This TCL QLED Is One of the Best Budget TVs I’ve Ever Used
Most people won’t be able to tell the difference in picture quality between QLED and OLED TVs at first glance, but the price difference is immediately obvious. The truth is that if you get a good QLED TV, most people will be happy with the picture quality and will be happy to get the difference in price.
If you think this applies to you, I think this QLED from TCL is a better choice. The TCL QM7 is a Quantum Dot LED (QD Mini-LED) QLED TV, which means TCL combines QD and Mini-LED technologies for improved picture quality with more true-to-life colors, better contrast, and higher brightness. The QM7 also supports most of the HDR formats most people need and is a great TV for gamers. Perhaps the best part is how affordable this TV is and how good it is.
TCL sent me the 65-inch QM7 for review. After some testing, I can recommend this TV to anyone who wants a reliable budget QLED TV without the premium perks and prices of TVs like the TCL QM8 or OLED.
Pros, cons and specifications of TCL QM7
Characteristics
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Type: QLED with QD-Mini LED technology
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Blackout Zones : Up to 1240 local dimming zones.
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Brightness: Peak brightness up to 2400 nits
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Ports: 4 HDMI inputs (one 4K/144Hz, one 4K/120Hz, one 4K/60Hz and one eARC/ARC with 4K/60Hz), 2 USB ports (one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0), 1 Ethernet port, 1 digital audio-optical output, 1 antenna/cable input, 1 RF input, 1 headphone output, 1 AV input (composite video) + left and right audio input)
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Screen size and weight: 55″ model: 28.9 lbs (13.1 kg), 65″ model: 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg), 75″ model: 63.1 lbs (28.6 kg), 85″ model: 81.6 lbs (37 kg), 98″ model: 130.1 lbs (59 kg)
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Resolution: 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels)
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HDR support: HDR ULTRA with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG
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Input Latency: Low input lag enhanced by features like Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for responsive gameplay.
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Refresh Rate: Panel native refresh rate 120Hz, supports variable refresh rate up to 144Hz (VRR)
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Contrast: Increased contrast with 1240 local dimming zones for deep blacks and bright whites.
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Voice assistant: built-in Google Assistant; also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit
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Operating system: Google TV.
Pros
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Bright, up to 2400 nits
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Strong contrast makes colors pop
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Google Assistant hands-free
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Supports most HDR formats.
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Supports Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Alexa and Apple HomeKit.
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Native frequency 120 Hz and VRR support up to 144 Hz.
Cons
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Rich colors out of the box
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Plastic construction looks cheap
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The stand is shaky (but can be installed)
TCL QM7 first impressions
The QM7 didn’t make a good impression right out of the box. The quality of the plastic was poor, it felt cheap and weak. However, as you’ll see below, this is largely where TCL has made cuts to ensure such a good value for money TV. I’d rather see TV companies cut costs on assembly rather than on features, ports, formats or picture quality. Once my TV was set up, none of the physical aspects of it mattered.
Design
Thin bezels give this TV a very modern look. The QM7’s ports are well thought out and will please gamers. You have four HDMI ports, two of which are HDMI 2.1 and one of which can handle 4K at 144Hz. Neither of these two ports are eARC ports, allowing you to connect the soundbar without using one of the good HDMI ports. Good job, TSL.
The QM7’s stand is centered, with 3.5 inches of clearance to accommodate the soundbar. However, I found the stand to be too wobbly, so I decided to mount the TV using a standard VESA mount for my bedroom. Personally, I recommend purchasing a soundbar if you value quality sound. The Onkyo “Ultra-Bass” subwoofer on the back of the TV looks cool, but it was nothing more than a gimmick. I didn’t hear any difference in sound, much less bass, compared to any other TV.
I really like the auto-sensing backlit controller, which came in very handy when I was looking for the controller in pitch darkness.
