your heart set on a big-screen premium TV, though, the Hisense U9N will get you where you want to go without making you feel like you’re sacrificing much to get there.

Nothing beats a trip to MoMA and experiencing art the way it was intended — but Samsung's 65-inch The Frame QLED is the next best thing. It's not only a great TV. It's like a window into an art museum for when you're not watching your favorite shows or movies.

Right now, you can get the 65-inch Samsung The Frame QLED TV for $1,299 at Best Buy. That's $700 slashed off one of Samsung's newest QLED designs, giving you quality performance at an unbeatable price.

• shop all Best Buy Black Friday TV deals

Samsung is known for pushing the bounds with its QLED offerings, and it's no different with this year's The Frame. It sports all the same features and qualities you might expect on a TV that's trying to mimic a painting, including Pantone validation, extra slim wall mounting, customizable bezels and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Frame TV uses Samsung's Quantum 4K processor to great effect, beyond displaying its boundless access to art. As you'll see in our The Frame TV review, this set turned in one of the best color accuracy scores we've seen in our testing. But if that wasn't enough, Samsung's Tizen OS makes it inarguably one of the coolest displays with its own set of awesome upgrades.

Beyond having access to all of the best streaming services, Tizen OS is also home to a slew of cloud gaming providers, mainly Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now, among others. And Samsung itself is now in the business of making its own games, meaning The Frame and practically most of Samsung's lineup are among the best TVs for gaming.

Plus, The Frame can even act as your smart home hub with its SmartThings compatibility. In our review we praised this TV's ability to switch between 120Hz and 60Hz for less power draw, but noted that it does have a high asking price for its extra frames and art store access.

That's why you should jump on this Black Friday TV deal right now. And for more discounts check out our Black Friday TV deals live blog.

UPDATE: Discounted pricing has changed slightly since yesterday. The article below has been adjusted to reflect the new prices.

Looking to upgrade your living room setup with a massive telly ahead of the holiday season? You're in luck, because Appliance Central has slashed the price of TCL's C855 Premium QD Mini LED TV by thousands in the lead up to Black Friday, with sizes up to a staggering 98 inches up for grabs.

Already priced quite affordably at the outset, these TCL C855 deals from Appliance Central are an absolute steal, starting at just AU$2,995 AU$1,765 for the 65-inch model, which is an enormous saving of AU$1,230 from the RRP.

The 75-inch model is also massively discounted at AU$3,995 AU$2,360 (save AU$1,635), though the TV is currently on back order, which means you'll have to wait 7-14 days for stock to arrive.

The colossal 85-inch model, however, is in stock, and is currently priced at AU$4,995 AU$3,199, slashing an amazing AU$1,796 from the RRP. Of course, the largest reduction has been reserved for the biggest telly, with the gargantuan 98-inch model now available at the discounted price of AU$9,995 AU$6,580 — that's an epic saving of AU$3,415 from the RRP, making it our top pick of the bunch.

The TCL C855 is one of the brightest TVs of 2024, boasting a peak brightness of up to 3,500 nits, and also comes equipped with a suite of gamer-centric features, including variable refresh rates (VRR) up to 144Hz (with support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro), auto low-latency mode (ALLM), support for Dolby Vision gaming and two HDMI 2.1 ports.

Audiophiles will also appreciate what the TCL C855 delivers in terms of sound, sporting an Onkyo 2.2.2Ch speaker system with built in subwoofer for powerful audio output. It also runs on the Google TV platform, meaning access to thousands of apps and every streaming service under the sun.

While we haven't had the chance to review the TCL C855 for ourselves, our sister site TechRadar raved about the TV in its 4.5 star review, stating that it "delivers a premium experience for the mid-range price it sits at, with picture quality that far exceeds its price range."

If that sounds like your cup of tea, you'd better act fast — Appliance Central will only offer these prices for the next two days. Alternatively, you could hold out a bit longer to see if the TCL C855 comes down even further during the upcoming Black Friday TV sales from November 29.

Update 9/13/2024: TCL explained to Tom's Guide that the TVs associated in these reports are not US-based models. 

Despite being advertised as having quantum dots — nanocrystals that produce brighter, richer colors on your display — some TCL QLED TVs might not even have them, according to a new study out of Korea. 

The claim was first published on Korean news site etnews.com, which cites a published analysis conducted by two independent certification agencies, SGS and Intertek. Quantum dot producer Hansol Chemical, which supplies the QLED panels for many of the best Samsung TVs, commissioned the study. TCL, however, shot back with its own analysis, which refutes Hansol Chemical's findings.

But whose analysis is correct, and what does this mean for the future of TCL QLEDs?

Which TCL QLEDs might not have quantum dots?

The QLED TVs in question are the TCL C755, C655, and C655 Pro. According to both SGS and Intertek, these models don’t contain any signs of indium and cadmium. These are elements used in the creation of quantum dots. 

The questions first arose when Korean quantum dot producer Hansol Chemical commissioned SGS and Intertek to conduct a study on TCL QLED TVs. Their findings concluded that the aforementioned TVs, the C755, C655, and C655 Pro, lack the chemical trace of cadmium or indium, two elements used in quantum dot display manufacturing. 

