Which of these affordable mini LED TVs from Hisense and TCL should you buy this Black Friday? We tried both and I know which one to choose.

The mini LED TV market has become increasingly competitive, with brands offering feature-rich models at attractive prices. In 2025, two brands in particular had their breakthrough: TCL and Hisense.

Both have produced some of the best TVs TechRadar has tested recently, including the mid-range Hisense U75QG and TCL QM7K.

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(Note for readers in other regions, such as the UK: the closest model to the Hisense U75Q is the Hisense U7Q Pro, and the closest model to the TCL QM7K is the TCL C7K/Q7C. These TVs have some differences, but share the same basic technologies and features.)

The best deal currently in the US.

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The best deal in the UK right now.

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Both Hisense and TCL offer high brightness for a TV in their price range. This means they’re both good for bright rooms, which can be a difficult viewing environment for some devices, like the best OLED TVs.

When we measured the TCL’s brightness, it peaked at 1,733 nits in Filmmaker mode and 2,350 nits in Standard mode. These are impressive numbers, but when we measured the Hisense, the results were even more impressive. The Hisense U75Q achieved a maximum brightness of 2911 nits in Filmmaker mode and 3372 nits in Standard mode. These results are surprisingly high for a mid-range TV, and even surpass some flagship mini-LED TVs like the Sony Bravia 9 (which hit 1,871 nits in Filmmaker mode when we measured it).

Full-screen brightness is an important factor in combating screen reflections in bright rooms, and here again the Hisense came out on top, with a maximum of 887 nits in standard mode compared to the TCL’s 640 nits. So if you want to get the most out of your TV’s brightness, the Hisense is the winner.

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Overall image quality

The overall picture quality of mid-range mini LED TVs has steadily improved year after year. The important thing is that the contrast and black levels are improved, as we saw with the Hisense U75QG and the TCL QM7K.

During testing, both TVs showed strong contrast in dark room scenes. Seriously and the many contrasting scenes of the babysitter. Both also offer deep, rich blacks and minimal backlighting compared to previous generations, with the TCL proving better in this regard.

Color reproduction is also excellent on both televisions. When I tested the TCL, it produced bright, bold colors, as can be seen in the pink flowers on a tree that Elphaba is sitting under. Inaccurate, and the colors of a vase Ember hangs from Elemental.

On the other hand, we found Hisense’s colors “leave a little to be desired.” When watching programs in HDR, we noticed that “skin tones were undersaturated” and “the grass was a little yellow.” But with SDR sources, the Hisense TV’s colors were extremely accurate.

Both TVs offer excellent picture quality for the price, with strong contrast and detailed blacks, so neither will disappoint. However, Hisense has an advantage in terms of brightness, while TCL has an advantage in terms of color for watching movies and series in HDR. In the end, these two TVs are really on par when it comes to picture quality.

Play

The two televisions Real shines when it comes to gaming features. The TCL has two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 144Hz, FreeSync Premium Pro, Dolby Vision Gaming and ALLM. This is an impressive list in this price range.

However, Hisense goes even further with four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 165Hz, full VRR (HDMI Forum, FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync), Dolby Vision and ALLM gaming. The It also supports 1080p 288Hz for PC gaming.

Our input lag measurements are good for the Hisense and TCL, as they both fall below the 15ms threshold that gamers expect. However, the TCL measures 13.5ms and the Hisense 9.8ms, a result that rivals the best gaming TVs from LG and Samsung and once again takes the lead.

In our Hisense tests, we noticed some stuttering when playing PC games with VRR enabled, “especially with bright objects on a dark background.” Meanwhile, the TCL TV’s picture was “sharp and vivid” when we played, and we didn’t notice any blemishes. Although Hisense is the best equipped gaming TV, PC gamers should be aware of this VRR issue.

Which TV should I buy?

Both the Hisense U75QG and the TCL QM7K offer excellent value for money. For the 65-inch models we tested, you’ll pay an average of $899 for both TVs, though we’ve seen them drop to $799 in the past. In the UK, the 65-inch Hisense U7Q Pro currently costs £899, while the TCL C7K/Q7C costs £789, making the TCL the better deal of the two.

Which one should you buy? In fact, neither TV will disappoint you, but if I had to choose one, it would be the Hisense U75Q (Hisense U7Q Pro), thanks to its higher brightness and better gaming capabilities.

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