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TCL QM6K  TV Review

Reviewed Apr 02, 2025 at 11:36am
Tested using methodology v2.0.1 
TCL QM6K
7.1
Mixed Usage 
Value for price beaten by
Panasonic W95A
7.2
Home Theater 
Value for price beaten by
Panasonic W95A
7.0
Bright Room 
Value for price beaten by
Hisense U7N
7.1
Sports 
Value for price beaten by
Panasonic W95A
7.2
Gaming 
Value for price beaten by
Hisense U7N
6.5
Brightness 
7.6
Black Level 
7.2
Color 
 82
 TV Settings

The TCL QM6K is an entry-level TV released in 2025 and technically replaces the 2024 TCL Q6/Q651G QLED, although the newer model is a step up from the previous one due to its Mini LED panel and advanced gaming features, but at a higher cost. It supports both 4k @ 144Hz and 1080p @ 288Hz, with VRR, on its two HDMI 2.1 ports. It also has two HDMI 2.0 ports, one of which doubles as an eARC port with full Dolby and DTS advanced audio passthrough. The TV supports both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+ formats and runs version 12 of the popular Google TV smart interface, so it also has smart features like voice control and is loaded with a ton of streaming apps. We bought and tested the 75-inch model, but it's available in six sizes total: 50, 55, 65, 75, 85, and 98-inches.

Our Verdict

7.1
Mixed Usage 

The TCL QM6K is a well-rounded TV, even if it doesn't excel in any particular area. Its strongest suit is its very good gaming performance, helped by its very low input lag, high refresh rate support, and numerous gaming features. Visually, the TV doesn't impress, although its black levels are quite good due to its impressive contrast and good black uniformity. Unfortunately, there's more blooming around bright highlights than you'd like, but it's alright. Its HDR brightness is mediocre at best, so the TV doesn't provide an impactful HDR experience overall. Still, it's a decent choice for reference conditions due to those black levels, good HDR brightness accuracy, and low amount of stutter. It performs better in SDR content due to its high SDR peak brightness, which is enough to overcome some glare from brighter rooms, just as long as you avoid placing any lights directly facing the TV.

Pros
  • Very good black levels deliver deep blacks no matter the room context.

  • Very accurate in HDR and SDR.

  • Bright enough in SDR to overcome glare from indirect light sources.

  • HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, up to 4k @ 144Hz and 1080p @ 288Hz, and VRR support.

Cons
  • Too dim in HDR to provide a truly impactful HDR viewing experience.

  • Visible glare when placed directly opposite bright lights or windows.

  • Image degrades somewhat when viewed from extreme angles.

7.2
Home Theater 

The TCL QM6K is a decent choice for a home theater setup, mostly due to its good black levels. Its contrast is impressive, and its black uniformity is good, so it delivers deep blacks in darker scenes, even if there's a bit more blooming around bright highlights than you'd like. Aside from that, the TV is decent but unimpressive. Its HDR color volume is alright and does the job, but colors aren't vibrant, although they're accurate. The TV is not nearly bright enough in HDR to deliver impactful HDR highlights. The TV's PQ EOTF tracking is quite good, however, so the TV mostly follows the content creator's intent when it comes to HDR brightness. There's also little noticeable stutter due to the TV's relatively slow response time.

Pros
  • Very good black levels deliver deep blacks no matter the room context.

  • Very accurate in HDR and SDR.

  • Follows the content creator's intent relatively well, if a tad overbrightened overall.

  • Little noticeable stutter.

Cons
  • Some noticeable blooming around bright highlights set on a dark background.

  • Too dim in HDR to provide a truly impactful HDR viewing experience.

7.0
Bright Room 

The TCL QM6K is a decent choice for brighter rooms due to its good SDR brightness, which is high enough to overcome some glare in well-lit contexts. Unfortunately, the TV struggles with direct reflections, so it doesn't fare well in rooms with tons of lights directly facing it. The TV's colors are decent, but they're not impactful even if they are mostly accurate. Thankfully, the TV's black levels don't noticeably raise in brighter rooms.

Pros
  • Bright enough in SDR to overcome glare from indirect light sources.

Cons
  • Visible glare when placed directly opposite bright lights or windows.

7.1
Sports 

The TCL QM6K is a satisfactory choice for sports. It's bright enough in SDR to overcome glare from brighter rooms but make sure that your lights aren't directly facing the screen as the TV struggles with direct reflections. Its image processing is decent, so it cleans up a bit of macro-blocking when you're watching sports through streaming services, although its upscaling doesn't quite manage to significantly clean up low-resolution content. Its colors are quite accurate in SDR, so your favorite team's jerseys look as they should, although the TV's SDR color volume isn't good enough to make them pop out of the screen. Its viewing angle is mediocre, so it's not the best choice for a wide seating arrangement; try to keep your friends seated directly in front of the TV for the best possible experience.

