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Pros mentioned:
Black level, Gaming performance, Hdr performance
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
From Oled to Mini Led...My thoughts
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The good:
Insane HDR performance with vibrant colors, punchy specular highlights, great shadow detail and accurate color.
Inky blacks, nearly OLED level. Almost zero ghosting, lightbleed, or haloing. One of the best ive seen in Mini Led!
Gaming looks amazing and feels responsive.
The TV looks and performs like a Premium tv.
The Bad:
Reflective screen looks like a mirror with light in the room.
Viewing angles are not as good as Sony or Hisense.
With a 75 inch screen, the far side of the screen has color shift if you are sitting on one end.
Some bugs
Fandango wasn't playing any 4K HDR content for the first week and then started working.
The TV randomly turns on voice assistant
Overall, this is an amazing tv. If the viewing angles and reflective screen doesn't bother you, you won't be disappointed. The picture is jaw dropping
I'll give it 5 stars because the picture is that good.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Black level, Gaming performance, Hdr performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Spectacular HDR & Fast Fluid Performance
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
📦 UNBOXING:
The unboxing experience is like most TV’s, and the instructions are printed on the top flaps of the box. Inside, you’ll find the TV, the setup guide, power cable, remote control, batteries, TV stand, and hardware for using a wall-mount.
🛠️ SETUP:
You will want another person to help you perform the installation. I chose to set up the TV using the included stand, but will wall-mount it later. As indicated on the instructions, installation of the stand should preferably be done with the display face-down on a flat surface that is larger than the TV itself, to avoid causing damage to the display.
As for the software setup, it was quick and easy to do with the included remote or QR code. There was a software update out of the box which didn’t take much time.
💪 BUILD:
The 75QM9K weighs in at 67 lbs with the stand, and feels quite sturdy. Ignoring the stand, the TV measures 56.54" wide x 37.36" tall x 2.01" depth. On the left side of the TV is the power output.
On the right side of the TV you’ll find 4x HDMI ports (2x supporting 4K@144Hz, 1x supporting 4k60Hz, and 1x supporting 4k60Hz with eARC/ARC. You’ll also find a 5V=0.9A Type-A USB 3.0 and 5V=0.5A USB 2.0 Type-A port which can be used for media or a TCL webcam for use with video calling apps. There’s also an ethernet port for internet connectivity, but you can also use the integrated Wi-Fi 6. There is also an optical audio output for those with compatible audio systems, and a coaxial output for an outdoor antenna cable TV feed.
On the bottom front of the TV is the status LED showing the hands-free voice control, and just below that is the power/options button and a mic mute switch.
The remote control is backlit, has tactile buttons, and can connect to the TV both via infrared and by bluetooth. So you don’t have to worry about being out of view of the IR sensor to control the TV.
📺 DISPLAY:
The QM9K leverages TCL’s new system which involves up to 6000 local dimming zones via the Mini LED backlight. This passes light through the Quantum Dot (QD) filter, which then passes light through the Wide Horizontal Vertical Alignment (WHVA) LCD panel.
TCL aims to compete with other Mini LED and even OLED TVs in the market with 6500 nits of peak brightness making it a great option for well-lit viewing spaces Both me and my partner noticed how easily it overcame glare from windows. While it’s unlikely to sustain that peak brightness for very long, it was never an issue when watching SDR and HDR content in daylight.
I spent most of my time watching content across platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Crunchyroll. In my experience, the QM9K gets closer to OLED-level blooming performance thanks to its local dimming zones. In practice, this meant that blacks were deep and inky even next to bright vibrant colors. So the typical “OLED HDR” demo videos you might find on YouTube look fantastic on this display. HDR content really pops on this display thanks to its brightness performance. Compared to my high-end OLED TV from 2021, the QM9K’s brightness performance makes me feel like I’m truly experiencing HDR for the first time, especially in daylight viewing conditions. And thanks to the ambient light sensor, it can optionally auto-adjust based on current lighting conditions so that you’re not blowing out your eyes in the darker viewing conditions. Additionally, the TV has several options for peak and dynamic brightness so you can configure it to your personal liking.
One stand-out thing I appreciated about this TV was that it has “LED Motion Clear” which is also known as “black frame insertion”. This reduces persistence blur, but causes backlight strobing that some viewers might be sensitive to—especially in lower framerate content. However, enabling “Low” Motion Clarity reduced that strobing effect to my eyes by adding frame interpolation. While I’m not normally a fan of frame interpolation, I think a little bit on the QM9K can actually be helpful for reducing judder.
For lower resolution content, the upscaling is good, but I don’t think it’s quite at the level of some other manufacturers. One thing I noticed quickly with the QM9K is that the picture seemed a tad softer than my OLED TV’s processing. Content from Crunchyroll seemed sharper on my OLED with better upscaling, while the QM9K delivered a slightly softer image but made brighter elements really pop out on screen against darker backgrounds.
Colors really pop on the QM9K, so you can be sure the viewing experience is immersive. While I don’t have the tools to measure it, many outlets have shown that color accuracy is great on this display, but a proper calibration could take it to the next level for cinemaphiles. However, even with its newer WHVA panel, off-axis viewing angles will lead to some color shift, but it’s still significantly better than most VA panels on the market from competitors.
For gaming, the TV does go as far as 4K@144Hz, 1440p@288Hz, or 1080p@288Hz for PC gamers, while 4K120Hz can be achieved on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. All the aforementioned options can also function with VRR enabled to eliminate screen tearing. The Nintendo Switch 2 can only do 1080p@120Hz docked. Game Master Mode starts automatically to reduce processing and latency. In my experience, latency was very good, so I’d have no qualms with playing games on this TV.
🔊 SPEAKERS:
The speakers on the QM9K are pretty good for a built-in set. The audio is done by Bang & Olufsen. It’s unclear what wattage the speakers run at, but they get reasonably loud without distorting, and deliver decent bass performance for a built-in set. However, most folks paying this much for a TV really ought to get a separate sound system to get the most enjoyment out of it.
💿 SOFTWARE:
The QM9K runs Google TV with Gemini. I am pleasantly surprised by the fluidity and responsiveness of this version of Google TV. Using the built-in microphone on the TV, I can simply say “Hey Google” and ask questions, have it navigate to my favorite apps, set reminders and timers, ask for recommendations, control my home’s IoT devices and so much more. Thankfully, you can also completely disable Gemini if it’s not for you, and you can mute the built-in microphone via the physical switch under the TV’s ambient light sensor. And of course, you can still use voice controls via the dedicated button on the remote control.
Evidently, the QM9K leverages the MediaTek Pentonic 700 SoC, with 4GB of RAM and ~50GB of internal storage. In practice, this means that navigating through settings and apps is very snappy compared to any other TV I’ve used in the past that ran on Google’s OS. I also appreciate that the menu button on the remote control brings up a configurable ribbon menu that allows you to quickly change certain settings without having to navigate submenus. You can control visual and audio settings alike, along with some additional things including but not limited to a Sleep Timer, Bluetooth Settings and Networking configuration.
Sometimes I like to wear ANC Bluetooth headphones while watching TV, and one thing I don’t like is that this TV doesn’t automatically output to my Bluetooth headphones as soon as they’re connected. I have the Audio Output setting set to “Auto”, but have to manually switch it to “Bluetooth” every time I want to use it, then switch it back to “Auto” when I want to use my speakers again. This is a minor inconvenience that could be fixed by software update, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
Lastly, ambient mode is something I have come to enjoy. You can set detection range so when you walk in front of the TV, its sensor can turn on the ambient screensaver mode which can be customized with your own photos, Gemini-generated AI artwork, or a curated set of backgrounds. Double-pressing the power button on the remote at any time can switch the TV to ambient mode, as well.