TCL isn’t one to ignore the commotion. In a copy of its own chemical analysis sent to etnews.com, it cites an opposing report conducted by SGS and commissioned by Guangdong Region Advanced Material, a quantum dot film supplier for TCL. The findings concluded that traces of cadmium were present in the TVs specified and a spectrogram on the QD film also confirmed the presence of quantum dots. 

There's an important distinction to be made between the two studies, however. Hansol’s report was conducted by literally tearing down TCL TVs. TCL, meanwhile, used its own QD film supplies to back up its claims.

In other words, TCL just tested material supplied by other vendors (of which there are quite a few), while the competing report tested actual TVs. It's possible that TCL sourced faulty QD films when producing these TVs. Unfortunately, even if this is the case, it still raises questions about TCL's quality control efforts.

Should I still buy a QLED TV?

For buyers looking to snag one of the best TVs, the confusion is sure to lead to some skepticism, particularly when it comes to QLED TVs. These TVs often sport lower prices, yet still provide premium features for most consumers, as the OLED TV vs QLED TV debate is one with many angles. 

According to Digital Trends, to combat the confusion (and potential misinformation), a new “QLED Alliance” might be on the horizon, one that would verify the legitimacy of QLED TVs and give a stamp of approval to those that pass certain requirements — namely the inclusion of quantum dots. 

The formation of this alliance is still up in the air. For buyers hoping to overcome doubt about that next big TV purchase, I suggest looking at some of the best OLED TVs, as they provide the best viewing experience. Many OLED TVs are priced at relatively low prices, too, like the impressive LG C3. 

More from Tom's Guide

• Sony Bravia 8 OLED TV review
• Here are the best TV settings for watching football
• OLEDs are now more colorful than ever and they use even less power — here's why

Compared to the TVs we had a decade ago, TVs are miles ahead of where they were — thanks to advancements in tech related to quantum dots, OLED displays, and smaller and smaller LED backlights. 

Unfortunately, for all the progress we've made on the picture quality side of things, TVs are still notoriously energy-consuming. Getting a more energy-efficient TV could genuinely have an impact on your energy bill at the end of the month — but is that even a realistic option? 

Turns out, the answer is a little complicated.

LG and Samsung have famously been developing their own TV technologies for around 10 years now. On the LG side, that development came through OLED technology — while Samsung has been working on refining quantum dot tech that it uses in its so-called QLED TVs. 

Is one of these technologies more energy-efficient than the other? Which one should you go for if you want to cut your energy bill down a little? We've run the numbers, and have have some definitive proof that, for now, replacing a QLED TV with an OLED TV would reduce your overall electricity bill...as long as you don't mind paying more upfront for a more-expensive OLED TV.

OLED vs QLED: Energy efficiency

So, exactly how energy-efficient are modern OLED TVs? Well, it can vary a little but the brand-new 65-inch LG G4 OLED consumes 175 watts on average, while the more budget-focused 65-inch LG C4 OLED sits in at 145.3W.

So what does that mean as it relates to cost? Well, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average cost of energy in the U.S. in April 2024 was $0.173 per kilowatt-hour. That means that in using the LG G4 for four hours per day, you’d pay $44.20 approximately per year, while the C4 would cost you $36.62. Keep in mind that these figures will vary widely, and don’t take into account the fact that the TV still consumes some energy in standby mode, which it would be set to the other 22 hours of the day.

So what about QLED TV energy-efficiency? Samsung’s top-tier TVs these days are actually OLED TVs, however the 65-inch Samsung QN90D Neo QLED’s typical power consumption is 132W, while the typical consumption of last year's Samsung Q80C sits in at 202W. So, the Neo QN90D would cost $32.84 per year for four hours of use per day, while the Q80C would cost $50.52.

When you compare more models, QLED TVs do tend to consume a little more energy than OLED TVs. However, that seems to largely relate to traditional QLED TVs, rather than the newer, more expensive Neo QLED TVs. 

Are QD-OLED TVs any better?

Remember that OLED TVs can turn on and off individual pixels, so when there’s black in an image, those pixels are simply turned off. 

QLED TVs may not currently have the pixel-by-pixel control that OLED TVs offer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re constantly lighting the entire image. In fact, modern QLED TVs have dimming zones, allowing them to dim or turn off sections of the TV where the image is darker. Again, it’s not pixel-by-pixel control, but they can achieve deeper black-levels and a more energy-efficient approach. 

QD-OLED TVs take the best of both worlds — with an OLED backlight that shines through a layer of quantum dots for increased brightness and more vibrant colors. So, how energy efficient are QD-OLED TVs? Well, it’s a little hard to tell given the fact that there are so few QD-OLED TVs out there right now. However, Samsung’s best TVs right now use QD-OLED technology.

The Samsung S95D, according to Samsung, typically consumes 153W. That’s pretty good — and on the low-end compared to other TVs out there. Using the TV for four hours per day would cost you $39.14 per year.

Should you swap your TV for a more energy-efficient one?

Based on the data I've collected, the most energy-efficient TVs are OLED TVs and Neo QLED TVs, with traditional QLED TVs consuming a little more energy. QD-OLED TVs are promising when it comes to power consumption  —  at least if the majority of them are anything like Samsung’s top-tier Samsung S95D.