Pros
  • Bright enough in SDR to overcome glare from indirect light sources.

  • Impressively accurate in SDR content.

Cons
  • Visible glare when placed directly opposite bright lights or windows.

  • Image degrades somewhat when viewed from extreme angles.

7.2
Gaming 

If you're looking for a performance-driven gaming TV, then the TCL QM6K is a solid pick. It's very responsive due to its low input lag and its support for both 4k @ 144Hz and 1080p @ 288Hz, alongside a wide VRR range. Its pixel transitions are decently fast at the higher refresh rates, especially for an LED TV. Unfortunately, the TV isn't quite as impressive when it comes to image quality, especially in HDR, where it's too dim to provide a truly impactful experience. Its black levels are good, however, even if there's some noticeable blooming around bright highlights, and its colors are accurate, but they're not very vibrant.

Pros
  • Extremely low input lag.

  • Very good black levels deliver deep blacks no matter the room context.

  • HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, up to 4k @ 144Hz and 1080p @ 288Hz, and VRR support.

Cons
  • Some noticeable blooming around bright highlights set on a dark background.

  • Too dim in HDR to provide a truly impactful HDR viewing experience.

6.5
Brightness 

The TCL QM6K's brightness is alright. Its HDR brightness is mediocre, so it struggles to display bright HDR highlights with gusto. It fares much better in SDR content, where the TV is bright enough to overcome some glare in brighter rooms.

Pros
  • Bright enough in SDR to overcome glare from indirect light sources.

Cons
  • Too dim in HDR to provide a truly impactful HDR viewing experience.

7.6
Black Level 

The TCL QM6K's black level is good. Its contrast is impressive, alongside good black uniformity, leading to deep blacks in dark scenes when bright highlights are present. Unfortunately, its lighting zone precision is okay; it does a fine job overall, but there's definitely some noticeable blooming around bright highlights set on very dark backgrounds.

Pros
  • Very good black levels deliver deep blacks no matter the room context.

Cons
  • Some noticeable blooming around bright highlights set on a dark background.

7.2
Color 

The TCL QM6K's color is decent overall, mostly because of its strong color accuracy, especially in HDR. This isn't really a TV that most purists will feel pressed to get calibrated. Its color volume, however, is just alright in SDR and HDR. It's good enough for most people, but colors don't pop out of the screen.

Pros
  • Very accurate in HDR and SDR.

Cons
None
7.0
Processing (In Development) 

Note: We're in the process of improving our tests related to image processing, but this score should give you a general idea of how a TV performs overall with its image processing capabilities.

The TCL QM6K's image processing is decent overall. It mostly respects the content creator's content when it comes to its HDR brightness, even if most of it is a bit too bright overall. It cleans up low-bitrate content well enough, but there's still some noticeable macro-blocking. It doesn't do quite as good of a job with low-resolution content; it ends up looking a bit muddy when upscaled. Its HDR native gradient handling is alright, but there's some noticeable banding in some color gradients.

Pros
  • Follows the content creator's intent relatively well, if a tad overbrightened overall.

Cons
None
7.9
Game Mode Responsiveness 

The TCL QM6K is quite responsive in Game Master. Its input lag is extremely low at any of its refresh rate modes. The TV supports 4k @ 144Hz but also 1080p @ 288Hz through TCL's Game Accelerator feature, a boon for any hardcore competitive player who wants to get the highest refresh rate possible from their TV. There's a wide VRR range, even at 288Hz, providing a mostly tear-free gaming experience. Its pixel transitions are decent at the faster refresh rates, although it's not quite as good at 60Hz. Still, overall, the transitions are fast for an LED TV.

Pros
  • Extremely low input lag.

  • HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, up to 4k @ 144Hz and 1080p @ 288Hz, and VRR support.

Cons
None
7.6
Motion Handling (Broken) 

We're in the process of fixing the way we evaluate a TV's overall motion handling. This section is currently broken, and the score isn't indicative of how well a TV handles motion overall.

  • 7.1
    Mixed Usage
  • 7.2
    Home Theater
  • 7.0
    Bright Room
  • 7.1
    Sports
  • 7.2
    Gaming

  • Performance Usages

  • 6.5
    Brightness
  • 7.6
    Black Level
  • 7.2
    Color
  • 7.0
    Processing (In Development)
  • 7.9
    Game Mode Responsiveness
  • 7.6
    Motion Handling (Broken)
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Jun 26, 2025: 

      Mentioned the newly reviewed Samsung Q7F 2025 in the Contrast section.

    2.  Updated Jun 20, 2025: 

      Mentioned the newly reviewed Hisense U65QF in the HDR Color Volume section.

