When it comes to bang for your buck, TCL TVs have been a fantastic choice for several years now. Offering feature-rich, fantastic picture-quality, and easy on the budget options, the TCL 55’’ QM6K QD-MiniLED TV is the definition of mid-range excellence. I was able to put it through the paces over the past couple of weeks to see if it is all that and more.
First of all, as always, the unboxing is about what you’d expect from a TV. Not a whole lot of fancy occasions to be found, but it is very low on packaging, which I appreciate from both an environmental standpoint and having to fit it all back in the box once the TV is out. In the box, you get the TV itself (I was provided the 55” model), the quick start manual, the backlit remote, two batteries, and the feet for the TV to stand upon.
Pretty standard stuff, and yet it still feels like a special occasion when you get to peel the protective film from the edges and screen, which is, incidentally, my favourite part of getting new electronics, hands down.
Physically speaking, the TCL 55’’ QM6K features a thin bezel surrounding the display, which is less noticeable than one would think when viewing the screen when it’s on. It is widest along the bottom, which, for aesthetics, is a brushed metal that matches the actual frame of the display as well. Not only is it visually appealing, but it helps reinforce the thought that the TV is sturdy and not made cheaply.
The TV itself is quite thin and lightweight, coming in at a respectable 27.3 lbs with the feet on. While on the subject of the TV’s stability, the two feet hold the unit quite nicely, with shakiness and wobble at a minimum if the stand the TV rests upon is bumped or nudged. While I appreciate the two feet, I still prefer my TVs to have a central mounting stand, as it lends to more options for placement.
In my two TV living room setup, my Sony X930D sits on a smaller stand due to its central mount, whereas my other TV was replaced by the QM6K as it rests upon the larger stand that could accommodate the two feet design.
“…the TCL 55’’ QM6K QD-MiniLED TV is the definition of mid-range excellence.”
The TCL 55’’ QM6K has a 4K resolution screen that is equipped with QLED technology. This allows the TV to provide a huge range of colours (1.07 billion, in fact) and drastically increased brightness. While on the topic of brightness, the QM6K utilizes QD-MiniLED technology, which combines the best parts of both OLED and QLED technologies to offer higher peak brightness and longer panel lifespan. In my testing, I checked out some seriously dark movies and games, such as The Batman, Until Dawn, and Silent Hill 2, and the results were beyond my expectations.
Staying with picture quality for just another moment, the QM6K’s HDR ups the standard for what an affordable TV can offer. Compatibility with HDR10, HDR 10+, HLG, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision gaming, and Dolby Vision IQ ensures that whatever you are watching or playing, you’ll be able to see it at its absolute best. When I was playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows, I could really see the world jump off the screen, as the TCL 55’’ QM6K’s HDR worked to bring it to life in stunning 4K.
The QM6K utilizes the TCL AiPQ Pro Processor, which uses unique tuning algorithms to fine-tune the image quality at a pixel level. This ensures that you’re getting the absolute best quality image every time you use the TV. I experienced no motion issues, apart from a frame skip on two separate episodes of Bluey that I watched with my daughter, and nothing else, even when watching high-speed content like Formula 1.
“When I was playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows, I could really see the world jump off the screen, as the QM6K’s HDR worked to bring it to life in stunning 4K.”
The TCL 55’’ QM6K features a native 144Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution and up to a 240 Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) for gaming. This means that your games will flow with no visual gameplay lag, meaning you won’t be able to blame the equipment for that death streak in Call of Duty. This, combined with the included Motion Rate 480, means that your images will appear clearer on your screen when in motion, reducing blurring so you can make out what you’re looking at clearly.
In terms of physical inputs, the TCL 55’’ QM6K features 4 HDMI inputs (1 eARC input), 1 RF Input, 1 Ethernet port, 1 USB-A 2.0 & 1 USB-A 3.0, and a singular SPDIF Digital Audio Optical port. All of these ports are located on the right side of the TV (if you’re looking at the screen) and are easily accessible to ensure your connections are secure and easy to change up. It also supports Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), should your router be too far away to run the Ethernet cable to.
When it comes to sound, the QM6K is serviceable, which is about what you’d expect from a TV these days. It’s not going to blow you away with incredible audio quality, nor is it terrible. I found the two rear-facing 10W speakers and 20W built-in subwoofer perfectly adequate for the job I was asking them to do. I would normally have my TV hooked up to a sound bar at minimum, but it remained unplugged for the duration of my testing.
I would have much preferred the speakers to be angled in such a way that the sound is projected towards the listener, as it reduces the noise (for lack of a better word) that the sound waves pick up after bouncing off your walls to get to your ears. All that said, the speakers did just fine, and the average person will be unconcerned by it.
One of the best things about the QM6K is the integration of Google TV. Google TV is the QM6K’s home screen and is where you’ll find all of your apps and recommendations. It is extremely easy to use, and easy to add new apps to the list. In setting up any new device, the hardest part is usually logging in to all of the apps again, which usually means forgotten passwords.
However, with Google TV integration, all I needed to do was log in to my Google account, where I have all my passwords saved, and open each app to log in with the saved password. This made the experience take about 10 minutes total, which would have been at least quadruple that if I had to do it all manually.
Lastly, and arguably, most importantly, we come to the price. For what you get from the QM6K, it is an absolute bargain, coming in at $799.99 CAD ($498 USD). There is a whole lot of TV to be found in this package, and it is well worth the price. If the 55-inch model is too small for your setup, the TCL has you covered with four additional sizes: 65-inch for $999.99 CAD, 75-inch for $ 1299.99 CAD, 85-inch for $1999.99 CAD, and a staggering 98-inch for $2999.99 CAD.
The TCL 55’’ QM6K is a spectacular TV that ticks all of the boxes for average home use, even the bang-average speakers. I can highly recommend this TV since there is so much to like, and the price doesn’t break the bank like some other TVs can.
- TCL QM6K QD-MINI LED TV SERIES – AFFORDABLE PREMIUM PERFORMANCE FOR SPORTS, GAMING & STREAMING. Experience superior contrast, rich color, and ultra-smooth motion with TCL’s QD-Mini LED technology. Designed to outperform traditional QLED and OLED TVs, the QM6K is the best TV for every moment—whether you’re streaming, gaming, or watching the big game.
- QD-MINI LED. IT’S MINI LED PLUS QLED COLOR – BREATHTAKING BRIGHTNESS AND COLOR IN ANY LIGHT. Combines ultra-precise Mini LEDs with Quantum Dot technology for incredible brightness, bold contrast, and over a billion vibrant colors.