So, should you buy a specific kind of TV to save on energy costs? You certainly shouldn’t if you’d be buying a more expensive TV just to save on energy. If you spend $100 more on a TV that was only a little more energy efficient, you likely wouldn’t recoup those costs over a decade of using the TV. 

That being said, if you already had your mind set on buying an OLED TV or a new Neo QLED model because of their superior picture quality, then you get the added benefit of saving a few extra dollars throughout the year on your utility bills. 

Saving money and having a new TV? Sounds like a win-win to us.

More from Tom's Guide

• Watching ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2? Make sure you change these 3 TV settings
• I just reviewed the Samsung Q80C and it’s a killer QLED
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Samsung's QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV is the South Korean electronics giant's flagship television for 2024, and it's undoubtedly the most premium TV it has produced to date, sporting a stunning new design, a number of OS refinements, and a third-gen AI-powered processor.

However, like last year's excellent QN900C, the QN900D arrives in a world which continues to debate whether 8K TVs are worth investing in. Many will argue that native 8K content is practically non-existent at present, making support for 8K resolution completely superfluous.

On the flip side, there are those who see the benefits of upscaling on larger displays, and don't actually care whether the content they're viewing is being rendered in its native resolution.

Those in the latter camp will be pleased to learn that Samsung's QN900D has upped the ante when it comes to upscaling, going all in on AI in an attempt to wrestle that particular crown from Sony (of course, we'll need more time with the Sony Bravia 9 to see how things shake out).

Obviously, the QN900D won't be for everyone. For starters, 8K resolution comes with a big jump in price which many won't be able to justify. And if you were hoping that Samsung would finally bring Dolby Vision support to this year's flagship TV, you're going to have to keep waiting.

Still, our time with the Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV has us convinced that it's not only Samsung's best TV of the year, but one of the best TVs of 2024.

Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV review: Price and availability

Given that the QN900D is Samsung's flagship TV of 2024, it comes as no surprise that it carries an equally premium price tag. What does surprise us, however, is that its pricing has remained largely the same as last year's QN900C (with the exception of the UK and Australia, where it's a little more expensive for the larger sizes).

The QN900D starts at $4,999 / £4,999 / AU$6,499 for the 65-inch model, before moving up to $6,299 / £6,499 / AU$8,999 for the 75-inch model, and topping out $7,999 / £9,499 / AU$11,999 for the 85-inch behemoth, which is what we tested. However, you could potentially bring the price down by using one of our Samsung discount codes.

• Samsung QN900D 65-inch: $4,999 / £4,999 / AU$6,499
• Samsung QN900D 75-inch: $6,299 / £6,799 / AU$8,499
• Samsung QN900D 85-inch: $7,999 / £9,499 / AU$11,999

Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV review: Design

For the last few years, Samsung's flagship televisions have been unrivaled in terms of design, and the QN900D continues that tradition by being the South Korean electronics giant's most beautiful TV yet.

Boasting a new 'Infinity Air Design', the QN900D once again sports a practically non-existent bezel (we're talking 1.2mm on the top and sides, and 8.1mm at the bottom). However, Samsung takes things a step further this year with a new mirrored pedestal stand which makes the display look like it's floating, giving it even more of an all-screen appearance.

We're also pleased to see the return of Samsung's brilliant One Connect Box — a detachable media receiver that holds all of the QN900D's various inputs and acts as the TV's power supply.

The box itself can be mounted on the back of the QN900D's pedestal stand, or tucked away in a nearby entertainment cabinet for easy access to its four HDMI 2.1 ports (one of which supports eARC) and other connections (RF input, USB ports, Ethernet port and Optical audio out). All of the inputs are then fed through to the screen via a single cable — that means only one cord to hide when wall mounting.

With the Infinity Air Stand attached, the 85-inch model we tested measures 73.9 x 42 x 12 inches (1877.4 x 1067.1 x 304.9mm). Without the stand, the screen itself measures just 0.5 inches (13.3mm), which is still remarkably thin for a TV with Mini LED backlighting behind its display.

And, as with previous Neo QLED flagships, the QN900D has speaker grilles along the top and sides of its display, which is one less thing distracting viewers from its practically borderless screen.

Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV review: Performance

This year, the big selling point for Samsung's latest flagship is its 8K AI Upscaling Pro functionality, powered by the new NQ8 AI Gen 3 Processor. As the name suggests, the feature takes advantage of AI neural networks to enhance the TV's image quality on the fly. That means sharper detail and increased clarity for content that falls below 8K native resolution (i.e. almost all content).

While this technology isn't new for Samsung, having been deployed on the manufacturer's previous flagship TV, it has been drastically beefed up this year. According to Samsung, the QN900D's 8K AI upscaling makes use of 512 neural networks — eight times the number used by the QN900C.

At default settings, the QN900D's AI upscaling resulted in the noticeable reduction of noise and artifacting in the TV's Standard and Dynamic picture modes, while color, brightness and motion smoothing all received a huge boost, occasionally venturing into unnatural territory.

While the AI-tweaked colors and showroom-ready image clarity will surely result in many, many televisions sold, they're at odds with the wants of A/V purists, who are more concerned with accuracy and the original intentions of filmmakers than ever before — even film grain is being wholeheartedly embraced these days.

