Compare: TCL MQLED85 / C765 vs Xiaomi S Pro 2026

TCL MQLED85, or model C765, is a television that can truly surprise, especially in this price range. It is one of the cheapest models with mini-LED technology, which is immediately evident from the picture quality. The blacks are deep, and the brightness is sufficient even in a brightly lit room. Thanks to the large number of dimming zones, watching films in the evening is a pure pleasure – the blacks are genuinely deep, and the image in dark scenes appears clear. However, it is not perfect – in some shots, you can notice minor issues with small bright elements, but this is really a trifle compared to what this model offers. Google TV works excellently here – there are plenty of applications, and using the system is simply convenient. Voice control in Polish operates flawlessly, which can be particularly useful if you don’t want to type film titles using the remote. Of course, there are minor shortcomings, like the lack of recording features, but these are not things that hinder everyday use. For gamers, it is also a great option. Support for HDMI 2.1, VRR, and low input lag make the television handle consoles well and compete effortlessly with more expensive models from Korean or Japanese manufacturers. It's hard to find something better in this price range concerning smooth and responsive gameplay. During testing, we encountered a few minor software issues, but it's difficult to say if this is a significant drawback. We hope that TCL will release updates, so there is a chance this issue will be resolved quickly. TCL MQLED85/C765 is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a television with good picture quality and modern features at a reasonable price. This model combines accessible mini-LED technology with a convenient Google TV system, while also performing exceptionally well in gaming. The minor software shortcomings are something you can live with, especially considering what this television offers in its class.

Is it worth buying the Xiaomi S Pro 2026? The answer to this question is quite complicated. Let's start with what is really great about this television. First of all, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 has an excellent price-to-specification ratio. We get a Mini LED panel with very high brightness that performs exceptionally well in a sunlit living room. Additionally, it has a fast refresh rate of 144 Hz (and even 288 Hz) and a full package for gamers: two HDMI 2.1 ports, support for VRR, and remarkably low input lag (below 10 ms). If we mainly watch "regular" content and play games, this is truly a fantastic screen. Even the built-in 30W speakers are surprisingly good and support Dolby Atmos. Unfortunately, there is also a second, very problematic side to this model. In short: the software. We have the impression that Xiaomi has provided us with excellent "parts," but could not make them work together correctly. The biggest issue is the HDR mode – the primary reason for buying a television today. For unknown reasons, the television in HDR mode (HDR10, Dolby Vision) does not manage its dimming zones well. As a result, the black that should be deep becomes gray or navy blue, like in a standard LCD television. There are also other software faults such as the terrible implementation of HGiG or the fact that the Dolby Vision mode for gamers is useless due to the enormous input lag (100 ms). Additionally, the television has very poor capabilities for digital image processing. So how can this be summarised in terms of price? In its price range, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 crushes the competition in terms of specifications. Other televisions at this price point are usually basic LCD models without dimming and often only with a 60 Hz panel. The question is therefore: what is more important to you? If you are simply looking for a very bright and inexpensive television for watching TV during the day and gaming, and you are willing to calibrate it – you will be very satisfied with it. However, if you are looking for a television to enjoy stunning HDR in films and games right out of the box, you will be terribly disappointed with this model. In that case, in our opinion, it is better to pay a bit extra for a basic OLED television or a more refined Mini-LED model from the competition.

TCL MQLED85/C765 stands out due to its use of a VA panel and Mini LED backlighting, which makes a significant difference compared to traditional backlighting systems. Mini LED, with its considerably smaller diodes, allows for more precise control of the screen's backlighting, resulting in much better contrast and deeper blacks. The 55-inch model we are testing has an impressive number of over 700 local dimming zones, providing exceptional precision in image display. However, it is worth noting that the number of backlighting zones may vary depending on the screen size – for larger diagonals, the number of zones naturally increases due to the larger screen area, allowing larger displays to achieve better results in terms of contrast and black levels. Thanks to the vast number of zones, the TCL MQLED85/C765 achieved a performance comparable to OLED screens on our first test scene from the film "Oblivion," offering nearly reference-level contrast. But what happens when we test this model in even more demanding conditions? How will the television perform in more challenging scenarios? Overall, the TCL MQLED85/C765 performs very well in displaying blacks, but in some cases, the local dimming algorithm is not perfect. On dark backgrounds, smaller bright elements can lose clarity and brightness, as confirmed by our recent test scene from the Pioneer Kuro test disc. Despite some imperfections in the local dimming algorithm and the slight occurrence of the HALO effect (which is a bright halo around bright objects on a dark background caused by screen local dimming deficiencies), the results achieved by the TCL MQLED85/C765 are impressive, especially considering its price. This television offers contrast and black depth that can compete with models that are even half again as expensive.

Let's get to the point, which is what is most important in the Mini LED panel: black levels and contrast. The Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is built on a VA matrix, which already promises deep blacks from the start. Adding to that is the Mini LED backlighting with a very large number of local dimming zones. In the 65-inch variant we tested, we counted as many as 532. This is a solid number that should provide precise control over the backlighting. It should be noted that this number is proportional to the size – by choosing the smaller 55-inch variant, there will be correspondingly fewer zones, and in larger models, more.

So, how does the black level perform on the S Pro 2026? The answer is complex.

Overall, it is really quite good, and we see a clear improvement compared to the problematic model from 2025. As you can see from our measurement charts, the results are sometimes spectacular. In most of the film scenes we measured in SDR (standard dynamic range), the contrast could be confidently described as very good and even comparable to designs three times as expensive. Well, it could be... and here we come to the paradox of this model. The issue is how the television manages the zones in scenarios other than SDR. As soon as we feed the television a higher-quality signal, such as an HDR series or Dolby Vision from streaming platforms (Netflix, HBO Max or Disney+), something strange happens. We have the undeniable impression that the television suddenly... forgets that it has been equipped with local dimming zones at all. As can be seen in our video below, the black levels in such scenes resemble more shades of dark grey or navy blue. Additionally, there is a subtle flickering of the entire screen. This is a level we would expect from televisions entirely devoid of a local dimming system. It seems that Xiaomi decided to fix one, but key, flaw of last year's 2025 model over the course of a year. And they succeeded – we no longer have the annoying "zone disco", the image is stable. It's just a shame that when consuming content of the highest quality (HDR), this entire advanced system becomes completely useless.

The television TCL MQLED85/C765 handles HDR well. In the tested movie scenes where the screen is covered with 100% brightness, the model achieves impressive results of around 1000 nits, providing intense and realistic rendering of HDR content. However, similar to contrast, the dimming algorithm may exhibit certain limitations. Despite a large number of Mini LED zones, the television does not always manage to "wow" the user with brightness in very challenging test scenes. For example, in the scene from the film "Life of Pi," where a bright moon appears against a dark background, and in another scene from "Sicario 2," where a very bright light effect is visible on a dark background, the television did not reach maximum intensity. For users expecting perfect HDR performance in such extreme cases, the TCL MQLED may be slightly disappointing. However, in terms of colours, the television stands out with very high coverage of the DCI P3 colour palette at 95%, which is an impressive result, comparable to much more expensive models. TCL MQLED85 / C765 offers support for various HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, which is significant for cinema image enthusiasts. Although this model achieves brightness over 1000 nits, TCL MQLED85 may struggle to reflect details in very high-contrast scenes. For better HDR quality control, C765 is equipped with a dynamic tone mapping option, making the image more realistic and natural depending on the content.

