The TCL QM6K Trades Picture Punch for Refined Performance

You will, of course, have to sign a bit of your life away as far as personal data, so pay close attention before accepting terms. You may also want to mute the TV’s onboard microphone and just use the new angular remote’s central key to summon Google Assistant. As for the remote, it’s backlit and generally well laid out but TCL’s decision to move the mute key away from the volume to the very top left is … a choice.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

A Light Touch

Adjusting the picture is nearly as simple as setup. I recommend starting with the Filmmaker Mode, as it offers good default settings and disables garish ones like motion smoothing. I made a few tweaks, starting with turning off the Adaptive Brightness under the Eye Health tab. In SDR mode, I backed off the Contrast a smidge and raised the backlight significantly. Don’t hesitate to crank it in SDR—some modes, like Standard, have the backlight maxed which is telling, and anything below the halfway point keeps the TV in Eco mode. In HDR, the backlight is already set to the highest level as it should be.

For Dolby Vision shows and movies, I think most people will appreciate the splashier Dolby Vision Bright, though you’ll want to turn off the motion smoothing. Unlike many budget (and some premium) TVs, the QM6K’s Dolby Vision Dark mode is perfectly usable even with darker content, but it can look a little dim and lackluster.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

Balanced Beauty

Once I locked in the QM6K, I was pleased to discover it provides one of the most balanced and well-rounded performances you’ll find at this level, and even above. The TV doesn’t bank on its brightness to be sure. TCL claims a 53 percent increase over last year, but that still puts the TV well below 1,000 nits, while Hisense’s fiery U7N pushes well above that mark. The QM6K doesn’t have the same vivid pop as that model, but it adds enough punch to satisfyingly light up HDR highlights like sunlight splashing on water, laser bursts, and explosions.

Brightness plays a big part in any TV’s impact, but contrast is key and the QM6K’s black levels are among the best I’ve seen in its class. It can’t match the depths of premium QLED TVs with the lights off like Sony’s Bravia 9 (9/10, WIRED Recommends), let alone OLED TVs, but it holds its own admirably. Even in low lighting, picture aspects like letter boxes or the depths of space look positively oily.