Chinese electronics brand TCL has been making great big-screen TVs for the U.S. market for years now. Blending eye-popping visuals with incredible value, their new QM7 class are the official partner for Call of Duty Black Ops 6 for a reason. Paired with their Q85H soundbar, the TCL ecosystem is built to deliver one of the best gaming experiences of 2024.
The TCL QM7’s picture quality is one of its standout features. Equipped with mini-LED backlighting and a QLED panel, the set offers impressive brightness which is particularly beneficial for bright rooms and highlights in HDR content. It supports HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG formats, which means you can enjoy a range of HDR content in vivid color and it’s Certified IMAX enhancement so it should stay future-proof for a good long while. It may not reach the precision of OLED for black levels but the QM7’s high contrast and bright highlights still produce a striking image. Couple all of this with its high framerate capabilities and the QM7 handles everything from gaming to movies to sports like a champ.
Gaming is a strong suit for the QM7 and TCL obviously had gamers in mind when designing this set. Many of the cues are there in service of making this an excellent companion for console or PC gaming with the 144Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 support making it an easy, plug-and-play solution to make games shine, regardless of platform or graphics load. The Q7M’s HDR capabilities goes far in making games like Call of Duty Black Ops 6 look especially great, even when it tends toward darker settings. The end result is a fluid gaming experience that’s suitable for any game that gets thrown at it.
In terms of design, the QM7 is functional and modern, though not flashy. It comes with a central stand that’s solid and stable, though it can be a bit wide and obtrusive, which may be a consideration if you plan to place a soundbar like the intentionally paired TCL Q85H in front. The QM7 is available in a range of sizes, from 55 inches to 98 inches, catering to various room setups and viewing preferences. The TV has a sleek frame and narrow bezels that don’t detract from the viewing experience, giving it a minimalist and clean look.
Connectivity options are generous on the TCL QM7, especially for gamers and those with multiple media devices. It includes four HDMI ports, supporting 4K at high refresh, along with a variable refresh rate option and a low-latency game mode that perform especially well with the current breeds of Xbox and Playstation consoles. Additionally, it has USB ports, an Ethernet port, and support for Wi-Fi 5, which provides fast, stable internet connectivity for streaming content natively.
Running Google TV as its operating system, the QM7 offers a smooth and intuitive smart experience. Google TV provides access to a wide selection of streaming apps, content recommendations, and integration with Google Assistant, which allows for easy voice control. You can also stream content from compatible devices using Apple AirPlay and Google Cast. The UI is responsive and intuitive, easy to pick up and use out of the box. Setup took well under an hour.
It’s worth saying that the Q7M has noticeably great sound output even when just using the built-in speakers. The set itself is capable of Dolby Atmos audio and spits out surprisingly crisp sound and deep bass for such a small form factor. Of course, connecting it to the versatile and powerful Q85H TCL soundbar is a gamechanger for those looking to have a more theatrical experience at home or even for gamers who eschew headsets in favor of a more natural and immersive soundscape without the discomfort of head-squeezing headphones during long gaming sessions.
The partner soundbar also performs admirably on its own. Not only does it enhance all the audio qualities of the QM7 TV, it features wifi and bluetooth for music streaming, sonic tuning and auto room calibration to make sure it fills whatever living space it calls home. The wireless subwoofer rounds out the soundscape with deep bass for a 3D audio experience that makes it a one and done solution for music, home theater and gaming.
Overall, the TCL QM7 class of TVs is one of the best lineups on the market right now and some of TCL’s most thoughtfully designed TVs to date. With the 55” I tested starting at $499 on Amazon, the start of the show might actually be the enormous 98” version of the QM7 that boasts all these same features but comes in at $2298, an absurd deal for that much TV.
