TCL 98QM8K Feature Scores
Explore all 91 feature scores for TCL 98QM8K, organized into pros and cons.
Scores by Feature
Summary
91 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.020 (22%)
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Positive 3.5-4.439 (43%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.416 (18%)
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Negative 1.5-2.416 (18%)
Pros
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Peak HDR output is extraordinarily high, making highlights look brilliant on the giant panel. At the very highest settings, that intensity can become uncomfortable or bring out fan noise.
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HDR highlights glow with unusually strong intensity, even across a nearly 100-inch screen. Some settings trade maximum output for more comfortable viewing.
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The 98QM8K produces an impressive cinematic picture with vivid color, strong brightness, and deep contrast. Its most demanding scenes can reveal processing imperfections.
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Blooming around subtitles and bright objects is usually very limited. Demanding patterns and off-axis views can still reveal some halos.
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Deep, convincing blacks are a highlight of the local-dimming system, especially in dark-room viewing.
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The many local-dimming zones control dark scenes exceptionally well, creating impressive contrast without conspicuous backlight spill in most content.
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Nearly invisible bezels and premium metallic trim make this enormous TV look surprisingly elegant.
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Strong contrast gives bright objects depth against near-black backgrounds. The result approaches OLED in many scenes without matching pixel-level control.
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Game Master generally responds quickly enough for fluid console gaming, even if a few competing TVs measure lower input lag.
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The 98-inch screen delivers a genuinely theater-sized image, making movies and games strikingly immersive.
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The backlit remote feels premium and its illuminated keys are useful in dark rooms, although the shape will not please everyone.
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The massive screen offers exceptional performance per dollar at a substantial discount, but the less expensive QM7K and newer rivals complicate the value calculation.
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Filmmaker Mode is a strong starting point for natural color, while standard and dynamic settings can exaggerate brightness or color.
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Materials and assembly generally feel sturdy and premium for a large LCD television.
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The Bang & Olufsen-tuned system gets praise for its spaciousness and bass from some listeners, while others find it muddy or underpowered.
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High-refresh 4K, low latency, and variable refresh rate make gaming enjoyable, with some caveats around motion blur and port availability.
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The exceptionally narrow border makes the picture seem to float, helping the 98-inch screen feel less bulky.
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HDR movies and games are the main attraction: blazing highlights, vivid color, and controlled blacks make demanding material stand out.
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Colors can look impressively natural and accurate in suitable modes, yet accuracy varies by picture preset and sample.
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The on-screen gaming menu makes settings easy to reach without exiting the action.
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Filmmaker and calibrated settings can deliver extremely accurate pictures, although factory presets and individual units draw less consistent praise.
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Wide color coverage contributes to bold, lifelike HDR images and vivid animation. Accuracy is a separate question and may require choosing the right mode.
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Blacks stay impressively even with local dimming enabled, although some cloudiness appears with dimming off.
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The viewing cone is better than on some older VA screens, but the 98-inch model can shift color noticeably when seats move far off center.
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The interface generally feels quick and responsive, making navigation between entertainment apps straightforward.
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Fast 4K play looks engaging, with support up to 144Hz through compatible inputs; 288Hz gaming requires a lower resolution.
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Bright reds, greens, and other saturated shades retain plenty of punch in HDR, though extremely pale scenes can lose a little saturation.
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Major streaming apps run smoothly, with convenient switching and broad availability.
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Motion is acceptable to strong in ordinary sports and gaming, but difficult transitions and fast pans can produce blur or judder.
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eARC passes high-quality sound to a receiver or soundbar without occupying one of the two fastest HDMI ports, with some switching tradeoffs.
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Game Bar aids such as crosshairs and magnification offer useful on-screen information during play.
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Google TV offers useful streaming apps and a familiar interface, though ads and personal preference can spoil the experience.
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Speech can sound crisp and distinct at ordinary volume, but one 98-inch measurement found dialogue somewhat muted.
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Fine calibration controls allow impressive gains in image fidelity, although the most accurate results may require time or professional equipment.
