Compare: Hisense U7KQ vs TCL C8L / QM8L

Hisense U7KQ with a size of 100" is clearly a better television compared to the smaller diagonal variants. The proprietary VIDAA system has a similar interface to other televisions (e.g., with Google TV on board). It works quickly and efficiently. It does not freeze or contain errors. Only the built-in file player sometimes struggled with performance. However, it is worth looking at the app tests, as not all of them were available at the time of writing the review. The television's features are quite extensive, and nearly everything we tested was successfully implemented. When used during the day, the high brightness of the panel is commendable, as it can cope even in very sunlit living rooms. When watching in cinema conditions, we can expect good blacks thanks to the VA panel supported by multiple dimming zones. The screen handles low-quality content (e.g., SD channels or DVDs) relatively well; a certain downside is the lack of a function to reduce posterisation (i.e., the distinct tonal transitions). This looks much better in 4K HDR films because we have a wide colour palette and strong light effects. Support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos is another advantage, although the speakers built into the screen are rather average. Sports enthusiasts will be pleased with the 120Hz panel with a smoothing system. When connected to a console, gaming on the television is very good due to low input lag. Motion blur is moderate, which means that it is very rare to notice slight "trails" during dynamic movements on a dark background. The lack of an HGiG mode reduces the visual quality of games in HDR format, while the absence of local dimming in VRR mode makes this latter function useless. Overall, the picture quality can be described as good and adequate for its price. There are no obvious flaws or unexpected advantages here, but there is a large size.

TCL C8L is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing Mini-LED televisions that has entered our laboratory this year. This model stands out primarily due to its excellent price-to-performance ratio. TCL has already accustomed us to aggressive pricing for its screens, but in the case of the C8 series, the manufacturer has managed to push the boundaries even further. For the amount that often only allows the purchase of mid-range models or two such models like C8K in the competitive market, here we receive equipment and specifications equal to top models. The new image processor, four full HDMI 2.1 ports, support for extreme refresh rates, and powerful peak brightness thanks to a vast number of dimming zones are arguments that are hard to overlook.

However, analysing the whole picture, one must honestly summarise the character of this television. The C8L is equipment designed more for displaying “spectacular” images rather than rigorously faithful ones. What do we mean by this? The software and algorithms managing the Mini-LED backlight zones have been tuned to favour visual appeal – the image is meant to be bright, contrasty, and striking in saturation. And what does this mean? The television has a tendency to autonomously interpret images instead of adhering to certain studio standards. For most users looking for “greater” emotions in films or games, this effect will likely be an advantage. On the other hand, purists and fans of perfectly natural images (such as us 😉) may find this behaviour too aggressive and not in line with the director's intent. Hence, we leave the final assessment on this matter to you.

Generally speaking, despite this specificity, the TCL C8L is a television that we can, and indeed must, wholeheartedly recommend. It is primarily a premium-class product, doing literally everything right... to a fault. Certain imperfections we would simply treat as features of this device rather than flaws – mainly due to the technological limitations that all Mini-LED televisions from any manufacturer on the market have accustomed us to. Ultimately, the software refinement has brought a lot to the new model, resulting in a mature, confident, and nearly complete piece of equipment.

The television is equipped with a VA panel, which has a high contrast even without the support of local dimming technology. Through additional support from Mini-LED technology, the television is able to offer really good black levels, both in muted, dark scenes and in mixed ones where black is interwoven with bright elements. It is safe to say that even in the most challenging test sequences, it achieved a result above 10,000:1. With the room fully darkened, sometimes the effect of zone dimming can be seen, in the form of a slight halo effect around text or brightening areas when a bright element moves quickly across the screen. However, this is a normal occurrence that is not bothersome. The television, like most LCD screens with local dimming, has a moderate tendency to dim the image, particularly small light sources in dark scenes.

The C8L model certainly cannot be denied one thing: an impressive specification. In the 65-inch variant we tested: the manufacturer packed in as many as 2040 independent local dimming zones (this number, of course, increases or decreases with the screen diagonal). Such a dense packing of light points has a direct impact on the depth of black. The contrast measured by us in film scenes reached impressive five- and six-digit values to one, which is a remarkable result in the LCD world. Is the algorithm perfect? Not entirely. On small, bright elements displayed against a dark background, the trained eye can still discern a slight halo effect and moments when the zones come to life, which is a natural feature of Mini-LED technology. Interestingly, in our test scene with a helicopter, the background was noticeably brighter than on competing screens. Unfortunately, TCL manipulates the brightness curve in a specific way, artificially boosting certain plans, over which we do not have full control from the device's menu. This is an evident weakness of this model that needs to be taken into account. That said, the black levels on this model will be more than satisfactory for most viewers.