🧐 CONCLUSION:
Overall, the QM9K is a great TV that makes HDR brightness one of its major selling points compared to the competition, but its processing and upscaling algorithms still have a way to go to eclipse the best on the market. It gets significantly brighter than OLED TVs while having very good blooming performance. Its Google Gemini integration and ambient modes are also first-class features that make it both a useful tool and an art piece. For the price, there’s no denying that TCL’s own QM8K can get you most of the way there, but the QM9K is their best TV that is sure to impress.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi Xephyroth, Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're thrilled that you are enjoying your TV thus far! Our TVs are designed and engineered to have a quick and easy setup, be user-friendly, and provide a great viewing experience. We hope you continue to have a great experience and explore more of the great features our TVs have to offer. Enjoy! Thank you, Alison TCL Customer Support
Pros mentioned:
Black level, Gaming performance, Hdr performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Picture Quality with Flagship Features
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The 75” TCL QM9K is easily the brightest TV I’ve ever owned and has incredible picture quality. It has what TCL calls “ZeroBorder” which is not entirely true, as there are bezels, but they are incredibly thin. In fact, it makes the TV look much smaller than my previous 75” TV I had in the living room and that one I already thought had small bezels.
The colors are vivid, and blacks are super deep for an LED. Black letterbox bars are truly black. The TV has over 6000 full array dimming zones which contribute to being able to minimize blooming halo effects and produce a crisp picture with excellent contrast. As mentioned earlier, the TV can get very bright, making it good for daytime use. High-bitrate 4K content with HDR from UHD Blu-rays look stunning. The TV can support every HDR format I know of including the advanced ones such as Dolby Vision IQ which uses the light sensor on the TV and IMAX Enhanced, which is mostly found on Disney+ and some Blu-rays. However, it doesn’t appear the TV supports IMAX Enhanced sound, only the video.
If you are a Plex user, this TV shines. I was able to direct-play 4K UHD video, something other TVs will struggle with. Otherwise, the Google TV Smart OS comes with every app I need including Apple TV for my extensive iTunes library. The interface is very fast and fluid, which is something I’ve had trouble with on other TVs with Google built-in. It also supports streaming via Google Chromecast or Apple AirPlay 2 and support for Apple HomeKit.
This TV is currently the only one on the market that supports built-in Google Gemini and it’s more capable than past voice assistants as it understands natural language and can recommend shows or movies or even answer general questions. For example, when I asked for “superhero movies that’s good for families” it showed me results for things like TMNT Mutant Mayhem and DC’s League of Superpets. When I asked it “How old is Robert Downey Jr.?”, it not only told me the answer, but also displayed a headshot of the actor. One thing it does not seem to do right now is answer questions about what’s on screen, asking “who is this actor” or “what year did this movie come out” resulted in Gemini just performing a generic Youtube search. It supports integration with Google Home but that’s something I don’t use, so I didn’t test that out.
Gaming is impressive, with full support for all the advanced features on both PS5 and Xbox One Series X: 4K HDR 120Hz, ALLM, VRR, and even 1080p and 1440p at 120Hz. With ALLM the TV should automatically recognize it needs to switch to gaming mode (called Game Master) to reduce input lag. The QM9K also supports 4K @ 144Hz if you want to do some PC gaming. But there are some gotchas. On PC, mine didn’t automatically switch to Game Master, resulting in noticeable input lag, until I manually enabled it. In addition, to unlock the 144Hz frame rate you need to make sure that first Game Master is enabled, then hold down the Options button on the remote (three horizontal lines) until the Game Bar appears, go to Settings and enable the “High Framerate Mode”. Text from a computer is crystal clear thanks to 4K Chroma 4:4:4 support and the color accuracy is good if you want to do some work on a massive screen. However, there are only 2 HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K @ 120Hz or higher so a PC, PS5, and Xbox would be one too many, but two should be plenty for most people.
The B&O sound is impressive out of the box and supports Dolby Atmos, but like any other flat-panel TV you’ll benefit from pairing it with a proper audio system or at least a soundbar.
The presence sensor is a nice touch as the TV turns on when it detects someone in the room and starts showing a slideshow of photos I've taken on my phone and backed up to my Google account.
The viewing angles are great which is perfect for my situation since our TV “nook” sits in the corner of the living room. However, as pretty as the panel is, and despite TCL adding an anti-reflective coating, it does show reflections particularly if they are directly opposite of the TV. See some of my attached pictures for comparison. The window to the left of the TV I never notice, but the lamp next to the couch when sitting in front of the TV is easily visible and distracting especially on dark scenes.
Pros:
- 4K Quantum-Dot Mini-LED with 6052 Full Array Dimming Zones
- Vivid Colors and Nearly Bezel-less
- 4K @ 120Hz w/ HDR Support
- Native 144Hz Refresh Rate w/ Auto-Game Mode and AMD Freesync Premium Pro
- Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10/HDR10+, HLG with HDR6500 Peak Brightness
- IMAX Enhanced Certified
- Impressive B&O Audio System w/ Dolby Atmos
- Wide Viewing Angles
- Fast Processor with Fluid UI
- Google TV Smart OS (w/ Apple TV app)
- Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, and HomeKit support
- Built-in Google Gemini AI Assistant
- Presence Sensor
- Lighted Remote
- ATSC 3.0 TV Tuner
Cons:
- Some Reflections
- Only 2 of 4 ports are HDMI 2.1.
Overall – TCL is proving that Mini-LED can produce vivid colors and blacks as good as an OLED TV but with better brightness. The QM9K delivers flagship performance with best-in-class features.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi Titan5178,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're thrilled that you are enjoying your TV thus far! Our TVs are designed and engineered to have a quick and easy setup, be user-friendly, and provide a great viewing experience. We hope you continue to have a great experience and explore more of the great features our TVs have to offer. We are always looking for ways to improve, and your feedback is greatly appreciated! If you need any assistance please contact us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can. Enjoy!
Thank you,
Sara TCL Customer Support
Pros mentioned:
Hdr performance, Picture quality, Remote control
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
If it only had a brain...Oh WAIT!! It does!!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is one smart TV!
I am quite serious when it comes to watching movies. Lots of movies. In the past 2 years I have purchased at Best Buy with my own money, 7 Televisions. All of them 4K. I bought them for myself, my family and my friends. I take their opinions and needs into account as well as my experience as a now retired Electronics Technician and this is also very true when I test and review products here.
These are the models I have purchased myself with my own money from Best Buy in the past 2 years:
Hisense - 65" Class U8 Series 4K HDR Mini-LED QLED Google TV Model: 65U8K
Hisense - 65" Class U7 Series Mini-LED QLED 4K UHD Smart Google TV Model: 65U7K
Hisense - 65" Class U6 Series Mini-LED 4K UHD QLED Smart Google TV Model: 65U6N
Hisense - 65" Class A6 Series LED 4K UHD HDR Smart Google TV Model: 65A6H
Hisense - 65" Class QD7 Series QLED 4K UHD Smart Google TV Model: 65QD7N
LG - 48" Class A2 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TVModel: OLED48A2PUA
TCL - 55" Class F35-Series 4K UHD HDR LED Smart Fire TV Model: 55F35
The most recent one is the TCL 55" F35 TV and it went to a dear friend and their family as an "early" Christmas gift! They told me they were very pleased with it and their satisfaction prompted me to get this new TCL QM9K QD-Mini LED 4K TV with Google Gemini for myself in what I like to call my "Media Room" where I view movies, the occasional TV series/show and now thanks to one of my brothers, Hockey. I also listen to music there. Lots of music. I have a collection of films numbering over 2 thousand. From Laser Discs to 4K UHD Blu-Ray and over the years my TV sets have gone from a 27" Sony XBR to Panasonic and Pioneer Plasma models all the way to this newest and in my professional and personal estimation, finest television yet, the TCL QM9K QD-MiniLED 4K TV with Google Gemini.
