TV research · Mini-LED QLED
TCL QM8L: prices, fit, and what the testing says
A very bright 2026 mini-LED that starts at 65 inches and runs to 98. Its price climbed at all three of our Amazon checks.
Our take
The short version
The QM8L is a big, bright living-room TV. TCL's SQD Mini-LED panel is very bright, local dimming is strong for the money, and it's sold from 65 to 98 inches. It runs Google TV and has a good high-refresh, VRR gaming setup. In a sunny room it looks punchier than any OLED near its price.
It stopped being the bargain of the group, though. Amazon had the 65-inch at $1,077.99 on October 7, during Prime Big Deal Days, then $1,197.99 on October 12 and $1,297.99 on October 19. That last price is $200 over the Hisense U8QG, which matches or beats every one of its fit scores. The 85-inch rose $200 too.
So the QM8L is now the TV to buy when its price is close to the U8QG's in your size, or when you want the 98-inch, a size the Hisense doesn't make.
Our price checks
Price history
Every QM8L size we track rose between checks. The 65-inch went from $1,077.99 to $1,297.99 in 12 days. The 75-inch barely moved, $1,497.99 to $1,499.99, and the 85-inch went from $2,297.99 to $2,497.99. On October 19 Amazon showed a list price of $2,499.99 for the 65-inch, and the other sellers on the listing matched $1,297.99. On October 12 the 98-inch's buy box went to a third-party seller, so we don't quote that size.
- $1,077.99
- Amazon (seller not recorded), Oct 7
- $1,297.99
- Amazon.com, Oct 19
- $1,297.99
- Amazon.com, Oct 19
| Size | Store | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65" | Amazon | $1,077.99* | $1,197.99 | $1,297.99 |
| 75" | Amazon | – | $1,497.99 | $1,499.99 |
| 85" | Amazon | – | $2,297.99 | $2,497.99 |
New-condition prices; Amazon ones sold by Amazon.com unless marked. * Seller not recorded.
- Oct 7, 65" at Amazon: During Prime Big Deal Days.
- Oct 19, 65" at Amazon: List $2,499.99.
The scores, explained
Fit by room and use
By room
- Bright room5/5
- Huge peak brightness for the money. This is what it's for: daylight, lamps, and windows facing the screen.
- Mixed light4.5/5
- Daytime is easy. At night, blooming and narrower viewing angles than an OLED's show on dark scenes, which holds the blend in the second tier.
- Dark room4/5
- Better than most LCDs, and RTINGS finds its blacks deeper than the cheaper QM7L's, with less haloing. An OLED still wins with the lights off.
By use
- Movies & TV4/5
- Bright HDR with Dolby Vision and HDR10+, held back by blooming and processing that trails Sony's. Good, not the film pick.
- Sports5/5
- A top score: bright for afternoon games, sold in very large sizes, and smooth enough for fast action.
- Gaming4/5
- High refresh and VRR cover consoles well. The U8QG goes further with its 165Hz panel, which is the one score where it pulls ahead.
- A bit of everything4.33/5
- Strong sports and good everything else, a notch under the sets that also score top marks for movies.
Find my TV
What Find my TV picks it for
Of the helper's 144 possible answers, the TCL QM8L makes the shortlist in 36, never in first place. The QM8L shows up often but never first. In bright and mixed rooms the helper usually ranks the cheaper Hisense U8QG above it, since the U8QG matches or beats its scores for less. It's second for most sports answers under $1,800 and with no limit, and it never fits the two lower budgets.
Under $1,000
Over budget at ~$1,300.
Under $1,200
Over budget at ~$1,300.
Under $1,800
Bright room: movies #2, sports #2, gaming #3, a bit of everything #3 · Mixed room: sports #2, a bit of everything #2 · Dark room: sports #2
No limit
Bright room: sports #2, a bit of everything #2 · Mixed room: sports #2, a bit of everything #3 · Dark room: sports #2
#1 is the top pick. Seat distance changes only the size it suggests here: Cozy 65", Standard 65", Spacious 85".
Sizes
Sizes and panels
65" · 75" · 85" · 98"
- 65, 75, 85, and 98 inches. There's no 55-inch QM8L.
- RTINGS tested the 65-inch (65QM8L). The 75-, 85-, and 98-inch are 75QM8L, 85QM8L, and 98QM8L.
- Model letters mark the year: QM8K is the 2025 version, QM8L the 2026.
Electricity
Cost to run
We don't have a sourced figure for this TV. We found no DOE filing and no EnergyGuide label for the QM8L, and TCL's own spec page lists its power figures as TBD and says it isn't ENERGY STAR certified.
Cross-shop
Who should skip it
You'd rather keep $200
Instead: Hisense U8QG. It matches or beats every QM8L fit score and was $1,099.99 at 65 inches on October 19. At 85 inches it was $600 less.
Films at night come first
Instead: LG C6 OLED. Per-pixel blacks and Dolby Vision for $102 more at 65 inches on October 19.
The budget stops at $1,000
Instead: TCL QM7L. TCL's cheaper mini-LED was $898 at 65 inches on October 19. Contrast and dark-room performance are a step down.
Sound
Soundbars that pair with it
At 65 inches, the size our prices use, the picture is 56.7 inches wide, so every soundbar we cover fits underneath. None of the bars we cover names a feature for TCL sets from 2026, so any bar over HDMI eARC is the same deal.
- Samsung HW-Q990H
11.1.4-channel, bar, sub, and rears, 48.5 in wide (fits 65-inch screens and up). No TCL features; it connects over HDMI eARC.
$1,497.99
- Samsung HW-B750F
5.1-channel, bar and sub, 40.6 in wide (fits 48-inch screens and up). No TCL features; it connects over HDMI ARC.
$297.99
From the soundbar finder at 65 inches with all-round use; Amazon prices seen October 26, 2026. Sync features are what each soundbar maker states for this brand and model year. Every TV brand and size · How to connect one
Supporting evidence
What the testing says
- RTINGS: Finds the QM8L's blacks deeper than the QM7L's, with less haloing, and the QM8L brighter.
- The Display Guy: Reviewed the QM8L on video; our 75-inch and sports guides embed it as an independent second opinion.
- TCL: Says on its own spec page that the QM8L isn't ENERGY STAR certified, and lists its power figures as TBD.
Sources
- RTINGS TCL QM8L review (opens in a new tab) · 65-inch tested
- TCL US, QM8L series (opens in a new tab) · sizes and energy fields
Where we pick or compare it
- The Best 75-Inch TVs of 2026Best 2026 mini-LED
- The Best TVs for Watching SportsBest for the biggest screens
- TV Wall Mount Sizing Guide: VESA, Weight, and HeightBiggest screens: plan for the weight
- The 2026 Holiday TV Buying GuideBest big screen
- LG C6 vs TCL QM8L
- TCL QM8L vs Hisense U8QG
- Sony Bravia 5 vs TCL QM8L
Disclosure: We haven't tested this TV. Prices are dated, not live. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.