Describing the HDR effect in the hundred-inch model Hisense U7KQ is not straightforward and requires broader context. As can be observed, the results are highly varied, depending on the type of scene and the intensity of the bright effects the television is meant to reproduce. In bright scenes, the device achieves over a thousand nits of brightness, which translates to vivid and realistic images – these are exactly the effects we expect from equipment of this class. Unfortunately, the situation deteriorates in darker scenes. In mixed shots, such as those in the film "Gemini Man," the television still offers good brightness at a level of 700 nits, allowing for enjoyment of high-quality content. However, problems arise in very dark scenes, where small light sources play a central role. The television does not fully utilise its capabilities here to avoid degrading the black level in adjacent areas. As a result, there is no spectacular "WOW" effect, and such frames often do not seem as if they are being produced in HDR technology.

In terms of HDR, the TCL C8L turns out to be a hellishly bright television – quite literally. On a synthetic test pattern sized at 5%, our measurement equipment indicated a result exceeding 4500 nits. This is a truly astronomical result, considering that reference monitors used by directors, which we often refer to in our materials, typically operate around 4000 nits. Does this mean that the C8L breaks barriers and climbs to the technological peak of Mini-LED? Not quite. Dry synthetic tests are one thing, while real cinematic images are another. In real, varied scenes, the C8L peaks at around 1600 nits. This is still a very good result, ensuring a very high level of HDR dynamics, but it is also clearly lower than what the manufacturer boasts in the specifications. The problems begin with very small bursts of light – at that point, brightness can drastically drop to around 600 nits. The algorithm tries at all costs to maintain deep blacks and minimise the halo effect, but this comes at the expense of HDR impact. This is perfect evidence that laboratory test patterns rarely align with what we ultimately see on the screen.

However, huge praise is due for colour reproduction, thanks to the new generation of SQD (Super Quantum Dot) quantum dots. The DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage reaches 97%, but the truly jaw-dropping measurements come from the extremely demanding BT.2020 space. The C8L achieves an impressive 90% in this space, placing it alongside today's top screens equipped with RGB backlighting. Importantly, unlike some screens with Micro/Mini RGB backlighting, this effect is stable regardless of the scene displayed. Of course, it’s worth remembering that content mastered for such a wide gamut in films or series is still rare. However, the very fact that the panel has such a "colour reserve" deserves tremendous admiration.

The best factory mode we measured was 'Filmmaker'. Despite this, its characteristics left a wide scope for comment. Let us take a look at the gamma chart, which is responsible for the depth and contrast of the image. First, we will pay attention to the orange line running through the middle of the chart, starting at point 2.4. This is the reference value of the REC.709 standard. Now, let us look at the measured value, which is marked by a white, connected multi-point. Such a significant drop in gamma to a value of 2.0 indicates a considerable decrease in contrast, resulting in an image lacking proper depth, and one could observe the so-called 'milk' effect. The next thing we tested was the white balance. Though unassuming, if poorly configured, it can alter the entire character of the image. At the beginning, the chart was progressing quite well, but as we went further, it began to be dominated by two colours: red and blue. Due to the current state of affairs, all the materials we used for testing had an unpleasant tint in those colours. However, thanks to rich calibration tools, such as an advanced colour management system (CMS) and 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustment, we were able to significantly improve the display's performance in SDR materials, as evidenced by low deltaE errors and very well-rendered gamma and white balance.

We tested the TCL C8L in the best factory mode available in the TV’s menu for image fidelity. That’s of course Filmmaker Mode, which only arrived in this brand’s software relatively recently (a year ago in the "K" series). It allows the average user to achieve quite decent colour reproduction straight out of the box, though it is certainly not perfectly tuned. Looking at the unit’s out-of-the-box white balance — in both SDR and HDR material — the red component was clearly lacking, which made the image noticeably cooler and slightly shift towards blue‑green tints. The issue of brightness management also looks ambiguous, as we mentioned earlier. While the gamma linearity in SDR content is really good and stays steadily at the reference value of 2.4, the situation in HDR is much worse. Tracking the EOTF curve clearly shows the TV has a noticeably boosted brightness across the entire range, so the final image can be excessively bright and inconsistent with the creators’ intent, and this is in a mode that by definition should avoid that. Of course, as with every sample in our lab, we subjected this one to professional calibration, and you can find the results below.