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Well-tuned movie settings deliver convincingly natural color, shading, and depth; some presets favor a less lifelike pop.
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SDR can look clean and natural in Filmmaker Mode, but factory default brightness and white balance vary markedly by preset.
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Menus and picture settings are reasonably easy to navigate, especially with useful shortcuts, though not every operation feels equally snappy.
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Bright HDR highlights stand out with remarkable intensity, though some material clips subtle detail at the very top end.
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AirPlay 2 is convenient for sharing videos and photos from Apple devices.
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Google TV setup and initial connection are straightforward, particularly for people already using Google services.
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Lower-resolution programs are generally upscaled cleanly without aggressive artificial sharpening. They cannot match pristine native 4K material.
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Rear channels help organize cables, though recessed connections can be awkward once the TV sits close to a wall.
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Motion smoothing can reduce judder with conservative settings, but high settings introduce artifacts and lost detail.
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Sheer brightness overcomes much daytime glare, but direct lights opposite the glossy screen still make obvious reflections.
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VRR works well with consoles and AMD hardware, including low frame rates, but NVIDIA systems can tear in a locked 60Hz mode.
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Wireless casting makes it simple to send content from compatible phones and tablets to the large screen.
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Free live-channel offerings add convenience, though their presence alone does not determine the picture quality.
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Local dimming follows moving highlights well, with some flicker as bright objects cross lighting zones.
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The glossy screen keeps pictures crisp but contributes to pronounced mirror-like direct reflections.
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Fine texture and sharp HDR highlights lend images impressive depth, but low-quality inputs cannot reproduce the same detail.
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The 98-inch model uses two wide-spaced feet that support the huge panel well, rather than the center pedestal found on smaller sizes.
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Noise reduction cleans low-bitrate streams effectively, at the expense of a little fine texture in the softest material.
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Audio presets and Bang & Olufsen tuning make it easier to soften harshness or emphasize speech.
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Chromecast gives Android and other compatible devices an easy route to the big screen.
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Google TV surfaces relevant programs effectively but includes promoted recommendations alongside personal picks.
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FreeSync support makes console and AMD gaming smoother with less distracting screen tearing.
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The integrated speakers can spread effects around the room, but they lack the scale of a dedicated theater system.
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Wi-Fi connections proved reliable for demanding 4K streaming in home-network testing.
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Game mode stays bright and responsive without sacrificing much dark-scene contrast.
Cons
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Quick action often looks clear, yet bright-to-dark transitions can smear noticeably at the highest refresh rates.
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Some fast movement reveals ghosting, flicker, or other processing artifacts despite pleasing motion in typical viewing.
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Older streams and compressed broadcasts usually remain watchable, with useful artifact smoothing; very poor sources still expose their limitations.
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The two high-bandwidth HDMI connections handle modern gaming signals well, but they are not enough for every multi-console or PC setup.
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Technical HDR accuracy is imperfect, with EOTF deviations and some clipped highlights despite the TV’s impressive brightness.
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There are only two full-speed HDMI 2.1 ports. The separate eARC connection is helpful for soundbars but limits complex receiver setups.
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Slow pans can show judder, particularly in demanding film scenes; low motion settings sometimes improve it.
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Colors shift or fade toward the edges of the seating area, especially on the very large panel.
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Slow-panning 24p and 25p scenes can exhibit distracting stutter, although action scenes are usually more forgiving.
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Advertising on the Google TV home screen is a nuisance. Basic TV setup can remove ads, but sacrifices most smart-TV functions.
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Banding is generally restrained in regular viewing, though difficult test patterns can still reveal uneven transitions.
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Its unusual backlight drive pattern is not visually distracting to everyone, but flicker-sensitive users should be aware of it.
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G-SYNC-style VRR can misbehave when an NVIDIA system is fixed at 60Hz; higher-refresh desktop settings work better.
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Most colorful material looks smooth, but some challenging gradients show inaccuracies or banding rather than seamless tonal transitions.
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Recessed HDMI jacks are difficult to reach when the panel is mounted close to the wall.
