TCL - 55" Class QM8CG Series 4K UHD HDR SQD-Mini LED Smart TV with Google TV (2026)

I could not wait to get my hands on this TV as my main family room TV of 3 years unfortunately started showing blue hue/blotches all over it, I was so ready to get rid of my old one and try out TCL TV's for the first time ever. It's a downgrade from the 75 inch I had but since owning and trying this out for a week.... I have no blue screen anymore, and it took a few days to adjust to this smaller 55 inch size but im loving it so far with everything it has. (If you would like to skip the long read, go to the bottom for the to the point summary.) When the TV arrived being shipped, it arrived carefully and well taken care of during shipping/handling. The box was very sturdy, which was good as I am hesitant of TV's being shipped as they can easily be broken, it was protected very well inside, including a thick cardboard piece between the TV screen and the inside of the box. Very impressed thus far. In my setting, I have wall-mounts in all the rooms so I opted to continue using my wall mount with my previous TV. Mounting it was a piece of cake, especially with how light the TV was. After getting all my inputs hooked in, my OTA antenna coax cable, the DirecTV Streaming Osprey/Gemini set-top box and of course the power cable for the TV, and checking out the TV overall after being mounted, the build quality and look feels very premium, Now. it was time to sit down and I was ready to power it on and dive in. Upon first turning on, its Android TV, so during the initial setup, first thing is if your not connected to it via Ethernet Cable, you will be asked to sign into your WiFi network, then it prompts you to sign in with your Google account, one thing I noticed compared to older Google TV's is that there is no option I seen to skip the Android sign in, you have to do it or can't use it at all. Which with me, I use android phones so its no problem for me but for ones who use only Apple Services/Products then it may be a bit of a hassle as if you dont have a Google account then you have to sign up for one but if you already do, then it shouldn't be a problem. Or if you prefer not using Google services at all or you are against Google then this TCL Google android TV is probably not for you to begin with. Anyways, after that it does some updates and configuring which took around only I would guess it was around 5 minutes tops... if even that, after that was complete, it was ready to go as it loaded into the Android TV Home Screen, One little gripe I had was it never did ask me about scanning for the OTA/Cable channels, I had to manually go right in the settings and scan for the channel's themselves. After that, a nice beautiful guide and info about each channel's resolution that the broadcast company is pushing out, info about the show, show title, etc. Next thing was configuring my Polk audio soundbar, Just like my previous setup with my old tv, I had it hooked via HDMI/eARC port on both the soundbar and tv ports. It configured and it was working with no problem after connecting it all. Now I sat down and started taking it in and experience the quality of the picture and the viewing angles, and I must say, the picture is very bright, vibrant and vivid, very impressed, sound is superb as I wanted to try the built in speakers first, they are Bang & Olufsen and honestly they sound great, very clear audio, it gets LOUD when turning up the volume, I didn't experience any distorted audio. Very impressed. I will say if you buy this TV and are thinking of buying a soundbar, WAIT ON DOING THAT! At least test out the sound on this TV first, you may be amazed at the quality and may look away from buying/spending money on a soundbar system. Google TV runs very fluid/smoothly, TCL has great specs on this TV, it has 2.5GB of Ram installed, with around 750mb freely available on average. Which is adequate enough but I believe that 4GB should be the standard as im not sure if in a few years with android updates, app updates, etc will use more ram. It would be nice to have more ram to future proof this at least 5+ years or more. Also they were generous with the storage space, a whopping 48.06GB it showed, a lot of android TV sticks, smart tv's come with a laughable average 2GB of storage or less, making it where if you start installing a lot of apps, your going to run out of storage quick. Also it runs on Android 14 (Upside Down Cake) on a 4x ARM CortexA73 @ 1800MHz architecture which is a sufficient processor for running the entire OS Android TV ecosystem on here. Along with the GPU being a Mali-G57 The ports on the back are very nicely laid out and easy to access. No complaints here. You have your coax jack for Cable/OTA antenna, 