TCL QM9K TV review: An excellent flagship TV, but who is it for?

TCL has been a strong contender in the mid-range TV market for years, going head-to-head with Hisense. Not only do TVs from both manufacturers compete on features, they use similar nomenclature to classify their TV lines – TCL QM8, Hisense U8, QM7, U7, QM6, and U6. But with TCL’s new flagship QM9K, its sights are set higher towards Sony and its flagship Bravia 9 phone.

This year, TCL launched its Ultimate series, which includes the QM8K (“Ultimate Selection”) and QM9K (“Ultimate Performance”), which is touted as the best TV TCL has ever released. The QM9K is available in four different sizes: 65 inches ($2,999.99), 75 inches ($3,499.99), 85 inches ($3,999.99), and 98 inches ($5,999.99). It was The first TV to be launched with Google Geminiit has a presence sensor that can trigger its ambient mode to show the artwork (much like Art TV), and TCL claims it’s capable of providing up to 6,500 nits of brightness.

But beyond these specifications, the QM9K is remarkably similar to the model QM8Kwhich is $500 less in all model sizes except the 98-inch, which is $1,000 cheaper. (The QM8K will get Gemini in a future update, bringing its features closer to 9K.) Both models have a native 144Hz refresh rate with FreeSync Premium Pro support, use WHVA panels for wider viewing angles than regular VA panels, and use improvements to TCL’s backlighting introduced in 2025 to reduce blooming (although the QM9K has up to 6,000 dimming zones while the QM8K has Up to 3800 areas).

The QM9K and QM8K have four HDMI ports: two HDMI 2.1 and two HDMI 2.0 ports (one with eARC). They both use the same AIPQ Pro processor, have built-in Bang & Olufsen speakers, support Filmmaker mode and all types of HDR, have NextGen ATSC 3.0 tuners, use the same excellent backlit remote, and run Google’s operating system. They also have similar design elements, such as the easel and a borderless design that leaves almost no space between the edge of the photo and the frame.

So what gives the QM9K its “ultra-performance” title? The obvious answer is its ability to brighten. The spike that both TCL and Hisense have taken in TV brightness over the past couple of years is nothing short of amazing, and the QM9K is the brightest yet. In Filmmaker mode (the sharpest picture mode) with the Peak Brightness setting in Boost, I measured a maximum light output of 5,844 nits—almost 2,200 nits brighter than I measured on QM8K in the same mode earlier this year, and nearly 900 nits higher than this TV’s brightest measurement, in the much less accurate Vivid mode. I have no doubt that with some settings mix, the QM9K will hit TCL’s listings of 6,500 nits in its specs.

All of these nits make the QM9K great for use in a bright room and provide brilliant illumination, like fireworks exploding on a dark night. The really outstanding features are; The QM9K’s black level performance is exceptional for an LED TV. TCL has made major improvements to its backlight system in 2025, restricting light bloom in dark scenes. It’s not the perfect black color of pixels in an OLED display like LG G5 – When those fireworks are close together, you can still see some flowers blooming in the space between them – but it’s the best performance you’ll find on an LED TV.

However, the backlight has some issues, likely due to TCL’s borderless design. Aesthetically, it looks elegant to have the image extend to the edge of the screen, but the design causes slight vignetting. This makes the edges of the screen appear a little darker than they should in bright, full-screen images – a blue sky during the day, for example.

Out of the box, grayscale and color accuracy in Filmmaker mode is very good. The color temperature tends to be a bit warm (which I tend to prefer over the very cool presets on many TVs), and colors with SDR content are vibrant and realistic, especially skin tones. HDR performance is similar, with movies like Ford vs Ferrari Seems true to life and beyond Mad Max: Fury Road Wonderful live.

One problem I noticed Ford vs FerrariHowever, they were race-equipped all the time. The QM9K had trouble handling some fast motion, and there were moments of judder that I don’t usually see from other TVs. Turning motion smoothing on a low setting helps with the problem, and doesn’t add an unnatural soap opera effect (although a keen eye will notice the extra processing, and you should turn it off most of the time).

I also saw some screen tearing while gaming, which I didn’t experience on the QM8K. This generally happens during fast action, whether in driving games or first-person shooters. It wasn’t too distracting, but it was enough that I noticed it on a few occasions.

The TCL QM9K is a great TV. For the most part, the issues I encountered were relatively minor, and anyone who gets one is sure to be impressed by its visuals and happy with their purchase. The thing is, I’m not entirely sure who should spend the extra $500 on this over the QM8K. Google Gemini will be added to the QM8K soon enough, and the presence sensor is a nice bonus that works well if you plan to use an art screensaver, but it’s not worth the extra cost. And with movies currently mastered at a maximum of 4,000 nits, the QM9K’s extra brightness isn’t necessary.

Although high-end OLED TVs have improved their light output, the brightness capability of mini-LED is still one of the main advantages of the QM9K and QM8K TVs. Not only do Mini-LED displays have more powerful highlights, they can maintain higher brightness than OLED displays over larger areas, so they are better at combating ambient light. Mini-LED TVs are also generally less expensive than OLED — although the QM9K currently sells for just a few hundred dollars less than the LG G5. However, the QM8K is about $1,000 cheaper; This is another reason to consider the QM9K.

The TCL QM9K is definitely a flagship TV. It’s a bold declaration of TCL’s intention to compete in the high-end market. But this first entry isn’t quite the ultimate performance that was promised, which in turn makes the QM8K the true final choice for a TCL TV.

Photography by John Higgins/The Verge