TCL QM7K vs QM8K

Which TV Is Better?

Products

TCL QM7K
TCL QM8K

Tested using Methodology v2.0.1

Updated Nov 20, 2025 01:54 PM

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Tested using Methodology v2.1

Updated Nov 25, 2025 08:17 PM

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Our Verdict

TCL QM7K

TCL QM8K

The TCL QM8K is significantly better than the TCL QM7K. The QM8K gets a lot brighter, delivering bright highlights in HDR and a more impactful HDR experience overall. This higher peak brightness also translates to a better bright-room experience, as the QM8K can overcome more glare in a bright room. The Mini LED local dimming feature on the QM8K is also better, resulting in less haloing around bright spots in the scene.

3 

Variants

  • 55QM7K (55")
  • 65QM7K (65")
  • 75QM7K (75")
  • 85QM7K (85")
  • 98QM7K (98")
  • 65QM8K (65")
  • 75QM8K (75")
  • 85QM8K (85")
  • 98QM8K (98")

Check Price

55"
 
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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

7.8
8.4

HDR Brightness 
 

7.4
9.1

Black Uniformity 
 

7.5
9.4

Full Comparison

Brightness

HDR Brightness 
 

7.4
9.1

HDR Hallway Photo  

HDR Cityscape Photo  

HDR Landscape Photo  

Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²) 
 

542 cd/m²
961 cd/m²

Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²) 
 

302 cd/m²
651 cd/m²

Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²) 
 

286 cd/m²
395 cd/m²

Peak 2% Window 
 

1,312 cd/m²
3,431 cd/m²

Peak 10% Window 
 

1,731 cd/m²
3,605 cd/m²

Peak 25% Window 
 

1,408 cd/m²
2,467 cd/m²

Peak 50% Window 
 

854 cd/m²
1,438 cd/m²

Peak 100% Window 
 

518 cd/m²
810 cd/m²

Sustained 2% Window 
 

940 cd/m²
1,813 cd/m²

Sustained 10% Window 
 

1,637 cd/m²
1,725 cd/m²

Sustained 25% Window 
 

1,383 cd/m²
1,675 cd/m²

Sustained 50% Window 
 

852 cd/m²
1,001 cd/m²

Sustained 100% Window 
 

516 cd/m²
667 cd/m²

Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL) 
 

0.059
0.055
Show Text 

HDR Brightness In Game Mode 
 

7.7
9.1

HDR Hallway Photo  

HDR Cityscape Photo  

HDR Landscape Photo  

Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²) 
 

596 cd/m²
965 cd/m²

Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²) 
 

377 cd/m²
637 cd/m²

Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²) 
 

361 cd/m²
375 cd/m²

Peak 2% Window 
 

1,320 cd/m²
3,610 cd/m²

Peak 10% Window 
 

1,783 cd/m²
3,516 cd/m²

Peak 25% Window 
 

1,457 cd/m²
2,166 cd/m²

Peak 50% Window 
 

887 cd/m²
1,246 cd/m²

Peak 100% Window 
 

541 cd/m²
800 cd/m²

Sustained 2% Window 
 

954 cd/m²
1,632 cd/m²

Sustained 10% Window 
 

1,677 cd/m²
1,673 cd/m²

Sustained 25% Window 
 

1,440 cd/m²
1,646 cd/m²

Sustained 50% Window 
 

885 cd/m²
982 cd/m²

Sustained 100% Window 
 

540 cd/m²
657 cd/m²

Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL) 
 

0.058
0.053
Show Text 

SDR Brightness 
 

8.6
9.1

Real Scene Peak Brightness 
 

600 cd/m²
753 cd/m²

Peak 2% Window 
 

1,233 cd/m²
2,246 cd/m²

Peak 10% Window 
 

1,568 cd/m²
3,238 cd/m²

Peak 25% Window 
 

1,266 cd/m²
2,075 cd/m²

Peak 50% Window 
 

894 cd/m²
1,250 cd/m²

Peak 100% Window 
 

537 cd/m²
717 cd/m²

Sustained 2% Window 
 

872 cd/m²
1,506 cd/m²

Sustained 10% Window 
 

1,513 cd/m²
1,567 cd/m²

Sustained 25% Window 
 

1,253 cd/m²
1,700 cd/m²

Sustained 50% Window 
 

891 cd/m²
1,084 cd/m²

Sustained 100% Window 
 

537 cd/m²
653 cd/m²

Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL) 
 