In SDR mode, after calibration, the television Hisense 100U7KQ looks excellent. There is nothing to fault in terms of colour reproduction - both pastel and strongly saturated hues are displayed according to the Rec. 709 standard. This ensures that the image looks natural and in line with the director's vision. As a result, viewers can enjoy an authentic visual experience, with colours and tonal subtleties faithfully rendered.

In HDR mode, however, there is a noticeable boost in bright tones. The television attempts to beautify the picture, which can lead to an artificial brightening. This phenomenon becomes even more evident in real scenes, where bright parts of the image may be excessively enhanced. Although the colours in HDR are generally good, they are intentionally boosted too much by the manufacturer, which can affect their naturalness.

This approach by the manufacturer to displaying images in HDR mode may not appeal to everyone, especially those who value authenticity and fidelity to original colours. However, for those who prefer more dynamic and vivid images, such an emphasis on bright tones can be an attractive solution, adding extra sparkle and impact to the scenes.

As you can see, the results of a professional calibration of the TCL C8L are truly promising, thanks to the comprehensive calibration controls the manufacturer has provided in the menu. Above all, we managed to fully correct the white balance, eliminating the red deficiency, so the image finally stopped drifting into unwanted cool tones. After that adjustment, the errors in the ColorChecker test fell to near-reference values, consistently sitting below a Delta E threshold of 2, i.e. below the visibility threshold for the human eye.

If test patterns look so perfect, you may ask us why the final score in this category is lower. The answer lies in the brightness management described earlier. Although the menu includes sliders that let you precisely straighten the EOTF curve on synthetic signals, when faced with real film material (I recommend enabling the EOTF filter when watching films), it becomes clear that the TV, in most scenarios, still responds to HDR metadata in its own way. As a result, the picture can be slightly over-bright and not faithful to the filmmakers' intent, and it is precisely for this lack of consistency with real films that we had to take a few points off the C8L's score.

The tonal transitions on the tested television can be described in one word: perfect. Throughout the test sequence, where we played very dark gradients from the most difficult scenes known to us, there was no sign of any choppiness or separating layers. These impressive results testify to the high quality of the panel and the advanced image processing algorithms. Of course, the ideal experience is maintained as long as we watch the television straight on – at an angle, the dark shades can significantly stand out, which is discussed in detail in a dedicated paragraph. It is also worth noting that such a problem can be observed with lower quality materials, but this is not the fault of the television, rather the inferior quality of the source itself.

We judge the tonal transitions in the C8L to be almost exemplary. The well-tuned panel and accompanying algorithms mean the TV handles posterization, the ugly, stepped separation of individual shades, very well. Subtle, minimal errors and slight inconsistencies in tone gradation are noticeable only in extremely dark, demanding scenes. Overall, however, when watching good-quality content at native resolution, the transitions between colours are exceptionally smooth and natural-looking.

Although the television is equipped with a feature for reducing posterisation called "Smooth Gradation," we did not notice a significant effect of its operation. Materials subjected to heavy compression, such as YouTube videos, still exhibited choppy, distinct tonal transitions, which did not look particularly favourable. While this is due to the material itself rather than the television, it would be good if there were a feature to mask these problems, similar to those found in displays from competing brands.

The image scaling, which is crucial when playing lower resolution content, is rated as average. Details are not overly blurred, and the image is not "smudged"; however, there is visible jaggedness on the edges of objects, such as branches, and a halo effect around figures and text. Although the television performs quite well, there is still room for improvement, especially in the context of displaying lower quality materials.

This year the C8 series and the higher-end models have probably received the biggest and most eagerly awaited upgrade in TCL’s history, and it concerns digital picture processing. The C8L is the entry-level model in the manufacturer's line-up that has been equipped with the latest flagship chip MediaTek Pentonic 800 (listed in the menu as MT9655). It is thanks to its computing power that the feature called "Gradual Smoothing" finally works as it should. The algorithm effectively removes unwanted posterization (ugly tonal transitions / colour banding) from the image, doing so intelligently enough that it does not degrade the sharpness of other details.

