TCL M8L Pro Series 65M8L Pro 65"

The TCL M8L Pro Series 65M8L Pro is a 65-inch 4K Mini-LED TV that delivers excellent picture quality, true blacks, and a 144Hz refresh rate for gaming at a very reasonable price. Built-in audio is weak and you'll need a certified HDMI cable for full 4K/120Hz/HDR, but those are easy fixes. For under CAD 800, this is one of the best gaming and streaming TVs you can buy right now.

The Mini-LED backlight with local dimming is the star here. Owners consistently rave about true blacks, and that's the thing that separates this from cheaper edge-lit TVs. When a scene goes dark, it actually goes dark. No gray haze, no flashlight effect in the corners. The AIPQ PRO processor does solid work upscaling lower resolution content too, so your old 1080p Blu-rays won't look like they were filmed through a screen door.

Gaming performance is where this TV earns its keep. The 144Hz native refresh rate means smooth motion in fast-paced games, and with four HDMI 2.1 ports you can have a PS5, Xbox Series X, gaming PC, and a soundbar all hooked up without playing cable roulette. Motion Rate 480 is TCL's marketing speak for the 144Hz panel plus backlight scanning, but the real-world result is clean motion handling. Picture quality scores in the 78th percentile, which is strong, though HDR brightness doesn't quite hit the heights of pricier Mini-LED sets from Hisense or Samsung. Dolby Vision support helps, but peak brightness is where the gap shows up against the competition.

Against the Hisense U8 Series 65U8QG, the TCL holds its own on gaming features but gives up some HDR punch. The Hisense gets brighter in HDR highlights, which matters if you watch a lot of Dolby Vision content in a bright room. But the TCL's local dimming is no slouch, and owners specifically call out the true blacks as a highlight. The Sony BRAVIA 8 K65XR80 is a different beast entirely, better processing and more accurate out-of-box colors, but you'll pay significantly more for that Sony badge. The Samsung Neo QLED QN900F is in another price bracket altogether, so it's not really a fair fight.

If you're comparing the TCL 65M8L Pro to the Roku Pro Series 55R8C5, the TCL wins on screen size and gaming specs. The Roku Pro is a solid streaming-first TV, but it's smaller and doesn't have the same Mini-LED local dimming chops. For gamers specifically, the TCL's 144Hz panel and quad HDMI 2.1 ports make it the more compelling pick. The LG OLED evo OLED55C5PUA will beat it on pure picture quality, especially in dark rooms, but you're getting 10 fewer inches of screen for more money.

At CAD 745, this TV is aggressively priced for what you get. A 65-inch Mini-LED with 144Hz and four HDMI 2.1 ports at that price is hard to argue with. The Hisense U8 Series 65U8QG is the closest direct competitor and typically costs more, while the LG OLED evo OLED55C5PUA is a smaller screen at a higher price. You're trading peak HDR brightness and OLED's per-pixel contrast for a bigger screen and a much friendlier price tag. If you're shopping for a 65 inch TV under CAD 800, this is one of the strongest options in our database right now.

The TCL M8L Pro Series 65M8L Pro sits in that sweet spot where Mini-LED tech meets a price that doesn't make your wallet file a restraining order. At CAD 745, this 65-inch 4K TV packs a 144Hz native refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and TCL's AIPQ PRO processor into a package that's clearly aimed at gamers and streamers who want premium picture quality without the OLED tax. It's a 65 inch TV that punches above its weight class, at least on paper.

We dug through our database and the numbers tell an interesting story. Display quality lands in the 84th percentile for this category, which puts it well above average. Connectivity is strong too at the 82nd percentile, thanks to four HDMI 2.1 ports and Wi-Fi 6. But audio sits at a mediocre 43rd percentile, and HDR performance is middle of the pack at 54th. So you're getting a screen that's genuinely impressive, with some corners cut where TCL figured most people wouldn't notice or would fix with a soundbar anyway.

Is the TCL 65M8L Pro good for gaming? The short answer is yes, mostly. That 144Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 support mean 4K at 120Hz is on the table, which is exactly what a PS5 or Xbox Series X wants to see. Just make sure you've got a certified ultra high speed HDMI cable, because this TV will absolutely throw a fit if you try to push 4K/120Hz/HDR through a bargain bin cable.

Skip this TV if you care about built-in audio quality, because the speakers are genuinely weak and you'll want a soundbar from day one. If you watch a lot of HDR content in a bright room and want the brightest possible highlights, the Hisense U8 Series 65U8QG or a step-up Mini-LED from Samsung will serve you better. And if you're a home theater purist who wants the absolute best picture quality regardless of price, an OLED like the LG OLED evo OLED55C5PUA or Sony BRAVIA 8 K65XR80 is the move, though you'll pay more for a smaller screen. This TCL is for people who want big, fast, and good enough to impress, without spending a fortune.

Should you buy the TCL M8L Pro Series 65M8L Pro? If you want a big, fast, Mini-LED TV for gaming and streaming without spending OLED money, yes. The picture quality is genuinely impressive for the price, the 144Hz refresh rate is a real feature not a marketing gimmick, and the local dimming delivers the kind of contrast that makes movies and games look dramatically better than a standard LED TV.

But know what you're getting into. The built-in speakers are weak, so budget for a soundbar or at least a decent pair of headphones. And grab a certified ultra high speed HDMI cable before you set up your console, because this TV will not negotiate on that point. If you can live with those two caveats, this is one of the best value 65 inch TVs we've seen in our database.