0.052
0.050
Show Text 
Black Level

Contrast 
 

9.4
9.3

Contrast Picture  

Contrast 
 

265,133 : 1
273,200 : 1

Native Contrast 
 

8,392 : 1
6,835 : 1
Show Text 

Lighting Zone Precision 
 

7.0
8.5

Lighting Zone Precision Picture  

Show Text 

Lighting Zone Transitions 
 

7.0
8.5

Preferred LD Video, Moving Object  

Local Dimming 
 

Yes
Yes

Backlight 
 

Full-Array
Full-Array

Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV 
 

966
1,680
Show Text 

Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode 
 

7.5
9.0

Lighting Zone Precision Photo In Game Mode  

Preferred LD Video, Moving Object In Game Mode  

Game Transitions With VRR And Preferred LD  

Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

7.5
9.4

Black Uniformity Picture With Preferred Local Dimming  

Std. Dev. 
 

1.253%
0.183%

Native Black Uniformity Picture  

Native Std. Dev. 
 

0.424%
0.438%
Show Text 
Color

SDR Color Volume 
 

7.5
8.0

DCI-P3 Gamut Rings  

CIELAB DCI-P3 Coverage 
 

89.42%
91.98%

BT.2020 Gamut Rings  

CIELAB BT.2020 Coverage 
 

66.06%
71.26%
Show Text 

HDR Color Volume 
 

8.0
9.0

P3 Color Volume ITP Picture  

1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP 
 

84.4%
86.7%

2020 Color Volume ITP Picture  

10,000 cd/m² BT.2020 Coverage ITP 
 

40.0%
54.7%

White Luminance 
 

975 cd/m²
2,923 cd/m²

Red Luminance 
 

221 cd/m²
394 cd/m²

Green Luminance 
 

678 cd/m²
1,206 cd/m²

Blue Luminance 
 

63 cd/m²
137 cd/m²

Cyan Luminance 
 

741 cd/m²
1,288 cd/m²

Magenta Luminance 
 

207 cd/m²
495 cd/m²

Yellow Luminance 
 

840 cd/m²
1,443 cd/m²
Show Text 

SDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy 
 

8.2
6.6

Pre White Balance Picture  

Pre Gamma Curve Picture  

Pre Color Picture  

White Balance dE 2000 
 

2.44
4.54

Color dE 2000 
 

2.14
2.59

Gamma 
 

2.02
2.25

Color Temperature 
 

6,674 K
6,017 K

Picture Mode 
 

Movie
Movie

Color Temp Setting 
 

warm 5
warm 5

Gamma Setting 
 

2.2
2,2
Show Text 

SDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy 
 

9.6
9.6

Post White Balance Picture  

Post Gamma Curve Picture  

Post Color Picture  

White Balance dE 2000 
 

0.34
0.24

Color dE 2000 
 

0.90
0.72

Gamma 
 

2.16
2.20

Color Temperature 
 

6,502 K
6,544 K

White Balance Calibration 
 

20 point
20 point

Color Calibration 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

HDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy 
 

5.6
6.5

HDR Pre White Balance Picture  

HDR Pre Color Picture  

White Balance dE ITP 
 

14.87
15.97

Color dE ITP 
 

18.2
16.2

Color Temperature 
 

7,503 K
6,852 K

Picture Mode 
 

Movie
Movie
Show Text 

HDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy 
 

7.9
7.5

HDR Post White Balance Picture  

HDR Post Color Picture  

White Balance dE ITP 
 

9.80
13.24

Color dE ITP 
 

9.20
10.60

Color Temperature 
 

6,525 K
6,555 K
Show Text 
Processing

PQ EOTF Tracking 
 

8.3
7.6

PQ EOTF Graph  

See details
See details

600 Nit Tracking Delta 
 

0.0045
0.0062

1000 Nit Tracking Delta 
 

0.0045
0.0064

4000 Nit Tracking Delta 
 

0.0045
0.0064
Show Text 

Low-Quality Content Smoothing 
 

8.1
8.4

Low-Quality Content Smoothing Picture  