The processor also handles upscaling lower-resolution content to 4K very well. Although assessing this element can be largely academic, because the differences between today’s TVs in this class are very subtle. The most important takeaway is that TCL finally has nothing to be ashamed of compared with the competition.

The television correctly accepts a 4K signal up to 144 Hz, allowing for very smooth images to be displayed in high resolution. When the resolution is limited to Full HD, the television is capable of handling even 240 Hz, but such a signal can only be obtained from a PC. Unfortunately, the use of this feature is limited by several factors.

First of all, the Full HD resolution on a large television screen may seem insufficient, which affects image quality. Furthermore, the response time of the panel in this model is not short enough to fully utilise the refresh rate of 240 Hz. As a result, at such a high refresh rate, significant overdrive occurs, causing noticeable smearing and so-called "ghosting" behind moving objects.

It is also worth noting the motion smoothing function in the television, which operates up to 120 Hz. This is especially useful when watching sports and films, where smooth motion is crucial. The television provides stable operation of this function, minimising the amount of generated artifacts. Motion smoothness can be adjusted using two sliders – one for film smoothness and the other for reducing smearing in sports content.

In summary, although the television Hisense U7KQ offers impressive capabilities in terms of image refresh rates, limitations related to the response time of the panel and appropriate resolution may impact the actual benefits of these features. Nevertheless, the motion smoothing function works very well, improving the experience of watching dynamic content.

The TCL C8L is equipped with a fast panel with a native refresh rate of 144 Hz. This specification will be most appreciated by demanding PC gamers, while most users, who rely on consoles or TV broadcasts, will make use of a stable 120 Hz. It is at 120 Hz that the motion-processing algorithms take care of image processing (in films, series and sports). In the TV menu you'll find a "Motion Clarity" tab that allows you to tailor the motion smoothing to your own preferences. The algorithms cope well with both cinematic productions at 24 or 30 frames per second and with fast-paced sports broadcasts at 50 or 60 frames per second, ensuring appropriate smoothness.

The Hisense U7KQ television supports all the key features for gamers that users of Xbox or PlayStation consoles may expect. These features include, among others, support for high refresh rates, low input lag, and a game bar. Generally speaking, most of these features work correctly, providing a satisfying gaming experience.

However, the VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology does not function optimally. When VRR is activated, the television disables the local dimming feature, which significantly reduces image quality. In VRR mode, there is a lack of good contrast and high brightness in HDR mode, resulting in unsatisfactory image quality. In practice, this means that the VRR mode may be rarely used by gamers due to these limitations.

Additionally, the television does not support the HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) mode, which is designed to optimise HDR image quality in games. The absence of this mode leads to issues with double tone mapping – once in the television and once in the console. As a result, the quality of HDR games is lower, which may affect the overall gaming experience.

In summary, although the Hisense U7KQ offers many features for gamers, certain key aspects, such as the optimal functioning of VRR and support for HGIG, may not meet the expectations of more demanding users. Nonetheless, the television still provides good support for most standard gaming features, making it a suitable choice for a wide range of gamers.

For gamers – and especially for owners of powerful PCs and several consoles simultaneously – the TCL C8L is a true monster. It is the first model in this manufacturer's lineup to feature as many as four full HDMI 2.1 ports with a maximum bandwidth of 48 Gbps. This is directly attributable to the use of the new Pentonic 800 processor, which we discussed earlier. Additionally, the television seamlessly supports practically every gaming feature. We have an automatic game mode (ALLM) that reduces latency to minimal levels, and full frame synchronization (VRR) operating in an impressive range of up to 288 Hz. There's also talk of standards such as G-Sync or FreeSync from Nvidia and AMD. When it comes to display standards, there are no compromises either: the C8L offers complete support for HDR formats in games, including gaming Dolby Vision and the HGiG profile. We can conveniently manage all of these features from a very readable player bar (Game Bar), which we can personalise to our own preferences. From a purely gaming perspective, there's really nothing to fault the C8L on – well, maybe aside from the previously mentioned slight blurring. But other than that? It's a no-nonsense machine for gamers.

The television Hisense U7KQ is characterised by very low input lag in all picture modes, which is important for gamers requiring quick screen response. Regardless of the type of signal – whether it's 4K, Full HD, 60 Hz or 120 Hz – the delays remain below 20 ms. Such a result is excellent and ensures that even the most demanding gamers will not experience any lags during gameplay. As a result, this television deserves the highest rating in terms of gaming performance.