The QM9K features include:
CrystGlow WHVA Panel for an ultrawide color viewing angle (approx. 40%!)
ZeroBorder “edge-to-edge” design with virtually no black matrix border (a very narrow frame border that is aesthetically pleasing)
TCL's excellent Halo Control System provides perhaps the ultimate in dimming zones and peak brightness levels which reduces the optical distance between the backlight and diffuser plate to virtually eliminate on-screen "image-blooming"! It works wonders, believe me!
Google Gemini Integration (already built into the QM9K) which I have used to help me with locating content.
The QM9K features Sound by Bang & Olufsen with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect compatibility. This ensures the TV’s premium visuals are matched with high quality audio. The QM9K's
built-in system includes upfiring speakers designed to make full advantage of the built-in codec of Dolby Atmos when it is a part of the source your are watching and thereby provide you with an aurally immersive theater experience. It is excellent! To date, the best standard TV sound I have heard.
It should be noted that if you so choose, you can purchase and connect compatible external wireless speakers like the TCL Z100s and their wireless subwoofer to augment the already excellent built-in Bang & Olufsen system and when so equipped the TV's system will automatically optimize its sound based upon your room's layout. I will be looking at buying the TCL Z100 speakers and the matching subwoofer down the road!
Setting up my TV's Google account was very easy as I used the QR Code via my iPhone to perform this and all my information via my Google account was quickly added to the TV! Everything I have on my other TVs was now on the QM9K. Additionally, I added two new services for film and shows, MGM+ and MovieSphere+. Again, doing so was fast and easy!
The TV's features also include:
4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) Resolution - A must as so many streaming services included 4K offerings!
HDR10, HDR 10+, HLG, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision gaming, Dolby Vision IQ
Displays 1.07 billion colors - These are all variations on the them of "High Dynamic Range" ensure excellent color representation on your screen.
IMAX Enhanced = This is a FANTASTIC feature on films that include it. Trust me on this!!
Filmmaker Mode
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) up to 144Hz - Fast paced Hockey games and action films are displayed superbly!
Backlit Voice Remote - A great feature!
Sleep Timer
Parental Control (V-Chip)
JPEG / MP3 for USB
Works With Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant / Apple HomeKit
Chromecast / Apple AirPlay 2
You can also set the TV up to turn on when it detects you have entered the room. I have 3 very young grandchildren so I did not activate this feature, LOL! But the best feature of all is a direct result of all of that technology: The picture!
Up to 6,500 NITS (brightness) and 6,000 dimming zones ensure beyond expectations that the picture you display will be as good as the source you provide it. And I gave it everything thing I could, up to and including 4K UHD Bu-Ray films on disc such as the "John Wick" series of films to streaming 4K IMAX enhanced films from Disney Plus and more! The TCL QM9K QD-MiniLED 4K TV never failed to deliver the best picture I have personally seen and the sound of the built-in Bang & Olufsen speakers was far and above the best standard setup I have yet to hear from a television. If it sounds like I am very excited about the TCL QM9K QD-MiniLED 4K TV, well...It's because I am! I have been a film buff my entire life and an Electronics Technician for more than half of my life and I can honestly state that this TCL QM9K QD-MiniLED 4K TV is the finest television I have ever used, and I have bought for personal use and given to family and friends many wonderful televisions. I have zero disappointments with this TV and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone that wants OUTSTANDING all 'round performance from the television! It is FANTASTIC!
Highly recommend? Indeed it is!
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi SSSS,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're thrilled that you are enjoying your TV thus far! Our TVs are designed and engineered to have a quick and easy setup, be user-friendly, and provide a great viewing experience. We hope you continue to have a great experience and explore more of the great features our TVs have to offer. Enjoy!
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is my 2nd ever TCL TV and I have to say, they know how to put in a Wow and Amaze factor to their products. This QM9K flagship is a serious contender in the TV market. While I did give it 4 out of 5, it is a really strong 4.5+. I'll state my reasons for this later.
In the box
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I highly recommend other body helping you out as the TV is big! You will also get setup guide, remote with batteries, power cable, stand (if not wall mounting) cable clips and some wall mounting hardware.
My friend came over to help me replace my older 75" Samsung with this new TCL and it was super easy. A few things to note if you are wall mounting! The VESA screw pattern is lower than I am used to on this TV because any higher, they will interfere with the built in B&O speakers. This means if you have a non-adjustable mount, it will sit higher than your previous TV (most likely). It was no issue for me as I got used to it pretty quick. Another thing is that you will need to buy 4x M6x20mm screws! The ones in the TV are too short and will not work with the included spacers.
Setup
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After mounting and plugging in my devices and after the super satisfying peel, it was time to fire up this beauty. Here is where my 2nd gripe comes in (1st being no screws to wall mount). Setup is super simple and straight forward. It is an Android TV and has many great features at your disposal. During setup after connecting to the internet and downloading all the updates to the firmware, I was FORCED to either sign into my Google account or create another Google account. Why???? If I do not want to use the built in apps and use my PS5 or Series X instead, I should be able to. I tried for at least 30 minutes to see if there was a workaround to skipping this part, but the TV would NOT go past this part without a login. All buttons on the remote did not work for Input selection, settings etc. So I ended up creating a new login and then the TV was basically unlocked.
Performance
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The TV itself is ridiculously beautiful. Not only did I watch 4k blurays, but other content was amazing and gaming was superb. Out of the box, the calibration was good, but not great. I spent about 20 minutes changing how I wanted by pictures to look like. After that, 10/10.
You get 4 HDMI inputs, 2 at 4k 144 and 2 at 4k 60 with #4 being for ARC/eARC. I have my PS5 and Series X in 1 and 2 and my home theater system using the eARC. Colors pop out with HDR 10+ content and my phone pics do no justice on how it looks. Blacks are incredibly black to almost OLED levels (see my Final Fantasy Tactics gameplay as 1 level I was on is in pitch black) and with little no no glaring. Mini LED technology is super close to being my new go-to. The price to performance is crazy good (esp now with it on sale at the time of review)
Gaming performance
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Not only did the TV display all the outputs correctly, but also the refresh rate including VRR. PS5/Series X tests ran at 4k 120, 1440 @ 144, 1080 @ 120 and 4k 60 all with no hitches. The game mode is really good for console gaming as it will go from 120+ms to about 6ms response (using 4k 120) so input lag is super low.
Another gripe is how Game Mode when turned on, will change the Picture Mode and set all the color to Warm making it incredibly yellowish. This is remedied in the in setting menus where you can permanently adjust things to the way you want. I highly recommend when using Game Mode to change the color back to a neutral (middle/standard) to get a color accurate experience.
Misc stuff
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For those worried about privacy since this is a Smart TV and you can use Google's Gemini assistant to basically use voice commands to control almost everything about the TV, there is a PHYSICAL mute slider on the bottom of the TV if you wish to turn it off.
