When you buy a TV, you're buying more than just a screen — you're buying into a brand's entire philosophy. For better or worse, over the course of the next several years, that brand will be at the center of your living room.
As professional TV-reviewers, no one understands the relationship between a viewer and their TV better than us. That's why we're passing out report cards to the biggest names in the TV industry this week, grading everything from price to performance.
Previously, we doled out report cards to both LG and Sony. Today, we’re taking a look at TCL, makers of some of the most popular QLEDs on the market. In 2026, TCL's proprietary Super Quantum Dot (SQD) technology is up against some fierce competition, too.
Pricing
In recent years (including 2026), TCL TVs have played the part of value-forward alternatives to pricier analogues from brands like Samsung and Sony. They’re not always budget friendly, but outside of a handful of exceptions, TCL sets are typically priced lower than the competition while still offering many of the same benefits and features.
On the lower end of the spectrum, TVs like the four-star TCL QM6K offer a taste of premium hardware for a price most people can justify. Backed by Mini-LEDs, a 65-inch QM6K launched at just $799 and eventually fell even further throughout its shelf life.
TCL sets are typically priced lower than the competition while still offering many of the same benefits and features.
The Best Buy-exclusive TCL QM5K offers a modest array of Mini-LEDs for even less. The 65-inch QM5K is still available for $499.
You don’t have to stick to entry-level and mid-range models to see the inherent value in most TCL TVs in 2026. The top-shelf TCL QM8L — which recently earned our four-star rating — is equipped with the brand’s best display technology, but still comes in at a relatively low price compared to some of its competitors.
Just a few months (and price drops) after its release, the 65-inch TCL QM8L is just $1,499. For all intents and purposes, it’s a direct competitor of the Sony Bravia 9 II True RGB TV and the Samsung R95H Micro RGB TV, but those sets are currently $3,599 and $3,199, respectively.
TCL is no stranger to the concept of a flashy, big-screen luxury TV. The TCL X11L is a prime example of this. But when it comes to its mainline QLEDs, its TVs are usually more affordable than alternatives from LG, Samsung and Sony — and they tend to go on sale fast and frequently.
Grade: A-
Design
I've been covering TCL TVs for over a decade, and early on, the company wasn't exactly known for the build quality of its TVs. Fortunately, as TCL's lineups upgraded and expanded, so too did its design chops.
TCL TVs are neither flimsy nor posh.
In 2026, TCL TVs are neither flimsy nor posh. They're on the nicer end of the utilitarian spectrum — they're thoughtful in their approach while safely following a formula. The most eye-catching design flourish you're likely to notice on a TCL TV is something like a Bang & Olufsen-branded sound system.
If you shop high enough in TCL's lineup, your TV will include one of the most convenient remote controls of 2026. It comes with a built-in backlight for easy use in the dark and runs off a built-in battery that recharges via USB-C. Much appreciated.
Grade: B-
Features
When it comes to extra features and enhancements, very few TVs come with everything but the kitchen sink. When they do, they're usually pretty pricy.
What matters more is that a given TV comes with enough features to be worthy of its price. For TCL, this is generally true across the board: Its lower-end and mid-range models may not be covered in bells and whistles, but rarely do I feel like I should be getting more features for a TCL TV's price.
Rarely do I feel like I should be getting more features for a TCL TV's price.
The brand's primary mid-range model for 2026 is the TCL QM7L (a TV that we're still in the process of evaluating). This set doesn't come with a full slate of HDMI 2.1-compatible inputs like an LG OLED, but you're getting a pair of high-bandwidth ports that each support 4K games at up to 144Hz. That's plenty for most people, and unless you have more than three gaming devices, you won't find yourself shuffling around cables.
Critically, if you shell out for a top-shelf TCL TV and go with the QM8L or X11L, you won't have to settle for a mid-range setup. These high-end models come with four HDMI 2.1 inputs and nearly every major gaming feature. In addition, mainline TCL TVs support both Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
Grade: B+
Performance
This year, while the rest of the TV world is showcasing their spin on RGB LED technology, TCL is zagging in a different direction. Three of its TVs are equipped with something called Super Quantum Dot (SQD) color, and based on our test results, these souped-up dots are just as intriguing as RGB LEDs.
Without getting too deep into the weeds, SQD TVs are engineered to wring a wider range of color out of traditional quantum dots by way of added brightness, improved processing algorithms and a fancy new color filter.
Thanks to SQD technology, the QM7L, QM8L and X11L are capable of color volume we previously only measured on quantum dot-equipped OLED TVs. These figures are also on par with what we’ve been measuring on RGB LED-based TVs, too.
TCL has shown that its competing tech can stand toe-to-toe with the rest.
Given the nature of TV technology, it’s tough to do a generic, one-to-one comparison of SQD and RGB LED. How, exactly, brands use these technologies matters the most, and not all are created equal. But in RGB LED’s inaugural year, TCL has shown that its competing tech can stand toe-to-toe with the rest.
There’s room for improvement here, however. I’ve watched TCL make great strides when it comes to picture processing, but from what I’ve seen throughout the last year, some models still struggle to upscale sub-4K content as cleanly as LG, Samsung and Sony. For picture purists, out-of-the-box accuracy can be disappointing, too, especially compared to rival brands’ flagship models.
For the average viewer in the market for a good deal on a high-performing TV, though, models like the QM7L and QM8L are a savvy way to secure a bright, colorful picture without paying a premium on RGB LEDs. You can still splash out on a TCL-branded RGB Mini-LED TV if you so choose, but it's clear that SQD technology is the brand's top focus at the moment.
Grade: A-
Smart TV platform
In 2026, TCL TVs are built around the Google TV smart platform. Despite its bevy of sponsored and recommended content, Google TV remains one of my top picks for everyday streaming, second only to Roku.
Here's the thing: There are elements of the Google TV experience that annoy me, but as a TV-reviewer, I'm acutely aware of how much more annoying the alternatives can be. Samsung's Tizen-based OS and LG webOS are far more frustrating to use on a daily basis (to say nothing of Vizio's dreadful in-house software).
Despite its bevy of sponsored and recommended content, Google TV remains one of my top picks for everyday streaming.
By and large, the Google TV navigational experience is straightforward and hassle-free. It moves along at a steady pace, and this is true even for some of the brand's lower-end models.
Grade: B+
Overall grade: A-
Similar to Hisense, TCL has gone from being a brand known primarily for affordability to one recognized for value. Affordability and value often go hand in hand, but in this case, I can plot a clear shift from TCL, a brand that makes cheap TVs to TCL, a brand that makes really good TVs for less than the price of most of its competitors.
I have no way of knowing for sure, but over the last year, I'm willing to bet that I've recommended TCL TVs more than any other brand — at least when it comes to budget-friendly options. The brand often demonstrates the highest amount of upside relative to cost, so it's well-liked by folks who want to spend less while still buying an impressive-looking picture.
I've yet to see a TCL TV whose picture looks as good as, say, Samsung's best OLED TV in 2026. But if you can get the QM8L — one of TCL's best SQD TVs — for half the price, that's a pretty friendly proposition, don't you think?
Want something even cheaper than the QM8L? We're still working through our full review of it, but the QM7L is brighter and more colorful than most TVs in its mid-range class. As mentioned, it comes with nearly every feature a dedicated gamer could ask for, and its streaming software is better than what you'll get on a comparably priced LG or Samsung set.
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