TCL Q6-Series 98Q651G 98"

The TCL Q6-Series 98Q651G is a 97.5-inch 4K QLED TV that delivers massive screen size, 144Hz gaming, and Dolby Vision HDR for around $1,235 to $1,300 USD. It's not the best-looking TV on the market, but it's the best big-screen value we've seen. If you want a 98-inch display without spending a fortune, this is the one.

The Q6's picture quality lands in the 73rd percentile of our database, which sounds middling until you remember the price. The QLED quantum dot layer covers nearly the entire DCI-P3 color space, so colors pop without looking cartoonish. HDR performance is where this thing shines, hitting the 96th percentile. Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG are all supported, which means you're covered no matter what streaming service or Blu-ray player you throw at it. Brightness is solid for a Direct LED panel, though it won't match the searing highlights of a high-end mini-LED set.

Gaming is a genuine strength here. The Q6 sits in the 91st percentile for gaming, and the spec sheet backs that up. You get a 120Hz native panel with 144Hz variable refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium, ALLM, and HDMI 2.1. TCL also advertises Game Accelerator 240, which is their marketing name for 240 VRR. Input lag is low enough that competitive players won't feel held back. The audio is also better than expected, with a 2.1 channel 60W setup that hits the 93rd percentile. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support are nice, though you'll still want a soundbar for real impact at this screen size.

The Hisense U8 Series 100U8QG is the most direct rival. It's a 100-inch QLED with mini-LED backlighting, which gives it better contrast and higher peak brightness than the TCL's Direct LED setup. But the Hisense typically costs more, and the TCL's gaming features are slightly better tuned. If you care about HDR punch and black levels, the Hisense wins. If you care about saving money and still getting a huge screen, the TCL is the smarter buy.

The Sony BRAVIA XR XR77A95L and LG OLED evo C5 are in a completely different league for picture quality. OLED contrast, perfect blacks, and superior processing make them the choice for cinephiles. But they're also 77 and 65 inches respectively, and they cost dramatically more. The Samsung Neo QLED QN75QN990FFXZA is a 75-inch 8K set that's technically impressive but overkill for most people. None of these compete with the TCL on raw screen size per dollar. The Roku Plus Series 55R6C7 is a budget option that's fine for a bedroom, but it's not in the same conversation.

At $1,235 to $1,300 USD, the TCL Q6 98Q651G is basically a cheat code for anyone who wants a projector-sized screen without projector hassle. You're paying roughly $13 per inch of screen, which is absurd. For context, the Sony BRAVIA XR XR77A95L and Samsung Neo QLED QN75QN990FFXZA cost several times more for smaller screens. The Hisense U8 Series 100U8QG is the closest direct competitor, and it's also a strong value, but the TCL undercuts it in most listings. If you want the biggest possible screen for the least possible money, this is the answer.

The TCL Q6-Series 98Q651G is a 97.5-inch 4K QLED TV that sits in a weirdly compelling spot. You're getting a massive screen, quantum dot color, 144Hz gaming support, and Dolby Vision HDR for somewhere around $1,235 to $1,300 USD. That's not a typo. A 98-inch TV for roughly the price of a mid-range 65-inch OLED from a few years ago. TCL has been doing this for a while now, undercutting everyone on big-screen value, and the Q6 is their 2024 attempt to make that value proposition even harder to ignore.

People searching for this TV usually want to know two things. Is a 98-inch QLED actually good for movies and sports? And can it handle serious gaming? The short answers are yes and yes, with some caveats. The Q6 uses a Direct LED backlight with TCL's High Brightness+ tech, which means it gets brighter than your average budget panel. It won't touch the contrast of a good OLED, but for a bright living room or a basement theater on a budget, it's a strong contender.

We should also mention the smart platform. This runs Google TV, which is our preferred OS for streaming. You get Google Assistant built in, plus Alexa compatibility and Apple AirPlay 2. The interface is snappy, the app selection is huge, and the voice remote actually works. For a TV this size, the smart features matter because you'll be spending a lot of time navigating menus on a very large screen.

Skip the TCL Q6 98Q651G if you're a home theater purist who watches movies in a dark room and demands perfect black levels. The Direct LED backlight can't match OLED contrast, and blooming around bright objects will bother you. If you're tight on space, a 98-inch TV is also overkill, and the 600W power draw will show up on your electric bill. For those people, a 65-inch OLED like the LG C5 or a 75-inch mini-LED like the Sony BRAVIA XR is a better fit. And if you need Wi-Fi 6 for streaming high-bitrate content wirelessly, this TV's Wi-Fi 5 radio might frustrate you.

Should you buy the TCL Q6 98Q651G? If you want a 98-inch TV and you don't want to spend five figures, yes. This is the best big-screen value we've seen in our database. The picture quality won't blow away videophiles, and the Direct LED backlight means you'll see some blooming in dark scenes. But for sports, gaming, and everyday streaming, the Q6 delivers where it counts. The 144Hz panel, strong HDR support, and surprisingly good audio make it a complete package.

If you're a movie purist who watches in a dark room and obsesses over black levels, save up for an OLED. But if you want to turn your living room into a mini theater without taking out a second mortgage, the Q6 is the TV to beat. It's not perfect, but at this price, it doesn't need to be.