The TCL 65QM7K (2025) Smart TV is a Versatile Option for Watching Shows, Sports, Movies, and Gaming

What stands out about the 2025 edition of the TCL 65-inch QM7K smart TV is that its internal components allow it to generate a bright, smooth, and crystal clear 4K resolution picture, accompanied by good sound quality, all for a mid-range price. Thanks to the high refresh rate of the display and its fast processor, this brand name TV nicely handles high-action content, including blockbuster movies, sports, and video gaming.

If you’re looking to create more of a home theater vibe and want an affordable larger screen, TCL also offers a 75-inch, 85-inch, 98-inch, and extremely large 115-inch model of the QM7K. That said, for an average size room, a 65-inch TV is usually more than adequate to enjoy an immersive viewing experience, keeping in mind that this size TV is best viewed from between 6.5 to 9 feet away.

TCL recently provided me with a review unit of the 65-inch version of the QM7K smart TV to test. Keep reading to learn how it performed, and whether the TV is worth its $1,500 (MSRP) price. On a positive note, I’ve already seen the 65-inch version of this 2025 model TV on sale for as low as $1,098 on Amazon, and $1,100 on the TCL website.

Specifications

MSRP Price: $1,500 ($1,098 on Amazon).

Model Number: 65QM7K (2025 Model).

Display Size: 64.5-inches.

Display Type: QD-Mini LED.

Refresh Rate: 144Hz (Game Accelerator up to 288Hz).

Display Colors: 1.07 billion.

Display Brightness: Up to 2,600 nits.

Panel Type: CrystGlow HVA Panel.

HDR Formats: HDR10, HDR 10+, HGL, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision Gaming, Dolby Vision IQ.

Operating System: GoogleTV.

Processor: TCL AIPQ Pro.

Speakers: Bang & Olufsen.

Sound: Dolby Atmos Audio, DTS Virtual: X.

Game Mode: Auto Game Mode (ALLM) with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.

Ports: 4x HDMI (one with eARC); RF Input (NTSC, ATSC), Ethernet, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, Digital Audio Optical.

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5; Apple AirPlay 2; Google Chromecast; Bluetooth.

Remote Control: Google TV OS voice remote with backlit buttons included.

Measurements: 56.8 inches wide by 32.7 inches tall by 2.2 inches thick (without stand).

Weight: 62.3 pounds.

Available Screen Sizes: 55-inches, 65-inches, 75-inches, 85-inches, 98-inches, 115-inches.

Who Should Buy This TCL Smart TV?

Without spending a fortune, it’s often difficult to find a brand name TV that offers the most in-demand features combined with quality components. This is exactly what you get, however, from the 2025 version of the TCL QM7K. 

This TV checks all the boxes for someone shopping for a versatile smart TV, from screen size options, to a nicely performing display with an ultra-fast refresh rate, impressive sound quality (even without adding a soundbar or surround sound system), plenty of easily accessible ports, and a useful collection of wireless connectivity and compatibility options (including Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, and Apple AirPlay 2). 

During my testing, I discovered the 65-inch version of the TCL QM7K is a wonderful, budget-friendly TV option. It does a great job upscaling 1080p resolution content up to 4K, while also making native 4K content look sharp, bright, and smooth. I found it does a marvelous job streaming programming from popular services, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Paramount+, and Disney+, whether using Wi-Fi or an ethernet internet connection.

Compared to similarly priced smart TVs from competitors, the TCL QM7K offers a virtually lag-free and flicker-free viewing experience (with no ghosting) when watching action-oriented content like sports, movies, and video games. You also get four HDMI and two USB ports, so it’s easy to add one or more game consoles, as well as a soundbar, cable TV box, and other devices. Personally, I’m a fan of the GoogleTV operating system, too: It works with all the popular streaming services and makes it easy to find the programming you’re looking for.

TCL 65-inch QM7K Smart TV: Use Its Stand or a VESA-Compatible Wall Mount

As you’d expect, the TCL QM7K comes with a stand, which attaches to the TV using eight screws. Alternatively, it can be hung on a wall using its integrated 300 x 300 VESA hole pattern for mounting using a wall mount that’s sold separately. I noticed that placement within a room is important, based on the space’s ambient lighting. The TCL QM7K does a nice job using AI to automatically adjust backlighting and controlling color at the pixel level. In fact, AI is used to adjust contrast, color, clarity, motion, and HDR in real-time, regardless of what you’re watching.