The remote is very simple, but great. If logged in, you can use shortcuts for Youtube, Netflix, Free TV and Prime Video. Also there is settings or the quick settings options as well. The remote does react to being held so it will illuminate the buttons so you can see in darker areas.
Another option I did not like but can change is powering off. If you push the power button, the TV basically goes into a screensaver mode by default (for those that use Chromecasts, it is the pics that cycle through until you cast something) and instead you have to HOLD the power button down to turn off the TV fully.
End thoughts
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Now if I am wrong about the forced login to use the TV, then ignore my previous rant and give the TCL QM9k a serious 11/10. If not, then it stands as is. The other things in my opinion should not be set as default BUT instead show a tutorial on the things the TV can offer and let people choose if they want those on instead of the other way around.
The TV excels at doing whatever you want it to do and for me, gaming is my #1 use and it surpasses my expectations. I would not hesitate to tell all my friends and family to look at this TCL since it is at a great price point right now on sale.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi Woo151,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We hope that you are enjoying your TV thus far! We are always looking for ways to improve, and your feedback is greatly appreciated! While you can use the TV in basic mode and just use the inputs, it is recommended to connect to the Internet to get all the most current software updates. If you need any assistance please contact us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can. Enjoy!
Thank you,
Sara TCL Customer Support
Pros mentioned:
Hdr performance, Picture quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A Budget Brand's Ascension to Prime Time
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Remember when budget TV brands were thoroughly…budget? As the TV market transitioned from tube TV sets to flat screens, it seemed like hundreds of brands tried to jump into the ring, undercutting each other in a race to the bottom to be that Black Friday special consumers buy and use for, at most, a year or two before repeating the cycle. TCL was one such brand that once offered strikingly barebone displays with the most basic functionality for far less than competing models, but over the years have become a mid-market player with premium ambitions.
The QM9K range of TVs pushes far more upmarket in pricing and positioning, bringing a plethora of screen technologies (including the vaunted mini-LED) to the forefront…but for once eschewing any semblance of budget pricing. This 75-inch set rubs elbows with the big names at an eye-watering $3,500 MSRP, which I thought was insane for a budget brand until I used the TV for a few days.
The picture quality is far and away the best of any TV I’ve ever owned. I spent nearly a week enjoying how wonderful content looked on this screen…then noticed I never enabled HDR. Maybe that high price is justified after all.
- Unboxing and Setup
Make no mistake - this is a large and unwieldy TV. You will absolutely need an assistant to help complete assembly, so plan accordingly.
Unboxing was a surprisingly precarious task due to how the TV is supported inside the packaging. The lower foam structure that cradles the TV doesn’t come far enough up the sides to keep it stable, and one of the two of us setting it up needed to pay mind and hold the TV stable even before we got the outer box completely off (mind your ceiling, on that note). Once laid down on a flat, ideally cushioned surface, the remainder of setup was fairly straightforward. The stand, though plasticky in some regards, was easy to assemble and uses beefy screws to hold the TV securely. Alternatively, 400mm x 400mm VESA mounts on the rear of the TV allow for wall mounting.
Booting up a 2025 Google TV, setup is as simple and streamlined as can be if you’re a current Android smartphone or Google account user. That being said…I have no way to soften the blow here. Google will shove Gemini in your face and do everything they can to make sure you use it, to the point you cannot skip enabling it during setup. This is more a fault with Google TV than it is TCL, however, and thankfully TCL’s customizations to stock Google TV are few and limited to a completely optional TCL account.
- Connectivity & Control
The four HDMI ports on the QM9K are split so that HDMI 1 & 2 are version 2.1, accepting a 4K, 144Hz signal, while HDMI 3 & 4 are version 2.0a for up to a 4K, 60Hz signal. HDMI 4 acts as the eARC channel for connection to a soundbar or compatible home theater system, which will allow you to use the TV remote for volume control. An optical audio port allows that connectivity option to higher end sound systems. Two USB ports (one 3.0, one 2.0) provide an amp of 5V power each. Sadly the only ‘legacy’ input here is the coaxial port for an antenna or cable connection, so if you’re looking to connect any older devices without an HDMI port you will need a converter.
For network connectivity, an ethernet jack (Gigabit, I believe) complements WiFi 6 and bluetooth 5.3. The latter means support for pairing wireless headphones and the voice-enabled remote (which you will need to pair during setup, this is unskippable). A single power button on the bottom of the TV allows for remote-free basics.
- Picture & Sound Quality
It seems every brand is pushing some version of “Quantum Dot” QD-LED technology, and not only is that present here on the QM9K but so is miniLED technology, which was a huge selling point for me versus OLED which has a tendency for screen burn-in…not ideal when I’m an HTPC user.
TCL’s apparent push with their QM range has been to seemingly throw as many technologies at a screen as they can muster, most of which work to great effect. The fact I didn’t notice my test content was running with HDR disabled was both hilarious to realize and a stunning revelation when I finally turned it on.
This is an incredibly bright TV, peaking at 6500 nits. HDR content seriously pops on this display, with shots looking at the sun on the horizon getting almost discomforting to view. TCL’s HDR image processing does a fantastic job preserving detail without blowing out details nearest to the light source, and detail in shadows is strong (maybe just a touch behind the segment leaders) and crisp. The alleged 6,000 dimming zones are putting in the work here, but I can still notice some vignetting and dithering on shifting greys if I look for it. Still, I’m genuinely stunned this is a VA panel - I was fooled from the get-go believing it was IPS the first time I used it.
What impresses me most with this TV is it’s overall image processing. Dubbed the “Halo Control System,” TCL’s goal is to reduce the appearance of glow, ghosting, and/or halos around high contrast content. Think white text on a black background as the extreme example - modern TVs tend to make the text look slightly softer since some light bleeds into surrounding pixels, but TCL compensates for this in a method I can only describe as witchcraft. Not a single part of the image glows or is blown out even on the highest contrast scenes. Using this 75” panel as a PC monitor is an absolute joy that looks sharper at 8 feet than my high-end gaming monitor does at 2 feet. Response time is good, not incredible, but gaming on this screen, especially using high refresh rate signals with Adaptive Sync, is still absolutely wonderful.
The only area that comes up short with the QM9K is hopefully something that people spending this much on a TV will have already considered for their home theater setup. The speakers on this TV are slightly better than average…by budget TV standards. At the QM9K’s price class there’s no real reason to include the speakers, but in those strange situations (perhaps during a move) where you need any audio at all, they’ll do the job. Not as hollow sounding as some other sets I’ve tried, the speakers are still fairly flat and lack any sort of bass.
- Google TV
I’m not sure why Google changed the UI for Google TV version 14 into something that makes it harder to download the apps you’re looking for, but beyond that Google TV is fairly user friendly and easy to navigate. A TCL page shows mostly sponsored content from partner publishers, but this is easy enough to skip over.
Powering the smart TV functions is a MediaTek MT5896 chipset employing an ARM Cortex A73-based CPU clocked at up to 1.4GHz with 4GB of RAM and 50GB of internal storage (48GB free from a factory reset), with a Mali G52 integrated GPU. These are identical specifications to a 2024 budget-midrange TV I have (not surprising, as the MT5896 is marketed exclusively for smart TVs), but with more RAM and storage…and the experience on the TCL is noticeably snappier and more feature-filled. Clearly TCL has put in some optimization work for their image processing technologies, because for as few complaints as I had with it in the budget TV, this is still a noticeably better experience in responsiveness.