Smoothing 
 

8.5
9.0

Detail Preservation 
 

7.0
7.0
Show Text 

Upscaling: Sharpness Processing 
 

7.0
7.5

Sharpness Picture - 480p  

Show Text 

HDR Native Gradient 
 

7.3
7.5

HDR Gradient Picture  

100% Black To 50% Gray  

6.0
6.0

50% Gray To 100% White  

8.0
8.0

100% Black To 50% Red  

6.0
8.0

50% Red To 100% Red  

8.0
10

100% Black To 50% Green  

8.0
8.0

50% Green To 100% Green  

6.0
6.0

100% Black To 50% Blue  

8.0
6.0

50% Blue To 100% Blue  

8.0
8.0
Show Text 
Game Mode Responsiveness

Input Lag 
 

8.8
8.6

1080p @ 60Hz 
 

10.1 ms
14.8 ms

1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode 
 

109.1 ms
117.8 ms

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

5.8 ms
5.3 ms

1080p @ Max Refresh Rate 
 

3.5 ms
3.2 ms

4k @ 60Hz 
 

10.1 ms
14.1 ms

4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

14.0 ms
14.1 ms

4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode 
 

108.4 ms
108.6 ms

4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation 
 

113.5 ms
23.1 ms

4k @ 120Hz 
 

5.8 ms
5.3 ms

4k @ Max Refresh Rate 
 

5.3 ms
5.1 ms

8k @ 60Hz 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Supported Resolutions 
 

9.5
9.5

Resolution  

4k
4k

480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen) 
 

Yes
Yes

720p @ 59.94Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p Maximum Refresh Rate 
 

288 Hz
288 Hz

4k @ 60Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

Yes
Yes

4k Maximum Refresh Rate 
 

144 Hz
144 Hz

8k @ 30Hz Or 24Hz 
 

No
No

8k @ 60Hz 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

8.8
8.8

Native Refresh Rate 
 

144Hz
144Hz

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

Yes
Yes

HDMI Forum VRR 
 

Yes
Yes

FreeSync 
 

Yes
Yes

G-SYNC Compatible 
 

Yes
Yes

4k VRR Maximum 
 

144 Hz
144 Hz

4k VRR Minimum 
 

< 20 Hz
< 20 Hz

1080p VRR Maximum 
 

288 Hz
288 Hz

1080p VRR Minimum 
 

< 20 Hz
< 20 Hz

VRR + Local Dimming  

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

CAD In Game Mode @ Max Refresh Rate 
 

7.4
7.1

Pursuit Photo Max Refresh  

CAD Heatmap Max Refresh 
 

Transition At Max Refresh 
 

transition-game-max-0-31
0 to 31
transition-game-max-0-31
0 to 31

Avg. CAD 
 

183
196

Best 10% CAD 
 

82
59

Worst 10% CAD 
 

298
397
Show Text 

CAD In Game Mode @ 120Hz 
 

6.9
7.1

Pursuit Photo 120Hz  

CAD Heatmap 120Hz  

Transition At 120Hz 
 

transition-game-120-0-31
0 to 31
transition-game-120-0-31
0 to 31

Avg. CAD 
 

204
202

Best 10% CAD 
 

83
64

Worst 10% CAD 
 

431
390
Show Text 

CAD In Game Mode @ 60Hz 
 

6.8
7.0

Pursuit Photo 60Hz  

CAD Heatmap 60Hz 
 

Transition 60Hz 
 

transition-game-60-0-31
0 to 31
transition-game-60-0-31
0 to 31

Avg. CAD 
 

234
214

Best 10% CAD 
 

81
51

Worst 10% CAD 
 

392
405
Show Text 

PS5 Compatibility 
 

PS5 Screenshot  

Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1440p @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR 
 

Yes
Yes

VRR 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Xbox Series X|S Compatibility 
 

Xbox Series X Screenshot  

Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1440p @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR 
 

