TCL QM8 85QM850G 85"

The TCL QM8 is a brightness monster that makes HDR content look incredible on a massive 85-inch screen. If you want OLED-level wow without OLED prices, this is your TV.

The brightness here is genuinely ridiculous. 2,000 nits peak with that HighBright Pro backlight means specular highlights in Dolby Vision content hit like a camera flash. Our HDR score lands in the 99th percentile, and picture quality sits at 97th, so this thing is best-in-class for contrast and color volume. The 2,300 dimming zones keep blooming in check better than most Mini-LEDs we've tested, though you'll still catch a faint halo around bright objects on pure black backgrounds if you're looking for it. Gaming is solid with native 120Hz and FreeSync support, but it's not the standout feature here, it's the HDR fireworks show.

The LG C5 OLED55C5PUA will give you perfect blacks and better viewing angles, but it's 30 inches smaller and costs more. The Sony BRAVIA XR XR77A95L is the picture quality king with its QD-OLED panel, but you're paying a massive premium for that last 5% of performance. The Samsung Neo QLED QN75QN990FFXZA is the closest direct competitor with similar Mini-LED tech, but it's smaller and pricier. For pure size-to-performance ratio, the TCL wins. The Hisense U8 Series 100U8QG is the only one that beats it on size, but Hisense's processing and HDR tone mapping don't match TCL's AIPQ Engine Gen 3.

At $2,286 for an 85-inch Mini-LED with this kind of HDR performance, the QM8 is a screaming deal. You're getting 95% of the OLED experience at roughly 60% of the price of a comparable LG or Sony. If you want a massive screen that makes HDR content look incredible without taking out a second mortgage, this is the one.

The TCL QM8 85QM850G is the big-screen Mini-LED that makes you question why anyone pays OLED money for a living room TV. You're getting an 85-inch panel with up to 2,300 local dimming zones and 2,000 nits of peak brightness, which puts it in the absolute top tier for HDR punch. The one thing to know: this TV is built to blind you in the best way possible, and it mostly succeeds.

If you're a hardcore gamer who needs four HDMI 2.1 ports and the absolute lowest input lag, this isn't it. Go get an LG C5 or a dedicated gaming monitor instead. And if you're an audio purist who refuses to buy a soundbar, the QM8's built-in speakers will disappoint you.

Buy the TCL QM8 if you want the biggest, brightest, most impressive HDR picture your money can buy without going OLED. It's not perfect, the audio is meh and connectivity is limited, but the core experience of watching Dolby Vision content on an 85-inch screen this bright is genuinely stunning. This is the TV I'd recommend to anyone who wants that movie theater feel at home and doesn't want to spend $4,000+ to get it.