As a Google TV, thousands of apps are available from the Google Play store to customize your smart TV experience. Streaming and news apps work great, and some unconventional apps open up unique experiences. For example, I connected a couple bluetooth controllers and set up classic videogame emulators for use directly on the TV, and a streaming app let me play PC games on my desktop on my TV over the local network. You can also sideload apps that aren’t available on the Play Store over USB if you want to tinker, or plug in a hard drive full of videos to play directly on the TV through a media player app. Google TV is just as user-friendly as it is deep and customizable, so there really is something for everyone here.
- Bottom Line
This was my first experience with a TCL TV of any sort, and I’ve come back genuinely blown away. I don’t think I’ve seen better picture quality from a TV that didn’t originate with a Japanese or Korean brand, and considering what it can do for how large the screen is, this may very well be in the top 3 displays I’ve ever seen. It has to be seen in person to compare, and even then the QM9K holds its own with the highest end displays out there.
The only major fault I have against the QM9K is the value proposition. While I suspect there’s going to be rotating sales bringing this set down to half price frequently (as the TV market loves to gamify pricing for all the Big Holiday and Big Game sales), the MSRP of $3,500 is astronomically high for what is a very good, even very compelling TV set at $2,000 or below. Conditionally recommended!
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi Turbolence,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're thrilled that you are enjoying your TV thus far! Our TVs are designed and engineered to have a quick and easy setup, be user-friendly, and provide a great viewing experience. We hope you continue to have a great experience and explore more of the great features our TVs have to offer. If you need any assistance please contact us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can. Enjoy!
Thank you,
Sara TCL Customer Support
Pros mentioned:
Picture quality, Remote control
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
It's impressive, but maybe over hyped?
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
CONS:
- Brightness IS impressive but not practical in real world use
- Automatic picture settings like adaptive contrasts handled by software is noticeably slow to respond to a shot change
- Picture adjustment settings cover 1/3rd of the screen. (entire left side) Good luck using color bars and other calibration screens
- numerous bugs on google tv “home” input resulting in blinking screens and being unresponsive
- no option to save custom picture settings
- motion enhancements are bad
- very noticeable vignette around the edges, especially on white screens
- resolution enhancers actually makes picture worse
PROS:
- nice remote with physical buttons and soft back lit buttons activated by movement
- assistant mics and options are allowed to be disabled by users for those concerned with privacy
- very large screen looks good with the right footage
- Gorgeous picture with the right content
- Better than average built in sound
- Google Gemini for those that like it
- good calibration right out of the box. 90% of users won’t need to change a thing
Ok, so I feel like I have to be the voice of reason here after seeing SO many reviews claim the qm9k is “just as good as” the top end OLEDs from big name TVs. That’s just not true. I’m sorry, I wanted it to be too, but the reality is, yes, the average person won’t notice the differences much, but if you are even slightly considered a TV or image enthusiast, you will notice. I have an OLED monitor that looks insanely better than the QM9K and it’s not a high end monitor.
But if you want to avoid OLED downfalls and prices, the TCL QM9K is a decent option in the miniLED category. And that’s what I think most reviews should have focused on, stop trying to compete with OLED, but instead compare apples to apples. In the MiniLED category, this TV does hit a lot of the top marks. BUT is it practical? Do any of the stats matter in REAL WORLD situations? Sadly, no, not really. Who cares if it can go 10k nit brightness, does anyone actually enjoy staring into the high beam headlights on a dark country road equivalent of a TV screen?
This TV isn’t all gloom and doom, but I do think it’s getting more hype from big time reviewers we’re supposed to trust than it should. So I’m going to try to break down only a few of the things listed in my pros and cons list because this review would be way too long otherwise.
PICTURE
I want to start with the picture quality because I think that’s what most people will notice. It is not bad by any means. But I was disappointed after replacing my 10 year old vizio mid range 65 inch tv with this 75 inch modern flagship and not seeing a huge jump in quality. Yes there were more bells and whistles and gimmicky settings, but when I set the picture to my liking and just sat and watched the same content I always watch, I realized there was nothing screaming “wow, this is so much better looking now.” Maybe that’s the reality of any TV now though, they have started to get to the point where most of them look the same in most situations. The software and user experience becomes more of a difference from brand to brand than the image quality. So at first glance, the TV looks great. And that’s probably all 80% of you need to read. You can buy it and move on. But those of us who live in the details will see things that bug us.
The software is where brands differ so much. Half of them use the same panels, so how the data is processed by the software is what makes them different. The qm9k definitely suffers in this category in my opinion. The menu system is not fun or easy to navigate. It often covers large portions of the screen as well, making calibration nearly impossible.
For as long as I can remember (which means more years than I would like to admit) TV’s have followed a very simple and logical display pattern; no matter how large the menu is, when adjusting brightness/contrast/tint/etc, the menu shrinks down to a small bar off to an edge so you can see the entire screen to make your adjustments. TCL (and possibly google/android tv) have instead decided to cover the entire left quarter of the screen when making adjustments. This means any calibration screen you choose to use; color bars, gradient scale, contrast bars, etc, will not be visible on the left side. Why?! It sounds dumb, but let me tell you, if you know you know. If you are someone who likes to dial in the image to your personal preference, you will constantly be annoyed by this giant menu. (as will others in the room who have to deal with your tinkering.) And yes, out of the box, the preset picture settings are decent, but honestly, they are way too “showy” for me. They’re trying to promote the high contrast and brightness capabilities of the TV instead of making a natural and enjoyable image to watch. Spoiler, most films aren’t actually made to be punchy and vibrant by the creators. Far more often you will find filmmakers prefer a more flat and even picture where less is more. Choosing to use contrast and saturation as an artistic tool not a sales pitch.
So with that, you may have figured out that I had to do a lot of tinkering with the image to get it the way I preferred, which disappointed me when I found out I can’t save a custom preset picture setting. My much older tv allowed me to “save as” any picture setting I made which resulted in about 3 or 4 presets for evening/dark viewing, movies, daytime/bright and standard def TV shows. I really miss that option and can’t understand why it’s being removed from TVs these days.
The good news about the picture, if you plan on watching a lot of HDR, 4K high res perfectly mastered content, this TV will perform very well. Its the SDR and 480p “old” content that suffers. Gaming is also going to benefit from the picture quality, although when I first plugged my PS5 in, I got the very handy game bar feature to pop up, but once it cleared off the screen I was unable to ever get it to return. This feels like user error or some kind of issue with my setup, but does feel like a negative mark if it’s that hard to find.
SOUND:
I have a professional home theater AVR surround sound system in my living room so obviously I didn’t buy this TV for the built in speakers. BUT I did a very short test with them and was decently impressed with the quality. Again, I think this suffers from overhype though. If you told me they were just ok speakers, I would have been more impressed, but when you tell me it’ll blow me away with high quality sound, I’m left questioning your credibility. That said, I do like the option to easily connect to TCL’s surround sound wireless speaker options and I think that would be a system a lot of people would be happy with.
SYSTEM:
4 HDMI but only 2 above 60htz, but worse is that the eARC is only 60htz as well. Guess that means no passthrough from AVR or soundbar for video unless you only want 60htz. The android TV OS is unfortunately just as rough as it’s always been. The menu isn’t terrible, I do tend to find what I’m looking for easily, but the home screen is so full of ads and fluff. And bugs. One day I turned the TV on and it was just blinking a blank home screen with 0 response from the remote. I had to unplug the TV to fix the issue. Another time, I turned it on and every app was playing back with a flicker (see video). This happened on personal media playback, netflix, hulu, etc but NOT in the home screen menu. Only during playback. Again, a restart fixed this glitch.