Yes
Yes

VRR 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Motion Handling

Response Time Stutter 
 

7.3
6.9

Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps 
 

31.4 ms
33.5 ms

Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps 
 

6.4 ms
8.5 ms
Show Text 

Micro Judder 
 

8.0

24p Clip  

25p Clip  

Micro Judder-Free 24p 
 

Yes

Micro Judder-Free 25p 
 

Yes

Micro Judder-Free 24p via 60p 
 

Yes

Micro Judder-Free 25p via 60p 
 

No

Micro Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps 
 

Yes

Micro Judder-Free 25p via Native Apps 
 

Yes
Show Text 

Judder 
 

10
9.6

Judder Video Picture  

Judder 24p 
 

10

Judder 25p 
 

10

Judder 24p via 60p 
 

10

Judder 25p via 60p 
 

8.0

Judder 24p via 60i 
 

10

Judder 24p via Native Apps 
 

10

Judder 25p via Native Apps 
 

10

Judder-Free 24p 
 

Yes

Judder-Free 24p via 60p 
 

Yes

Judder-Free 24p via 60i 
 

Yes

Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps 
 

Yes
Show Text 

Response Time 
 

8.0
7.9

Pursuit Photo 60Hz  

Response Time Heatmap 60Hz 
 

Transition At 60Hz 
 

transition-60-0-31
0 to 31
transition-60-0-31
0 to 31

First Response Time 
 

6.2 ms
8.2 ms

Total Response Time 
 

10.3 ms
8.4 ms

Worst 10% Response Time 
 

25.3 ms
19.2 ms
Show Text 

Flicker 
 

Backlight chart 
 

Flicker-Free 
 

No
No

PWM Dimming Frequency 
 

10,400 Hz
15,400 Hz
Show Text 

Black Frame Insertion (BFI) 
 

BFI Picture  

BFI Frequency Picture  

Optional BFI 
 

Yes
Yes

Min Flicker For 60 fps 
 

60 Hz
60 Hz

60Hz For 60 fps 
 

Yes
Yes

120Hz For 120 fps 
 

Yes
Yes

Min Flicker For 60 fps In Game Mode 
 

60 Hz
60 Hz
Show Text 

Motion Interpolation 
 

Motion Interpolation (30 fps) Picture  

Motion Interpolation (30 fps) 
 

Yes
Yes

Motion Interpolation (60 fps) Picture  

Motion Interpolation (60 fps) 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Reflections

Direct Reflections 
 

6.5
6.8

Ring Light Picture  

Direct Reflections Graph  

See details
See details

Peak Direct Reflection Intensity 
 

41.5%
37.2%

Screen Finish 
 

Glossy
Glossy
Show Text 

Ambient Black Level Raise 
 

9.0
8.7

Black Level Raise Picture  

Bright Room Black Level Raise Graph  

See details
See details

Black Luminance @ 0 lx 
 

0.00 cd/m²
0.00 cd/m²

Black Luminance @ 1000 lx 
 

0.43 cd/m²
0.59 cd/m²
Show Text 

Total Reflected Light 
 

8.1
8.1

Bright Room Off Picture  

Ring Picture Total Reflection  

Total Reflected Light Intensity 
 

10,301% ⋅ pixel
10,099% ⋅ pixel

Diffraction Artifacts 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Ambient Color Saturation 
 

7.4
8.4

Bright Room Color Volume Graph  

See details
See details

Low-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx 
 

61.63%
72.42%

Mid-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx 
 

65.60%
69.35%

High-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx 
 

59.72%
57.52%
Show Text 
Panel

Viewing Angle 
 

6.6
6.4

Viewing Angle Video  

Chroma Graph  

Color Washout 
 

25°
28°

Hue Graph  

Color Shift 
 

58°
52°

Lightness Graph  

Brightness Loss 
 

30°
29°

Black Level Raise 
 

17°
12°

Gamma Shift 
 

20°
22°
Show Text 

Gray Uniformity 
 

6.9
7.4

50% Uniformity Picture  

50% Std. Dev. 
 

2.165%
2.505%

50% DSE 
 

0.195%
0.172%

5% Uniformity Picture  

5% Std. Dev. 
 