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, 1 USB-A 3.0 port, 1 USB-A 2.0 port, a ethernet (LAN) port, Bluetooth Version 5.4, WI-FI 6 and then it has ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) which has been in some big select cities and smaller market cities for quite a few years now but here where im located at, its not available with any local tv station as of yet so im unable to test that and it also of course has NTSC and Clear QAM. The last thing which is a minor gripe is the remote, first of its a nice Silver Remote, a brushed metal texture to it, it has 4 dedicated app buttons for the big apps, Netflix, Prime Video, Youtube and Disney+ then it has one called "Free TV" which that goes straight to TCL's own app that broadcast live streaming TV which appears to some of the channels you would find on PlutoTV, it doesn't have all of them but it has a decent assortment of them. But it almost feels like a carbon copy of Pluto but with a lot of missing channels. There is also a Star button on the remote which you can program that to whatever your favorite and/or most used app that you use and I think in this case, I would rather just load up Pluto instead so I can have all the channels available there instead. Now to my gripe, most manufacturers have done away slowly over the years with the traditional remotes with numbers to punch in channel numbers and opting for dedicated select streaming service buttons, Im not a big fan of that, elderly folks and even the odd ball aged ones like me at 39 years old have grown up with numbered remotes and it just feels so off having to use directional buttons or channel up and down just to get to the tv channel I want which takes more tapping and a little more time instead of just tapping in the channel number and thats it. Also I do want to point out a few more positives to the remote, when picking the remote up, it lights up the buttons with a nice white LED light behind them making it easy to see which button you want to push while also having a brightness rocker on the right side of the remote, thats pretty handy if the TV is to dim or to bright, you can easily adjust and then also a "Picture Mode" button for quick access if you want a specific setting while watching a show, like Sport mode, Vivid mode, Game mode, even a PC mode if your wanting to connect a PC to it. Also, I wanted to go back to the setup screen of the TV, it had asked me to scan a QR code on a phone so it could download the TCL Home app and login to the TV with my TCL account automatically, I guess to register the TV. But the app, I couldn't add the TV to it. It has the option on there along with many other TCL products to register but under TV's on the app, it only showed Roku TV's and not any of the android tv's. Not sure if TCL has yet to update the app or what. Overall, I am impressed and loving my first ever TCL TV so far. Here is my pros versus my cons which the pros are more then the cons. I would have to rate this a 5 because its a excellent TV and my cons are just a few small annoyances, during the setup and the remote lacking number buttons like a old school traditional remote. Pros: - Decent 55 inch size TV! - Wonderful build quality - Very bright/vibrant/vivid - Google TV runs smooth as silk on here - The Bang/Olufsen speakers is loud and clear as heck - Nicely laid out ports and very lightweight - Remote has a nice brushed metal polish finish and brightness rocker on the side along with picture mode button on the side then the button LED lights that turn on automatically when it senses the remote being picked up for easy to see during night time and in a dark room. Cons: - No way to skip Google sign in during initial setup. - Setup process never scanned in OTA channels, had to scan for them after setup. - Im old school, I like my remote with numbers, remote comes with basic buttons and dedicated streaming buttons. - Setup confusion with the TV wanting me to download the TCL Home app but cant register the TV in the app as only Roku TV's show up, no TCL android TV's. Final thoughts, TCL, you have a great TV, and as a first time owner I am really enjoying it. I just hope that this TV is built to last.... more then 3 years compared to my previous brand new TV from another manufacturer I had that this TCL replaced. I hope it does not develop "blue hue/blotches" and if it does, I sure do hope you all will cover/help me out with repairing it unlike the previous manufacturer TV I had and they shut me down immediately, even when I offered to pay for repair services out of warranty if it was reasonably priced. From what I seen, this only has a 1 year warranty so im a little skeptical but I hope at least this TV will last 5 years at the minimum.

