Best TCL TVs in 2024

Best TCL TVs
(Image credit: TCL)

TCL TVs are terrific values at affordable prices, but it might be a tad difficult to find the right model that suits your needs as well as your budget. With the 2024 TCL TV lineup showing some major promise, especially its forthcoming QM89 Mini-LED TV, there's a lot to look forward to in terms of the best TCL TVs, but there are several models available right now worthy of the inclusion. 

Those among the top-tier TCL displays meld expert performance with the most up-to-date TV technology at a price that's not too wallet-busting or eyewatering. The best TCL TVs can be discovered among a large swath of alternative roundups, including the best TVs under $500 and best 65-inch TVs

TCL might not be the first on everyone's list when it comes to TV shopping, but these models among the best TCL TVs won't sway you in the wrong direction. These TVs include not only enhanced features, specifically those pertaining to gaming and motion-processing performance, but are also built on a new generation OS that allow them easy access to all of your favorite digital content.

The advent of higher quality models introduced in TCL's 2023 TV lineup bring sophisticated technologies without the high premium. We'll be updating this page accordingly as the new TCL TVs roll out later this year, but for now we've got you covered in finding the perfect display under the TCL brand. Let's see just which option is superior among the best TCL TVs. 

The best TCL TVs you can buy

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

TCL QM8 Mini-LED TV with footballbest value

(Image credit: TCL)
The best TCL TV of 2024

Specifications

Available Screen Sizes: 65, 75, 85, 97 inches
Screen Type: QLED
Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
HDMI ports: 4 HDMI, 1 USB
Size: 1.73 x 56.93 x 32.56 inches
Weight: 54.7 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
Extraordinary brightness
+
Numerous gaming features
+
Google TV smart platform

Reasons to avoid

-
Mediocre sound
-
Picture quality dips in some situations
-
No ATSC 3.0 tuner

You'd be hard pressed to find a better option at this price point for a well-rounded display among the best gaming TVs, as the TCL QM8 QLED TV comes in hot as an icon that screams quality without the exorbitant MSRP. 

It's no Sony Bravia XR A95L OLED, but the QM8 still proves to be the gaming beast of the bunch and won't run you clean either, leveraging a sticker price of all but a mere $999 for its 65-inch model. That's why it's one of the best TCL TVs, as you're getting quite the bargain on a 120Hz refresh rate screen with not only Dolby Vision and HDR10+, but also HLG and an input lag of 13ms. 

Beyond that, the QM8 QLED TV also comes equipped with VRR and ALLM for perfected anti-screen tearing when gaming. You'll even be able to smash the refresh rate up to 240Hz while using one of the best gaming PCs via the specific port on the TV. 

Plus, thanks to its Google TV OS, you're gifted instant and easy access to all of your favorite shows and movies. There's a veritable slew of apps to dive into beyond just entertainment, and setup is incredibly streamlined. If you're in the market for a quality gaming display without the meteoric price tag, the TCL QM8 QLED TV is your best bet and a stellar pick among the best TCL TVs. 

Read our full TCL QM8 QLED TV review.

TCL Q7 QLED TV on stand in living room

(Image credit: TCL)
Unbeatable quality QLED TCL TV

Specifications

Available Screen Sizes: 55, 65, 75, 85 inches
Screen Type: QLED
Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
HDMI ports: 4 HDMI
Size: 48.2 x 28.2 x 2.8 inches
Weight: 28.9 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
High brightness in many scenarios
+
Good color handling
+
Excellent Google TV software
+
Backlit remote

Reasons to avoid

-
Mediocre sound
-
Narrow viewing angles

So the QM8 QLED is a bit out of your price range? Don't fret, as its underling and midrange model within the TCL 2023 TV lineup is just as good a pick for its gaming and performance chops: the TCL Q7 QLED TV. 

Many of the Q7 QLED TV sizes find themselves among the best TVs under $1,000, and may well see prices slashed even steeper in the wake of TCL's forthcoming launch of its 2024 models. It's got pretty remarkable specs for its price, which more often than not sits at around $700 for its 65-inch model. 

