Products
TCL QM8K
TCL QM9K
Tested using Methodology v2.1
Updated Nov 21, 2025 05:52 PM
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Tested using Methodology v2.0.1
Updated Oct 21, 2025 08:16 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 QM8K
TCL QM9K
The TCL QM9K is slightly better than the TCL QM8K, at least in theory. The QM9K gets a bit brighter in both HDR and SDR, and it can sustain that brightness longer. This doesn't actually matter that much, though, as most HDR content won't hit highlights that bright or for that long, so in most real content, it looks about the same as the QM8K. The QM9K does have a more recent smart interface, though, as it runs the Google TV version 14 instead of 12 on the QM8K; it also supports Google's Gemini AI assistant.
Variants
- 65QM8K (65")
- 75QM8K (75")
- 85QM8K (85")
- 98QM8K (98")
- 65QM9K (65")
- 75QM9K (75")
- 85QM9K (85")
- 98QM9K (98")
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65"
65QM8K
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65"
65QM9K
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75"
75QM8K
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75"
75QM9K
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85"
85QM8K
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85"
85QM9K
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98"
98QM8K
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98"
98QM9K
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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage
Mixed Usage
Threshold
Mixed Usage
8.4
8.3
Full Comparison
Brightness
HDR Brightness
9.1
9.3
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
961 cd/m²
1,114 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
651 cd/m²
687 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
395 cd/m²
414 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
3,431 cd/m²
5,658 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
3,605 cd/m²
5,060 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
2,467 cd/m²
2,738 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
1,438 cd/m²
1,516 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
810 cd/m²
823 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,813 cd/m²
3,025 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,725 cd/m²
2,601 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,675 cd/m²
1,970 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
1,001 cd/m²
1,123 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
667 cd/m²
770 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.055
0.070
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
9.1
9.3
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
965 cd/m²
1,088 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
637 cd/m²
750 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
375 cd/m²
418 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
3,610 cd/m²
5,635 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
3,516 cd/m²
5,050 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
2,166 cd/m²
2,775 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
1,246 cd/m²
1,530 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
800 cd/m²
823 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,632 cd/m²
2,996 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,673 cd/m²
2,575 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,646 cd/m²
2,227 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
982 cd/m²
1,293 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
657 cd/m²
768 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.053
0.067
SDR Brightness
9.1
9.4
Real Scene Peak Brightness
753 cd/m²
919 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
2,246 cd/m²
5,703 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
3,238 cd/m²
4,850 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
2,075 cd/m²
2,610 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
1,250 cd/m²
1,440 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
717 cd/m²
787 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,506 cd/m²
3,336 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,567 cd/m²
2,788 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,700 cd/m²
2,247 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
1,084 cd/m²
1,330 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
653 cd/m²
753 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.050
0.072
Black Level
Contrast
9.3
9.3
Contrast Picture
Contrast
273,200 : 1
271,267 : 1
Native Contrast
6,835 : 1
6,623 : 1
Lighting Zone Precision
8.5
8.5
Lighting Zone Precision Picture
Lighting Zone Transitions
8.5
8.5
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object
Local Dimming
Yes
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array
Full-Array
Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV
1,680
2,880
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode
9.0
9.0
Lighting Zone Precision Photo In Game Mode
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object In Game Mode
Game Transitions With VRR And Preferred LD
Black Uniformity
9.4
8.5
Black Uniformity Picture With Preferred Local Dimming
Std. Dev.
0.183%
0.202%
Native Black Uniformity Picture
Native Std. Dev.
0.438%
0.807%
Color
SDR Color Volume
8.0
8.1
DCI-P3 Gamut Rings
CIELAB DCI-P3 Coverage
91.98%
93.03%
BT.2020 Gamut Rings
CIELAB BT.2020 Coverage
71.26%
70.45%
HDR Color Volume
9.0
9.0
P3 Color Volume ITP Picture
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
86.7%
82.6%
2020 Color Volume ITP Picture
10,000 cd/m² BT.2020 Coverage ITP
54.7%
54.6%
White Luminance
2,923 cd/m²
2,846 cd/m²
Red Luminance
394 cd/m²
611 cd/m²
Green Luminance
1,206 cd/m²
2,136 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
137 cd/m²
226 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
1,288 cd/m²
2,343 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
495 cd/m²
669 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
1,443 cd/m²
2,443 cd/m²
SDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
6.6
7.8
Pre White Balance Picture
Pre Gamma Curve Picture
Pre Color Picture
White Balance dE 2000
4.54
2.84
Color dE 2000
2.59
1.59
Gamma
2.25
2.19
Color Temperature
6,017 K
6,021 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
9.8
Post White Balance Picture
Post Gamma Curve Picture
Post Color Picture
White Balance dE 2000
0.24
0.23
Color dE 2000
0.72
0.52
Gamma
2.20
2.20
Color Temperature
6,544 K
6,514 K
White Balance Calibration
20 point
20 point
Color Calibration