I have a TCL 65-inch QM8 mini-led (3 years) and 85-inch RM9L mini-led (6 months) and both have performed flawlessly. I was looking for something smaller and this 55-inch QM8CG fit perfectly. TCL out of the box picture and sound quality just keeps getting better. Unboxing was typical. I opened box like a clam using some of the Styrofoam to place under the bottom of the TV. This provided an easy way to attach the center mounting base. But since I was mounting on wall, I just attached the bracket (300mm x 300mm). At just under 30 lbs (34.5 inches high x 55 inches wide x 2.2 inches deep) I was able to lift and mount on the wall by myself, but another person would have made it easier. It uses Google TV and since I have a Google account I just signed in to migrate over my apps - but you will still need to sign into any streaming services. It has 52GB of internal memory and supports Apple Home, Google Home, and Googles AI assistant Gemini – which allows for connection to other devices, create your own screen savers, picture/gaming adjustments, office, etc. I much prefer Google over Fire TV mostly due to Fire turning off TV if paused for very long. I had no problem viewing the TV in a very bright or dark room - but screen can be very reflective depending on scene viewed and where lights or windows are placed. Several times I wound up turning off the ceiling light. There was no washing out if viewed from the extreme side, high or low angles. Picture quality is very subjective, but colors really pop with deep blacks and nice contrast. I usually use the intelligent picture option as well as auto content The picture has a wide array of other preset options which are easily toggled through using the side button on the remote. There is a whole array of settings for color, contrast, etc. - I normally turn off most if not all “auto/ai/intelligent options as they just never seem to give me the consistent picture I want. To me the content you are viewing can impact settings/preferences as well – it’s not a one size fits all and I am constantly tweaking as to what I may be watching. Upconvert for older movies like watching TCM was good. Streaming action movies/series as well as F1 auto racing, basketball etc. all looked good with virtually no ghosting with 144Hz refresh and Motion Rate of 480. Picture supports Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), HDR 10, HDR 10+ as well as being BT 2020 compliant. I believe it has max of 6000 nits but was hard to verify as not mentioned on BB and TCL site only has minimum info. Speakers are Bang and Olufsen with built-in sub-woofer. I set sound to wall mount, and sound was good enough that I decided to not use the soundbar I had used with previous TV. It seems you can also add TCL Z100 wireless rear and subwoofer speakers. There are plenty of connections; 3 HDMI 2.1 (4K @ 144Hz) 1 HDMI 2.1 (4K @ 144Hz - ARC/eARC) 1USB-A 3.0 1 USB-A 2.0 1 SPDIF Digital Audio Optical RF connection (cable/antenna) Ethernet (LAN) input No Composite input No RS-232C No Headphone jack All connections are on the right side (looking at screen from front) with power connection on left. No connections come directly out the back of set, making for sleeker/better wall mounting. Supports FreeSync Premium Pro and HDR+ Gaming. I used with desktop RTX 4070 SUPER playing Assetto Corsa and Automobilista 2. Frame rates, picture and sound were very good. Wi-fi 6 wireless is supported Bluetooth 5.4. Remote is connected using this so no chance signal will be “blocked” by soundbar, etc. I easily connected to a pair of headphones - but TV volume has to be much higher to hear than on prior TV. I attached a 2TB USB drive (NTFS format) and it recognized it with no issues. I played several movies (m2ts and mp4 formats at 720P & 1080P) and the picture was excellent as well as recognizing Dolby Atmos sound processing. Could also control CC including size, color and position. Remote is backlit and is well thought out with reasonably sized/tactile buttons. Has voice control, which I found works well. You can access the settings multiple ways and can easily change screen choice and brightness by using side buttons. But I am not a fan of the bright and reflective stainless-steel look. Very difficult to see buttons and have to tilt for better view. 1-year limited warranty Negatives; Reflective screen No Wi-fi 7 support A tad dis-appointed with such reflective remote design. So many settings to wade through but do allow for customizing your picture and sound. Cost - I would not recommend purchasing at the original price. But lately its “sale” price makes it a much better value. I have received several comments from friends about the great picture quality on my 2 current TCL TVs and I am sure this TV will as well. Overall, the picture, sound and quality are outstanding and would recommend.