    3.  Updated May 08, 2025: Converted to Test Bench 2.0.1. We did this to fix an issue with our scoring in the Supported Resolutions section, since TVs with a refresh rate higher than 144Hz were being penalized for not supporting 144Hz.
    4.  Updated May 06, 2025: 

      Added the "Pro" variant to the Differences Between Sizes And Variants section.

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    We bought and tested the 75-inch TCL QM6K, and these results are also valid for the 50, 55, 75, 85, and 98-inch models. The 98" model has flat feet instead of V-shaped feet like the smaller sizes have.

    There's also a variant of this TV known as the QM6K Pro Series. It has the same internals as the QM6K but features TCL's new Crystglow HVA Panel that was first released on the TCL QM7K. It offers the same overall performance as the QM6K, but with the anti-reflective capabilities of the QM7K.

    Note: TCL hasn't yet confirmed the number of dimming zones for each model size, although they did say that the model line has up to 500 dimming zones on the bigger model.

    SizeModelDimming Zones
    50"TCL 50QM6KUnknown
    55"TCL 55QM6KUnknown
    65"TCL 65QM6KUnknown
    75"TCL 75QM6K312
    85"TCL 85QM6KUnknown
    98"TCL 98QM6K~500 

    You can see our unit's label.

    Popular TV Comparisons

    The TCL QM6K is a decent product, as it's rather well-rounded. Still, it falls in a similar price bracket to the TCL QM7/QM751G QLED and the Hisense U7N, both of which are much better than the QM6K, especially the QM7. They're both far brighter and more colorful overall, with better image processing, even if the QM6K has better black levels than the Hisense. Still, the QM6K serves as a solid LED gaming TV due to its advanced gaming features, relatively fast pixel transitions, and up to 1080p @ 288Hz support.

    For more options, check out our recommendations for the best Google TVs, the best QLED TVs, and the best gaming TVs.

    TCL QM751G
    55" 65" 75" 85" 98"

    The TCL QM751G is better than the TCL QM6K in almost every way, as the QM7 is brighter, has better black levels, has better image processing, and is more colorful overall, delivering a more impactful viewing experience. The QM6K is, however, more accurate and follows the content creator's intent more closely than the QM7K51G does. It's also capable of gaming at 1080p @ 288Hz, while the QM751G tops out at 1080p @ 240Hz.

    TCL QM7K
    55" 65" 75" 85" 98"

    The TCL QM7K is better than the TCL QM6K. The QM7K is brighter, has much better contrast, and is more colorful than the QM6K, delivering a much more impressive experience overall. The QM6K is, however, more accurate, but it doesn't do much to offset the QM7K's performance advantage.

    Hisense U7N
    55" 65" 75" 85"

    The Hisense U7N is mostly better than the TCL QM6K. The Hisense is brighter and more colorful overall, alongside having better image processing, delivering a generally more impactful viewing experience, even with the TCL's better black levels. The TCL does have some advantages, as it's more accurate, and has faster pixel transitions, alongside more gaming features than the Hisense.

    Hisense U8N
    55" 65" 75" 85" 100"

    The Hisense U8N is noticeably better than the TCL QM6K. The Hisense is considerably brighter, with deeper black levels and more vibrant colors, giving it a clear edge in image quality. Still, the TCL is much more accurate out of the box and offers better HDR brightness accuracy, so purists will want to calibrate the Hisense. Overall, the Hisense has superior image processing and reflection handling, further reinforcing its advantage over the TCL in most respects.

    Show more 

    Video

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Brightness
    6.0
    HDR Brightness
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    409 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    276 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    198 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    544 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    698 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    890 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    697 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    453 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    468 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    694 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    752 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    691 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    452 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.034

    The TCL QM6K has just mediocre HDR brightness. While it performs well in test slides, in real content its brightness is inadequate, so it can't display bright highlights with any real impact.

    We tested with Local Contrast set to 'Low' as it makes for brighter highlights, but larger window sizes are slightly brighter with it set to 'High':

    Local Contrast 'High,' Peak:

    • 2%: 525 cd/m²
    • 10%: 691 cd/m²
    • 25%: 876 cd/m²
    • 50%: 726 cd/m²
    • 100%: 450 cd/m²

    Local Contrast 'High,' Sustained:

    • 2%: 453 cd/m²
    • 10%: 682 cd/m²
    • 25%: 743 cd/m²
    • 50%: 718 cd/m²
    • 100%: 450 cd/m²

    Here are measurements with Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) set to each of its three settings, all in the 'Movie' HDR Picture Mode:

    Results with DTM set to Detail Priority:

    • Hallway Lights: 399 cd/m²
    • Yellow Skyscraper: 236 cd/m²
    • Landscape Pool: 201 cd/m²

    Results with DTM set to Balance:

    • Hallway Lights: 396 cd/m²
    • Yellow Skyscraper: 248 cd/m²
    • Landscape Pool: 218 cd/m²

    Results with DTM set to Brightness Priority:

    • Hallway Lights: 408 cd/m²
    • Yellow Skyscraper: 268 cd/m²
    • Landscape Pool: 232 cd/m²

    6.0
    HDR Brightness In Game Mode
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    412 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    246 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    232 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    468 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    684 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    758 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    693 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    450 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    466 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    677 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    744 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    688 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    450 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.033

    There's no noticeable difference in HDR brightness when the TV is set to Game Master (the Game Mode equivalent).

