A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Insignia F20 is a budget-friendly option, but it doesn't perform as well in a bright room or a dark room, and overall picture quality is average. If mainly watching news, talk shows, or animations, it should suffice. On the other hand, the TCL QM8 is pricier, but offers significantly better performance in bright rooms and for watching movies or playing games. Plus, it has superior sound quality and supports advanced HDR formats like Dolby Vision, making it better suited for a premium home theater experience. The better choice depends on your budget and what you're watching. If cost is a concern and your viewing habits are casual, the Insignia F20 could be enough. However, for a top-notch viewing experience, especially for movies and gaming in various lighting conditions, the TCL QM8 is the stronger option. 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 Insignia F20 (LCD)
- Good viewing angle
Advantages of the TCL QM8 (LCD)
- Best in class for bright room
- Very good for dark room
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for movies & TV
- Very good for cartoons & animation
- Good for use as monitor
- Very good reflections
Key differences
Picture Quality
5.1
8.5
4.16/10
CONTRAST
8.00/10
6.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
9.2/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
miniLED FALD
IPS
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL QM8 (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the Insignia F20 (LCD) has poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
5.1
8.3
4.16/10
CONTRAST
8.00/10
5.2/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
8.5/10
5.5/10
UPSCALING
4.8/10
No
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is very good for movies & TV, while the Insignia F20 (LCD) is poor.
Sports
6.0
6.5
2.5/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
5.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.6/10
5.5/10
UPSCALING
4.8/10
5.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
10.0/10
No
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL QM8 (LCD) and Insignia F20 (LCD) are both only fair for sports, though the TCL QM8 (LCD) is somewhat better.
The Insignia F20 struggles with sports viewing due to poor motion processing, reflections handling, and response time, which are critical for fast-paced action; however, its viewing angles are more accommodating for group watching. The TCL QM8 fares better with motion due to good motion processing and response time, offers better reflections handling, but has more limited viewing angles; ideal for direct, rather than side-viewing. Both have comparable gray uniformity, which is somewhat important for sports but not the primary concern.
Gaming
5.4
8.3
5.7/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.1/10
5.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.6/10
2.5/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
90.0/100
2.5/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.3/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the Insignia F20 (LCD) is poor.
The Insignia F20 has poor performance in both response time and input lag for gaming use, while the TCL QM8 has very good response time and good input lag, which greatly enhances gaming experience. Additionally, the TCL QM8 supports a higher refresh rate at 120Hz compared to the Insignia F20's 60Hz, making it better suited for fast-paced gaming where smoother motion is a priority.
Cartoons & Animation
5.7
8.9
5.5/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
8.1/10
6.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
9.2/10
5.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
10.0/10
7.9/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.6/10
6.8/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.5/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the Insignia F20 (LCD) is poor.
The Insignia F20 has less accurate colors out of the box and a poorer color gamut, which can affect the vibrancy and accuracy of animated content, making it appear less engaging. In contrast, the TCL QM8 boasts very good color accuracy immediately upon setup and a wide color gamut, enhancing the richness and depth perceived in cartoons and animations.
News, Talk, & Other TV
5.3
6.8
5.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
10.0/10
5.5/10
UPSCALING
4.8/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is only fair for news, talk, & other TV, while the Insignia F20 (LCD) is poor.
The Insignia F20 has poor upscaling and low SDR brightness, so news and TV programs may look blurry on non-HD channels and dimmer in daylight. On the other hand, the TCL QM8 provides better detail with its fair upscaling and has excellent SDR brightness, making it suitable for brighter rooms and clearer viewing of standard-definition content.
Bright Room
4.5
9.9
7.1/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
5.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
10.0/10
2.5/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.3/10
5.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.9/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the Insignia F20 (LCD) is poor.
The Insignia F20 struggles in bright rooms due to its poor SDR and HDR brightness and low capability of handling reflections, making it a less ideal choice. On the other hand, the TCL QM8 excels with the best SDR brightness, very good reflections handling, and excellent HDR brightness, offering a superior viewing experience in well-lit environments.
Cost
$200
$1,498
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Insignia F20 (LCD) has a price of $200 and the TCL QM8 (LCD) costs $1,498.
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How the Insignia F20 (LCD) and the TCL QM8 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Insignia F20 (LCD) | TCL QM8 (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$200 | $1,498 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Insignia | TCL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 3, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | 42F201NA23 | 65QM850G | |
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 42" | 65" | |
Screen Resolution | |||
Screen Resolution | 1080P | 4K | |
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Fire OS | Google TV | |
Sound Quality Score | |||
Sound Quality Score | 5.5/10 | 7/10 | |
NextGen Ready | |||
NextGen Ready | No | No | |
HDMI Ports | |||
HDMI Ports | 3 | 4 | |
Coax Ports | |||
Coax Ports | 1 | 1 | |
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Picture Quality Score | |||
Picture Quality Score | 5.2/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 4.6/10 | 9.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 5.2/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 6/10 | 6.6/10 | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | |||
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 21.1" x 37.4" x 3.2" | 32.6" x 56.9" x 1.7" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 23.5" x 37.4" | 34.1" x 56.9" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | 13 lbs | 50.1 lbs | |
VESA Mount | |||
VESA Mount | 200 x 100 | 300 x 400 | |
DISPLAY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Color Depth | |||
Color Depth | 8 bit | 10 bit | |
Black Frame Insertion | |||
Black Frame Insertion | No | Yes | |
Auto Low Latency Mode | |||
Auto Low Latency Mode | No | Yes | |
Contrast | |||
Contrast | 4.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 2.8/10 | 8/10 | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | |||
Speaker Setup | 2.0 | 2.1 | |
Speaker Power | |||
Speaker Power | 10 W | 40 W | |
Dolby Atmos | |||
Dolby Atmos | No | Yes | |
DTS:X | |||
DTS:X | No | Yes, Bypass only | |
Get a great deal on the Insignia F20 (LCD) or the TCL QM8 (LCD)
About Insignia
Insignia is an in-house brand from BestBuy. It offers a range of TV sets that are lower-end and smaller size. They are manufactured in China by Hisense, which is another TV brand. Insignia TVs use Amazon's Fire OS as the smart TV software, providing users with a highly user-friendly experience.
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.
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