Thankfully, the QN900D still offers Movie and Filmmaker Mode settings, meaning cinephiles can completely avoid all the neural network tweaking if they want to. On top of this, Samsung's handy Smart Calibration tool is still available via the SmartThings app, allowing you to optimize your Movie Mode to near-professional standards within minutes. We absolutely recommend doing this, as the default values in Movie Mode are somewhat dull right out of the box.

The two shots below from Saving Private Ryan illustrate the difference between Dynamic and Filmmaker Mode at default settings. Notice how the teals and reds of the scene are blown out to near neon levels of saturation.

As for general performance, it will come as no surprise that the QN900D's Mini LEDs offer incredible brightness and improved backlight control, resulting in excellent contrast while exhibiting even less light bleed than its predecessor.

When we reviewed Samsung's QN900C last year, we noted that it boasted the highest peak brightness of any TV we'd reviewed in recent memory. This time around, the QN900D can't quite make that claim — that honor goes to the Hisense UX, which broke every possible test metric at CES 2024.

Before you start worrying, you should know that Samsung's Mini LED-sporting QN900D is still astoundingly bright, reaching a peak luminance of 2,338 nits in a 10% window, putting it well above high-end OLED TVs like the LG C4 (1,049 nits) and even Samsung's own S95D (1,777 nits).

If there's one area where Samsung's QN900D disappoints, it's the TV's lack of Dolby Vision support. We understand that Samsung would rather promote HDR10+ given its hand in creating the standard, but there's no denying that Dolby Vision's 12-bit color is technically superior, on top of being widely preferred by videophiles. Given that Samsung is the number one TV manufacturer in the world, it feels almost silly that its flagship television still doesn't support Dolby Vision.

Of course, the real measure of quality for many will come down to how the QN900D handles color, and on that front, Samsung's flagship is remarkably impressive.

Once again, this quantum dot-sporting Neo QLED TV delivers seriously vibrant color saturation, reaching 99.83% of the Rec. 709 color gamut in Filmmaker Mode for SDR content (compared to last year's 99.13%), while HDR content reaches 94.6% coverage of the UHDA-P3 Color Gamut (compared to 93.04% on the QN900C).

Color accuracy on the QN900D is also excellent, measuring 1.8413 in our Delta-E test, where lower numbers are favored. That's a significant improvement on last year's flagship, which measured 2.8686, putting the QN900D on a similar playing field as LG's C4 OLED, which measured 1.8201.

For more see how we test and review TVs.

Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV review: Audio

Along with its image upscaling prowess, the QN900D's AI processing also extends to sound, where a new AI-powered dialogue booster called Active Voice Amplifier Pro uses deep-learning to make dialogue more pronounced.

Samsung's Adaptive Sound Pro technology has also received an AI upgrade, taking advantage of neural processing to analyze and remaster sound objects on a scene-by-scene basis, resulting in improved clarity and audio balance.

Just like last year's model, the QN900D sports a 6.2.4-channel system with 12 embedded multi-directional speakers in total, delivering a 90W output. Along the top edge of the QN900D is an array of up-firing speakers, qualifying it for true Dolby Atmos, even if the level of immersion is on the minimal side — especially when compared to a soundbar.

Speaking of soundbars, the QN900D supports Samsung's Q-Symphony technology, allowing the TV and its speakers to perfectly sync up with compatible soundbar models, resulting in a more pronounced center channel for dialogue. We tested Q-Symphony using Samsung's new Q990D Q Series soundbar and heard a significant lift in dialogue level.

The feature is also said to work with Samsung's new Music Frame, theoretically giving users additional speakers for a beefed up surround experience, though we didn't get around to testing this for ourselves.

Additionally, the QN900D supports wireless Dolby Atmos with compatible Q Series soundbars like the one mentioned above, meaning one less HDMI cable coming from your One Connect Box.

Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV review: Gaming

As with previous Samsung Neo QLED TVs, the QN900D is a gamer's dream television, delivering full HDMI 2.1 support for 4K/120fps gaming on PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles on all four HDMI ports. That also means support for variable refresh rates (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM).

As with image and audio quality, gaming also gets an AI boost on the QN900D, with a new AI Auto Game Mode which provides automatic setting optimization. It's said that the AI engine is smart enough to recognize the game you're playing and automatically adjust picture and sound quality for an optimal experience. We tried the feature out with Forza Horizon 5 and the game looked quite stunning to our eyes, with great contrast levels during night time racing.

Samsung's Gaming Hub also returns, giving players quick access to Game Mode settings, such as Game Motion Plus, Game Picture Mode, an FPS counter and more. FreeSync Premium is also supported, so PC gamers can play at refresh rates of 144Hz without worrying about screen tearing or dropped frames.

As for latency, our 4K Leo Bodnar Signal Lag Tester recorded 10.4 milliseconds of input lag from the QN900D with Game Mode enabled, which is slightly up from last year's model, which recorded 9.6 milliseconds.

Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV review: Interface and apps

Samsung has given its Tizen smart TV platform a slight refresh on the QN900D, with a focus on discovery and making it easier to resume shows and movies you've already started watching.

Pressing the home button will still bring up the home screen, though instead of going straight to your row of installed apps, you now get three tabs: Discover, Live and Apps. Discover provides you with a wealth of content suggestions, while Live shows you what's currently streaming on a selection of channels from Samsung TV Plus. And, as the name would suggest, Apps takes you directly to your Apps section.