    Here are measurements with Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) set to each of its three settings, all in Game Master:

    Results with DTM set to Detail Priority:

    • Hallway Lights: 399 cd/m²
    • Yellow Skyscraper: 229 cd/m²
    • Landscape Pool: 206 cd/m²

    Results with DTM set to Balance:

    • Hallway Lights: 404 cd/m²
    • Yellow Skyscraper: 216 cd/m²
    • Landscape Pool: 243 cd/m²

    Results with DTM set to Brightness Priority:

    • Hallway Lights: 408 cd/m²
    • Yellow Skyscraper: 260 cd/m²
    • Landscape Pool: 227 cd/m²

    7.5
    SDR Brightness
    Real Scene Peak Brightness
    429 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    513 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    642 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    814 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    646 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    418 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    442 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    635 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    696 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    640 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    418 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.031

    The TV's SDR brightness is good, and it overcomes some glare when watched in brighter rooms.

    Black Level
    8.1
    Contrast
    Contrast
    118,059 : 1
    Native Contrast
    6,471 : 1

    The TCL QM6K has impressive contrast. Its native contrast is very good, but with Local Contrast set to 'Low,' the TV displays very deep blacks that stay deep even when bright highlights are on screen. It has much deeper blacks than many other similarly priced models, such as the Samsung Q7F 2025

    6.5
    Lighting Zone Precision

    The TV's lighting zone precision is alright. There's visible blooming around bright highlights or text when they're against a black background, making blacks look less deep.

    7.0
    Lighting Zone Transitions
    Local Dimming
    Yes
    Backlight
    Full-Array
    Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV
    312

    The TV has decent lighting zone transitions. Still, there is some visible darkening on the leading edge of bright objects, with noticeable haloing.

    7.0
    Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

    There's no visible difference in dark scene performance when the TV is set to Game Master.

    7.5
    Black Uniformity
    Std. Dev.
    0.972%
    Native Std. Dev.
    0.477%

    The TV's black uniformity is good, although there's noticeable blooming around bright highlights when local dimming is enabled. With local dimming disabled, the screen is more uniform, yet blacks are noticeably raised, although corners are brighter than the rest of the screen.

    Color
    6.7
    SDR Color Volume
    CIELAB DCI-P3 Coverage
    83.71%
    CIELAB BT.2020 Coverage
    57.93%

    The TV's SDR color volume is okay. It lacks the color volume in DCI-P3 to fully display any color, but it's decent overall. However, the TV's color volume is middling in the BT.2020 color space; it struggles with fully displaying almost all colors, especially lighter colors outside of those close to pure white.

    Volume ΔE³DCI-P3
    Coverage
    BT.2020
    Coverage
    L1088.67%66.49%
    L2088.61%65.09%
    L3089.31%65.64%
    L4087.27%65.40%
    L5085.84%64.43%
    L6083.88%61.32%
    L7081.07%52.24%
    L8080.21%49.46%
    L9080.13%49.85%
    L10084.72%63.52%
    Total83.71%57.93%

    6.9
    HDR Color Volume
    1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
    68.2%
    10,000 cd/m² BT.2020 Coverage ITP
    30.5%
    White Luminance
    477 cd/m²
    Red Luminance
    103 cd/m²
    Green Luminance
    343 cd/m²
    Blue Luminance
    29 cd/m²
    Cyan Luminance
    374 cd/m²
    Magenta Luminance
    119 cd/m²
    Yellow Luminance
    415 cd/m²

    The TCL QM6K's HDR color volume is alright. Dark saturated colors are displayed well due to the TV's impressive contrast. Unfortunately, it struggles with displaying any bright colors due to its relatively low HDR brightness, and its overall color volume isn't as good as the Hisense U65QF.

    7.6
    SDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
    White Balance dE 2000
    4.15
    Color dE 2000
    2.42
    Gamma
    2.23
    Color Temperature
    6,456 K
    Picture Mode
    Movie
    Color Temp Setting
    warm 5
    Gamma Setting
    2,2

    The TCL QM6K's SDR pre-calibration accuracy is good. Its color accuracy is impressive, as most colors are on target, with only some color mapping errors in saturated reds, magentas, blues, and whites.

    Unfortunately, its white balance is just mediocre, as reds and blues are overrepresented in most grays, more so for reds in brighter grays, while greens are slightly underrepresented in all grays. Thankfully, this doesn't negatively impact the TV's color temperature, as it's almost perfectly on target. As for gamma, darker scenes are too dark, while brighter ones are too bright, although most scenes veer slightly on the bright side.

