Products
TCL QM851G
TCL QM7K
Tested using Methodology v2.0.1
Updated Aug 12, 2025 01:39 PM
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Tested using Methodology v2.0.1
Updated Nov 20, 2025 01:54 PM
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Resolution4k
Native Refresh Rate
144Hz
TypeLED
Sub-Type
VA
Dolby Vision
Yes
Screen Finish
Glossy
Resolution4k
Native Refresh Rate
144Hz
TypeLED
Sub-Type
VA
Dolby Vision
Yes
Screen Finish
Glossy
Our Verdict
TCL QM851G
TCL QM7K
The TCL QM851G is better than the TCL QM7K. While the QM7K has the better contrast, the QM8's local dimming solution is noticeably faster and more precise, giving the TV better overall black levels. The QM851G is also the more colorful TV overall. Unfortunately, the QM851G's HDR brightness accuracy is quite poor, while the QM7K's is great, so it follows the content creator's intent much more closely.
Variants
- 65QM851G (65")
- 75QM851G (75")
- 85QM851G (85")
- 98QM851G (98")
- 55QM7K (55")
- 65QM7K (65")
- 75QM7K (75")
- 85QM7K (85")
- 98QM7K (98")
Check Price
55"
55"
55QM7K
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65"
65QM851G
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65"
65QM7K
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75"
75QM851G
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75"
75QM7K
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85"
85QM851G
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85"
85QM7K
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98"
98QM851G
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98"
98QM7K
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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage
Mixed Usage
Threshold
Mixed Usage
8.2
7.8
HDR Brightness
9.4
7.4
SDR Brightness
9.5
8.6
Full Comparison
Brightness
HDR Brightness
9.4
7.4
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
1,472 cd/m²
542 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
611 cd/m²
302 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
473 cd/m²
286 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
2,564 cd/m²
1,312 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
3,467 cd/m²
1,731 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
3,338 cd/m²
1,408 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
1,814 cd/m²
854 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
967 cd/m²
518 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
2,497 cd/m²
940 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
3,319 cd/m²
1,637 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
3,253 cd/m²
1,383 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
1,810 cd/m²
852 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
965 cd/m²
516 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.060
0.059
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
9.4
7.7
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
1,393 cd/m²
596 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
625 cd/m²
377 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
447 cd/m²
361 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
4,167 cd/m²
1,320 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
3,425 cd/m²
1,783 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
3,366 cd/m²
1,457 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
1,796 cd/m²
887 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
956 cd/m²
541 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
2,384 cd/m²
954 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
3,300 cd/m²
1,677 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
3,251 cd/m²
1,440 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
1,792 cd/m²
885 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
953 cd/m²
540 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.060
0.058
SDR Brightness
9.5
8.6
Real Scene Peak Brightness
1,108 cd/m²
600 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
4,043 cd/m²
1,233 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
3,355 cd/m²
1,568 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
3,291 cd/m²
1,266 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
1,767 cd/m²
894 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
940 cd/m²
537 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
2,320 cd/m²
872 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
3,238 cd/m²
1,513 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
3,171 cd/m²
1,253 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
1,761 cd/m²
891 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
938 cd/m²
537 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.060
0.052
Black Level
Contrast
8.9
9.4
Contrast Picture
Contrast
201,150 : 1
265,133 : 1
Native Contrast
6,515 : 1
8,392 : 1
Lighting Zone Precision
8.5
7.0
Lighting Zone Precision Picture
Lighting Zone Transitions
8.5
7.0
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object
Local Dimming
Yes
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array
Full-Array
Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV
2,880
966
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode
9.0
7.5
Lighting Zone Precision Photo In Game Mode
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object In Game Mode
Game Transitions With VRR And Preferred LD
Black Uniformity
8.9
7.5
Black Uniformity Picture With Preferred Local Dimming
Std. Dev.
0.154%
1.253%
Native Black Uniformity Picture
Native Std. Dev.