Image
The two main things that stood out about the image when I first looked at the QM7 were contrast and brightness. Contrast is high: native contrast is 8,264; 1 and reaches 66,900:1, which is better than most non-OLED TVs. Deep blacks look very good, even next to bright highlights. This is due to the large number of local dimming zones (1,240 to be exact), which is impressive considering the price of this TV.
This TV is also very bright, with a maximum brightness of 2400 nits. This makes it a great TV for a bright living room or bedroom with lots of natural light, like my bedroom. The bright moments in dark scenes really pop in HDR content, and since it supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, I couldn’t think of a better way to test it out than by rewatching the darkest episode I could think of, “The Long Night” from Game of Thrones (Season 8, Episode 3) on Max, which streams in 4K and with Dolby Vision.
I was amazed at how many details I picked up with QM7 that I missed when I first watched the episode. With the QM7 I was able to see details in caves and battle scenes that I had never seen before. Even in the darkest scenes, I could make out what was happening on the screen. In scenes with fire or bright highlights against a dark background, there was almost no blur (even subtitles looked good).
The image isn’t perfect, however, as some blacks and dark images look too bright (though you can fix a lot of this in the settings with the right settings). But overall, it does a great job most of the time, especially with HDR content.
Since it’s still a VA panel, it loses some detail and color saturation at certain viewing angles, but it’s not too bad. I could still enjoy the details, colors and vibrancy while sitting at a variety of angles.
Reflection can be an issue, but generally when I was watching dark scenes I had the overhead fan on and the windows open during the brightest part of the day. When I switched to bright scenes with the same amount of bright light in my room, the glare was barely noticeable.
Functions
TCL is one TV brand that isn’t tied to one specific HDR format, so you can enjoy all of them (if that TV offers them). The QM7 offers HDR ULTRA with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG, covering most of the formats used in premium streaming app subscriptions these days. HDR Ultra with Dolby Vision IQ adjusts the brightness of the lights in your room, which can be a useful feature for those sensitive to brightness, but I personally don’t like it, so I turned it off.
Google TV
Google Assistant hands-free is responsive and works better than my old Google Home. Since it’s a Google TV, it’s compatible with Google Cast, but it’s always nice to see that it supports other devices like Apple AirPlay, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit.
Google TV’s operating system is fast and easy on the eyes. It also includes many free channels via TCL TV and Google TV Freeplay live. You won’t find the latest shows or movies, mostly reruns or local live streams, but it’s free.
Games
The Xbox Series X/S is the only console to support Dolby Vision (for now), so your mileage may vary, but my experience was one of the best I’ve had. Using a 4K refresh rate and 120Hz (you can do 144Hz if your PC supports it) in Game Mode, the picture settings were fine (remember you’ll need super-fast HDMI for this). Colors are vibrant, movements are smooth, and input lag is unnoticeable (6 milliseconds). The only thing that bothers me is the audio lag. When playing games like Halo Infinite or Call of Duty: Black Ops , there is a noticeable delay in shots and audio. This could probably be fixed by connecting a soundbar and adjusting the audio delay settings, but I didn’t see any way to adjust this using the TV’s built-in speakers.
I like to have an “info” button on the remote that shows whether I’m actually playing with the Game Master setting enabled, resolution, refresh rate, UHD and FreeSync, and HDR format (in my case, Dolby Vision). You can see what it looks like in the image above.
Bottom line
The QM7 is an incredible QLED TV that offers great value for money. It’s incredibly bright, peaking at up to 2,400 nits, and has powerful contrast that makes colors pop while maintaining deep darks and minimal blur. With up to 1240 local dimming zones, this TV is one of the best picture quality options for non-OLED TVs. Watching movies or shows is easy with HDR support for the most used streaming media formats. With four HDMI ports, all of which support 4K resolution and one of which can support VRR and up to 144Hz (separate from eARC), gamers have plenty of ports to use multiple consoles or products at once. If you’re willing to give up the cheap plastic build and wobbly stand (set it and forget it), this is an incredible budget QLED for the money. You can find a 65-inch TV for under $700, making it a very competitive TV in the mid-range TV market.