When you want a better picture than a budget TV but don’t want to shell out for a premium model, you’re in the midrange tier. But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for a “mid” TV. TCL’s QM8 is an excellent example: the 2024 version is reasonably priced and produces a very good picture, thanks to tech such as quantum-dot LED and mini-LED backlighting. You give up some extras in exchange for the savings, but for most of us, it’s more than good enough.
Among midrange TVs, the two standouts of 2024 are TCL’s QM8 and Hisense’s U8N. They’re very similar TVs, and the right one for you is likely to come down to which one is on sale when you’re ready to buy.
Packing in some of the latest tech while staying affordable, the TCL QM8 delivers good color and contrast that bring shows and movies to life on the screen. It handles Google TV fairly well and has decent sound — though you’ll still want to add a soundbar to your setup.
What we liked about it
Colorful picture with good contrast
By integrating screen tech that only a few years ago was reserved for models costing over $2,000, the QM8 delivers an overall very good picture. Thanks to its quantum-dot LED screen and mini-LED backlighting, the QM8 produces pleasing colors, especially when watching Dolby Vision content. While watching “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” the many flames and fires throughout the film looked vibrant and the desolate scenery appeared saturated. The green grass of a baseball field looked lush. To my eye, the QM8’s colors were more lively than Hisense’s U8N.
Like many of the latest TVs, the QM8 gets very bright. This allows it to handle dark scenes well, such as the attack scenes in the dark in “Dune: Part Two,” though it didn’t show as much detail in the dark as the U8N. It also means you can watch in a sunlit room without missing any of the action on screen.
Reasonably priced (sometimes)
The 65-inch model lists for $2,000, but don’t let that fool you — the street price is much less. How much less varies. For example, a month ago it cost $1,500, but right now you can get it for about $1,000 on Best Buy. I’m not sure it’s worth $1,500, but it’s definitely appealing at a grand.
The U8N goes through similar, though less extreme, price fluctuations. When we reviewed it earlier this year, you could find it for $1,100; as of this writing it’s available for $1,148. In the age of surge pricing, waiting for the price you like can be worth the effort.
Good for sports and gaming
The QM8 has a 120Hz refresh rate and low lag time, which make it an excellent screen for fast action, such as watching soccer or playing games on modern consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The unit also supports all the features you want to take advantage of on gaming consoles, such as variable response rate and auto low-latency mode.
TCL includes one 144Hz HDMI port, one 120Hz port and two 60Hz ports; the U8N features two 144Hz HDMI ports and two that support 60 Hz. That’s one of the few concrete differences between the models and may help you make a decision.
What we didn’t like about it
Average processing power
The QM8 has decent processing power, and, in general, it handled Google TV’s demanding software well. Cheaper TVs struggle mightily with Google TV and the slow response can be frustrating. But the QM8 didn’t feel as fast as the U8N when launching apps. And while 4K streams looked sharp, standard HD lacked detail —?a deficiency it shares with the U8N. But you can’t expect a midrange TV to offer all the bells and whistles you get from more expensive TVs. Processor performance seems to be the biggest differentiator that sets premium TVs apart.
So-so sound
TCL added a 2.1.2 speaker system to the 2024 model, and while it sounds decent, you’ll likely want to add a soundbar to the package. It produces a good amount of bass for TV speakers, but it ends up sounding muddy, which makes dialog harder to distinguish. And while it supports Dolby Atmos, it doesn’t spread sound as widely as the U8N.
How it compares
TCL QM8
|
Hisense U8N
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Size options | 65, 75, 85, 98 in. |
55, 65, 75 in. |
| Dimensions (65-in. model) | 56.9 x 32.6 x 1.7 in. |
57.0 x 33.1 x 2.9 in. |
| Panel type | Mini LED QLED |
Mini LED ULED |
| Connections | 4 HDMI (one eARC) |
4 HDMI (one eARC, two HDMI 2.1) |
| HDR | HDR ULTRA, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG |
Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Advanced HDR |
Bottom line
There’s a lot to like about the TCL QM8. The colorful and bright screen draws you in and its often attractive price makes it even more appealing. It’s an excellent balance of picture and price.
But so is Hisense’s U8N. Overall, the U8N may be a slightly better TV, but they are very close. A separator between the two is the available sizes — the QM8 comes in 65, 75, 85 and 98-inch models (there’s also a 115-inch version for $20,000, if that’s your style). The U8N has a 55-inch version but no 98-incher.
In the end, if you’re in the market for a midrange TV, you can’t go wrong with either the QM8 or the U8N. My recommendation: pick the one that’s the better deal at the time you decide to buy.