Yes
Yes
HDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
6.5
6.6
HDR Pre White Balance Picture
HDR Pre Color Picture
White Balance dE ITP
15.97
14.37
Color dE ITP
16.2
10.3
Color Temperature
6,852 K
7,084 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Movie
HDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
7.5
7.7
HDR Post White Balance Picture
HDR Post Color Picture
White Balance dE ITP
13.24
8.70
Color dE ITP
10.60
10.50
Color Temperature
6,555 K
6,355 K
Processing
PQ EOTF Tracking
7.6
5.0
PQ EOTF Graph
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0062
0.0174
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0064
0.0175
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0064
0.0169
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
8.4
8.4
Low-Quality Content Smoothing Picture
Smoothing
9.0
9.0
Detail Preservation
7.0
7.0
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing
7.5
7.5
Sharpness Picture - 480p
HDR Native Gradient
7.5
8.0
HDR Gradient Picture
100% Black To 50% Gray
6.0
6.0
50% Gray To 100% White
8.0
6.0
100% Black To 50% Red
8.0
10
50% Red To 100% Red
10
10
100% Black To 50% Green
8.0
8.0
50% Green To 100% Green
6.0
8.0
100% Black To 50% Blue
6.0
8.0
50% Blue To 100% Blue
8.0
8.0
Game Mode Responsiveness
Input Lag
8.6
8.3
1080p @ 60Hz
14.8 ms
15.1 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
117.8 ms
114.8 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
5.3 ms
6.3 ms
1080p @ Max Refresh Rate
3.2 ms
3.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz
14.1 ms
15.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
14.1 ms
14.6 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
108.6 ms
124.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
23.1 ms
25.2 ms
4k @ 120Hz
5.3 ms
6.4 ms
4k @ Max Refresh Rate
5.1 ms
6.0 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
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
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
CAD In Game Mode @ Max Refresh Rate
7.1
6.7
Pursuit Photo Max Refresh
CAD Heatmap Max Refresh
Transition At Max Refresh
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
196
229
Best 10% CAD
59
117
Worst 10% CAD
397
366
CAD In Game Mode @ 120Hz
7.1
6.7
Pursuit Photo 120Hz
CAD Heatmap 120Hz
Transition At 120Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
202
226
Best 10% CAD
64
114
Worst 10% CAD
390
349
CAD In Game Mode @ 60Hz
7.0
6.5
Pursuit Photo 60Hz
CAD Heatmap 60Hz
Transition 60Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
214
248
Best 10% CAD
51
108
Worst 10% CAD
405
412
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
Response Time Stutter
6.9
6.7
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
33.5 ms
34.3 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
8.5 ms
9.3 ms
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
Judder
9.6
10
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
Response Time
7.9
7.8
Pursuit Photo 60Hz
Response Time Heatmap 60Hz
Transition At 60Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
First Response Time
8.2 ms
7.4 ms
Total Response Time
8.4 ms
10.1 ms
Worst 10% Response Time
19.2 ms
22.6 ms
Flicker
Backlight chart
Flicker-Free
No
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
15,400 Hz
15,600 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
6.8
6.3
Ring Light Picture
Direct Reflections Graph
Peak Direct Reflection Intensity
37.2%
46.8%
Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Ambient Black Level Raise
8.7
8.7
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
0.59 cd/m²
0.58 cd/m²
Total Reflected Light
8.1
7.8
Bright Room Off Picture
Ring Picture Total Reflection
Total Reflected Light Intensity
10,099% ⋅ pixel
13,485% ⋅ pixel
Diffraction Artifacts
Yes
Yes
Ambient Color Saturation
8.4
8.6
Bright Room Color Volume Graph
Low-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
72.42%
71.53%
Mid-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
69.35%
74.09%
High-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
57.52%
68.25%
Panel
Viewing Angle
6.4
6.5
Viewing Angle Video
Chroma Graph
Color Washout
28°
23°
Hue Graph
Color Shift
52°
39°
Lightness Graph
Brightness Loss
29°
28°
Black Level Raise
12°
23°
Gamma Shift
22°
25°
Gray Uniformity
7.4
7.2
50% Uniformity Picture
50% Std. Dev.
2.505%
2.503%
50% DSE
0.172%
0.184%
5% Uniformity Picture
5% Std. Dev.
0.286%
0.178%
5% DSE
0.065%
0.079%
Panel Technology
Spectral Power Distribution
Pixels Picture
Type
LED
LED
Sub-Type
VA
VA
Subpixel Layout
RGB
RGB
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)
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
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 300x300
VESA 300x300
Borders
Borders Picture
Borders
0.12" (0.3 cm)
0.12" (0.3 cm)
Thickness
Thickness Picture
Max Thickness
2.01" (5.1 cm)
2.01" (5.1 cm)
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
Build quality picture
Smart Features
Interface
Smart TV Picture
Smart OS
Google TV
Google TV
Version
12
14
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
59 W
69 W
Power Consumption (Max)
248 W
253 W
Firmware
V8-0012T02-LF1V230
V8-0013T03-LF1V018.001713
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
6.7
6.7
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
106.79 Hz
95.14 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.11 dB
2.89 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.95 dB
2.62 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.42 dB
4.55 dB
Max
85.6 dB SPL
84.4 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
3.12 dB
3.25 dB
Digital Room Correction
No
No
Check Price
65"
65QM8K
SEE PRICE
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65"
65QM9K
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
75"
75QM8K
SEE PRICE
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75"
75QM9K
SEE PRICE
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85"
85QM8K
SEE PRICE
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85"
85QM9K
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
98"
98QM8K
SEE PRICE
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98"
98QM9K
SEE PRICE
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TCL QM8K
TCL QM9K
Comments
TCL QM8K vs TCL QM9K: Main Discussion
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Interesting that they use the same chipset, but the QM9K is Android 14. Hopefully something TCL can push out as an update. Yeah, the QM8K has 2.5GB RAM while the QM9K has 4GB RAM, but is that a minimum to get Android 14? Doubt it.