0.468%
0.286%

5% DSE 
 

0.092%
0.065%
Show Text 

Panel Technology 
 

Spectral Power Distribution  

Pixels Picture  

Type  

LED
LED

Sub-Type 
 

VA
VA

Subpixel Layout 
 

BGR
RGB
Show Text 
Inputs

Input Specifications  

Side Inputs Picture  

Rear Inputs Picture  

HDMI  

4 (2x HDMI 2.0, 2x HDMI 2.1)
4 (2x HDMI 2.0, 2x HDMI 2.1)

HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed 
 

48 Gbps
48 Gbps

ATSC Tuner 
 

1.0
3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)

USB Ports  

2
2

USB 3.0 
 

Yes (1)
Yes (1)

Audio Out 3.5mm  

0
0

Wi-Fi  

Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

Ethernet Speed  

100 Mbps
100 Mbps

Composite In  

0
0

Digital Optical Audio Out  

1
1
Show Text 

Audio Passthrough 
 

ARC/eARC Port 
 

eARC
eARC

eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream) 
 

7.1
7.1

ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1 
 

Yes
Yes

ARC: DTS 5.1 
 

Yes
Yes

Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1 
 

Yes
Yes

Optical: DTS 5.1 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

HDR Format Support  

HDR10 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR10+ 
 

Yes
Yes

Dolby Vision 
 

Yes
Yes

HLG 
 

Yes
Yes
Design

Style  

Design Picture  

Curved  

No
No
Show Text 

Stand  

Stand Picture  

Show Text 

Back  

Back Picture  

Wall Mount  

VESA 300x300
VESA 300x300
Show Text 

Borders  

Borders Picture  

Borders  

0.39" (1.0 cm)
0.12" (0.3 cm)

Thickness  

Thickness Picture  

Max Thickness  

2.20" (5.6 cm)
2.01" (5.1 cm)

Build Quality 
 

7.0
8.5

Build quality picture  

Show Text 
Smart Features

Interface 
 

Smart TV Picture  

Smart OS  

Google TV
Google TV

Version  

12
12
Show Text 

Ad-Free 
 

0.0
0.0

Ads Picture  

Ads 
 

Yes
Yes

Opt-out 
 

No
No

Suggested Content in Home 
 

Yes
Yes

Opt-out of Suggested Content 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Remote  

Remote Picture  

Voice Control  

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

TV Controls  

Controls Picture  

Mute Switch 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Show Text 

Misc  

Power Consumption  

61 W
59 W

Power Consumption (Max)  

218 W
248 W

Firmware  

V8-0012T02-LF1V201
V8-0012T02-LF1V230
Sound Quality

Frequency Response 
 

5.6
6.7

Frequency Response  

See details
See details

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

134.54 Hz
106.79 Hz

Std. Dev. @ 70 
 

2.63 dB
3.11 dB

Std. Dev. @ 80 
 

2.84 dB
2.95 dB

Std. Dev. @ Max 
 

4.26 dB
4.42 dB

Max 
 

82.0 dB SPL
85.6 dB SPL

Dynamic Range Compression 
 

4.46 dB
3.12 dB

Digital Room Correction  

No
No
Show Text 

Check Price

55"
 

TCL QM7K

TCL QM8K

Comments

  1. Comparison

TCL QM7K vs TCL QM8K: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


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  1. 2
    1
    0
    1
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    Very interesting and educative answer. Thanks a lot for reply

  2. 2
    1
    0
    1
    0

    Thanks for review. Can you please comment on following:

    1. Native contrast is better on qm7k, but native black uniformity is better on Qm8k. I have always thought these two figures should correlate
    2. What is more important (from your point of view) better PQ EOTF on qm7k or better brightness on Qm8k taking into account that both TVs have very decent brightness

    Hey there, those are great questions!

    Black uniformity is really completely separate from contrast. Our contrast measurements look at how deep blacks are across a handful of specific points, whereas the black uniformity test looks at how uniform those measurements are, regardless of how deep they are. There are some TVs that have terrible contrast, but fantastic uniformity, for example. So the two really have nothing to do with one another.

    Considering that these TVs both reach pretty high brightness levels, I think the EOTF tracking is more important. Even the QM7K exceeds the peak brightness of most HDR content, so higher brightness really only helps in the rare case of content that’s been mastered at a very high brightness level, and for very bright specular highlights in some scenes. 90% of the time the QM7K is bright enough to display HDR content as-is.

  3. 2
    1
    0
    1
    0

    Thanks for review. Can you please comment on following:

    1. Native contrast is better on qm7k, but native black uniformity is better on Qm8k. I have always thought these two figures should correlate
    2. What is more important (from your point of view) better PQ EOTF on qm7k or better brightness on Qm8k taking into account that both TVs have very decent brightness