In our laboratory tests we measured Input Lag of below 10 ms. For a gamer this means a completely imperceptible delay. Importantly, this result can be improved further by forcing the PC to use a refresh rate above 120 Hz. A big plus is the Dolby Vision Game mode; latency there is just as low as in standard SDR and HDR10 modes.

The Hisense U7KQ television works excellently with a PC, thanks to several key features. Firstly, it supports chroma 4:4:4, which is essential for displaying text and images in the highest quality without losing detail. As a result, images and text are clear and sharp, which is particularly important for users who use the television as a monitor for work or gaming.

Additionally, the Hisense U7KQ boasts very low input lag in PC mode, meaning minimal delays between actions performed on the computer and the image displayed. This is crucial for gamers who need quick screen response to gain an advantage in fast-paced games. Low input lag ensures that every action is instantly reflected on the screen, enhancing the overall user experience.

Despite using a BGR pixel layout instead of the more traditional RGB layout, the readability of fonts on the screen is at a good level. BGR (Blue-Green-Red) is a configuration where subpixels are arranged in a different order than in standard RGB. This can sometimes affect text quality, depending on the operating system settings.

In summary, the Hisense U7KQ is a good choice for PC users, offering support for chroma 4:4:4, low input lag, and good text readability, making it a versatile device for both work and entertainment.

The TCL C8L is very well suited to use as a large-format monitor. The TV supports refresh rates up to 288 Hz at Full HD resolution, which will be appreciated by fans of e-sports titles and by owners of less powerful graphics cards in AAA games. The TV also works seamlessly with frame synchronisation systems AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync. Importantly for text work, the C8L renders most fonts correctly and legibly. Up close you can notice minor errors in the rendering of letter edges and a slight grain around them, but the issue largely disappears (or rather becomes less noticeable) when you sit at a normal, recommended distance from the screen.

The screen features a VA matrix, which unfortunately has its limitations regarding viewing angles. Unlike some competing models, Hisense U7KQ does not have any coatings that improve this aspect, meaning that the image quality significantly decreases when viewed from an angle.

With a minimal deviation from the central axis, it becomes apparent that the image contrast starts to deteriorate. Details in the dark parts of the image become excessively pronounced, and colour saturation decreases. These effects are typical for VA matrices and in practice, this means that the best viewing experience can only be achieved when sitting directly in front of the screen.

For users who plan to watch television from different spots in the room, this can be a significant limitation. Reduced image quality at an angle may impact overall satisfaction with use, especially when watching films or programmes with a larger group.

TCL C8L uses a VA-type panel, which by nature is not known for wide viewing angles. In this case, however, the manufacturer used a proprietary WHVA 2.0 panel from TCL CSOT. Therefore the viewing angles are decidedly better than in average VA panels, which is undoubtedly a plus. Colours and contrast do not degrade as drastically when moving slightly off-axis as is the case with most LCD screens. Overall, it is still at a lower level than IPS panels, and even more so OLED screens, but for a VA LCD panel the improvement is fairly noticeable.

Hisense U7KQ does not have the best anti-reflective properties, as its panel is equipped with a satin finish that is not as effective in reducing glare as the matte coatings used in some other televisions, nor does it maintain as deep a black as glossy panels. It is somewhere between these two effects. Light reflections may be visible, particularly in brightly lit rooms, which can affect viewing comfort.

However, the high peak brightness values that this model achieves effectively compensate for these limitations. Thanks to this brightness, the image remains well visible even in sunny rooms. This makes the television perform quite well in challenging lighting conditions, where other models might struggle to provide adequate image quality.

The TCL C8L is one of the brightest TVs we’ve tested so far. As you can see from the brightness chart (or rather, you might not) its peak brightness reaches an astronomical 5,000 nits (exactly 4,862). Although that falls to around 600 nits with a full-screen white field, the TV’s overall daytime performance means you can confidently call it practically ideal for very bright, sunlit living rooms. While the glossy panel used here does not suppress reflections as aggressively as matte screens, the screen’s sheer output can cut through most unwanted reflections coming from windows or other artificial light sources such as lamps.

