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Hisense 65U8N vs TCL QM8 65" (2024)
The mini-LED value war — which should you buy?
The two brands that made mini-LED cheap, at very different prices today: the Hisense U8N tracks at $479.99 and the TCL QM8 at $1,299.99. The TCL's spec sheet is bigger everywhere; the question is whether it's 2.7× bigger.
Reading the numbers honestly
The claims: 5,000 local-dimming zones and 5,000 nits (TCL) vs 1,600 zones and 3,000 nits (Hisense). Our per-field provenance records BOTH brightness claims at retailer/manufacturer-page confidence — no lab measurement behind either — so treat the nits race as claims racing claims. Zone counts and port counts are more concrete: both list exactly 2 HDMI 2.1 ports (the other inputs are lower-bandwidth), and both carry Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and VRR.
Specifications · side by side · per-field provenance● SOURCE-TRACKED
| Spec | Hisense 65U8N | TCL QM8 65" (2024) |
|---|
| Price | $480 | $1,300 |
| Brand | Hisense | TCL |
| Screen Size Inches | 64.5 | 64.5 |
| Panel Type | Mini-LED QLED | Mini-LED QLED |
| Peak Brightness HDR Nits | 3000 | 5000 |
| Local Dimming Zones | 1600 | 5000 |
| Hdr10 | Yes | Yes |
| Hdr10 Plus | Yes | Yes |
| Dolby Vision | Yes | Yes |
| HDMI 21 Port Count | 2 | 2 |
| HDMI Max Bandwidth Gbps | 48 | not stated |
| HDMI Total Ports | 4 | 4 |
| Earc Port | Yes | Yes |
| VRR Support | Yes | Yes |
| ALLM | Yes | Yes |
| Operating System | Google TV | Google TV |
Shaded rows differ · green dot = lab-measured · amber = manufacturer-verified · blue = retailer/community-reported · grey = estimated · “not stated” means exactly that
Compatibility · computed, not written
Checked as the display leg behind a popular budget receiver, the Denon AVR-X1800H: Denon AVR-X1800H
Hisense 65U8N supports VRR and the Denon AVR-X1800H passes VRR through — the variable-refresh chain holds with a console wired through the receiver.
TCL QM8 65" (2024) supports VRR and the Denon AVR-X1800H passes VRR through — the variable-refresh chain holds with a console wired through the receiver.
Our data doesn't record the Denon AVR-X1800H's HDMI bandwidth in Gbps, so a full 4K/120 path through it can't be verified field-by-field — we say so rather than assume it.
Computed from the catalog's normalized fields — the same fields the builder's compatibility engine reads. A missing field reads as "can't check", never as a pass.
Check either one against your own build →The verdict
Buy the Hisense 65U8N — at $479.99 tracked vs $1,299.99 it delivers the same format support (DV + HDR10+), the same 2-port HDMI 2.1 loadout, and mini-LED zone counts in the same class. The TCL QM8's bigger claimed numbers are real spec-sheet advantages, but both brightness figures sit at retailer-page confidence in our provenance, and 2.7× the price is a lot to pay for unaudited nits.
ValueHisense 65U8N — Nearly identical format/port loadout at 37% of the price.
Brightest possible claimed pictureTCL QM8 65" (2024) — 5,000 zones / 5,000 claimed nits vs 1,600 / 3,000 — bigger claims, same confidence tier.
GamingEither — Both list exactly 2 HDMI 2.1 ports with VRR — plan your console + eARC wiring around that either way.
What our normalized data addsNOT ON THE SPEC SHEETS
- Our per-field provenance shows BOTH peak-brightness claims (3,000 and 5,000 nits) at retailer/manufacturer-page confidence — no independent measurement behind either — so the page ranks them as claims, not facts.
- Both TVs carry exactly 2 full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports (verified field, not the marketing 'four HDMI inputs') — the real constraint for console + eARC wiring.
- 1,600 vs 5,000 stated dimming zones and a $479.99 vs $1,299.99 tracked price — the zone claim scales with price; the format support (DV + HDR10+ + VRR on both) does not.
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