The TV also takes advantage of up to an ultra-high contrast of 39 million:1. However, the screen itself reflects ambient light, so based on its position in a room, you may discover unwanted glares from light shining through a nearby open window or bright overhead lighting, despite the TV’s 2,600 nits maximum brightness. I found the glares to be worse when what’s being displayed uses a lot of black or other dark colors. During the day, closing the window shades and dimming the lights fixed this issue.

TCL 65-inch QM7K Smart TV: Key Features of This Mid-Range TV

Realistically, when you spend between $1,000 and $1,500 for a smart TV, you won’t get the same sound and picture quality as with a premium brand name TV priced two, three, or four times more. That said, in the mid-price range, the TCL QM7K offers an impressive collection of features that generate a picture quality that’s both visually and audibly impressive. 

Between the TV’s use of AI, its high refresh rate, and gaming capabilities (when connected to a gaming console or computer), you get a versatile TV that takes full advantage of the popular GoogleTV operating system to make it intuitive to use.

Between the GoogleTV interface, easy accessibility of popular streaming apps, and the voice-powered remote, it’s simple to take advantage of the TV’s technology to create the best viewing experience possible, regardless of what you’re watching. Beyond just relying on the AI, the easiest way to do this is to take advantage of the TCL QM7K’s picture and sound presets, which are easily accessible any time using the remote. 

If you’re not tech savvy, I’d suggest finding someone who is to initially set up the TV and install all of the appropriate apps. Once this initial setup process is completed, actually using the TV is much more straightforward.

Additional stand out features of the TCL QM7K are the location and selection of ports, and the compatibility with a handful of wireless connectivity options beyond Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Between Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2 compatibility, the TV can communicate with your Android or iOS mobile device, for example. 

As for picture and sound quality, I discovered the TCL QM7K offers more HDR protocol support than most TVs in its price range, including HDR10, HDR 10+, HGL, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision Gaming, and Dolby Vision IQ. This is nicely complemented by compatibility with an equally impressive collection of audio protocols, like Dolby Atmos Audio and DTS Virtual: X.

TCL 65-inch QM7K Smart TV: It’s a Great Gaming TV, Too

When connected to a gaming console, the TV’s Auto Game Mode (ALLM) offers AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support. Its Game Accelerator refresh rate also gets boosted up to 288Hz, which for a TV in its price range is rather impressive. 

You can download, install, and play games from the Google Play Store directly on the TV. Plus, with the help of Google Chromecast or AirPlay 2, you can easily mirror game content from a mobile device or computer. Whichever option you choose, you get a fast response rate with an input lag as low as 4.1ms.

What you don’t get from this TV (that some competitors offer) is an easy way to play online-based games from Xbox Game Pass and other services, without connecting a gaming console or computer to the TV via an HDMI cable.

My Final Thoughts: Is the TCL 65-inch QM7K Smart TV Worth It?

The TV’s speakers are from Bang & Olufsen, but as is the case with most mid-priced 65-inch TVs, if you’re looking for a truly immersive listening experience to complement what you’re watching, consider connecting the TCL QM7K with a decent quality soundbar or complete surround sound system (such as the TCL Q85H Q Class 7.1.4 Channel Sound Bar that’s priced around $500).

My favorite thing about this TV overall is its versatility. Any programming looks good, again for a TV offered at a mid price point. Especially when it’s on sale for $1,100 or less, the TV offers a great value. Based on my testing, the TCL QM7K is well suited for an average size living room, bedroom, dorm room, playroom, or home office. 

Considering what you get for the purchase price, yes, the TCL QM7K is worth it as long as your expectations are in line with what you can expect from a mid-priced TV, as opposed to a more technologically advanced model with a higher price tag (like the 2025 edition of the Samsung 65-inch Class OLED S95F 4K Samsung Vision Smart TV, which has a price tag of around $3,300).