Hisense uses the VIDAA operating system, which is a proprietary solution from this brand. Although it does not offer as much expansion and the number of applications as the popular Android TV, it has its advantages. The VIDAA system operates quickly and stably, meaning that users do not have to worry about glitches or long loading times for applications.

Nevertheless, VIDAA does have certain limitations. There are quite a few applications available, but unfortunately, there is a lack of music apps such as Spotify or Tidal. Nevertheless, VIDAA supports most standard features that may be needed, such as screen mirroring, voice search in Polish, the ability to connect a keyboard and mouse, and Bluetooth headphones.

The television also supports many other features that are important to users, such as the ability to record programmes to USB and schedule recordings. However, it lacks more specific features like teletext or "Audio Only" mode, which allows users to listen to audio with the screen turned off.

In summary, the VIDAA system, although less well-known and having certain limitations compared to Android TV, offers stable and fast performance and supports most features that users may need. It is a solid solution for those looking for a simple and effective operating system in their television.

Smart TV: Google TV

On the internet you can still come across older opinions about the TCL brand where users complained about sluggish performance or occasional freezes of the Google TV interface. In the case of the C8L model, however, there is a significant step forward. Thanks to the new processor and certain stability fixes, Google TV's responsiveness and speed are at a very high level. We can easily compare this system's level of polish with closed systems such as Tizen or webOS found in rival flagship models. The set comes with a full suite of features, led by the updated Gemini voice system.

Television features

On strictly TV matters the C8L simply does its job reliably as a television 😉. You'll find the usual standard features, such as a Bluetooth module for quick pairing of wireless headphones and the still-present teletext for use with the built-in tuners. It is, however, clearly designed primarily for modern streaming platforms. This is evident from the minimalist, modern remote control, which, unlike the cheaper C7L, does not feature a traditional numeric keypad.

The built-in media player in the Hisense U7KQ television performs well with most popular video formats; however, there may occasionally be issues with loading subtitles, which can be frustrating for users who prefer watching films with text.

It is worth noting some limitations regarding support for less popular codecs, such as AV1 and H266. Although these codecs are not yet widely used, their lack of support could pose a problem in the future as they become more common. However, for the time being, most users will not feel their absence.

Strange behaviour has been observed when playing photos – some files in certain resolutions may not load properly. This can be problematic for individuals who wish to browse their photographs directly from a USB drive. For this reason, viewing photos on this television may be limited, as some files may not load at all.

In summary, although the built-in media player of the Hisense U7KQ handles most standard video formats well, users may encounter certain limitations related to loading subtitles and photos in specific resolutions. Issues with support for less popular codecs are currently minimal but may become more significant in the future.

The built-in USB media player handles our everyday tests with no problems. It's good to see that the TV natively and smoothly opens even less common image formats, such as Apple's HEIC. We did encounter a few formats that the built-in app couldn't cope with, but with Google TV that's no obstacle. A major advantage of this platform is the ability to install any third-party player (for example VLC) directly from the Google Play store, which often completely solves file compatibility issues.

The Hisense U7KQ television offers satisfactory sound quality that is adequate for most everyday applications. The sound system of this model is characterised by good volume and clarity, making dialogues and sound effects clear. However, the television may not provide the full audio experience that can be obtained from dedicated audio systems or soundbars. One of the main audio advantages of the U7KQ is its ability to reproduce sound with minimal distortion at higher volume levels reaching up to 83dB, as well as support for Dolby Atmos and DTS.

It might seem that in terms of sound the TCL C8L will perform exactly the same as last year's C8K. After all, it again features a Bang & Olufsen audio system in a 6.2.2 configuration, with the same power and the same system features, namely Beosonic technology. Nothing could be further from the truth. The new generation sounded noticeably better in our listening tests. Why is that? To be honest, from a purely hardware point of view we don't know, but it's clear on the graphs from our measurements. Perhaps TCL has simply managed to improve the speakers' behaviour with a firmware update and better speaker tuning.

But as we always say, they are still the TV's speakers. We believe anyone who wants to fully enjoy this TV's potential will still have to buy a good soundbar or a home cinema system. The C8L offers full support for audio codecs such as Dolby Atmos and the niche DTS. Only by connecting an external audio setup will you be able to squeeze real, spatial sound from films or games and complete what you see on this TV.

Hisense U7KQ vs TCL C8L / QM8L

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Sound connection options

Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):

Senior accessibility

Smart TV: Google TV

Television features

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements