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QD-Mini LED 4K TV

8.3/10

Based on 4 reviews

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8.2

Clara’s Verdict

Excellent

An 85-inch mini LED powerhouse that delivers movie theater picture quality for under $1,000, making it an absolute steal for families who want to upgrade their living room.

Best for: families wanting a huge screen without breaking the bank, movie and TV show lovers, anyone replacing an older TV, living rooms where size matters

Skip if: serious competitive gamers, people with narrow viewing angles, those who want the absolute brightest TV

7.8

Ethan’s Verdict

Very Good

A genuinely good TV at a genuinely good price, but it's not competing with flagships despite what the marketing suggests.

Best for: budget-conscious buyers, movie watchers, living room upgrades

Skip if: competitive gamers, brightness-obsessed buyers, viewing angle flexibility

Clara’s Pros & Cons

+Stunning picture quality with excellent contrast and minimal halos
+85-inch screen for under $1,000 is an absolute steal
+Bright, vibrant HDR that looks amazing for movies
+Solid gaming features with 144Hz refresh rate

−Colors fade when viewing from the side
−Google TV ads can be annoying
−Input lag isn't the fastest for competitive gaming
−Not quite as bright as some competing models

Ethan’s Pros & Cons

+Excellent price for 85-inch 4K with local dimming
+Strong HDR brightness and minimal haloing artifacts
+144Hz gaming with FreeSync support included
+Solid audio quality with clear dialogue

−Poor color accuracy with visible off-axis color shift
−Input lag worse than gaming-focused competitors
−Average build quality despite premium positioning
−Visible blooming in high-contrast scenes

Score Breakdown

Picture Quality

8.518% wt

HDR & Color Accuracy

7.814% wt

Motion & Gaming

7.59% wt

Design & Build

8.018% wt

Smart Features

7.511% wt

Connectivity

8.07% wt

Value

9.023% wt

Score Breakdown

Picture Quality

8.025% wt

HDR & Color Accuracy

7.515% wt

Motion & Gaming

7.015% wt

Design & Build

7.510% wt

Smart Features

7.010% wt

Connectivity

8.015% wt

Value

8.510% wt

Clara’s Full Review

A Massive Screen That Actually Looks Great

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: this is an 85-inch TV for under $1,000. That alone is wild. But here's the thing, it's not just big, it actually looks really good.

Reviewers consistently praise the picture quality, especially for movies and shows. The mini LED technology with local dimming creates impressive contrast between bright and dark scenes. You get those deep blacks without the annoying halo effect that sometimes happens with cheaper TVs. The new anti-halo technology really makes a difference here. For anyone who loves watching movies or prestige TV shows, this TV delivers a genuinely cinematic experience.

HDR content pops beautifully. HDR movies look bright and vibrant, and the color performance is solid for everyday viewing. The only catch is that colors can shift a bit if you're sitting off to the side, so this TV really shines when you're watching straight-on from the couch. If your living room has people scattered around, that's something to keep in mind.

Gaming is totally fine here. The 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync support mean smooth gameplay, and input lag around 13ms won't bother most people. Casual and competitive gamers will both be happy, though serious esports players might want something with even lower lag.

The design is attractive and modern without being flashy. The stand is sturdy and easy to assemble, and the backlit remote feels nice in your hand. It's not premium build quality, but it's solid for the price. Google TV runs snappily, and the filmmaker mode is a nice touch if you want to fine-tune picture settings. The only software annoyance is Google TV ads, which some people find intrusive.

Now for the value. This TV normally costs $3,000. You're buying it for $999. Reviewers say it competes with TVs that cost twice as much and even holds its own against OLED TVs priced at $1,800. If you've been thinking about upgrading your TV, this is genuinely one of the best deals you'll find. You're getting premium picture quality and a massive screen without the premium price tag.

This is a TV for people who want to actually enjoy watching their favorite shows and movies without spending a fortune. It's not the absolute brightest or the fastest for gaming, but it does everything well and costs half what similar TVs should cost.

— Clara Mercer, Home & Lifestyle Editor

Ethan’s Full Review

The Value Play That Actually Delivers

TCL's QD-Mini LED at $999 is doing something increasingly rare in 2024: offering genuine value without massive compromises. At 85 inches with Mini LED backlighting and 144Hz support, this TV undercuts OLED alternatives by $800 or more. The question isn't whether it's cheap, but whether the engineering holds up.

It mostly does. Peak brightness hits 2,746 nits in HDR, which is genuinely impressive. Local dimming is effective, and the anti-halo technology keeps blooming visible but controlled. For movies, especially in darker rooms, this TV looks considerably better than its price tag suggests. The Filmmaker mode adds a nice touch for calibration-conscious viewers.

But here's where you need to pay attention. Color accuracy is legitimately poor at 7.23 average error. That means colors drift to grey off-axis, and saturation doesn't hold when you're sitting at an angle. The LG C5 OLED it's being compared against handles this far better. Gaming input lag at 13.7ms is acceptable but not competitive with dedicated gaming displays. It's fine for single-player content, frustrating for competitive shooters.

The build quality is average. At under $1,000, that's fair. The software is cluttered with Google TV ads and feels less polished than premium alternatives. The remote is backlit, which is a small win, but the overall experience screams "value product" rather than "premium alternative."

Here's the honest take: TCL positioned this against OLEDs in marketing, and reviewers went along with it. Technically, it competes better against the Hisense U8Q or other Mini LED alternatives. Compared to the LG C5 at $1,800, it's not actually close on brightness, color, or viewing angles. TCL just won the pricing game.

The TV is legitimately good for the money. If you're upgrading from a 2018 budget panel and want to watch movies in a dark room, this is a smart buy. If you're trying to decide between this and an OLED at $1,800, the OLED wins on nearly every technical metric. TCL's marketing advantage is pure price, not performance parity.

At $999, you're getting 85 inches of decent picture quality with solid brightness. The flaws are real and material, but they're priced accordingly. That's a rare thing in consumer electronics.

— Ethan Mercer, Editor-in-Chief

Specifications

smart tv	Yes
hdmi ports	4
resolution	4K
screen size	85 inches
display type	QD-Mini LED

Overall Rating

8.3

out of 10

Clara

8.2

Ethan

7.8

Critics (2)

8.7

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Review History

Feb 15, 2026

Initial review from real source data

Feb 15, 2026

Initial review from real source data

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