    9.5
    SDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
    White Balance dE 2000
    0.26
    Color dE 2000
    1.24
    Gamma
    2.20
    Color Temperature
    6,492 K
    White Balance Calibration
    20 point
    Color Calibration
    Yes

    The TV's SDR image accuracy is fantastic after calibration. White balance is now almost perfect, with no noticeable impact on the already outstanding color temperature. Color accuracy is also vastly improved, as only darker blues still have color mapping issues.

    You can see our full calibration settings.

    8.3
    HDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
    White Balance dE ITP
    8.20
    Color dE ITP
    6.3
    Color Temperature
    6,609 K
    Picture Mode
    Movie

    The TCL QM6K's HDR pre-calibration accuracy is great. Color temperature is very close to the 6500K target even if blues are overrepresented in brighter grays, while reds are slightly underrepresented in the same grays. Color accuracy is excellent, although blues, reds, and magentas deviate from what they should be.

    9.1
    HDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
    White Balance dE ITP
    5.70
    Color dE ITP
    4.90
    Color Temperature
    6,511 K

    The TV's HDR accuracy after calibration is fantastic. White balance is now excellent, and color accuracy is fantastic. Colors are now mostly on target, although there are still some minor color mapping issues in blues and reds. Color temperature is now perfectly on target.

    Processing
    7.8
    PQ EOTF Tracking
    See details on graph tool
    600 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0074
    1000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0054
    4000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0058

    The TCL QM6K has good PQ EOTF tracking. All mastered content is initially slightly too dark, more so for content mastered at 1000 and 4000 nits, but it's then slightly too bright for the rest of the curve. There's a roll-off near the TV's peak brightness to maintain details in highlights in all mastered content.

    7.0
    Low-Quality Content Smoothing
    Smoothing
    7.0
    Detail Preservation
    7.0

    The TV's low-quality content smoothing is decent. It does a satisfactory job at removing macro-blocking from low-bitrate content, but there is some loss of detail in the process.

    6.5
    Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

    The TV does an alright job at upscaling low-resolution content like DVDs or lower-resolution streams. Details are somewhat clear, but finer details are noticeably hard to make out.

    6.8
    HDR Native Gradient
    100% Black To 50% Gray
    6.0
    50% Gray To 100% White
    6.0
    100% Black To 50% Red
    6.0
    50% Red To 100% Red
    8.0
    100% Black To 50% Green
    6.0
    50% Green To 100% Green
    6.0
    100% Black To 50% Blue
    8.0
    50% Blue To 100% Blue
    8.0

    The TV's HDR native gradient handling is alright. There's noticeable banding in all grays and greens and in darker reds, but other color gradients have minimal banding.

    Game Mode Responsiveness
    9.0
    Input Lag
    1080p @ 60Hz
    10.4 ms
    1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    108.7 ms
    1080p @ 120Hz
    5.6 ms
    1080p @ Max Refresh Rate
    3.1 ms
    4k @ 60Hz
    10.2 ms
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    9.9 ms
    4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    108.0 ms
    4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
    128.8 ms
    4k @ 120Hz
    5.5 ms
    4k @ Max Refresh Rate
    4.7 ms
    8k @ 60Hz
    N/A

    The TV has very low input lag at all resolutions and refresh rate combinations when set to Game Master.

    9.5
    Supported Resolutions
    Resolution4k
    480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
    Yes
    720p @ 59.94Hz
    Yes
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    1080p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1080p Maximum Refresh Rate
    288 Hz
    4k @ 60Hz
    Yes
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    4k Maximum Refresh Rate
    144 Hz
    8k @ 30Hz Or 24Hz
    No
    8k @ 60Hz
    No

    The TV supports all common resolutions up to 4k @ 144Hz on two of its four HDMI ports.

    8.8
    Variable Refresh Rate
    Native Refresh Rate
    144Hz
    Variable Refresh Rate
    Yes
    HDMI Forum VRR
    Yes
    FreeSync
    Yes
    G-SYNC Compatible
    Yes
    4k VRR Maximum
    144 Hz
    4k VRR Minimum
    < 20 Hz
    1080p VRR Maximum
    288 Hz
    1080p VRR Minimum
    < 20 Hz
    VRR + Local DimmingYes

    The TV supports all three types of variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to reduce screen tearing. Its VRR range caps out at 144Hz or 288Hz, depending on the resolution.

    7.1
    CAD In Game Mode @ Max Refresh Rate
    Transition At Max Refresh
    transition-game-max-0-31
    0 to 31
    Avg. CAD
    201
    Best 10% CAD
    101
    Worst 10% CAD
    307

    The TV's CAD at its maximum refresh rate is decent. There's a fair amount of overshoot when transitioning from black or dark shades to a brighter one, causing inverse ghosting. Still, overall, it provides consistent performance without excessive motion blur.