By default, your home screen journey starts on a content row that keeps track of what you've been watching in a new 'Recent' section, which is immediately followed by 'Suggestions'. While this does add an additional step for those who just want to quickly switch apps, the new row does prove rather helpful.

Additionally, the refreshed Tizen OS sees the introduction of accounts, so multiple users can have their own personalized home screen experience. In theory, this will provide a better selection of suggested shows and movies on the home screen that will be more tailored to individual users.

Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV review: Remote

Due to the early nature of our review period, we were provided with one of Samsung's white universal TV remotes in place of the final release remote. However, our US-based staff writer Ryan Epps was able to try out the proper remote during a different hands-on session and can confirm it remains relatively unchanged from last year's model.

That means the remote once again gets its power from a small rear solar panel that absorbs light (both natural and artificial) to charge an internal battery and keep it going for a much longer time. And if you need faster charging, it also has a USB-C port.

If you've used a Samsung TV remote in the last few years, you'll know what to expect with the QN900D. The remote is small, lightweight and minimalist, with a circular directional pad for navigation.

You also get volume and channel rockers, a selection of function buttons (back, home, play/pause), a settings button, a mic button for voice commands, and dedicated buttons for launching Netflix, Samsung TV Plus, Disney Plus and Prime Video.

Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV review: Verdict

Samsung has pulled out all the stops for its QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV, delivering its most premium television to date. Boasting advanced AI-driven features, the QN900D delivers stunning picture quality and excellent audio.

Contrast is also exceptional on the QN900D, with its Mini LEDs striking the right balance between remarkable brightness and near-OLED black levels. It's also a brilliant TV for gamers, thanks to its suite of game-centric features and full HDMI 2.1 support.

While not everyone will appreciate the AI-powered upscaling on offer, purists can continue to watch their favorite films as they were intended with Movie and Filmmaker Mode. Aside from the continued omission of Dolby Vision support, it's hard to fault Samsung's QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV, as it's one of the best TVs the company has delivered yet.

Many of the best TVs are QLED or QD-OLED TVs that use quantum dots to enhance their brightness and color saturation, and it feels like you can't look at a selection of TVs on the wall at Best Buy without seeing over a dozen QLED TV models. So how did we get here? And what, exactly, are quantum dots?

Now often integrated into the best OLED TVs, quantum dots were first introduced in 2013, but they really started hitting the mainstream in 2015, and since then have been used in all different kinds of TVs and displays. 

Since then, they’ve been popularized by Samsung in its 2023 and 2024 ranges, like the Samsung QN90C Neo from last year and the Samsung S95D from 2024, as well as by other manufacturers like TCL, Hisense, LG and even Sony.

But the term “quantum dot” really gives no clue as to what the technology actually is — and why you would care if your TV has it. Curious about quantum dots and how they could make your next TV look a whole lot better? Here’s what you need to know.

What are quantum dots?

Quantum dots are a type of particle that are chemically produced and stored on a sheet called a film. That film is placed in between the screen and the backlight, and has a current that runs through it. 

The actual quantum dots on the film are tiny — only measuring from around two to 10 nanometers, and here, size matters. The larger quantum dots — those closer to 10 nanometers — glow red when light is passed through them. Smaller ones, closer to 2 nanometers, glow green when light is passed through them. 

I know what you’re thinking — they only glow red or green? What about blue, the other primary color required to make all the other colors? 

Well, while there are blue quantum dots, in a quantum dot TV, the backlight is typically blue. So, blue light is passed through the quantum dots instead of white light, and it’s all mixed together to make the colors you see on the screen. 

 How do quantum dots make my TV look better? 

The key to how quantum dots improve your TVs display lies in what they replace in a traditional LED TV. LED TVs without quantum dots use a diffuser material and color filters to turn white light into the colors you see on a screen. 

This works fine, but all those layers, and polarizers, mean that not only are colors not quite as vibrant, but there’s light lost. So, either a TV isn’t as bright, or it has to use more energy and a more powerful backlight to create an image that’s brighter.

Quantum dots help solve these issues. In a quantum dot TV, the quantum dots are applied to a film, which replaces a color filter — a filter that usually means the loss of at least some of the light provided by the backlight. With a lot less light lost, the image can be a whole lot brighter. Not only that, but quantum dots glow with particularly intense colors — and can provide a wider range of colors than you would get from a traditional color filter. That means that quantum dot TVs can produce more colors, resulting in a more natural image. 

The TL;DR: Quantum dots in a TV make for a brighter image that’s made up of more colors, thanks to what they replace in a traditional LED TV.

Where can I see quantum dot technology in action? 

You might have noticed a theme so far in how we’ve talked about quantum dots — they related to traditional LED TVs. In fact, until very recently, quantum dot TVs were really just upgraded LED TVs. But these days you can find quantum dots in LED TVs and Mini-LED TVs, as well as OLED TVS. 

What's the difference? Traditional LED TVs use a big backlight, and that light passes through filters to produce an image. Newer LED TVs use dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of tiny backlights to get more control of an image — turning down or dimming those individual backlights in a dark scene to create deeper black levels. 

This, of course, has little to do with quantum dots, but this backlighting tech has been used in conjunction with quantum dot tech to create a better image overall (see the Hisense U8K, Tom's Guide's current pick for the best TV). 

