Tested using Methodology v2.2
Updated Mar 24, 2026 08:06 PM
Tested using Methodology v2.2
Updated Mar 25, 2026 12:59 PM
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.
TCL QM8K
TCL QM9K
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TCL QM8K vs TCL QM9K: Main Discussion
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TCL actually is planning to roll out Google TV 14 to the rest of their lineup, including the QM8K. The QM9K was released later in the year so they were able to launch it with 14 out of the box, but the other sets came out before the new OS was ready (at TCL).
That’s pretty weird, isn’t it? It’s probably differentiation to justify the ~$1k price difference between very similar hardware SKUs.
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.