TCL Q Class 65Q681G 65"

The TCL 65Q681G is a 65-inch QLED TV for an absurdly low $377. The picture gets bright and colors are decent, but the HDMI 1.4 port and 60Hz cap make it a terrible choice for gaming. Buy it for the size and price, not for the performance.

The picture is a mixed bag. The QLED panel with local dimming helps colors pop and keeps black levels respectable, but our database puts picture quality in the lower third overall. Brightness is a genuine strong point at 600 nits, making HDR content watchable in a sunlit room, though the HDR format support itself ranks near the bottom of the pack. The real headache is motion. The spec sheet boasts a 120Hz VRR panel for gaming, but the fine print locks you to a 60Hz refresh rate and an ancient HDMI 1.4 port. That means no 4K at 120Hz, no VRR, and a gaming experience that lands in the bottom 20% of TVs we track. Audio is also a weak spot, so a soundbar is almost mandatory.

Stacked against the Hisense U8 Series, the TCL gets smoked on gaming features and HDR punch, but it's also likely hundreds less. The LG C5 OLED is in a completely different universe of picture quality, but you could buy two or three of these TCLs for the same price. Even the Roku Pro Series offers a more balanced set of modern features. The TCL's only real win is sheer size for the dollar. If you can stretch your budget, the Hisense U8 is a much better all-rounder, but if $400 is a hard ceiling, this TCL is in a lonely price bracket.

For $377, it's hard to be too harsh. You're getting a massive 65-inch screen with quantum dots and local dimming for the price of a budget 43-inch set from a few years ago. If your main goal is a big, bright screen for streaming shows and casual YouTube watching, the value is undeniable. But the low price is a direct trade-off for outdated connectivity and weak processing, so you're not getting a hidden gem, just a very cheap big screen.

The TCL Q Class 65Q681G is a bit of a puzzle. It throws around terms like QLED, local dimming, and a 120Hz panel, which usually signals a solid mid-range TV. But then you spot the single HDMI 1.4 port and the 60Hz limitation listed in the core specs, and you realize this set is fighting with one hand tied behind its back.

At $377 for a 65-inch screen, the price is the main event here. You're getting a big, bright picture with Google TV built in for less than a lot of 55-inch models. Just know that the spec sheet is a rollercoaster, and the ride gets bumpy when you look past the marketing highlights.

Gamers should run, not walk, away from this set. The single HDMI 1.4 port and 60Hz cap make it incompatible with the core features of a PS5 or Xbox Series X. If you need a TV for a bright living room and care about wide viewing angles or deep HDR performance, look at a mid-range Sony or Hisense instead, because this TCL's processing and HDR support fall short.

This TV is for the person who walks into a store, sees a 65-inch screen for under $400, and decides that's all they need to know. It's a fine choice for a secondary bedroom, a kids' playroom, or a garage where screen size matters more than gaming specs or audio fidelity. Just don't expect it to be a centerpiece for a next-gen console setup or a critical movie night.