What are QD-OLED TVs then?

In recent years, quantum dot technology is starting to be used with another TV technology: OLED. 

Contrary to popular belief, OLED technology has more to do with TV backlighting than you might think. In fact, in most OLED TVs, OLED technology is the backlight. OLED TVs do away with the traditional backlight, as OLEDs can individually glow when electricity is applied to them. That means that OLED TVs can control each individual pixel — turning pixels off as needed. Most OLED TVs use this technology for the backlighting — passing white light produced by OLEDs through color filters to create an image that has so-called “true blacks,” where the TV just turns off pixels in areas where there’s black in the image, to make for wider contrast.

But there are blue OLEDs too. See where I’m going with this? QD-OLED TVs, like the Samsung S95D, combine the individual pixel-level control of a blue OLED backlighting panel, with a layer of quantum dots that can produce vibrant colors and a higher level of brightness.

This is particularly helpful for OLED TVs because OLED TVs haven’t been able to get quite as bright as LED TVs due to limitations around the technology. But when you remove that pesky light-blocking color filter, and replace it with a vibrant quantum dot layer, you regain some of that brightness lost, while getting more vibrant colors. 

Quantum dots have a bright future 

Unfortunately, both OLED and quantum dot technology isn’t cheap, and QD-OLED panels are pretty new — so for now, the main downside to QD-OLED tech is the price. But, that’s sure to change in coming years, so expect better TVs across all price ranges as that happens.  

To that end, quantum dot technology isn’t going away any time soon. They make for a better approach to creating colors than traditional color filters ever did, and that means more vibrant, more natural images. When combined with the latest-and-greatest backlighting tech, like Mini-LED or OLED, quantum dots help make better TV images than ever before. 

Purchasing a smart TV can sometimes feel like a huge investment, especially if you can't find a good deal that offers you the most bang for your buck. And if you’re shopping outside of major sales, like Black Friday or Boxing Day, it can be even harder to find a TV worth spending your hard-earned cash on. 

That’s where TCL’s offerings step in. TCL TVs can provide terrific value at decent prices, offering models that fit almost every budget. With the 2024 TCL lineup looking rather promising, there's a lot to look forward to, but it would be remiss not to mention the models that TCL currently offers — and this Mini-LED TV is no exception. 

Right now, you can get TCL's 65-inch C845 Mini-LED for just AU$1,369 on Powerland's eBay using the code FEBSAVE. This discount knocks a massive AU$1,630 off the RRP and brings this OLED alternative under AU$1,500, making it a perfect home entertainment upgrade or a dedicated guest room TV. 

Powerland's eBay storefront has a complete list of discounted smart TVs, including the modest 55-inch C845 model, the 65-inch TCL P745 model, and more. But you'll need to act fast—this TCL C845 TV deal is only available while supplies last. 

Typically setting you back AU$2,999 — which we'd argue is pretty standard for what you get — a AU$1,630 saving makes for a far more attractive price, especially when shopping outside of major sales. 

For that price, you're getting a 4K smart TV enhanced by Mini-LED technology—one of the best innovations that TVs have seen in recent years, in our opinion. Mini-LED refers to the type of LEDs used in a TV's backlight, measuring around one-fifth the size of a standard LED (0.008-inch or 200 microns across, to be exact). What this really means is that the dimming zones that modern TVs use to provide more dynamic contrasts and pictures are shrunk down.

That said, brightness can sometimes be a key issue for single LED screens. However, this TCL mini-LED model houses a handful of pixels that provide tighter lighting control and enhance brightness when needed. 

Do note, though, that this deal will save you an extra AU$211 compared to its discounted price of AU$1,580 on Boxing Day. You can find it at other retailers, such as The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi, but it will set you back AU$1,595. However, the listing price at these retailers is AU$1,999 compared to the manufacturer's RRP of AU$2,999, so we'd argue this AU$1,630 discount is a pretty cracking deal. 

But no matter where you decide to buy this Mini-LED TV from, this screen is ideal for a home entertainment upgrade or when you need a second TV without the hefty price tag. For the savings on offer at Powerland's eBay, this C845 model is one to get your hands on. 

February isn't usually when we see steep price drops – that happens during major sales events like Black Friday – but Samsung seems to have other ideas. The South Korean electronics giant has decided to slash prices on several of its TVs, including taking a very decent AU$400 chunk off the RRP of the 65-inch Q60C QLED screen.

We've tested this QLED TV here on Tom's Guide and found it offers above-average colour accuracy and industry-leading input lag — and that's saying something. We also found that while it isn’t the brightest screen available, its solid colour treatment, across both SDR and HDR material, is pretty riveting. 

Right now, you can get the 65-inch Q60C QLED 4K TV for just AU$1,499 at Samsung Australia, making it ideal for a perfect home entertainment upgrade or to use in a second room as a dedicated gaming TV. The Samsung Australia website has a complete list of discounted products on sale, like TVs, soundbars and more currently available. But you better act fast — this Samsung Q60C TV deal is only available while supplies last, until 21 February 2024. 

Typically setting you back AU$1,899 — which we’d argue is already affordable for what you get — a AU$400 saving makes for a far more attractive price, especially when shopping outside of the major sales.

