The TCL 6 Series/R648 2021 8k QLED is TCL's first 8k Roku TV. It's a new model part of the flagship 6 Series lineup with the TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED, which has Google TV instead, and the 4k TCL 6 Series/R635 2020 QLED. This TV features Mini LED backlighting, providing greater control over the full-array local dimming. The 8k resolution helps provide better image clarity, but 8k content is still limited, and it doesn't display 4k content as well as a native 4k TV. It's future-proof for gaming because it has two HDMI 2.1 inputs, so you can use it for 4k @ 120Hz or 8k @ 60Hz gaming with the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Lastly, the built-in Roku is great if you don't want to buy external streaming devices, as it's user-friendly and has a large selection of apps available through the app store.
Our Verdict
The TCL R648 is great for most uses. It's great for watching SDR and HDR movies in a dark room because it displays deep blacks and has a decent local dimming feature, but it crushes blacks too much. It's great for watching shows or sports because it has excellent peak brightness and reflection handling, but it has narrow viewing angles. Gamers should also appreciate the low input lag, quick response time, HDMI 2.1 inputs, and variable refresh rate support for an excellent gaming experience.
- Excellent contrast for deep blacks.
- Automatically removes 24p judder from any source.
- Minimal blooming around bright objects.
- High peak brightness.
- Great smart interface.
- Two HDMI 2.1 inputs.
- Local dimming feature crushes blacks.
- Can't properly display 480p content.
- Narrow viewing angles.
The TCL R648 is great for watching TV shows in a bright environment. Visibility shouldn't be an issue because it gets bright enough to combat glare and has excellent reflection handling. It upscales 720p and 1080p content without issue, and the built-in Roku TV has a great interface. However, it doesn't upscale 480p content well as it looks bad, so it's not a good choice for watching older shows or DVDs. It also has narrow viewing angles, so the image looks inaccurate when viewing from the sides.
- Automatically removes 24p judder from any source.
- Minimal blooming around bright objects.
- High peak brightness.
- Excellent reflection handling.
- Great smart interface.
- Can't properly display 480p content.
- Narrow viewing angles.
The TCL R648 is great for watching sports. Fast-moving content in sports looks good because it has a quick response time. It has high peak brightness and excellent reflection handling, making it a great choice for viewing in bright rooms. However, it has narrow viewing angles, so it's not good for watching with a large group of friends. Our unit also has uniformity issues that can be noticeable with uniform colors, like in sports with large playing surfaces, like hockey or basketball.
- Automatically removes 24p judder from any source.
- Minimal blooming around bright objects.
- High peak brightness.
- Excellent reflection handling.
- Quick response time for smooth motion.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Noticeable uniformity issues on our unit.
The TCL R648 is excellent for gaming. It has a bunch of gaming-oriented features like two HDMI 2.1 inputs and variable refresh rate support to reduce screen tearing. Input lag is low, and it has a quick response time for smooth motion. It's great for dark room gaming because it has an excellent contrast and decent local dimming, but the local dimming crushes too many blacks, causing a loss in bright details.
- Excellent contrast for deep blacks.
- Automatically removes 24p judder from any source.
- Minimal blooming around bright objects.
- Quick response time for smooth motion.
- Two HDMI 2.1 inputs.
- Native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility.
- Local dimming feature crushes blacks.
The TCL R648 is great for watching HDR movies. It delivers deep blacks thanks to its high contrast and decent Mini LED local dimming feature, but it crushes blacks in scenes with small highlights. However, it still gets bright enough in HDR to make most highlights pop, and it displays a wide color gamut. It has good gradient handling, but you may see some banding with shades of similar color.
- Excellent contrast for deep blacks.
- Automatically removes 24p judder from any source.
- Minimal blooming around bright objects.
- High peak brightness.
- Displays wide color gamut.
- Local dimming feature crushes blacks.
The TCL 65R648 is excellent for HDR gaming. It has low input lag and a quick response time for a smooth and responsive gaming experience. It also has supports HDMI 2.1 and VRR. HDR content looks great because it gets bright, displays a wide color gamut, and has a high contrast ratio. Its Mini LED local dimming feature is decent, but it crushes blacks, so small details are lost.