OVERALL:
Since this is already getting too long, I’ll wrap it up here and try to give a TL;DR breakdown. Is this TV worth the cost and hype? No. Is it still a really good TV for the price? Yes (on sale, NOT original retail price over 3k!) The picture is still stunning and crisp and impressive for a budget TV brand, but I think the claims that they’re just as good as the top dogs is still a reach. It is, however, much more impressive than the old budget style TCL we may still picture when you hear the brand name.
With the right source, this TV can reproduce gorgeous and vibrant picture quality that is sure to make you ooo and ahh in a show room. But when you put it in your living room and watch standard, low quality content most people watch these days (YouTube, streaming, old tv shows) you may notice it’s not standing out of the crowd as much. This will happen with most TV’s to be fair here. I could have gotten a big name TV for 4x the cost and told you SDR still looks like garbage, so please don’t take this review to be all negative, but I do think the recent hype has been skewed by how pretty everything can be, that they gloss over the negatives. So yes, it’s a big and beautiful TV with a stunning wow factor picture, but pop the hood and all that shiny glam doesn’t change the fact that there’s only a 4 cylinder rice burner powering it all while trying to run with the big dogs.
But the bottom line is, once I get all the tinkering and adjustments done the way I like it and I can just sit back and watch TV, I will be very happy with the TCL QM9K. And if you’re just a casual viewer but don’t want to get the cheaper QM8K for some reason, then odds are when you take it out of the box, you’ll toss it up and go, “WOW, this is gorgeous, that guy on best buy was an idiot.” and I’m ok with that. This review is for people like me who want to hear the not so glamorous stuff because they already know about the good parts. I would still (and have already) recommend this TV to people in my life that I know won’t see the things I do. I love that TCL has made a high end flagship willing to push around the top dogs and force more competition in the market.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi bTobin,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We hope that you are enjoying your TV thus far! We are always looking for ways to improve, and your feedback is greatly appreciated! If you need any assistance please contact us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can. Enjoy!
Thank you,
Sara TCL Customer Support
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Simply Impressive!!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Ok, in few words, this TV is amazing! I have had several TV brands, a couple of them my favorites for years, because of the resolution, definition, clarity video and technology/ SW, but on the other hand they were also very expensive. But even that, I was always concerned to go beyond 65 inches screen size, because the bigger the TV screen, the more noticeable flaws tend to be, primarily due to the relationship between pixel density and viewing distance. Key features like Pixel Density, for example, is bigger, making these imperfections visible. Or the Magnification Effect will be increased while using a larger screen increasing imperfections as well.
So, for a 75in TV, high-quality source material, faster processor and memory, are crucial for the best experience on very large displays. And the TCL 75" QM9K hit the nail on the head. As soon as I turned on the TV, the initial startup screen post told me what was coming next. The video performance is crazy, the colors feel “powerful”, the red and yellow for example are distinct and deep, vibrant, punchy and steady. Black is super black. All the other colors are so vivid, real and bright, without been annoying to the eye. It has the reflective screen that acts like a mirror with light in the room, but once the TV turns on, that effect completely disappears. Action movies can be appreciated in more detail and excitement. The imperfection in the skin, faces, of the actors are clearly visible. Once I finished the setup, the first thing I watched was some YouTube videos, and these look like HD videos. I have spent hours watching different streaming sources, like Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, my Blue Ray player, even with the MP4 format video files using the integrated USB port, the experience is outstanding.
The video resolution is 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) which is a standard on the streaming services nowadays. Another feature that I just learned this TV supports is IMAX Enhanced, you can only fully enjoy this feature on Big Screen TV’s like this, because it has more pixels at the top and bottom, so you can see more of the image than you would without the feature. While the source should also be recorded in this format, 4K HDR (HDR10/10+) with a 1.90:1 (or variable) aspect ratio and DTS:X audio, with all content having undergone the official IMAX DMR process, if you have Disney+ you can enjoy this feature.
The audio processing is neat with clear sound, punchy bass and no distorsion. With my 7.1.2 Soundbar Atmos Dolby the sound is phenomenal. My Nintendo Switch is connected to one of the integrated HDMI ports, and the resolution and video response time for my action movies is great.
Before I have got This 75in TCL TV, I didn’t know much about this mini led technology. I was so shocked with the quality of my viewing experience that I had to do a little more research. For quite some time I thought there was nothing better than OLED technology so far, but I was wrong. Mini led is a strong contender and from my point of view, these 2 technologies are going to be the only HDR high-definition technology in the market for the future. I have an OLED Sony Bravia TV 55in, and this 75in TCL beat him by far, considering the pixel density for its size! A good Mini Led TV can have around 3k very tiny leds aka nits, but this fella has the impressive amount of 6500 nits according to the specs. And the best part, the price.
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The Unit came carefully packaged. The setup is nothing different from other brands. It comes with printed instructions, which is very uncommon nowadays but highly appreciated.
Content:
TCL 75" QM9K
Setup Guide
Power cable
Remote control
Batteries
TV base (2 pieces)
Hardware for wiring management
Even if the TCL 75in is thin, it is heavy and obviously big, which is a good thing from my point of view, because I can tell that the internal structure is robust and sturdy. However, it definitely requires at least two people to move it, or maneuver without causing any stress on the screen. At first, I attached the included base, it is very well design keeping the TV steady in its place, while I was preparing the Wall mount where the TV will have its final location. I am glad it is VESA compliance for wall mounts means the mount and display have a compatible hole pattern and screw size, ensuring a secure and universal fit. My wall mount came with everything I needed to complete the setup, but in my case, because of the design a 3rd person was needed to guide us while mounting on the wall.
Once it was mounted, to be honest, it was a pleasure to perform the initial setup. Rediscovering the enjoyment of the viewing experience, plus the simplicity of the SW setup, quick and easy. Google TV OS will use the features and setting of my profile by using the same account that I had on my previous TV, or my phone, or my tablet, bringing all my preference and configuration.
The QR code for the quick setup didn’t work for me, I don’t know why, but the 2 extra steps I had to do didn’t bother me at all. As soon as I finished the WIFI connectivity and setup up, it performed a SW update, which is always a good thing.
The right side of the TV has the 127V Power Connector, while the left side has 4 HDMI ports, 1 ARC 64Hz, 1 64Hz, and 2 144hz. 2 USB Type A ports, 3.0 (blue) and 2.0, very useful for me because I can connect a pen Drive to play my MP4 format videos. An input coaxial port where I connected my outdoor antenna, ethernet port, which is my preferred internet connection, since I have placed the router just below the TV and optical audio out, which is very useful to have. I don’t know why the Power connector was located on the opposite side, I think it would be better to have all the cables routed in the same direction.
The remote that comes with this tv is also great. A very clever idea, and I have been noticing it is becoming a standard on most brands, is that the remote control is backlit with tactile buttons. It lets you operate your TV even in complete darkness. It also connects to your TV via infrared and Bluetooth for the remote integrated mic, for the voice commands. The buttons are very well distributed and feels very comfortable in my hand.
The integrated speakers are Bang & Olufsen brand, they are powerful enough to enjoy a movie or listen the chatting and dialogs. I connected my Soundbar to the HDMI ARC port, and the TCL detected immediately, and I didn’t have to do any additional setup for this.