For your money, you’re getting a 4K smart TV that offers good, but not great, sound. That's not uncommon in the TV space though, and so for true home cinema, we'd always recommend adding a soundbar. Fortunately, Samsung has knocked the price down of this HW-Q600C Q-Series Soundbar, which has the added benefit of Samsung's Q-Symphony. With both TV and soundbar paired, you'll be able to take advantage of all speakers, resulting in a more impressive home theatre experience. 

And for gamers, the Q60C has an in-built Game Mode, which reduces lag speeds for faster gaming. Plus, Samsung TVs have the Xbox Game Pass app so you can stream over 100 of the best video games straight to your TV. 

(The only real downside here is the lack of HDMI 2.1 ports, so if you own a PS5 or Xbox One and you’re a serious gamer, you may want to consider upgrading to the Samsung QN900C Neo QLED, also discounted to just AU$4,499).

Do note, though, that we have found the Q60C cheaper on Appliances Online for AU$1,411 — AU$88 cheaper than Samsung's deal. However, the listed price is a whopping AU$290 more than the manufacturer's RRP at AU$2,189. 

But no matter where you choose to buy the QLED TV from, this screen is ideal for situations where you need a TV, but you’re not looking for something that’s top-of-the-line. For this price, especially with the savings on offer, the Q60C is a decent starter screen for younger viewers or gamers.

Sometimes, the best TV overall might not be the best TV for you. There’s something to be said for shopping on a budget and these days, affordable sets are more attractive than ever. Certain TV brands have mastered the art of making smart cost-cutting measures — the TCL Q6 QLED TV is a great example.

TCL’s mid-tier 4K QLED TV doesn’t have the picture appeal of the TCL QM8 Mini LED TV, but for those looking for a big-screen set under $600, the Q6 presents an attractive offer. The TCL Q6’s simple design, large size options, solid performance and abundance of streaming options through the Google TV platform deliver pretty much everything a price-conscious customer is looking for. 

In return, you’ll miss out on some bells and whistles: you get limited HDMI ports, a rather basic remote, an occasionally laggy interface and audio quality you’ll probably want to beef up with a soundbar. But if those things aren’t deal-breakers for you (and they definitely don’t need to be,) I can make a strong case for the TCL Q6 as one of the best budget TVs. Read my full TCL Q6 QLED TV review below to learn more.

TCL Q6 QLED TV review: Pricing and availability

The TCL Q6 comes in four sizes, starting at 55 inches and going up to 85 inches. I recommend checking our guide on which TV size to buy if you’re unsure of which configuration is ideal for your space.

• TCL 55Q650G (55 inches): $449.99 | Check sale price
• TCL 65Q650G (65 inches): $599.99 | Check sale price
• TCL 75Q750G (75 inches): $799.99 | Check sale price
• TCL 85Q750G (85 inches): $1,099.99 | Check sale price

As is standard practice at Tom’s Guide, I tested the 65-inch configuration of the TCL Q6 QLED TV, but you can expect this review’s information to apply to all sizes. 

It’s worth noting that TCL Q7 QLED TV comes in the same size options and is a step up from the Q6 in TCL’s 4K QLED TV lineup. It starts at $599 for the 55-inch size, so it costs more than the Q6.. But compared to the Q6, the Q7 offers a backlit TV remote, HDMI 2.1 ports, a native 120Hz refresh rate and slightly sleeker design.

TCL Q6 QLED TV review: Design and features

There’s nothing particularly remarkable about the TCL Q6’s design. It’s a rather basic-looking TV with standard thickness and plain plastic bezels. Perhaps the best aspect of the design is that it’s outfitted with two installation options for the included pair of feet. I initially stood the set up on the narrower slots, but after realizing I needed more room beneath the screen for a soundbar, I easily swapped the feet out to the wider setting. Of course, wall-mounting is also an option with a 400mm x 300mm VESA mount.

The ports are found on the rear of the TV facing out towards the right side. It supports 3 HDMI 2.0 ports, with no options for the newer HDMI 2.1 standard that gets you the most performance-wise out of your Blu-ray player and PS5/Xbox Series X gaming consoles. That said, the HDMI 3 port supports the eARC protocol which simplifies soundbar connectivity. Considering the TV’s mediocre 10W speakers, I’d say one of the best soundbars is a must. Luckily, the compatible TCL Q Class soundbar starts at just $199 for the 3.1 channel setup.

This TCL TV runs Google TV, one of our favorite smart TV platforms on the market. It has all the best streaming service apps available to download, including a good few of the best free streaming services. As you’d expect, it’s particularly good for watching YouTube and you could even try cutting the cord with YouTube TV as your cable replacement. It also pairs to your Google account to curate your profile and communicate with other Google Home devices you might own. 

Google Assistant is available for voice search via the remote, too. Otherwise, the TV remote is familiar with what I’d consider just the necessary amount of buttons. There are even some dedicated launchers for Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV and more.

TCL Q6 QLED TV review: How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set's performance. As part of our technical tests, we use an X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, a SpectraCal VideoForge Pro pattern generator and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software for measurements. We use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for measuring the TV’s gaming prowess, too.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer, but usually feature anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our ‘how we test TVs’ page.

