Choose the Hisense U7K if you are keen on gaming, as it offers a better gaming experience, and it costs less, which could save you money. However, the TCL QM8 might be a better choice if you prioritize overall picture quality, including movies and animation, and if a higher bright room performance is important to you. Both TVs struggle with viewing angles, so keep that in mind if you often watch TV from different positions in the room. Both support various HDR formats and have a good number of HDMI ports, but neither has particularly great built-in speakers. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Hisense U7K (LCD)
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Good for upscaling
Advantages of the TCL QM8 (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Very good for dark room
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.0/10
8.5/10
7.38/10
CONTRAST
8.00/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
9.2/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
miniLED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL QM8 (LCD) and Hisense U7K (LCD) both have very good picture quality, though the TCL QM8 (LCD) has somewhat better picture quality.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.3/10
6.8/10
8.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
10.0/10
7.0/10
UPSCALING
4.8/10
The Hisense U7K (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL QM8 (LCD) is only fair.
The Hisense U7K delivers very good picture clarity for standard definition content and bright room performance, making it suitable for news and TV programs, plus it offers excellent colors right out of the box. Conversely, the TCL QM8, while also having a high brightness and good colors out of the box, falls short in upscaling lower resolution content, which is more noticeable when watching regular TV broadcasts.
Bright Room
8.1/10
9.9/10
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
8.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
10.0/10
7.9/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.3/10
8.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.9/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the Hisense U7K (LCD) is very good.
The TCL QM8 is best for watching TV in a bright room due to its exceptional SDR and HDR brightness which ensures a vivid picture even in sunlight, and superior handling of reflections that keeps picture quality clear. The Hisense U7K is very good for similar reasons but performs slightly less well in SDR and HDR brightness, which may affect its visibility in very bright conditions, and it also has a bit lower reflections handling, impacting clarity in bright environments.
Cost
$1,498
$1,304
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Hisense U7K (LCD) has a price of $1,498 and the TCL QM8 (LCD) costs $1,304.
The TCL QM8 (LCD) and Hisense U7K (LCD) are both very good for movies & TV.
The Hisense U7K excels in watching movies and cinematic TV due to its strong contrast, effective local dimming, and superior black uniformity, which enhances the depth and detail in dark scenes. The TCL QM8 also provides an excellent movie-watching experience with slightly better contrast and color volume, which contributes to vivid and varied colors across different content, though this comes with a moderate increase in cost. Both TVs struggle with gray uniformity and viewing angles, so they're best watched head-on rather than from the sides.
Sports
6.3/10
6.5/10
3.5/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.6/10
7.0/10
UPSCALING
4.8/10
8.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
10.0/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL QM8 (LCD) and Hisense U7K (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The Hisense U7K and TCL QM8 both have good response times which is key for sports; however, their motion processing is not as strong, with Hisense rated as very good and TCL rated as good, potentially leading to some motion blur during fast scenes. Both handle reflections well which is important for brightly lit rooms but their viewing angles are limited, so the picture quality might degrade if viewed from the side, and their fair gray uniformity could result in some unevenness during sports with large areas of uniform color like a football field.
Gaming
8.8/10
8.3/10
8.1/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.1/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.6/10
3.5/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
85.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
90.0/100
8.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.3/10
The Hisense U7K (LCD) and TCL QM8 (LCD) are both very good for gaming.
The Hisense U7K and the TCL QM8 are both considered very good for gaming because they have very good response times and good input lag, which are crucial for fast-paced gaming. The U7K stands out with a higher refresh rate, providing smoother motion for gaming at high frame rates.
Cartoons & Animation
8.6/10
8.9/10
8.3/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
8.1/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
9.2/10
8.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
10.0/10
8.6/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.6/10
7.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.5/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) and Hisense U7K (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The Hisense U7K provides very good colors straight out of the box, making it easy to enjoy vibrant and accurate animations without additional setup, and it has a very good color gamut ensuring a wide spectrum of colors. In contrast, while the TCL QM8 also offers a very good color gamut and excellent color volume for a more dynamic range in hues, its colors out of the box are rated good, suggesting that some adjustments may be needed for optimal color accuracy.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Hisense U7K (LCD) and the TCL QM8 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
Hisense U7K (LCD)
TCL QM8 (LCD)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$1,498
$1,304
Brand
Brand
Hisense
TCL
Release Date
Release Date
August 1, 2023
May 3, 2023
Full name
Full name
85U7K
85QM850G
Screen Size
Screen Size
85"
85"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
4K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
LCD
LCD
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
miniLED FALD VA
miniLED FALD VA
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
Google TV
Google TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
7/10
7/10
NextGen Ready
NextGen Ready
Yes
No
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
4
4
Coax Ports
Coax Ports
1
1
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
144Hz
120Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
Yes
HDR Supported formats
HDR Supported formats
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
Accessibility
Accessibility
Voice Commands
Voice Commands
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
8/10
8.6/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
8.1/10
9.9/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
8.8/10
8.4/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
8.1/10
8.3/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
6.4/10
6.6/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
8.3/10
6.9/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
8.7/10
8.9/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
7.7/10
8/10
PHYSICAL
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
43.1" x 74.8" x 2.8"
43" x 74.6" x 2.1"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
45.7" x 74.8"
45.6" x 74.6"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
108.9 lbs
105.6 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
600 x 400
600 x 600
DISPLAY
Color Depth
Color Depth
10 bit
10 bit
Black Frame Insertion
Black Frame Insertion
Yes
Yes
Auto Low Latency Mode
Auto Low Latency Mode
Yes
Yes
Contrast
Contrast
7.4/10
8/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
7.6/10
8/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
8.5/100
9/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
8.3/10
9.4/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
8.4/10
10/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
7.9/10
9.3/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
7/10
7.5/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
8/10
8.5/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
5.3/10
5.4/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
8.8/10
9/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
7/10
4.8/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
3.6/10
4.6/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
8.3/10
8.2/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
8.2/10
9.3/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
8.2/10
8.2/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
7.7/10
7.7/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
8.7/10
7.6/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
6.3/10
6.3/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
10/10
10/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
2.1.2
2.1
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
50 W
40 W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Yes
DTS:X
DTS:X
Yes
Yes, Bypass only
Get a great deal on the Hisense U7K (LCD) or the TCL QM8 (LCD)
About Hisense
Hisense, a Chinese TV manufacturer, entered the US market in approximately 2011 and has since acquired TV divisions from various companies such as Toshiba, Sharp, Hitachi, and NEC. Currently ranking as the fourth largest vendor in terms of sales volume, Hisense aims to capture a wide range of TV budget segments. They offer exceptional value with TVs that often outperform their competitors at similar price points, making them a compelling choice for consumers. In the US, they use Google TV as their smart TV software which provides the largest app selection and a very modern user interface, however it is not as user friendly as the software from other vendors.
About TCL
TCL, the highly recognizable TV brand from China, has firmly established itself as the second-largest manufacturer in terms of sales volume. Renowned for striking an impressive balance between affordability, picture quality, and design, TCL TVs deliver a compelling overall package. While they have traditionally excelled in the low-end and midrange TV segments, TCL has recently made remarkable strides in the realm of high-end televisions, introducing impressive models that rival top competitors. Most TCL TVs use Roku software which is very user friendly and easy to use, but they have a few other models that use Google TV which has the largest app selection, but is not as user friendly as Roku.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec TVs team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest TV information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
385
TVs evaluated
33,110
TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
120,030
Recommendations made
18,005
Consumer hours saved
About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
Jaime is a Colombia-based TV expert. He is an electronics engineer with 8 years of experience in the telecom sector and has been making TV recommendations for 12 years.