TCL uses Android SW, which is Google TV and Gemini. On the initial setup, if you allow the use of the mic and the AI Gemini SW, like you do when you setup any computer, it will allow you to use voice commands like hey google, exactly as you do with an android phone, and ask for different tasks. The mic can be disable either by SW or HW by moving a little switch located below where the TV status led or where the ambient light is located. BTW This sensor is a great idea, it turns on the TV when someone is in the room and starts a slideshow of pics, or turns off if someone is leaving.
Surfing through the apps, or installing them, is fast and very responsive, because of its integrated powerful processor and memory size combination, 4GB memory and 50GB storage.
I cannot be happier with my first 75in TV, astonishing colors, video resolution, elegant, very well design, good OS choice, AI Gemini, etc. I know I still have a lot more to discover, and I am eager to continue exploring all the great features I will find.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi GEJF,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're thrilled that you are enjoying your TV thus far! Our TVs are designed and engineered to have a quick and easy setup, be user-friendly, and provide a great viewing experience. We hope you continue to have a great experience and explore more of the great features our TVs have to offer. If you need any assistance please contact us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can. Enjoy!
Thank you,
Sara TCL Customer Support
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Quite Bright
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This girl has the lumens! The smart features with Gemini are pretty legit as well. I also love the backlit remote. There are a few quirks with it. It hasn’t been consistent but I believe there have been pixels going completely white randomly. Looks like bright dust on the screen. Also the color banding is almost a deal breaker, it’s not good on anything. The motion is okay but comparatively speaking it’s bad. For what you’re paying for these draw bakes don’t add up. It is objectively pretty good but not with the cost equated in.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Picture quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
TCL 75 QM9K Pure Pleasure
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great picture quality with rich colors and perfect blend or brightness and black levels.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi LeviC, We appreciate your thoughtful feedback. Please enjoy the great size and quality of this TV. Thank you for choosing TCL to be part of your family! Thank you, Alison TCL Customer Support
Pros mentioned:
Hdr performance, Picture quality
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Brilliant Picture, But Some Design Flaws
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I recently replaced the Hisense U8k with this monster. Out of the box the biggest complaint I have is that TCL has located all of their inputs on the opposite side of the set from what was on all of my previous sets from Hisense, LG, Samsung. They've placed all the inputs on the left side (when facing the back) and put the power supply on the right side. This required some maneuvering of cables and whatnot just to be able to connect it. With a wall mounted TV the cable lengths and location matter a lot as it can be a real pain to change.
I do want to add that I found it strange they chose not to include a 3 prong power cable for the set. It uses a 2 prong cable. I don't understand removing the ground wire for a device that costs so much money. One bad surge could spell disaster.
The second big out of the box annoyance was related to mounting it with a VESA mount. While it technically still complies, it's screw hole are positioned across a much larger area on the back compared to my previous 75" display. The positioning of the bottom set of screws on the set under a bevel led to some tight maneuvering to get the screws even seated. The holes on the set were also larger, so I was forced to use the screws that came with the TV vs the screws that were much longer and came with the mount. The included spacers were completely pointless as they wouldn't fit the included screws because they made the mount bracket sit too far away from the screw hole to actually grab the threads. i was able to make do without the spacers and get it successfully mounted.
Initial setup of the Google TV OS was a breeze. I genuinely love the Google TV UI and features overall. The inclusion of Gemini functionality and access to Google Home/Nest control and access makes for a better connected home experience. However, I must add that the Gemini functionality tends to pickup everything. If you accidentally or purposely activate "Hey Google" it can and will pickup voices from whatever you are watching. So your results with Gemini may vary greatly! The Gemini functionality does lend you a better search experience overall when searching for a show as it can lead you in the right direction for a service to watch said show. That being said, I don't know that I will keep the function turned on as there happens to be a Nest Screen in my nearby kitchen that we use all the time for timers and listening to music, and the TV picks up commands that I am issuing to that device in the other room.
The CPU hardware seems to be higher performing than my previous set. Enough so that the Plex app can decode lossless audio codecs, as well as enable HDR10+ video. Something that wasn't available on my previous set as it wasn't a powerful enough CPU. This means I no longer have to switch to my Xbox One to watch movies and get lossless audio.
The addition of the presence sensor is actually quite cool. You can adjust the distance by which it detects you in the room. The default is pretty large, so I dropped it down to a couch distance away and so it powers on the moment you walk in and take a seat. As well, it can act like a picture wall with full access to your google photo library. So it's nice to see a screensaver of family photos when chilling on the couch.
The remote control is backlit and features some standard service buttons like Netflix, YouTube and Prime. My previous TV remote had a bunch of useless buttons on it that they were obviously paid to add and it was a real pain because one wrong bump and you were loading Tubi or some other service that no one really uses. The other nice feature that won't get talked about enough was the fact that the battery compartment is well secured so the back won't constantly pop off like it did on my Hisense remote every time we accidently dropped it. Seems like a minor thing, but trust me it can get really annoying over time.
The set's ATSC 3 NextGen Tuner is quite nice, and paired with my antenna, I picked up over 40 local stations to get the local news and sports. There's a great built-in channel guide and it integrates really well with the Google TV interface.
Now lets get to the real purpose of being here. The picture quality. The set boasts a 4k Mini LED 12bit WHVA panel. It has a native refresh of 144Hz and offers VRR with AMD FreeSync certification for gaming. It supports just about every iteration of HDR available to include Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG. The contrast and color reproduction on this set is off the charts good for a set that's name doesn't start with "S". The brightness is incredible and I can safely say this is hands down the brightest panel I have seen. If you feel like burning out your retinas, you can!
The backlight features something they've dubbed the Halo Control System. Essentially its a small processor that controls the lighting output. Its a set of electronics that produce an incredibly bright image without generating a distortion around bright white images. This gives you incredible contrast control and an image that is sharp, but bright without sacrificing color.
Out of the box I was playing with it at full brightness for a couple days before settling in on the sweet spot around 36 for general viewing. On HDR content I use the full 100 brightness to get the sharpest, brightest HDR images I've seen to date. One of the greatest complaints of HDR is that most panels are incapable of generating enough brightness to overcome the dark image. So people generally turn HDR off because they can't see the image. Everything looks like it was filmed in a cave. Not this set. It produces enough lighting clarity that the image look amazing and yet the colors are deep and really capture the aesthetic the directors were going for. I'm genuinely pleased with this panel for this reason.
That being said, I have some additional nits to pick. These are things that generally can be overcome by software updates, so I am not going to be too hard on the set for this reason. First, the built-in display modes are a little all over the place. I find that the Filmmaker mode that everyone always gushes over is overrated. I decided to land on the Movie setting for the time being. I adjusted a few settings within Movie mode and then applied it to all sources. What I find is that it auto-switches to Game when I fire up the Xbox. I generally don't like the Game mode as it's colors are out of whack. You can still use VRR and FreeSync with the Movie mode once you get it setup. But what I am finding is that the brightness settings isn't sticky. It keeps adjusting the brightness down all the time. I have verified that variable brightness and contrast settings, as well as all of the energy saving features are turned off. Yet it still continues to randomly lower the brightness. This is a setting I hope gets fixed pronto!
It should be noted that TV makers need to rethink Game mode. I get that they want to decrease latency by turning off CPU features, but what they aren't considering is that many people are now using their consoles as video players just as much as game consoles. So if I'm watching a Blu-ray or Netflix movie from my Xbox, the last thing I want is for it to look like cheeks.
Along with that, even with all the energy saving features turned off, the set has a timeout period before it shuts down. It is totally ignoring the fact that I turned this off. So if it sits idle more than 15mins or so, it turns off. As I am writing about this, I am wondering if it is a by-product of the Google's Presence Sensor feature.
