When readers ask for suggestions on a new TV, I always start with TCL. That's because, for their price, they're some of the best TVs you can buy.
Yes, LG OLED TVs are going to offer better contrast and Samsung QD-OLED will deliver higher color volume, but TCL's Mini-LED models will offer a bit of both for half the cost.
Whether you're a gamer looking to get the best performance, or a movie lover looking for top-tier HDR playback, the following TCL TVs are your discount ticket to a new home theater.
The best TCL TVs you can buy
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The TCL QM8K is the most expensive TCL Mini-LED TV, but it's also the best. In our lab tests, the QM8K performed well above its stablemates, the QM7K and QM6K, and is one of the best gaming TVs thanks to its 288Hz VRR.
The only reason it doesn't have a higher score is that its price is, well, higher than we'd like. The QM7K, listed below, can't go toe-to-toe with the QM8K, but it offers a lot of great features and good performance for almost half the price. Also, its biggest rival, the Hisense U8QG, can often be found for $500 less.
Still, if you want a Mini-LED TV with over 3,000 nits of brightness, and good color volume, the QM8K delivers for under $1,500.
Read our full TCL QM8K Mini-LED TV review.
Meet TCL's middle-of-the-road Mini-LED TV. While other mid-range models skimp out on key features, the QM7K keeps all the best bits of the QM8K at a more affordable price.
Are you going to get 3,000 nits of brightness? No. But 2,000 nits is still plenty bright. Are you going to get the same color volume coverage? No. But the color coverage you get here is going to blow you away all the same.
See, that's the QM7K's superpower. It's not the all-powerful model in TCL's 2025 lineup, but it's got the same key ingredients at a price that your wallet is going to love.
Read our full TCL QM7K Mini-LED TV review.
Admittedly, I'd probably buy the QM8K. I want the best performance and I don't mind spending $1,500 to get it. But not everyone thinks like me. Some folks don't want to spend more than $500 for a new TV without making a major compromise on performance. That's where the TCL QM6K comes in.
The QM6K is new for 2025 and brings better contrast to TCL's entry-level Mini-LED.
When we reviewed it back in March, we said, "Its feature set, picture quality and price point are the perfect combination for anyone looking for an affordable TV." And we still stand by that.
In terms of brightness, you're looking at around 700 nits in HDR (a far cry from the 3,000 nits of the QM8K above) but if you mostly watch SDR content from the HD version of Netflix, you're not missing out on anything.
As far as budget TVs go, the TCL QM6K is one of the best.
Read our full TCL QM6K QLED TV review.
What is QLED?
Some of the best TCL TVs leverage QLED panels, but what does that mean exactly? Well, QLED is shorthand for TVs that use quantum-dots and LED backlighting to produce brighter and richer colors. Essentially the technology uses nano-scale crystals that react to light by glowing at different wavelengths, literally creating brighter colors in response to a TV's backlight.
Originally popularized by Samsung, QLED TVs offer major improvements in glare mitigation, brightness, and more over traditional LCD panels. When paired with a backlight array that has local dimming zones, the same displays offer even better contrast and HDR performance, edging closer to the sort of pixel-perfect lighting you'll get with more premium OLED TVs.
Not all TCL TVs have this QLED enhancement, but it's a feature that's worth paying a little more to get, since it delivers noticeably better picture quality often at a budget price.
What is Mini-LED?
Mini-LED refers to the type of LEDs used in a TV's backlight. With mini-LEDs measuring about one-fifth the size of a standard LED – measuring just 0.008-inch (200 microns) across – the dimming zones that modern TVs use to provide a more dynamic picture and better contrast get shrunk down.
Along with color and contrast, brightness makes a huge difference in how well a TV can display an image. Instead of a single LED backlighting zone illuminating several square inches of a screen, Mini-LEDs are limited to a mere handful of pixels, providing tighter lighting control to eliminate haloing and provide better brightness where it's needed.
Back in 2019, TCL introduced the first Mini-LED TV, a move that would make rival manufacturers emulate by 2021. (You can find out more about the technology in our article Year of the mini-LED TV: Samsung, LG and TCL getting this huge upgrade.)
It's one of the most advantageous innovations out of the TV market and has exploded in popularity over the past few years. If you are on the lookout for a new display but don't want the hefty premium that comes on most OLEDs, we often recommend opting for a Mini-LED TV.
How to choose the best TCL TV for you
When it comes to TCL TVs, shoppers can feel safe buying most newer models on the market. Though relatively new to the North American TV market, TCL has earned a reputation for offering high-quality TVs that punch above their weight in terms of picture quality, features and affordability.
But the different models in the TCL lineup are also clearly differentiated with specific features and capabilities that make it easier to see not only what makes one better than another, but also how those differences factor into the price-to-value ratio that each set offers.
In the end, a TCL TV delivers incredible picture performance at a great price, and the only real question is what features you are willing to pay for at any particular price point. As our testing and reviews have shown, you'll get great quality at an unmatched price on any of its models.
If you're still trying to narrow down your TV shopping by brand, price range or screen size, check out our picks for the best TVs in each.
Best TVs | Best 4K TVs | Best smart TVs for streaming | Best TVs for gaming
Best TV brands | Best Samsung TVs | Best LG TVs | Best Roku TVs | Best OLED TVs | Best QLED TVs | Best 8K TVs
The best TVs under $1000 | The best TVs under $500
The smallest smart TVs | Best 43-inch TVs | Best 50-inch TVs | Best 55-inch TVs | Best 65-inch TVs | Best 70-inch TVs | Best 85-inch TVs
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