When it comes to HDR quality, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is undoubtedly a very bright television. On our synthetic measurement patterns, we were able to generate peak brightness of around 1400 nits. This result is not only very good but truly spectacular, considering the price of this model. However, as we always emphasise, for our editorial team, measurements and the experiences from the content viewed on a daily basis - from films and series - are more important. So let's analyse how the Xiaomi performs with film material. The result is, unfortunately, quite mixed. When very bright scenes appear on screen, the S Pro 2026 really shows its full potential and can achieve a real 800-1000 nits in bright elements. Moreover, even smaller objects can "burn" the eyes - in scenes from the film Sicario 2, small metal elements of the helicopter were truly vivid. The problem is that - and here the story comes full circle back to our contrast assessment - in such scenes we cannot count on absolutely cinematic black. In our opinion, this compromise is too great; high visibility of details in bright areas should not come at the cost of such a significant boost to black levels. And although the HDR effect itself can make a stunning impression here, it is essential to remember that when very challenging, mixed scenes appear on screen, we might feel a slight disappointment. Exactly the one we mentioned in the previous paragraph regarding issues with dimming in HDR mode. As a consolation, it is worth adding that the S Pro 2026 has been equipped with an additional PFS filter (similar in function to a QLED layer), which effectively broadens the colour gamut coverage. As a result, measurements showed DCI-P3 coverage reaching up to 94%. This gives us confidence that in most colourful scenes, the image will appear rich and appropriately saturated.

The television TCL MQLED85/C765 was tested in movie mode, which, although it seems to be the best setting from the manufacturer, is not without flaws. The colour reproduction in HD/SDR mode MQLED85 shows some shortcomings. In the analysis of white balance, there is a significant lack of blue, which can affect the overall image quality, especially in bright scenes where blue shades are crucial for natural representation. The overall shape of the image may then appear too warm. Regarding gamma contrast, the graph shows a large jump above the reference line of 2.4 at the beginning, which may suggest significant dimming of brightness in darker areas, leading to loss of detail in black. Then, for most of the time, the values lie below this line, which may lead to loss of detail in brighter parts of the image. Such a distribution can negatively impact perceived image quality, particularly when watching regular television in HD quality.

In the case of 4K HDR image quality of the TCL MQLED85/C765, there is a noticeable excess of red in the analysis of white balance. This excess can significantly affect the viewer's experience, leading to several significant effects. Firstly, an excessive amount of red can make other colours, such as green or blue, appear muted or unnatural. This distortion of colour balance can result in an overall impression of "over-saturation," which detracts from the naturalness and authenticity of the image. As for contrast, the EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) graph indicates that most values are above the reference line, suggesting an intense boost in brightness in bright areas of the image. However, there is an exception at the beginning of the graph, where the EOTF line is below the reference line, which can lead to excessive dimming of small light elements.

Users should be aware that despite using the best mode, which is movie mode, the television is not free from flaws in terms of image settings, so it is worth considering adjusting the settings to achieve better results.

Of course, all our measurements were carried out in "Film" mode, which is typically the best and most accurate choice we get straight out of the box. It needs to be said plainly: although it is the best mode, it is still very far from ideal. Firstly, the television has a clear tendency to impart a cool, bluish tint to the image – this is due to a poorly set white balance. Additionally, there is the issue of how the S Pro 2026 manages its brightness straight out of the box, which results in an overly vivid image. These two flaws contribute to truly significant colourimetric errors (Delta E). In HDR content, they were able to exceed our anticipated error scale of "10" by twofold (meaning values close to 20). As a reminder – the threshold for perceivable error by the human eye is a Delta E value of around 3. Results at the level of 20 indicate that the image significantly deviates from what the director intended.

After the professional calibration of the television TCL MQLED85/C765, its colour properties in movie mode have significantly improved, resulting in a much more satisfying visual experience. Both in SDR and HDR modes, the white balance shows no serious errors, and the graph appears much better harmonised. Users can now enjoy natural colour reproduction, which is crucial for obtaining an authentic experience when watching films. It is worth noting that in HDR content, there may be slight colour reproduction errors at the end of the graph, but these are much smaller than before calibration. As a result, characters and landscapes become more realistic, enhancing the depth of immersion in the story.

In terms of contrast, the gamma curve, responsible for HD quality, has been completely free of drops below the reference line, meaning better detail visibility in dark scenes. Nevertheless, there is still a slight boost at the beginning of the graph, which may affect the perception of bright elements. For HDR content, the EOTF curve also exhibits smaller errors, although certain issues with medium tone reproduction may still be noticeable. The EOTF curve measured on actual movie scenes still shows a significant brightness boost, making the image appear more intense but artificially brightened. This is a typical problem for TCL televisions, which may appeal to inexperienced viewers, but can be irritating for those more familiar with an ideal image.