TCL Q6 QLED TV review: Performance and test results

The TCL Q6 QLED TV impressed in our benchmarking testing, putting up results that are better than we typically expect from the budget TV category. For example, the Q6 registered 431 nits brightness in SDR and 498 nits in HDR in a 10% window. That’s more than adequate, especially considering it lacks local dimming. A super-bright TV without local dimming would make dark scenes look washed out, and although the black levels aren’t anywhere near OLED levels, I didn’t find them distracting to movie-watching.

If having a brighter picture or local dimming matters to you the TCL Q7 is a bit more compelling in those areas. We’re also big fans of the Hisense U6K Mini LED TV, which is one of the most affordable Mini LED TVs you’ll find. 

In terms of color, the Q6’s Delta-E (meaning the accuracy of the color compared to the source) is a respectable 2.1065 and the TV covers 97.4192% of the Rec. 709 (SDR) color gamut. For HDR content, it covered 94.51% of the UHDA color gamut and 68.92% of the Rec. 2020 gamut, which are both fair scores for a set of this price. 

After turning off the motion smoothing settings that come enabled by default, I enjoyed a variety of content on the TCL Q6 QLED TV. For example, watching Oppenheimer, the picture clarity allowed me to pick up on all the key nuances in the close-up scenes of Cillian Murphy’s face. During the Trinity Test, the colors of the swirling flames looked true to life while the bright light from the explosion that reached the test teams didn’t wash out or compromise the image details. I will say the colors become muddled with off-angle viewing, but I suppose the idea is that you’ll buy a large screen size and maximize the amount of “sweet spot” viewing space.

As for gaming, without a native 120Hz refresh rate or HDMI 2.1, I wouldn’t consider the Q6 one of the best gaming TVs. It’s a shame considering the outstandingly low lag time of just 8.9 seconds. I’m not saying this can’t be used for gaming with say, a Nintendo Switch, but there are better options for those who take their gameplay seriously.

TCL Q6 QLED TV review: Verdict

Coming from someone who has tested some of the most expensive TVs on the market, I think the TCL Q6 QLED TV makes an attractive proposition. There aren’t very many 65-inch TVs you can get for $500, let alone ones that come with a great streaming interface and strong enough performance to impress shoppers that are upgrading from a TV that’s a few years old. 

Even if you’re looking at the Q6 as a solution for a secondary TV-watching space, average viewers shouldn’t find this set to be a major downgrade from a nicer TV they might have in another room. At least, not if you plan to add a soundbar to make the setup feel more premium, which I strongly suggest. 

TCL has taken the wraps off its entire 2024 TV lineup at CES 2024. Among the new arrivals are the new TCL Q6 and QM8 models as well as a new-and-improved version of last year's Q7 model that will now be known as the QM7.

What's the 'M' for? Well, it stands for Mini-LED, and the Q7 line is getting one installed in next year's models. 

According to TCL, who met with Tom's Guide ahead of the show, the QM7 will offer up to 1,300 zones on its largest model (a massive 98-inch screen) and hit up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. It uses TCL's new AIPQ Pro Processor and use a new 2.1-channel speaker system that integrates a subwoofer into the back of the TV.

In short, TCL's mid-range model is coming for the Hisense U8K, and the QM7 could just be the new budget king when it comes out later this year.

So what's coming for the QM8? 

The new QM7 is great news for budget TV buyers out there, but it's not the be-all, end-all of TCL's 2024 lineup. That honor belongs to the new QM8. 

The new QM8 (which will go by the full model number QM851G) will be available in a standard model with up to 5,000 dimming zones and a monstrous new 115-inch model with 20,000 dimming zones and a peak brightness of 5,000 nits. 

The latter (dubbed the QM89) is a beast in its own right, but the standard QM8 — available in 65", 75", 85" and 98" — will offer several advantages over last year's TCL QM8: In addition to the boosted brightness and additional dimming zones, TCL is using a new anti-glare coating on the QM8 to make ambient light less of an issue and throwing in an ATSC 3.0 tuner that was painfully missing from last year's model.

We'll have a better idea of how these changes will affect the performance later in the week after we go hands-on with all of TCL's new TVs, but so far TCL's 2024 TV lineup looks like it will have some huge benefits for every type of TV buyer. 

Check out our CES 2024 hub for all the latest news from the show as it happens. Follow the Tom’s Guide team in Las Vegas as we cover everything AI, as well as the best new TVs, laptops, fitness gear, wearables and smart home gadgets at the show.

And be sure to check out the Tom's Guide TikTok channel for all the newest videos from CES!

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Quantum dots are incredible technology. These tiny dots reproduce colors based on the size of the dot that light passes through, making them ideal for TV displays. And now, the creators of this technology have been formally recognized for their groundbreaking achievement.

In a press release earlier this month (h/t FlatpanelsHD), the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov for their discovery and development of quantum dots. That is a massive achievement, but the best part? You can buy OLED TVs using these, now award-winning, quantum dots — right now. 

How quantum dots work 

Before diving into which OLED TVs use quantum dots right now and are worth buying if you need an upgrade, here’s a crash course on how quantum dots work in TV displays.

Currently, some TVs use what is called a quantum dot filter where light is passed through a display layer of quantum dots This filter then reproduces the color based on the width of the dot. A quantum dot that is seven nanometers wide converts light into red, a five-nanometer dot converts light into green and a dot that is three nanometers in width converts the light into a blue light. 

Some of the best OLED TVs right now use quantum dots