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At extreme brightness settings, one 98-inch unit produced an audible fan hum. Lowering brightness eliminated it, at the expense of maximum output.
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The 98-inch stand barely lifts the screen above furniture, so many soundbars will obscure the lower picture.
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The two feet are spaced far apart, requiring wide furniture rather than a compact center stand.
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Response times are not uniformly fast; some extreme shade changes leave visible trails during rapid movement.
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The large panel can wobble slightly on furniture, so a secure stand or wall mount matters.
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Peak brightness is dazzling, but the TV does not always maintain its maximum output indefinitely. Normal content seldom exposes the shortfall.
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Distortion is controlled in some listening tests, while others report harsher or muddier sound when the volume climbs.
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Picture processing gives sports, streaming, and high-quality films impressive scale, but motion and fine detail are not equally polished in every mode.
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Dark scenes can look rich and detailed, but some testing found crushed near-black detail and dim midtones, particularly with challenging HDR grading.
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The screen can reflect windows and lamps almost like a mirror. Indirect room lighting is much less troublesome.
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Dirty-screen effect is subdued on several samples, though lighter backgrounds can reveal mild patches or dark bands.
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Tone mapping is a weak spot in some technical tests, with crushed dark detail and clipping near peak brightness, although other viewing modes earned praise.
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White balance can be very close to reference after calibration, but some out-of-box modes show cooler or shifted tones.
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The 98-inch model provides tremendous visual impact at a far lower price than similarly sized premium OLED TVs.
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Bright-field uniformity is mostly good, but some samples show edge darkening, mild patchiness, or visible bands.
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Volume is adequate for some rooms but fails to impress everyone, and louder settings can compromise clarity.
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Bass is stronger than expected for some built-in TV speakers, yet others hear an artificial or thin low end, particularly at high volume.
Use Cases
Best for
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Very high light output makes daytime viewing practical even in sunny rooms, but windows facing the screen remain problematic.
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Movies look spectacular on the giant, high-contrast HDR display, especially in dark scenes and vivid masterings.
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Discounted pricing puts premium HDR and a huge screen within reach of more budgets, but cheaper alternatives may satisfy less demanding buyers.
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Live sports look bold and bright, although very fast motion can reveal trails or artifacts.
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Built-in audio can handle ordinary programs, but inconsistent loudness, bass, and clarity make an external system preferable for a screen this large.
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The immense picture and very bright HDR make it an exciting home-theater centerpiece; dedicated audio completes the experience.
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In moderate lighting, the TV’s brightness and contrast yield punchy pictures without needing its maximum settings.
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Modern PlayStation and Xbox consoles can use 4K/120Hz, VRR, and automatic low-latency mode with the right HDMI input.
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Big-screen sports remain easy to see in daylight, but direct reflections and motion blur may intrude.
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Brightness and convenient streaming make this a versatile main-room TV, with direct reflections and side seating as caveats.
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Full-HD programming scales to the giant 4K panel respectably, although native 4K remains more detailed.
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Responsive controls and strong 4K picture quality make casual gaming enjoyable even without maximizing refresh settings.
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Deep blacks and strong highlight contrast make dark games atmospheric, while slow dark transitions may smear.
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Its giant screen creates an appealing shared-play experience when the seating is reasonably centered.
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Streaming films and shows look engaging thanks to powerful HDR and competent cleanup of compressed sources.
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The huge image benefits from an external soundbar or receiver; eARC support makes that pairing convenient.
Conditional or not ideal for
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Watching DVDsStandard-definition discs remain watchable, though 4K content uses the panel’s detail and scale more effectively.
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High-quality cable and SD broadcast viewingCable and broadcast images are generally cleaned up effectively, though weak sources can look soft on a 98-inch screen.
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Big-screen installationA 98-inch display requires careful measuring, extra hands, and sturdy furniture or a suitable wall mount.
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Shared-screen viewingA wide couch can work well, but far-off-center viewers may notice washed-out color on this 98-inch version.
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PC gamingPC gaming is fast and immersive at high refresh rates, though NVIDIA VRR can tear if the desktop is fixed at 60Hz.