It's obviously a bit of a step down from its QM8 cousin, but still offers just as good gaming performance and picture quality with a 120Hz refresh rate and an input lag of 6.7ms in Game mode. For PlayStation 5 fans out there, the Q7 offers incredible performance for Square Enix's brand new "Final Fantasy VII Rebirth." 

It also shines like a diamond in its brightness, averaging around 592 nits in HDR brightness and 489 nits in SDR brightness. You can't go wrong with Google TV, either, but the Q7 does come with some drawbacks. Namely, it suffers from limited viewing angles and, like most TCL TVs, doesn't have the most optimal speakers, but it's still one of the best TCL TVs at the mid-range option. 

Read our full TCL Q7 QLED TV review. 

TCL Q6 QLED TV on stand in living room

(Image credit: TCL)
Killer QLED value with Google TV

Specifications

Available Screen Sizes: 55, 65, 75, 85 inches
Screen Type: QLED
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
HDMI ports: 3 HDMI (1 eARC)
Size: 57 x 32.7 x 3 inches
Weight: 70.1 pounds

Reasons to buy

+
QLED display with local dimming for excellent HDR performance
+
Great color quality and smooth motion
+
Google TV is a serious upgrade from Roku
+
Affordably priced

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited viewing angles
-
Audio is good, but not great

Taking things a touch further down in price is the TCL Q6 QLED TV, which retails for around $500 for its 65-inch model. But don't let that price fool you, as it's still quite the contender in the industry and proves itself as among the best TCL TVs for its value. 

Hulu's brand new period piece "Shogun" will look phenomenal on the Q6 QLED thanks to the TV's powerful color volume. On the Rec709 gamut, it measures around 97.42 percent, while on the UHDA-P3 gamut it can hit 94.51 percent. Gaming will also be a breeze, especially fast-paced games like FromSoftware's "Armored Core VI" or even "Modern Warfare 3" thanks to its 8.9ms of input lag — though, you are slightly stunted due to its limiting 60Hz of refresh rate. 

Still, with HDR technologies that include Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG, you're in particularly good hands. It's marked primarily as one of the best TCL TVs as being the perfect secondary display for those looking to nab a quality option that's not too expensive. I mean, how could you pass up one of the best 85-inch TVs at just under $1,000? 

Read our full TCL Q6 QLED TV review.  

What is QLED?

TCL's top models use QLED displays, but what does that mean? QLED is shorthand for displays that use quantum-dots and LED backlight to produce brighter and richer color, using 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 displays offer a big improvement over traditional LCD panels, delivering a brighter picture with a wider color gamut. And when paired with a backlight array that has local dimming zones, the same displays offer better contrast and HDR performance, edging closer to the sort of pixel-perfect lighting you'll get with more premium OLED displays.

Not all TCL TVs have QLED enhancement, but it's a feature that's worth paying a little more to get, since it delivers a noticeably better picture.

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 other manufacturers started emulating in 2021. (Finds out more in our article Year of the mini-LED TV: Samsung, LG and TCL getting this huge upgrade.) 

It's one of the best innovations TVs have seen in recent years, and we recommend opting for a Mini-LED set if your budget allows it.

How to choose the best TCL TV for you

When it comes to TCL TVs, shoppers can feel safe buying any of the TCL TVs on the market. Though relatively new in 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 easy 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 a great TV experience at a great price, and the only real question is what features are you willing to pay a little more for. As our testing and reviews have shown, you'll get great quality for a great price on any model.

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 

And don't forget to watch out for the latest TV reviews.

Nick Pino
Managing Editor, TV and AV

Nick Pino heads up the TV and AV verticals at Tom's Guide and covers everything from OLED TVs to the latest wireless headphones. He was formerly the Senior Editor, TV and AV at TechRadar (Tom's Guide's sister site) and has previously written for GamesRadar, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade. Not sure which TV you should buy? Drop him an email or tweet him on Twitter and he can help you out.

With contributions from
  • YHCT
    TCL brand has launched Roku TV series, Smart TV series, and Android TV series. The Google TV is about to launch. You also want to know the differences between smart TV and Android TV.
    Reply