I’ve had this TCL 55” QM8CG Series 4K TV for a week, and I am in love with it. I am a fan of OLED TVs, and I have one in our living room, so I was excited to try this new SQD-Mini LED technology by TCL because I had read that it was on par with OLED and delivered great picture quality for movies and sports. As soon as I set it up and began watching, I knew it was a premium TV and truly on par with my OLED. The picture quality and brightness is definitely one of my favorite features. The colors look vibrant and accurate. Watching movies and shows in 4K with Dolby Vision makes everything pop, and the Dolby Atmos sound is crystal clear. It makes watching movies in my basement super enjoyable. I don’t have a soundbar yet, and the two subwoofers in the back get the job done for now. I might buy a soundbar in the future for a more immersive experience and to experience the Dolby Atmos surround sound even more. Google TV built in is another big positive. Having streaming apps, live TV, and Gemini AI makes everything easy to navigate. You can use the mic on the controller to ask Gemini to do or search things, and I like that you can also personalize how much you allow Google to access certain things. I appreciate this feature because I don’t feel like I’m giving away all my data just to use some of the AI features. Another positive is the ease of use of the remote and all its options, as well as the customized button and brightness slider. The brightness slider is literally my favorite feature because I can increase the brightness during the day and bring it down when watching a movie at night. I’ve never commented on loving a TV remote, but this one made me do it! Personally, I’ve never owned a TCL TV, so I can’t compare it to previous releases, but this one has a TSR AI processor, and it makes everything extremely fast and smooth. No complaints about performance. Lastly, another thing I like is that I get to watch my favorite sports and play some of my favorite games at a 144Hz refresh rate. I connect my PC via HDMI, and the gameplay stays smooth and responsive. Overall, I’m extremely happy with this TV. It checks all the boxes for me. This TV gives a beautiful picture, extreme brightness, Google TV, and Gemini AI features. For anyone looking for a premium viewing experience, go check one out in a store and see for yourself how it truly compares to an OLED TV that usually costs more. Easy 5 out of 5 stars!

This is a very snappy, full featured, beautiful screen. It has all the apps I can imagine, and setting it up was easy. High contrast due to the mini-LED full array local dimming, and great color processing. It is also clear that it has a powerful processor on board, everything I use has minimal lag and impressive loading times. In spite of the glossy panel it handles reflections well and can be seen from nearly any angle without distortion. Sound quality is very good for onboard speakers courtesy of the Bang Olufsen sound. After a few settings tweaks for HDMI eARC and CEC, I was able to get my soundbar and Apple TV working with a single remote and it just does what I need without fuss. It has 4 HDMI ports, one of them with eARC, and all of them support HDMI 2.1. It has Toslink, two USB’s, an ethernet port, and WiFi 6. It also supports both Dolby Vision and HDR 10 with a 144hz refresh rate. Watching shows and playing games on it are all beautiful with no unwanted effects and right out of the box the colors and brightness looked fantastic. I have also been able to utilize Google Home for a seamless experience with my smart home equipment, and Apple AirPlay 2 to cast things to it from my phone with ease. All the content I have tried out has looked and sounded great. In general I have not had any complaints with the way it presents my media and how it performs. It was well packaged, surviving the trip via a package carrier rather than a freight shipper, and feels well built with high-quality materials. I wall mounted it rather than utilizing the stand, but the stand appears to also be sturdy. I have another TCL TV in the house that has similar features, but this one takes it to the next level particularly with the processing power. The remote even has a more premium finish to it. I even replaced an OLED screen with this TV and the only small difference I can see is with the blacks being a tiny bit less black than before but even then it is negligible. I am genuinely happy with this screen and recommend it for sure.

The picture is great. Bright and a very fast startup. Very happy with everything, except… the picture is not nearly as nice from the side. I would pass if you are not directly in front of the TV. Also, setup took me over an hour, and that is with turning off the Google eavesdropping. So, great TV if you plan on sitting directly across from it. Happy overall with the picture.