    6.9
    CAD In Game Mode @ 120Hz
    Transition At 120Hz
    transition-game-120-0-31
    0 to 31
    Avg. CAD
    214
    Best 10% CAD
    102
    Worst 10% CAD
    329

    The TV's CAD at 120Hz is okay. Much like at its maximum refresh rate, it has some overshoot when going from a completely black frame to a dark gray shade, leading to inverse ghosting.

    6.3
    CAD In Game Mode @ 60Hz
    Transition 60Hz
    transition-game-60-0-31
    0 to 31
    Avg. CAD
    273
    Best 10% CAD
    96
    Worst 10% CAD
    442

    The TV's CAD at 60Hz is mediocre. There is no overshoot here, but unfortunately, most transitions are quite slow, leading to noticeable motion blur.

    PS5 Compatibility
    Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1440p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1080p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    HDR
    Yes
    VRR
    Yes

    The TV is fully compatible with everything the PS5 offers, like 1440p @ 120Hz and 4k @ 120Hz, as well as HDMI Forum VRR. It also supports Auto Low Latency Mode, so you don't have to worry about manually switching to Game Master to get the lowest input lag.

    Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
    Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1440p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1080p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    HDR
    Yes
    VRR
    Yes

    The TV is fully compatible with everything the Xbox Series X|S offers, including 1440p @ 120Hz, 4k @ 120Hz, HDMI Forum VRR, FreeSync Premium Pro, and Dolby Vision gaming. It also supports Auto Low Latency Mode, so you don't have to worry about manually switching to Game Master to get the lowest input lag.

    Motion Handling
    7.5
    Stutter
    Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
    30.2 ms
    Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
    5.5 ms

    Due to the TV's relatively slow response time, there isn't much stutter when watching movies or TV shows, although you'll notice some if you're particularly sensitive to it.

    10
    24p Judder
    Judder-Free 24p
    Yes
    Judder-Free 24p via 60p
    Yes
    Judder-Free 24p via 60i
    Yes
    Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
    Yes

    The TCL QM6K automatically removes judder from 24Hz sources and the internal apps. To remove judder from 60p and 60i sources, like a cable box, Motion Clarity needs to be set to 'On' with sliders set to '0.'

    6.8
    Response Time
    Transition At 60Hz
    transition-60-0-31
    0 to 31
    First Response Time
    11.2 ms
    Total Response Time
    11.5 ms
    Worst 10% Response Time
    24.4 ms

    The TCL QM6K has an okay response time. It really struggles when going from bright shades to many darker shades and from a completely black screen to a near-white one. This leads to noticeable motion blur in a wide variety of content, but it also means that the TV doesn't have a ton of stutter when watching movies.

    Flicker
    Flicker-Free
    No
    PWM Dimming Frequency
    10,400 Hz

    The TCL QM6K uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to dim its backlight. Fortunately, it flickers at an incredibly fast 10,400Hz in all picture modes and at all brightness levels, so it's not noticeable.

    Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
    Optional BFI
    Yes
    Min Flicker For 60 fps
    60 Hz
    60Hz For 60 fps
    Yes
    120Hz For 120 fps
    Yes
    Min Flicker For 60 fps In Game Mode
    60 Hz

    The TCL QM6K TV has an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion. This feature is meant to reduce persistence blur and improve the appearance of motion. It works at both 60Hz and 120Hz, albeit with some obvious image duplication. Note that enabling this feature reduces the panel's overall brightness.

    Motion Interpolation
    Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
    Yes
    Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
    Yes

    This TV has an optional motion interpolation feature to improve the clarity of motion, but it doesn't work very well. Even slower-moving scenes have some noticeable artifacts present. It really struggles with faster-moving scenes, as the interpolation seems to stop when the action gets too hectic, causing distracting artifacts.

    Reflections
    5.2
    Direct Reflections
    See details on graph tool
    Peak Direct Reflection Intensity
    67.5%
    Screen Finish
    Glossy

    The TCL QM6K has poor direct reflection handling. It barely reduces the intensity of direct light sources like a lamp placed opposite the screen, which is very distracting.

    9.0
    Ambient Black Level Raise
    See details on graph tool
    Black Luminance @ 0 lx
    0.00 cd/m²
    Black Luminance @ 1000 lx
    0.43 cd/m²

    Black levels barely raise on this TV in a room with ambient lighting, so you still get deep blacks regardless of your lighting conditions.

    6.6
    Total Reflected Light
    Total Reflected Light Intensity
    22,862% ⋅ pixel
    Diffraction Artifacts
    Yes

    The total reflected light of this TV is alright. Reflections are visible on this TV during dark scenes, and there's some distracting light banding, although it's not extremely noticeable.

    6.9
    Ambient Color Saturation
    See details on graph tool
    Low-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
    62.27%
    Mid-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
    54.81%
    High-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
    39.71%

    The TV has okay color saturation in a bright room, but there's some color degradation in well-lit contexts.

    Panel
    6.4
    Viewing Angle
    Color Washout
    32°
    Color Shift
    47°
    Brightness Loss
    31°
    Black Level Raise
    19°
    Gamma Shift
    16°

    The TV has a mediocre viewing angle, so it's not suitable for a wide seating arrangement. Its biggest weaknesses are its gamma shifting and raised black levels at an angle, so colors look off and washed out as you move further away to the sides, although the colors stay mostly accurate.

    6.6
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    2.416%
    50% DSE
    0.189%
    5% Std. Dev.
    1.186%
    5% DSE
    0.098%

    The TV has okay gray uniformity, but there's a noticeable grid-like pattern in the lower right portion of the screen, which is visible in some moving content.

    Panel Technology
    TypeLED
    Sub-Type
    VA
    Subpixel Layout
    BGR

    The TV uses a BGR (Blue-Green-Red) subpixel layout instead of the traditional RGB layout. For video or gaming content, this doesn't cause any issues, but for PC monitor use, it can be a problem as it impacts the text clarity, although not everyone will notice this.

    The TV uses a KSF phosphor coating to produce red light, with high peaks on reds and blues. This model does have good separation between colors, giving it solid color purity and a wide color gamut.

    Inputs
    Input Specifications
    HDMI4 (2x HDMI 2.0, 2x HDMI 2.1)
    HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
    48 Gbps
    ATSC Tuner
    1.0
    USB Ports2
    USB 3.0
    Yes (1)
    Audio Out 3.5mm0
    Wi-FiYes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
    Ethernet Speed100 Mbps
    Composite In0
    Digital Optical Audio Out1

    The TCL QM6K has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on HDMI ports 1 and 2, with both supporting up to 4k @ 144Hz. HDMI 4 has eARC but is limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth, which is nice as you're not losing on an HDMI 2.1 port when you connect a soundbar to the TV. Unfortunately, the TV doesn't support ATSC 3.0, so over-the-air broadcasts are limited to 1080p.

    Audio Passthrough
    ARC/eARC Port
    eARC
    eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
    Yes
    eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
    Yes
    eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
    Yes
    eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
    Yes
    eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
    Yes
    eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
    Yes
    eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
    7.1
    ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
    Yes
    ARC: DTS 5.1
    Yes
    Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
    Yes
    Optical: DTS 5.1
    Yes

    The TV supports eARC, which lets you pass high-quality, uncompressed audio to a compatible receiver or soundbar through an HDMI cable. It supports all major audio formats, so you don't have to worry about compatibility with external sources.

    HDR Format Support
    HDR10
    Yes
    HDR10+
    Yes
    Dolby Vision
    Yes
    HLG
    Yes
    Design
    Style
    CurvedNo

    The TCL QM6K has a nice overall design, even if it's mostly made of plastic, including its adjustable feet.

    Stand

    The two feet are made of plastic and can be placed in two distinct positions. In the wider position, the footprint of the 75-inch stand is 56.7" x 13.4", while it's 28.3" x 13.4" in the narrow position.

    The feet lift the TV about 3.5 inches above the table, so almost any soundbar fits underneath.

    Back
    Wall MountVESA 300x300

    The back of the TV is made of plastic. All of the inputs except for the power connector are located on the right side of the TV when facing the front, and they're easy to access if you have the TV wall-mounted. The TV has clips on the back for cable management.

    Borders
    Borders0.47" (1.2 cm)
    Thickness
    Max Thickness2.24" (5.7 cm)
    7.0
    Build Quality

    The TV has decent build quality. The back is made of plastic and flexes quite a bit near the middle, but it's not worrying.

    Smart Features
    Interface
    Smart OSGoogle TV
    Version12
    0.0
    Ad-Free
    Ads
    Yes
    Opt-out
    No
    Suggested Content in Home
    Yes
    Opt-out of Suggested Content
    No

    Unfortunately, like almost all TVs on the market, the smart interface contains ads, and you can't disable them.

    Remote
    Voice ControlYes
    TV Controls
    Mute Switch
    Yes

    There's a single button on the bottom middle of the TV that you can use to switch inputs and power the TV on/off. There's also a small switch that you can use to turn on/off the TV's built-in microphone.

    In The Box

    • Setup guide
    • Remote
    • 2x AAA batteries
    • Power cable
    • Cable ties

    Misc
    Power Consumption51 W
    Power Consumption (Max)187 W
    FirmwareV8-001202-LF139.001386
    Sound Quality
    6.5
    Frequency Response
    See details on graph tool
    Low-Frequency Extension
    100.79 Hz
    Std. Dev. @ 70
    2.72 dB
    Std. Dev. @ 80
    3.21 dB
    Std. Dev. @ Max
    5.33 dB
    Max
    85.3 dB SPL
    Dynamic Range Compression
    4.27 dB
    Digital Room CorrectionYes

    The TV has an okay frequency response. It has sub-par bass and has some compression artifacts when running the volume at or close to maximum, which is rather low, so this isn't a good TV to listen to in noisy rooms. However, when listened to at low to moderate volumes, the TV sounds good, and the dialogue is easily understood.

    Comments

    1. Product

    TCL QM6K: Main Discussion

    Let us know why you want us to review the product here, or encourage others to vote for this product.

    PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
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      Hi, what about the maximum Refresh Rate at 1440p?. The max its 120hz or with a PC can reach the 144hz ?. By any means can tell me which HDMI cable will be the best to this TV and use at the max Refresh Rate.

      We don’t test 1440p compatibility anymore. It should support up to 288Hz in that mode, though. The HDMI cable you use doesn’t matter, anything that’s rated for Ultra High Speed will work fine.

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      Nice review, a question I have is what would the overall score (not knowing the rating weights for each item) be for the 100qm6k Pro that you can get from Costco of which uses the qm7k anti glare screen? Could you replace some of the qm6k screen ratings with the qm7k score(s)? I imagine the overall score of the QM6k Pro would be higher. Thanks

      Sure! Assuming everything else stays the same, just copying the reflections results, the Bright Room score would increase to 7.3 and Sports would increase to 7.2. Everything else stays the same.

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      Nice review, a question I have is what would the overall score (not knowing the rating weights for each item) be for the 100qm6k Pro that you can get from Costco of which uses the qm7k anti glare screen? Could you replace some of the qm6k screen ratings with the qm7k score(s)? I imagine the overall score of the QM6k Pro would be higher. Thanks

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      Hi, what about the maximum Refresh Rate at 1440p?. The max its 120hz or with a PC can reach the 144hz ?. By any means can tell me which HDMI cable will be the best to this TV and use at the max Refresh Rate.

    5. We’ve just released a new video that mentions the TCL QM6K here.

      Show More Updates
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      Is this essentially the TCL C6KS in other regions?

      No, it’s a completely different TV. TCL releases completely separate lineups for each region. While they may share many similarities, the TVs are tuned differently and run different smart interfaces, so they perform differently.

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      Is this essentially the TCL C6KS in other regions?

    8. Update: Mentioned the newly reviewed Hisense U65QF in the HDR Color Volume section.

      Show More Updates
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      I have TCL 55S515 from 2018, It it time for me to replace it as it now has 3" worth lines in bottom right corner of the tv that shoot across the tv to left side like huge shadow bar. But I am have hard time comparing response times and overshoot. cause new test hard to read.

      I am looking at 55 QM6K would look at 50" QM6K but it dont seem to exist and if i do fine it more money the 55" From what I can understand the response time is better then 55s515? but s515 has no overshoot but QM6K has it overshoot in 120/144 which make blacksmear worse in VA imo, QM6K does have VRR/144hz/Mini led (not sure 300 mini led are worth it the bloom would probably lead me to turn it off) 2.1 speakers? which asume means it has sub?

      Also how the PC out image on desktop I dont have probably with BGR panels, but last set I tried was the tcl qled Q651G, had no issue with tv but pc out was massive problem there, lines going threw text and images menus on the set and 2 i got to replace it to see if it was dud but even replacements had the issue. So set went back got refund, is this still an issue with TCL tv, as there no such lines on PC out of 55s515 so i know it wasnt my hdmi cables or my 1070ti.

      Can pick up the 55" for $499 on sale which rougly same price 55s515 was back in 2018

      Edited 2 months ago: Edited for price and spelling
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      TCL replied to me, the QM6K Pro has the same internals as the QM6K, but with their Crystglow anti-reflective coating. So expect the same performance of the existing QM6K, but with the reflection handling of the QM7K. We’ll update the QM6K review shortly with this information as well.

      Thank you thank you for your fast response!! It appears the larger sizes at BB also have the anti glare screen as well.

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      I own both an 85 QM6K and 98 QM6K . The 98 QM6K received an OTA update on May 10 that has caused a strange issue where the TV does a full power cycle exactly five seconds after turning on/waking up from sleep mode. Anyone else getting this? I’ve tried to communicate the issue to TCL and ask for an OTA software rollback but, as expected, they have no idea what I’m talking about. Still within exchange period with Best Buy, guess I’ll go through that process, but would rather not. Just seeking any other feedback from 98" owners. Thanks

    12. Update: Converted to Test Bench 2.0.1. We did this to fix an issue with our scoring in the Supported Resolutions section, since TVs with a refresh rate higher than 144Hz were being penalized for not supporting 144Hz.

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