Should You Get a TCL QM7K or Last Year’s Much Cheaper QM7?

Not even two weeks ago, TCL launched the QM7K. It’s too early to see the expected price drop common to TCLs after they’ve been on sale for a few months, so the QM7K’s toughest competition right now is its own predecessor, last year’s QM7.

For the past seven years, I’ve considered TCL’s mid-range tier of 4K TVs to be the best value in TVs, period. At this price, their displays look far better than they have a right to. You could buy nicer TVs, but you’d be forking out another four figures for the pleasure.

Those who’ve trained themselves to pick out every last detail of the display in front of them—and who can afford it—may justify the several-thousand-dollar Samsungs and Sonys at the premium end of the market. For the rest of us, either of these TCLs will more than suffice.

I’ve watched a movie—most of them in 4K—almost every day since I began testing the QM7 last year, and I’ve been loving every minute of it.

what the qm7k gets you

Snagging the $1,300 QM7K (for the 55″ version) boosts the specifications over last year’s QM7, but only in a few areas. Peak brightness rises from the QM7’s 2,400 nits to 2,600 nits. Those are TCL’s numbers. In real-world testing, you end up with different measurements.

Halo Control System is another trump card the QM7K plays on its older brother. It’s a combination of hardware and software designed to eliminate undesirable blooming, while also improving color accuracy.

Beyond that, much of the QM7K is carried over from the QM7. Both TVs have OLED screens capable of 4K resolution. They also support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos, and DTS Virtual:X formats, and feature 144Hz refresh rates, Wi-Fi 5, built-in Google Chromecast.

If you prefer something like Roku or Apple TV, you’ll have to buy a separate streaming device regardless of which TCL you choose. You can have either TV in 55″, 65″, 75″, or 85″, although bigger isn’t always better.

verdict

Right now, at this pricing, go for the QM7. It’s half the cost. Comparing 55-inchers, the QM7K costs $1,300, while last year’s QM7 costs $500. The price gap between the two for their 65-, 75-, and 85-inch variants shrinks to “only” about twice as much for a QM7K versus a QM7.

The QM7 isn’t an old TV. Last year, when it was launched, the 55-inch version retailed for $800, and by late summer, I could find it for its current $500 price. I expect the QM7K will drop in price before long, too, erasing some of that price difference between it and the QM7.

Until then, I’m team QM7 all the way.