What benefits does professional calibration bring for film enthusiasts? Thanks to it, viewing becomes even more realistic and immersive, and each scene can be fully experienced, preserving details and natural colours.

So how does the S Pro 2026 perform after our calibration procedure? We have to admit that after calibration, the television becomes a really very pleasant device for watching everyday content. As you can see in the graphs, in HD (SDR) materials, both white balance and gamma values have been brought to nearly perfection. Most importantly, colourimetric errors have become practically unnoticeable to the human eye. In this scenario, the S Pro 2026 is simply an excellent television that, after professional calibration, can provide a lot of enjoyment from watching. However, it is worth clearly noting – our efforts have not helped much in 4K HDR mode. Despite the calibration, the television still interprets the image quite strongly "in its own way," which is clearly visible in the measurement of the EOTF curve (brightness tracking). It’s a bit of a shame, as it shows that the problem lies not in the panel itself, but in the software. Underdeveloped image management algorithms in HDR content can, unfortunately, rule out this television for many more discerning users.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in the television TCL MQLED85/C765 is quite decent, although some issues are noticeable in both bright and dark test scenes. In particular, colour blending is evident in the scene from the film "The Green Knight", where the red colour of the water transitions to black. Despite these imperfections, the overall quality of gradation is acceptable and does not overly detract from the visual experience. The television handles most scenes well, offering satisfactory tonal transitions, which contributes to an overall pleasing visual experience that will not spoil our cinema enjoyment.

Let us now turn to the analysis of tonal transitions, that is, the fluidity with which the television can render transitions between closely related shades. In the case of the Xiaomi S Pro 2026, the image that emerges from this is distinctly ambivalent. On the one hand, we have bright gradations. When scenes with a blue sky or other smooth transitions in the light areas of the image appear on the screen, the S Pro 2026 handles them exemplary. They look perfectly smooth, with no visible artefacts.

Unfortunately, the situation changes dramatically as soon as dark scenes take the stage on the screen. Frankly speaking – they look really poor. Instead of a smooth tonal transition in the darkness, the screen very clearly shows the joins of colours and unappealing "stepping" of the gradients. This is very noticeable in darker films or games and can effectively ruin the viewing experience.

Let’s take another look at the tonal transitions in the TCL MQLED85/C765 television, but in the context of poorer image quality. Despite the presence of the "Gradual Smoothing" option, when set to "low," the effects are practically invisible, disappointing users expecting an improvement in image quality. On the other hand, the "high" setting produces minimal results, and worse still, it can blur significant details, negatively affecting the sharpness and clarity of the displayed image. However, in the context of image scaling, the television successfully displayed the image without overscan, meaning we do not lose any part of the view. The image looks rather decent, and details such as tree branches or the outlines of models do not exhibit significant jaggedness, which positively impacts the visual quality.

Let's start with the issue we raised in the previous paragraph: can the television actually fix the problem of dreadful tonal transitions in dark scenes? Theoretically, yes – in the menu, we find a feature with the promising name "Colour Contour Removal." Well, "theoretically." Unfortunately, in practice, this setting – regardless of which of the three power levels is chosen – yielded absolutely no real results. So we are dealing with a feature that, in practice, only exists in the menu. Moving on to the quality of upscaling (scaling the image from a lower resolution to 4K), unfortunately, we have more bad news for you. The S Pro 2026 performs very poorly at this task. Interestingly, the phenomenon of "overscan" (slight cropping of the image) is not a major issue here. The fact is that the television simply displays a very raw, unprocessed image. Its attempt to upscale the signal to a higher resolution looks simply lacklustre and lacks any form of "intelligent" improvement. There is no denying it – the entire digital image processing is the real Achilles' heel of this model.