0.569%
0.424%
Color
SDR Color Volume
7.7
7.5
DCI-P3 Gamut Rings
CIELAB DCI-P3 Coverage
90.94%
89.42%
BT.2020 Gamut Rings
CIELAB BT.2020 Coverage
67.01%
66.06%
HDR Color Volume
9.0
8.0
P3 Color Volume ITP Picture
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
85.2%
84.4%
2020 Color Volume ITP Picture
10,000 cd/m² BT.2020 Coverage ITP
54.8%
40.0%
White Luminance
2,513 cd/m²
975 cd/m²
Red Luminance
585 cd/m²
221 cd/m²
Green Luminance
1,885 cd/m²
678 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
189 cd/m²
63 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
2,075 cd/m²
741 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
773 cd/m²
207 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
2,451 cd/m²
840 cd/m²
SDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
7.5
8.2
Pre White Balance Picture
Pre Gamma Curve Picture
Pre Color Picture
White Balance dE 2000
3.36
2.44
Color dE 2000
2.07
2.14
Gamma
2.09
2.02
Color Temperature
6,127 K
6,674 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Movie
Color Temp Setting
Warm -5
warm 5
Gamma Setting
2.2
2.2
SDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
9.6
9.6
Post White Balance Picture
Post Gamma Curve Picture
Post Color Picture
White Balance dE 2000
0.24
0.34
Color dE 2000
0.82
0.90
Gamma
2.20
2.16
Color Temperature
6,483 K
6,502 K
White Balance Calibration
20 point
20 point
Color Calibration
Yes
Yes
HDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
5.7
5.6
HDR Pre White Balance Picture
HDR Pre Color Picture
White Balance dE ITP
41.45
14.87
Color dE ITP
49.6
18.2
Color Temperature
6,308 K
7,503 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Movie
HDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
7.0
7.9
HDR Post White Balance Picture
HDR Post Color Picture
White Balance dE ITP
19.70
9.80
Color dE ITP
8.60
9.20
Color Temperature
6,276 K
6,525 K
Processing
PQ EOTF Tracking
3.9
8.3
PQ EOTF Graph
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0313
0.0045
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0314
0.0045
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0314
0.0045
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
8.1
8.1
Low-Quality Content Smoothing Picture
Smoothing
8.5
8.5
Detail Preservation
7.0
7.0
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing
7.5
7.0
Sharpness Picture - 480p
HDR Native Gradient
7.8
7.3
HDR Gradient Picture
100% Black To 50% Gray
6.0
6.0
50% Gray To 100% White
6.0
8.0
100% Black To 50% Red
8.0
6.0
50% Red To 100% Red
10
8.0
100% Black To 50% Green
8.0
8.0
50% Green To 100% Green
8.0
6.0
100% Black To 50% Blue
8.0
8.0
50% Blue To 100% Blue
8.0
8.0
Game Mode Responsiveness
Input Lag
8.4
8.8
1080p @ 60Hz
14.1 ms
10.1 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
125.0 ms
109.1 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
6.1 ms
5.8 ms
1080p @ Max Refresh Rate
8.0 ms
3.5 ms
4k @ 60Hz
14.1 ms
10.1 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
15.0 ms
14.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
124.7 ms
108.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
116.5 ms
113.5 ms
4k @ 120Hz
5.9 ms
5.8 ms
4k @ Max Refresh Rate
5.0 ms
5.3 ms
8k @ 60Hz
N/A
N/A
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
240 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
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
240 Hz
288 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
< 20 Hz
VRR + Local Dimming
Yes
Yes
CAD In Game Mode @ Max Refresh Rate
7.5
7.4
Pursuit Photo Max Refresh
CAD Heatmap Max Refresh
Transition At Max Refresh
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
173
183
Best 10% CAD
71
82
Worst 10% CAD
303
298
CAD In Game Mode @ 120Hz
6.9
6.9
Pursuit Photo 120Hz
CAD Heatmap 120Hz
Transition At 120Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
200
204
Best 10% CAD
69
83
Worst 10% CAD
482
431
CAD In Game Mode @ 60Hz
7.0
6.8
Pursuit Photo 60Hz
CAD Heatmap 60Hz
Transition 60Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
217
234
Best 10% CAD
71
81
Worst 10% CAD
372
392
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
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
Motion Handling
Stutter
6.1
7.3
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
36.2 ms
31.4 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
11.2 ms
6.4 ms
24p Judder
10
10
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes
Yes
Response Time
8.1
8.0
Pursuit Photo 60Hz
Response Time Heatmap 60Hz
Transition At 60Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
First Response Time
5.5 ms
6.2 ms
Total Response Time
10.6 ms
10.3 ms
Worst 10% Response Time
22.9 ms
25.3 ms
Flicker
Backlight chart
Flicker-Free
No
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
30,000 Hz
10,400 Hz
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
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps) Picture
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps) Picture
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes
Yes
Reflections
Direct Reflections
6.3
6.5
Ring Light Picture
Direct Reflections Graph
Peak Direct Reflection Intensity
46.5%
41.5%
Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Ambient Black Level Raise
9.1
9.0
Black Level Raise Picture
Bright Room Black Level Raise Graph
Black Luminance @ 0 lx
0.00 cd/m²
0.00 cd/m²
Black Luminance @ 1000 lx
0.38 cd/m²
0.43 cd/m²
Total Reflected Light
7.8
8.1
Bright Room Off Picture
Ring Picture Total Reflection
Total Reflected Light Intensity
12,962% ⋅ pixel
10,301% ⋅ pixel
Diffraction Artifacts
Yes
Yes
Ambient Color Saturation
8.4
7.4
Bright Room Color Volume Graph
Low-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
71.72%
61.63%
Mid-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
68.86%
65.60%
High-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
59.50%
59.72%
Panel
Viewing Angle
6.2
6.6
Viewing Angle Video
Chroma Graph
Color Washout
23°
25°
Hue Graph
Color Shift
31°
58°
Lightness Graph
Brightness Loss
30°
30°
Black Level Raise
18°
17°
Gamma Shift
18°
20°
Gray Uniformity
7.1
6.9
50% Uniformity Picture
50% Std. Dev.
2.225%
2.165%
50% DSE
0.170%
0.195%
5% Uniformity Picture
5% Std. Dev.
0.670%
0.468%
5% DSE
0.093%
0.092%
Panel Technology
Spectral Power Distribution
Pixels Picture
Type
LED
LED
Sub-Type
VA
VA
Subpixel Layout
BGR
BGR
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
3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
1.0
USB Ports
3
2
USB 3.0
Yes (1)
Yes (1)
Audio Out 3.5mm
1
0
Wi-Fi
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Ethernet Speed
100 Mbps
100 Mbps
Composite In
1 (Adapter Required, Not Incl.)
0
Digital Optical Audio Out
1
1
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
HDR Format Support
HDR10
Yes
Yes
HDR10+
Yes
Yes
Dolby Vision
Yes
Yes
HLG
Yes
Yes
Design
Style
Design Picture
Curved
No
No
Stand
Stand Picture
Back
Back Picture
Wall Mount
VESA 400x400
VESA 300x300
Borders
Borders Picture
Borders
0.31" (0.8 cm)
0.39" (1.0 cm)
Thickness
Thickness Picture
Max Thickness
2.28" (5.8 cm)
2.20" (5.6 cm)
Build Quality
8.5
7.0
Build quality picture
Smart Features
Interface
Smart TV Picture
Smart OS
Google TV
Google TV
Version
12
12
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
Remote
Remote Picture
Voice Control
Yes
Yes
TV Controls
Controls Picture
Mute Switch
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Misc
Power Consumption
66 W
61 W
Power Consumption (Max)
307 W
218 W
Firmware
V8-T653T02-LF1V085
V8-0012T02-LF1V201
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
7.0
5.6
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
75.51 Hz
134.54 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.92 dB
2.63 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
3.60 dB
2.84 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.90 dB
4.26 dB
Max
87.3 dB SPL
82.0 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.74 dB
4.46 dB
Digital Room Correction
Yes
No
Check Price
55"
55"
55QM7K
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
65"
65QM851G
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
65"
65QM7K
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
75"
75QM851G
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
75"
75QM7K
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
85"
85QM851G
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
85"
85QM7K
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
98"
98QM851G
SEARCH
Amazon.com
98"
98QM7K
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
TCL QM851G
TCL QM7K
Comments
TCL QM851G vs TCL QM7K: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
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I am in the market and trying to decide between these 2 TVs. To me the QM8 seems like the no brainer pick between these 2… With the QM8 being generally cheaper, and beating the QM7K in most categories, I don’t know why I would go with the QM7K? I have heard nothing but hype about the QM7K, and I’m not sure why if it is beaten out by last year’s cheaper model.. any guidance?
You’re looking at the overall HDR Brightness score, which only looks at the peak brightness of the display. The text you’ve quoted refers specifically to the accuracy of that brightness. While the QM8 is significantly brighter than the QM7K, it’s also significantly less accurate. In HDR, the brightness of the scene is set by the content creator, so if a scene is supposed to be at around 100 nits, the TV is supposed to match that. The QM8 doesn’t follow that, and instead displays just about everything much brighter than it’s supposed to be.
“Unfortunately, the QM8’s HDR brightness accuracy is quite poor, while the QM7K’s is great, so it follows the content creator’s intent much more closely.”
This actually scores as 9.4 to 7.4 with a huge advantage QM8.