The Mid-Range TV Value Brawl
Tale of the Tape
The Breakdown
Picture Quality
TCL and Hisense Mini-LED zones deliver contrast that embarrasses Samsung edge-lit QLED. The Samsung shows obvious blooming and grayish blacks in dark scenes.
Brightness
Hisense absolutely crushes with 3,000 nits peak—visible even in sun-drenched rooms. TCL hits 2,000 nits which is excellent. Samsung struggles at 1,500 nits for the price.
Gaming
All three handle 120Hz+ gaming well. Samsung gives you four HDMI 2.1 ports which is nice, but the picture quality gap hurts more than the port advantage helps.
Smart TV
Google TV on TCL and Hisense is responsive with great app selection. Tizen on Samsung is cluttered and slower.
Value
Hisense packs nearly flagship brightness into a sub-$1,100 package. TCL is close behind. Samsung charges $300 more for inferior technology.
The Verdict
Hisense U8N Mini-LED
The Hisense U8N wins because it delivers flagship brightness at a price that makes Samsung look foolish.
Mini-LED with 2,000 zones and 3,000 nits brightness used to cost $2,500. Hisense gives you that for $1,099. The contrast obliterates any edge-lit QLED, the brightness competes with OLED, and 144Hz gaming support handles the PS5 Pro and PC. This is the value TV that makes you question why anyone buys premium unless they absolutely need the brand name.
Quick Specs
| Spec | TCL QM90 Mini-LED | Hisense U8N Mini-LED | Samsung Q80D QLED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 65" | 65" | 65" |
| Panel | Mini-LED 2,000 zones | Mini-LED 2,000 zones | QLED edge-lit |
| Brightness | 2,000 nits | 3,000 nits | 1,500 nits |
| HDMI | 2.1 x2 | 2.1 x2 | 2.1 x4 |
| Gaming | 144Hz VRR | 144Hz VRR | 120Hz VRR |
| OS | Google TV | Google TV | Tizen |