TCL MQLED85/C765 is equipped with a panel featuring a standard refresh rate of 120 Hz, with the capability to increase to 144 Hz when connected to a powerful computer. The television also offers a multi-level motion smoother, primarily aimed at users wishing to enhance motion fluidity in films. It allows for the adjustment of effect intensity on a scale from 0 to 10, enabling precise tuning of image smoothness to individual preferences. The response time of the panel is decent, but not perfect. We can observe blurring occurring behind both dark and medium objects.

On paper, the S Pro 2026 specification looks impressive. The television is equipped with a native 144 Hz panel, with the ability to display images at up to 288 Hz in a dedicated gaming mode. These are amazing results, but what interested us most, in the context of everyday use, was how the television handles motion blur and how the image looks at 120 Hz. After all, this is the frequency used by consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, and it is desired by sports fans. Generally, the panel "holds up". The matrix is sufficiently fast to meet these challenges, and objects displayed at native 120Hz fluidity are shown correctly. As for the software, the television is equipped with motion smoothing technology; however, with a key caveat – it works only for input signals up to 60 Hz. This means it is primarily suitable for traditional television, films, and series. Thanks to this, we can adjust the fluidity of the image to our own preferences – from a very smooth, "theatrical" approach to setting the slider to "zero" and maintaining a fully cinematic character.

TCL MQLED85/C765 has received an impressive rating in the gaming features category, making it an excellent choice for gaming enthusiasts. The television supports all the latest technologies that significantly enhance the gaming experience. Among the key gaming features is ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which automatically switches the TV to low-latency mode, minimising response time and ensuring smooth gameplay. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) functioning in the range of 48 to 144 Hz eliminates stuttering and screen tearing in dynamic game scenes. Additionally, the TV supports Dolby Vision Game Mode, which provides better image quality in games with exceptional colour depth and contrast. TCL MQLED85/C765 also features a decent if not the best implementation of HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), optimising HDR game display; however, for TCL, it causes detail in whites to be brightened, resulting in some elements merging into a white blob - we can read more about this in the colour reproduction section. It supports various resolutions, such as 1080p@120Hz, 1440p@120Hz, and 4K@120Hz, allowing players to enjoy higher image quality and better fluidity. The Game Bar feature allows easy switching between game settings and quick parameter control, greatly simplifying the adjustment of the television to individual needs. With support for G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, users of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards will be pleased with the refresh rate synchronisation capabilities, eliminating tearing and stuttering issues, thereby providing a smoother and more immersive gaming experience.

MQLED85/C765 is a television that combines advanced technologies and excellent support for gamers, making it the perfect choice for those who wish to maximise their gaming experiences.

For gamers, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is almost an ideal proposition on paper. It is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports, which allow us to unlock (although these options are somewhat hidden in the menu) the full package of features: ALLM, VRR and, crucially, the ability to work in 4K at 144 Hz. This last feature should particularly please the owners of powerful PCs. The television also has something resembling a gamer panel – and although it's hard to call it a fully-fledged "Gamebar", it serves its purpose by displaying key information. It’s just a shame that in its default form, it obscures a relatively large portion of the screen.

The biggest issue we have with this model, however, concerns how the S Pro 2026 handles games in HDR mode. To put it bluntly: it doesn’t handle it well at all. Due to the television having a poorly implemented HGiG feature (the HDR tone mapping standard for games), it is very easy to "overexpose" the image during initial HDR calibration on the console. If someone is unaware of this software flaw and follows the on-screen instructions, they will simply set the image incorrectly, resulting in burnt-out details in the bright areas. Another major problem is the Dolby Vision mode for games. While it does work, it generates such a high input lag that it becomes noticeable in dynamic titles. (You can check all our lag measurements in the paragraph below). In summary: Generally speaking, this is a really very good screen for gamers, but with one small caveat. We would rather avoid using HDR mode on it – unless we decide to manually set the brightness bar on the console "by eye", completely ignoring the instructions from the console’s pictogram.

The latency time on the TCL MQLED85 television reaches impressively low levels in all conditions. Even the most demanding gamers will surely appreciate the minimal input lag of just 8 ms at 4K 120 Hz settings with HDR. Moreover, the latency remains at the same level even with Dolby Vision HDR turned on, which is not the case for many competing models.

