A top-tier efficiency at an inexpensive value

As a cinephile extraordinarily choosy about my TVs, I’ve lengthy been interested in what TCL had in retailer for 2024, and the way the corporate’s TVs would compete with greater gamers like LG and Samsung. Positioned as this 12 months’s top-of-line providing, TCL’s newest flagship TV, the QM851, promised it will be an improve from its 2023 mannequin in each {hardware} and software program. So, I put the 75-inch model to the check, watching my favourite motion pictures and TV exhibits and taking part in video video games whereas evaluating the show with my most important eye. Learn on for the way it handed with flying (and shiny) colours.

Editor’s alternative

TCL QM851

$1905 $1999 Save $94

TCL’s newest TV is its highest. The QM851 calls for to be taken severely by even probably the most discerning tv snobs, whereas remaining finances pleasant as TCL tends to be.

Execs

• QD-Mini LED ULTRA delivers excellent distinction with 5,000 native dimming zones
• As much as 5,000 Nits of peak brightness is ideal for daytime viewing
• 120Hz help with 144Hz variable is nice for gaming
• Helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient and Dolby Atmos

Cons

• Distant is cumbersome and inelegant
• Not as skinny as dearer choices

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Value, specs, and availability

A formidable spec sheet far above its pay grade

The TCL QM851 is accessible in 4 totally different sizes, starting from 65 to 98 inches, beginning at $2000. TCL has usually launched televisions that symbolize a compelling worth, and the worth proposition of the QM851 is extraordinary. The QM851 is accessible now from Amazon, Finest Purchase, Walmart, and different main retailers.

The stand-out spec for this 12 months’s mannequin is undoubtedly the QD-Mini LED ULTRA show, which aside from Micro-LED (usually reserved for pricier TVs) is LED at its greatest. OLED tech, can flip every particular person pixel on and off and regulate every pixel’s brightness as wanted. In impact, 4K OLED shows have simply shy of 8.3 million gentle sources, governing the display’s means to attain excellent distinction and high quality brightness management. The most affordable LED screens have a single supply of sunshine within the type of one large backlight, whereas through the years totally different LED codecs have moved in the direction of having a handful, a couple of dozen, and even dozens of particular person lights or “dimming zones” in an effort to attain higher management over distinction and brightness.

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That is the place QD-Mini LED is available in. This panel from TCL presents over 5,000 native dimming zones, and whereas a far cry from 8.3 million, the impact it has on distinction, brightness, and total picture high quality is gorgeous.

Moreover, the TV boasts Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR and Dolby Atmos sound. Dolby Imaginative and prescient, which isn’t supported by all TV producers, is, in my view, firmly superior to HDR 10, which is cheaper and extra well-liked. Dolby Imaginative and prescient helps a peak brightness of 10,000 nits with HDR enabled, which isn’t even in the identical ballpark as HDR 10’s peak brightness of 1,000-4,000 nits. Dolby Imaginative and prescient additionally helps 12-bit coloration depth, whereas HDR 10 helps solely 10-bit.

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Plus, with a unbelievable 120Hz refresh fee and 144Hz refresh fee, coupled with AMD Freesync help, the QM851 is console-ready and gamer-friendly.

Design

Not the sleekest in the marketplace

The QM851 is over 2-inches thick, which can not sound like loads, however is one thing to contemplate when mounting the TV, as between the mount and the TV itself, it would stand proud of the wall a couple of inches. Some manufacturers have opted to start out placing the “brains” and ports of their TVs in exterior packing containers to attain a thinner profile, many attaining lower than half an inch of depth. Not solely does this assist make fashionable TVs thinner, but it surely gives simpler entry to ports for the person.

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I are inclined to mount my TV, so having these exterior packing containers is one thing I’ve come to understand, since they make it simpler for me to plug and unplug issues like consoles, Roku gamers, and laptops with out having to drag the TV away from the wall. Even when not mounted, it is by no means enjoyable to must crane your neck behind the TV whereas additionally holding your telephone in flashlight mode simply to see what you are doing.

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Previous-school type issue

Within the case of the QM851, the ports and brains are all a part of the body, so I needed to transfer the TV away from the wall every time I wished to plug or unplug an exterior gadget. That is nonetheless how nearly all of TVs operate, so it isn’t too sturdy a grievance, however I’ve gotten spoiled by the choice. On the again of the TV, I discovered 4 HDMI inputs, one among which was marked as (e)ARC, which was excellent for connecting my receiver and residential sound system. Apparently, that enter solely helps a 60Hz refresh fee, whereas the opposite 3 HDMI inputs every help particular refresh charges of 60Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz.

Software program

Google OS gives that previous acquainted feeling

TCL makes use of Google TV for its native OS, which is fairly simple to make use of and can really feel acquainted to anybody who makes use of Android merchandise. The QM851 helps Chromecast and Apple Airplay 2, which I discovered notably helpful when casting a UEFA European Championship recreation from my laptop computer to the TCL. The Google TV OS made it very easy to log in by means of my Google account, and got here able to go together with nearly any main streaming app you’ll be able to consider already put in.

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The distant is not profitable any design awards

In flipping by means of all these menus, settings, and apps, I discovered the distant for the QM851 to be giant, cumbersome, and inelegant. It felt like a distant from an older period. Many TVs at the moment characteristic small, neat, aesthetically pleasing remotes, and I discovered myself lacking that. It is not a dealbreaker or something, but it surely was a small gripe I felt was price sharing.

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Efficiency

Mini-LED exhibits off its strengths

The picture high quality on the QM851 is, in a phrase, beautiful. The 1000’s of native dimming zones accomplish gorgeous distinction and spectacular peak brightness, making viewing in SDR a crisp and sunlight-defeating affair. Watching YouTube, fundamental cable, and SDR streaming felt just like the QM851 was extracting each drop of high quality from normal high quality sources. If, like me, you usually hold the TV on within the background throughout the day, you will not undergo from daytime reflections from daylight coming by means of the home windows, because the QD Mini-LED array delivers best-in-class brightness.

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Dolby Imaginative and prescient stays the highest of the meals chain in HDR

The QM851 actually begins to flex its expertise on the subject of HDR viewing. I am an enormous cinema nerd, with a weak spot for beautiful cinematography. I respect that beautiful scenes are supposed to be seen and appreciated with deep blacks, wealthy coloration, and excessive distinction. HDR gives probably the most cinematic look and true colours out of a scene, however my gripe is sort of at all times about brightness. I hate feeling like I’ve to attract all of the shades, flip off all of the lights, and principally sit in a pitch-black room to keep away from washing out the picture on my display with reflections whereas it suffers by means of low brightness.

However herein lies the great thing about Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Dolby Imaginative and prescient can obtain extremely excessive brightness for HDR, which makes it able to delivering gorgeous picture high quality even throughout the daytime or in a well-lit room. The QM851 presents an HDR setting it calls “Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ,” which might adaptively change HDR picture settings to regulate to the ambient atmosphere. This implies whether or not it is day or evening, and whether or not the lights are on or off, the QM851 delivers the very best picture it will probably whereas watching Dolby Imaginative and prescient-enabled content material.

To check, I turned on Netflix’s Glass Onion (Knives Out sequel). Though I had seen the film earlier than, I used to be on the sting of my seat for a lot of the film on account of how beautiful the film regarded. I had initially watched it in SDR on my Samsung as a result of I refuse to make use of HDR10 on account of its low brightness.

If you don’t need computerized adjustment, you may also choose between Dolby Imaginative and prescient Darkish, which is meant to be used in a darkish atmosphere, and Dolby Imaginative and prescient Shiny, which is meant for a brighter atmosphere. No matter you choose, I discovered the Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR to be downright gorgeous. The QM851 additionally helps HDR10 and HDR10+, with the previous supporting as much as 4,000 nits of peak brightness and the latter as much as 1,000. As a reminder, Dolby Imaginative and prescient helps as much as 10,000 nits of peak brightness, and I discovered that nearly each single current TV present or film on Netflix supported Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Amazon Prime Video, Max, and Apple TV additionally help Dolby Vision, so you’ll be able to actually get probably the most out of it.

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Spectacular sound for built-in TV audio system

The QM851 helps Dolby Atmos sound and options 2 side-facing audio system, 2 skyward-facing audio system, and a built-in subwoofer to assist get probably the most out of the codec. Dolby Atmos is greatest heard in encompass sound, however the QM851’s built-in audio system carry out admirably, delivering a fullness of sound and channel separation that was spectacular coming from a sub-$3k TV.

Gamer pleasant proper out of the field

The upper refresh fee on the QM851 was one of many elements I discovered most enjoyable, and a characteristic that’s typically lacking on TVs much more costly than this one. I booted up Marvel’s Spider-Man, powered by my gaming PC, and had an absolute blast swinging by means of Manhattan on a a lot bigger display than I am used to. The AMD FreeSync and refresh fee choices on the QM851 made for a flexible gaming expertise and allowed me to take pleasure in extra cinematic video games like Spider-Man, which I can totally take pleasure in at 60 frames per second, in addition to extra FPS-focused video games like Counter-Strike 2, which I leveraged the 120Hz HDMI enter to take pleasure in.

Whereas the character of PC gaming would not at all times lend itself to taking part in on a tv, console avid gamers will love the QM851, and its excessive refresh charges and “Recreation Mode” with lowered enter lag will get absolutely the most out of an Xbox Collection X or a PlayStation 5.

Verdict: Must you purchase the QM851?

I actually loved my time with the QM851, and I discovered that the QM851 can really function the centerpiece of leisure for a household house. In my testing, the TCL carried out fantastically all through each use case that I’m going by means of as a part of my day-to-day life. Whether or not I used to be simply flipping by means of cable channels in SDR, watching the most recent season of Bridgerton with my spouse in HDR, or taking part in video video games whereas having fun with these excessive body charges, the QM851 impressed.

TCL QM851

$1905 $1999 Save $94

At a value level of underneath $3,000, and already seeing seasonal gross sales at $2,000, this mannequin just isn’t attempting to compete with high-dollar OLED TVs, but it surely does blow away the competitors within the LED panel house, and I discovered the picture high quality was second to none for any tv I’ve seen at this value level. I will be trustworthy, for a very long time I checked out TCL because the finances model, and one whose panels would possibly at all times be thought-about a step beneath these of LG and Samsung. In any case, the fee distinction needed to come from someplace, proper? However I discovered myself totally impressed with the QM851 and its QD Mini-LED show. Between its wonderful distinction, excessive peak brightness, help for Dolby Imaginative and prescient, and excellent value level, the QM851 is maybe the perfect worth for a non-OLED TV in the marketplace at the moment.