- Excellent contrast for deep blacks.
- Automatically removes 24p judder from any source.
- Minimal blooming around bright objects.
- Two HDMI 2.1 inputs.
- Native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility.
- Local dimming feature crushes blacks.
The TCL R648 is great to use as a PC monitor. It has HDMI 2.1 inputs that allow it to display signals up to 8k @ 60Hz, including with chroma 4:4:4. It has low input lag for a responsive desktop experience. Visibility shouldn't be an issue in a well-lit room because it gets bright enough to combat glare and has excellent reflection handling. Sadly, it has narrow viewing angles, so the image looks washed out at the sides if you sit too close.
- Automatically removes 24p judder from any source.
- Minimal blooming around bright objects.
- High peak brightness.
- Excellent reflection handling.
- Displays chroma 4:4:4 with nearly all supported resolutions.
- Low input lag.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Noticeable uniformity issues on our unit.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 26, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 08, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Apr 17, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Feb 11, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 65 inch TCL 6 Series 8k (65R648), and for the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 75 inch model (75R648), too. You can see the differences between them below. This model is only available in the United States, and it's part of the 6 Series lineup that includes the 4k TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED, but our results aren't valid for that model because it performs differently.
| Size | Model Code | Local Dimming Zones |
|---|---|---|
| 65" | 65R648 | 160 |
| 75" | 75R648 | 240 |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their TCL R648 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between units.
Our unit was manufactured in May 2021. You can see the full label for our unit here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The TCL R648 is a great 8k TV. It delivers great picture quality with its deep blacks, decent local dimming, and high peak brightness. Gamers should also enjoy extra features like HDMI 2.1 and variable refresh rate. In terms of its value, it's one of the better 8k TVs we've tested because it's cheaper than the Samsung QN800A 8k QLED for better dark room performance. However, 8k content isn't readily available, and there are cheaper 4k TVs available.
Also see our recommendations for the best 65 inch TVs, the best 70-75-77 inch TVs, and the best TVs for TV shows.
The TCL 6 Series/R648 2021 8k QLED and the TCL R635 are part of the same lineup, but they have different features. The R648 has an 8k resolution, while the R635 is 4k. The 8k resolution is supposed to deliver clear images, but the R635 still does a better job at displaying 480 and native 4k content. The R648 improves in a few ways, like the better local dimming, HDMI 2.1 inputs, and better reflection handling, but the R635 still gets brighter in HDR.
The Hisense U8G and TCL 6 Series/R648 2021 8k QLED are both great TVs with different resolutions. The Hisense is a 4k TV, while the TCL is 8k, so it supports higher resolution signals. Although the TCL has Mini LED backlighting and the TCL doesn't, the Hisense has a better local dimming feature because it doesn't crush blacks as much and has better uniformity. The Hisense also gets brighter in HDR, delivering a better HDR experience.
The Samsung QN90A is better overall than the TCL 6 Series/R648 2021 8k QLED. They both have Mini LED backlighting, and the Samsung gets much brighter, especially in HDR, and it has a better local dimming feature because there's less blooming. the Samsung has better viewing angles because of the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology, so it's a better choice for watching shows or sports in a wide seating area, and it has better reflection handling. The TCL is an 8k TV, so it supports higher-resolution signals than the Hisense, but the Hisense also displays native 4k content better because it doesn't have to upscale it.
The Samsung QN800A 8k QLED and the TCL 6 Series/R648 2021 8k QLED are both great. They have similar features with HDMI 2.1 inputs, VRR support, Mini LED backlighting, and a VA panel, but there are a few differences between them. The TCL has a better contrast ratio because the Samsung has 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology that improves the viewing angles at the cost of the contrast. The Samsung has many more local dimming zones that improve the contrast, but the local dimming is better overall on the TCL because there's less blooming. Because of this, the TCL delivers a better HDR experience, but the Samsung still gets brighter in HDR.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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