We move on to one of the most important measurements for gamers, namely signal delay (input lag). Overall, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 performs excellently here. Generally, in game mode, the lag is very low. With 120 Hz content (from consoles or PCs), we easily achieved results below 10 ms. These are truly outstanding results and, in practice, completely imperceptible for most people, even those very sensitive to lag. Unfortunately, there is one "but" that constitutes the biggest flaw of this model in gaming. This is concerning the Dolby Vision Gaming mode. When this mode is activated, input lag rises to an astronomical level of around 100 ms. At this value, the delay between our movements on the controller (we tested on an Xbox console) and what is displayed on the screen becomes really significant and irritating. Therefore, our recommendation is simple: we absolutely do not recommend using the Dolby Vision Gaming mode on this television.

TCL MQLED85 will perform well as a computer monitor. With support for chroma 4:4:4, the text on the screen is sharp and legible, which is important for those working with word documents or spreadsheets. One of the greatest assets of this model is its exceptionally low input lag in "PC" mode, which is just 8 ms. This is a reference-level result that ensures fluidity and responsiveness, crucial for both gamers and those engaged in video editing. However, it is worth noting that there is a certain issue related to font display on dark backgrounds. When zooming in on the tested font image, one can see that the horizontal lines are darker compared to the vertical ones. This means that the sub-pixels in the television do not fully illuminate in this case, which can affect the quality of the displayed text. Nevertheless, the overall performance of TCL MQLED85 as a computer monitor is very good and will certainly meet the expectations of many users.

Generally, when it comes to gaming, the S Pro 2026 is a fantastic screen for PC owners. It offers a refresh rate of up to 288 Hz at Full HD resolution or a full 144 Hz at 4K. All of this, supported by technologies such as AMD FreeSync or G-Sync, really caters to very demanding gamers. And what about "desktop" work? Here we have good news. Although the displayed font may not be perfectly sharp (like on a dedicated PC monitor with an IPS panel), it is presented in a really pleasant and readable manner. This is due to the proper implementation of Chroma 4:4:4 sampling, which ensures that text is clear and there are no issues with coloured fringes.

The viewing angles on the TCL MQLED85 television are not its strong suit. The use of a VA panel means that the picture loses a significant amount of brightness when viewed at an angle. Changing the viewer's position, especially when watching with a larger group, can cause colours to appear less saturated and the contrast to become less pronounced. For this reason, it is recommended to sit directly in front of the screen to fully enjoy the picture quality. Although the television offers excellent colour reproduction from a direct view, the loss of brightness and detail at an angle can be problematic for those planning to use the television in a larger room or from different locations.

As for a television equipped with a VA panel, we must admit that the decrease in brightness when deviating from the screen's axis is relatively small in the Xiaomi S Pro 2026. However, one must remember the second, crucial aspect – colour saturation significantly degrades at angles. This is typical behaviour for televisions with VA panels that do not have additional coatings to widen viewing angles. Is this a downside of this television? Probably not. It's simply a characteristic, the price we have to pay for the key qualities of a VA panel in the form of its high native contrast.

MQLED85 performs reasonably well in daytime conditions, and it is worth noting the satin finish of the panel. Although it doesn't handle reflections perfectly, it offers decent performance in various lighting conditions. An average brightness level of over 600 nits is an impressive achievement, allowing for comfortable viewing even in well-lit rooms. As a result, the television performs well both during the day and during evening movie sessions, providing satisfactory picture quality.

Due to its very high peak brightness, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 performs exceptionally well in brightly lit rooms. In most scenarios, it is capable of "cutting through" even very strong room lighting. However, it should be noted that the matrix used here averages out in terms of reflecting light. This means that in darker areas of the image, or when the television is displaying a dark scene, direct reflections (e.g. the reflection of a window or lamp) may be annoying. Nevertheless, the S Pro 2026, as a television for a bright living room, will perform very well indeed, thanks to its tremendous brightness.