Overall, I am really enjoying this set. The colors and brightness are amazing and I am just super happy with the display. However, those few annoyances and grievances I listed are enough to have me deduct a few points until they are resolved. I would still recommend this set as I think TCL and Google will eventually patch away some of these software issues. But they can't patch away the lack of a 3 prong power cord or the wonky screw mounts on the back. These manufacturers find the smallest ways to cut costs and to the average consumer it may seem like nothing, but I can't ignore the potential issues down the line.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi GrizzlyD,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We hope that you are enjoying your TV thus far! We are always looking for ways to improve, and your feedback is greatly appreciated! If you need any assistance please contact us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can. Enjoy!
Thank you,
Sara TCL Customer Support
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
TCL QM9K 75 - Amazing
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The TCL 75" QM9K is an impressive experience. Wanted OLED for years for true blacks but was afraid of the burn in especially since I always have the tv on in background all day. Read good things for mini led black levels and this TV doesn't disappoint. High local dimming zones definitely help.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
TCL 75" QM9K
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great product, easy ordering, fast on time delivery, pleasant friendly drivers.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
TCL tv
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Kind of complicated. Finally got it figured out. A good quality picture.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great TV
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Love this TV the picture the sound and all the extras are amazing
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Must buy
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Such an amazing TV, better than most OLED's. The color, sharpness, brightness and color are superb.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Miniled for the win
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
TCL miniled takes your viewing experience to the next level!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Picture quality, Remote control
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Beautiful picture with the brains to boot… Gemini!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I went big in 2019 with a 75” coming off a 42”. I have hesitated to upgrade, not primarily for the cost, but mostly the hassle… I have decided, due to my fireplace and space on the wall 75” is the largest I can go…so when I finally decided to upgrade the screen…I really wanted to make it count….AND I DID!
The QM9K is the flag ship of the TCL line…at least for now… and it is absolutely stunning! I also have a TCL 65” NXTFRAME 4K flush wall mount tv in my bedroom and have been exceptionally happy with it and the picture on it is gorgeous as well…but the QM9K…is next level!!! The colors jump off the screen and the darks are deep and balanced! Just breath taking!! I also like how easy it is to calibrate and get the color profile to just my liking. The presets are solid as well…beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder has the intuitive TCL remote in hand. The remote is strait forward and easy to use. I also really appreciate the thin border…razor thin around the TV! It disappears when the Tv is on! I also did not notice Any glare or reflection on the screen… I just got lost in the stunning scenes and the vibrant colors and subtle details that are just truly remarkable! Just Gorgeaous!
Set up was nice as well. Our whole home is in the Google ecosystem, so I just pointed my phone on the QR code that splashed when I turned the tv on and plugged my google stuff in and boom…connected!!! Very nice. I selected the apps I wanted and whats great…again with google…it was super easy to sign into my streaming apps because google has all the info! About the set up, I tried to hire the Best Buy Geek Squad and after purchasing the tv install and tv removal…I found out that the Geek Squad is not available for TV install in my area BB quickly refunded no problem!!!! What a bummer!!!! Might be worth a call to your local BestBuy to see if they do it before buying the service. The TV is big and it is heavy…gonna need a strong friend or to hire out for a wall install!
Back to Google again on the QM9K….Gemini is onboard and integrated!!! So much better than the old assistant!!! And on the TV really makes it super useful!!! I can’t wait for Gemini to be released on the new google speakers!! Gemini on a tv is amazing…Can’t recall a movie but know the gist of it…Gemini to the rescue…or a song .. or maybe you just want to chat about the universe…Gemini is ready and intimately integrated into the QM9K really makes the tv something more than just a tv!!!
So I ran through some of the movies that came to mind to show off the screen and was just blown away! Then I plugged my PS5 up … The QM9K is built for gamers!!! 144 Refresh rate with the 288 VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) game acceleration tech that TCL has…makes for smooth action and I appreciate the Auto game mode that switches it all over for me when it detects it’s time to play a game! Amazing!
The last little piece I LOVE is the the personal Bluetooth feature… So It’s late and I want to really crank up the sound….Boom I can put my Airpod Pros 3 in and not wake the whole house up!
The onboard sound is ok…but lets be honest…if you buy a tv like this….You will have a knows where you are near it and it will turn on or display a screen saver…cool…but I like to turn it off and on myself…no offence Gemini!
Overall, A flagship TV that is packed with power and delivers a stunning picture that is one of the best in class!!! I really love this TV!!!!
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
Posted .
Hi JC1503, We appreciate your thoughtful feedback. Please enjoy the great size and quality of this TV. Thank you for choosing TCL again to be part of your family! Thank you, Alison TCL Customer Support
Pros mentioned:
Picture quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Picture with B&O Sound, NO Soundbar Needed!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is my review of the TCL 75" QM9K Series 4K UHD HDR QD-Mini LED Smart TV with Google TV (2025) upon which I rate at 5 out of 5 stars.
Out of the box the TV comes with a quick start guide, power cable, 2 x AAA batteries, TV remote, VESA adapters, stand screws, cable clips, and TV stand. You will need at least two people to unbox the TV along with adding the TV stand or to use a VESA wall mount and hang on a wall. I don't want to list all the specs, but here are some worth mentioning: Google TV supporting Gemini AI, a 144 Hz panel refresh rate, Quantum Dot Mini LED Technology, 6,000 local dimming zones, 6,500 Nit display brightness, Bang & Olufsen speaker system, and Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capable using TCL's Z100 wireless speakers (not included).
Upon turning the TV on for the first time and connecting to a network source either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet, please ensure you check for any firmware updates and in my instance, there were. I walked myself through the various menus and focused on Display & Sound. As for the display menu, I went to Display, then Picture, and Picture Mode, then selected Intelligent. The Intelligent mode adjusts the picture to its content and current environment. I found this the quickest way to get a decent display without going through all the custom options. You may find other picture modes to your liking as this was my preference. As for the sound, I took a more detailed approach. I selected Sound Mode and chose the option of Custom. Doing this allows you to access Band & Olufsen's Beosonic submenu. Here you are given a circular graphic of four sound options as followed. At 12 o'clock there is Bright, at 3 o'clock there is Energetic, at 6 o'clock there is Warm, and finally at 9 o'clock there is Relaxed. Here you are able to move the cursor anywhere in the circle to tailor your sound profile. Once I had my selection, I moved onto the Equalizer submenu. Here you only have the options of Loudness, Treble, and Bass. I felt the sound needed some more bass and just positioned it from zero to 3.
I am very impressed overall with the brightness in the picture (6,500 Nits max) and found little blooming and black crush to degrade my viewing experience as supported by the 6,000 local dimming zones. I am also very impressed with the sound quality as provided by Bang & Olufsen that I didn't need to quickly grab a soundbar. The back of the TV has two radiating subwoofers and would expect greater bass if wall mounted. The up-firing speakers provide the height effects for Dolby Atmos and the lastly the front-firing speakers located at the bottom.
I highly recommend this TV for its specifications that yield a great picture and sound all at a price that won't burn a hold in your wallet. I hope you enjoyed reading my review and it aided in your purchasing decision.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from TCLExpert
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Hi MDH4PennState, We appreciate you taking the time to provide your thoughtful feedback. We are pleased to hear that you are enjoying your TV thus far. Hopefully you are able to take your viewing experience to the next level with your new TCL TV. Enjoy! Thank you, Alison TCL Customer Support