TCL MQLED85 television offers many features that enhance user comfort, with the centrepiece of its functionality being the Google TV system. This modern interface allows for easy content searching as well as access to applications available in the Google Play store. Users can utilize voice search in Polish, which greatly facilitates navigation and allows for the quick discovery of interesting programmes, films, or applications. It is also worth noting that Google TV is currently the only system on the market that does not restrict Polish users in accessing applications, offering the greatest availability among all platforms. However, in the context of traditional television viewing, this television has its limitations. It does not offer recording functionality, which may be a significant drawback for those who would like to save their favourite programmes. Additionally, the absence of the Picture-in-Picture (PIP) option limits the ability to simultaneously follow several video sources. On the other hand, the television features the "MultiVision" function, which allows for screen division between the television and a mobile device. This enables users to use applications on their phone while simultaneously watching a television programme. This solution will certainly appeal to those who enjoy multitasking and want to watch television while using social media or browsing the internet on their smartphone. Despite certain limitations, the TCL MQLED85 presents itself as a solid option for users who value modernity and functionality.

Operating System (Google TV)

The enormous advantage of the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is undoubtedly the presence of the Google TV system. This gives us access to a gigantic library of applications – we can find literally everything here, from leading VOD platforms to niche players. The system also offers a plethora of useful features, such as a built-in Chromecast, support for AirPlay and Screen Mirroring, as well as an efficiently functioning voice search. The Google TV system itself is great, but one must take a slight grain of salt with its implementation by Xiaomi. During our tests, it occasionally exhibited what could be described as a "breathlessness." Animations could stutter slightly, and the response to commands was not immediate. This is certainly not the level of fluidity that we are accustomed to with top-tier, significantly more expensive models equipped with more powerful processors.

Television Features and Connectivity

How does the S Pro 2026 perform as a "regular" television? Unfortunately, here we have less good news. In terms of traditional television viewing, we can only commend this model mainly for having a convenient remote control with a numeric keypad – which (surprisingly) is not a standard today. However, this is where the conveniences end. We will not find either USB recording functionality (PVR) or a PiP (Picture-in-Picture) option. On the plus side, we appreciate the extensive Bluetooth connectivity options. We were able to connect external devices to the television, such as wireless headphones, a keyboard, or a mouse, without any issues, which significantly simplifies operation.

Thanks to the built-in player, the television is capable of playing most file formats found on external storage devices, making it a versatile tool for consuming multimedia. However, there may be certain limitations in supporting some formats, which could be annoying for more demanding users. Fortunately, the Google TV system allows the installation of other media players from Google Play, which helps eliminate compatibility issues. As a result, users have the option to choose applications that best meet their needs, significantly enhancing the functionality of the television.

The built-in, default media player in the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is – given the capabilities of the Google TV system – simply weak. Its biggest drawback is the fact that it does not support characters other than those from the standard alphabet. As a result, it does not display, among others, Polish fonts in subtitles or file names. Fortunately, as we have already mentioned, the heart of the television is Google TV. This system allows for the quick installation of an external, significantly better player, such as VLC or Kodi. For this television, we recommend installing an alternative player immediately after the first start-up.

The sound of the television TCL MQLED85 can be described as decent, making it sufficient for daily viewing of films, television programmes, and games. The speakers branded by Onkyo offer surprisingly good audio quality, and the sound does not screech or distort even at higher volumes.

We have to admit that the S Pro 2026 has pleasantly surprised us. The television is equipped with a 30W speaker system, which, for its class, sounds really very good. There is even a noticeable hint of bass, and the mid and high tones are quite well balanced. Of course, all of this is within the capabilities of what the television's speakers can deliver, yet it is a level we did not expect from such a relatively inexpensive model. A huge plus is also the support for top audio technologies. The television is capable of decoding not only the very popular Dolby Atmos format but also the recently quite rarely seen DTS:X, which we mainly find on Blu-ray discs.

TCL MQLED85 / C765 vs Xiaomi S Pro 2026

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:

Operating System (Google TV)

Television Features and Connectivity

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements