TCL vs Hisense (2026): Hisense vs TCL at 65 Inches, Tier by Tier

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Updated November 4, 2026: TCL prices re-checked on TCL's US store (us.tcl.com), Hisense specifications re-read on its US product pages (hisense.com/us/en) and Hisense prices read at Best Buy. Compared from vendor specs and pricing pages, not tested hands-on.

TCL's three sale-priced sets are never dearer than the Hisense set in the same tier, but Hisense's U6 ($549.99 at Best Buy) is $50 under the QM6K. TCL's US store prices its in-stock sets at $599.99 (QM6K), $899.99 (QM7L) and $1,199.99 (QM8L) on sale. Hisense's US site prints no price, so its figures are Best Buy's for the closest 2026 models: the U6 Pro and UR8 match TCL's price, and the U7 costs $100 more than the QM7L. Hisense's U7 and UR8 are faster, at 165Hz and 180Hz against TCL's 144Hz.

The short version

• Biggest TCL strength: printed US sale prices on TCL's own store, plus printed peak brightness and dimming zones on the QM7L (up to 3,000 nits, up to 2,100+ zones) and QM8L (up to 6,000 nits, up to 4,000 zones).
• Biggest TCL catch: all three TCL sets on this page have a 144Hz panel, and the QM9K is sold out at 65 inches.
• Biggest Hisense strength: 165Hz on the U7 and 180Hz on the UR8 and UR9. On the entry rung, the U6 Pro costs the same as the QM6K.
• Biggest Hisense catch: the U6 Pro, U7 and UR8 pages print no peak brightness and no zone count, and the only price is at a retailer that can change it at any time.

TCL vs Hisense at 65 inches: the table

The table sets three price-matched pairs in tier order. Each tier pairs the TCL and Hisense sets whose 65-inch prices are closest on the read date, so every row compares about the same money. TCL's prices are the sale prices its store shows, and the regular price sits in each card. Hisense's prices are Best Buy's for the same 65-inch model. The UR9 is not in the table, because its $1,699.99 price sits above the top pair; the top tier text covers it.

TCL's figures are its US store data and product pages, read November 4, 2026. Hisense's figures are the specification tables on its 65-inch pages and the Best Buy price for the same model and size, read the same day. "Up to" is TCL's wording for its maximum figures, and a maximum is not a typical result.

Budget tier: TCL QM6K against Hisense U6 Pro

At the entry rung, the two sets cost the same on the read date. TCL's page gives the QM6K a printed zone figure and a full HDR list, and Hisense's U6 Pro gives neither.

TCL QM6K: 144Hz and up to 500 dimming zones at the entry price

TCL's US store lists the 65-inch QM6K at $599.99 on sale, against a regular price of $799.99, read November 4, 2026. The store's variant data shows the 65-inch model as available. TCL's page describes a 144Hz native panel and "Local Dimming Pro powered by up to 500 dimming zones", and lists HDR10, HDR 10+, HLG, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision gaming and Dolby Vision IQ. It prints no peak brightness figure.

• Pro: the same price as the U6 Pro at Best Buy, with a printed zone figure and a full HDR list.
• Con: no peak brightness figure, so it cannot be set against the QM7L or QM8L on nits.
• Con: the sale has no end date printed on the page, so the $799.99 regular price is the fallback if the sale ends.

See the QM6K on TCL's US store

Hisense U6 Pro: 144Hz with no printed zone count

Hisense's 65-inch U6 Pro page (model 65U6SF-Pro) lists a 144Hz native refresh rate, local dimming, 4K UHD and two HDMI 2.1 ports. It prints no peak brightness figure, no zone count and no HDR format list in its specification table. Its page title says Fire TV, while its specification table says Google TV, and the Best Buy listing says Fire TV with Alexa+. Best Buy lists the 65-inch U6 Pro at $599.99, read November 4, 2026 at 08:40 CET.

• Pro: the same price as the QM6K, with the same 144Hz refresh rate.
• Con: no zone count and no peak figure, so its local dimming cannot be sized against the QM6K's up to 500 zones.
• Con: the page disagrees with itself on the platform, so check the TV's software before you buy.

Search Hisense TVs at Best Buy Opens Best Buy; the price there may change.

Middle tier: TCL QM7L against Hisense U7

The middle rung is where the gap is widest on the printed figures. TCL's QM7L is cheaper than the Hisense U7 on the read date, and it prints both a peak brightness figure and a zone count. The U7 has the faster panel, but its page prints neither.

TCL QM7L: up to 3,000 nits and up to 2,100+ zones for under $1,000

TCL's US store lists the 65-inch QM7L at $899.99 on sale, against a regular price of $1,499.99, read November 4, 2026. The store's variant data shows it as available. TCL's page gives a 144Hz panel, up to 3,000 peak nits, up to 2,100+ discrete dimming zones and Google TV, with HDR formats of Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, HDR 10+ and HLG. The sale has no end date printed on the page.

• Pro: printed peak brightness and zone figures at the sale price, which is $100 under the Hisense U7 at Best Buy.
• Con: 144Hz, below the 165Hz on the U7.
• Con: the sale price has no printed end date, so the price can change without notice.

See the QM7L on TCL's US store

Hisense U7: 165Hz and Google TV, with no printed brightness or zones

Hisense's 65-inch U7 page (model 65U7SG) lists a LCD panel with a 4K UHD resolution, a native 165Hz refresh rate, local dimming, Google TV and four HDMI 2.1 ports. Its specification table has no peak brightness figure, no zone count and no HDR format list. Best Buy lists the 65-inch U7 at $999.99, read November 4, 2026 at 08:40 CET.

• Pro: a native 165Hz panel and Google TV, the faster refresh of the two middle-rung sets.
• Con: more than the QM7L on the read date, with no printed brightness or zone figure to show for it.
• Con: the price is a Best Buy price, not Hisense's own, so it can change without notice.

Search Hisense TVs at Best Buy Opens Best Buy; the price there may change.

Top tier: TCL QM8L against Hisense UR8

At the top of the two ladders, the QM8L and the UR8 cost the same on the read date. The QM8L prints the most figures in the table, and the UR8 has the faster panel. The table shows the trade-off: TCL gives printed nits and zones, and Hisense gives 180Hz and an RGB backlight.

TCL QM8L: the most printed detail at 65 inches

TCL's US store lists the 65-inch QM8L at $1,199.99 on sale, against a regular price of $2,499.99, read November 4, 2026. The store's variant data shows it as available. The page gives a 144Hz panel refresh rate, up to 6,000 peak nits, up to 4,000 discrete dimming zones, a WHVA 2.0 Ultra panel, Google TV and HDR formats of Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG. TCL's QM9K is sold out at 65 inches on the same store.

• Pro: the highest printed peak brightness and zone count on this page, with an HDR list of Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG.
• Con: 144Hz, below the 180Hz on the UR8.
• Con: the price is the same as the UR8 at Best Buy, so the choice rests on the printed figures against the refresh rate.

See the QM8L on TCL's US store

Hisense UR8: RGB MiniLED with a native 180Hz panel

Hisense's 65-inch UR8 page (model 65UR8SG) lists RGB MiniLED, a native 180Hz refresh rate, RGB local dimming, VRR and ALLM, Google TV, and HDR formats of Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, HDR 10+, HDR10+ Adaptive and HLG. It prints no peak brightness figure and no zone count. Best Buy lists the 65-inch UR8 at $1,199.99, read November 4, 2026 at 08:40 CET.

• Pro: the fastest panel in the table at 180Hz, with VRR and ALLM and a longer HDR list than the QM8L (adds Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Adaptive).
• Con: no printed peak brightness or zone count, so its backlight cannot be set against the QM8L's 6,000 nits and 4,000 zones.
• Con: the price is a Best Buy price, so check it on the day you buy.

Search Hisense TVs at Best Buy Opens Best Buy; the price there may change.

Above the UR8, Hisense's UR9 (model 65UR9SG) lists a native 180Hz refresh rate and RGB local dimming, with "thousands of RGB local dimming zones" and copy that says "8000-nit peaks". Its page gives no zone count. Best Buy lists it at $1,699.99, read November 4, 2026 at 08:40 CET, which is $500 more than the UR8. It sits outside the table because the top tier is the price-matched pair, and TCL's QM9K is sold out at 65 inches.

Below the U6 Pro, Hisense's U6 (model 65U6SF) lists Fire TV, a 144Hz refresh rate and local dimming. Best Buy lists it at $549.99, read the same day, which is $50 under the U6 Pro. It is the cheapest Hisense set in the tier comparison (the 2026 M7 Roku TV is $409.99, see Software), and it has no printed brightness or zone figure either.

Brightness figures: why the nits do not compare directly

Every brightness figure here is a peak number the maker prints: TCL's QM7L up to 3,000 nits and QM8L up to 6,000, and Hisense's UR9 copy of 8000-nit peaks. The UR8 and U7 print no peak figure at all. Neither brand's page we read says how it measured peak brightness, so these are vendor claims, not a like-for-like ranking.

Refresh rate and gaming

Refresh rate is the specification where the two brands differ most at the same screen size. Hisense's 65-inch U7 lists a native 165Hz panel, and its UR8 and UR9 list 180Hz. The U6 Pro and U6 list 144Hz, the same as TCL's QM6K, QM7L and QM8L.

TCL's QM6K page lists Auto Game Mode (ALLM) and a motion rate of 480. Hisense's UR8 page lists VRR and ALLM as yes. Neither brand's page says how its set handles a matching signal in practice. A stream that stutters can be a Wi-Fi problem rather than a TV problem, and our TP-Link Deco vs eero comparison covers the mesh side of that problem.

Software: Google TV, Fire TV and VIDAA

All three TCL sets in the table run Google TV, as their product pages state. Hisense's 65-inch sets run several platforms, among them Google TV (U7, UR8, UR9), Fire TV (U6, U6 Pro) and Roku TV (the 2026 M7 and QD6 at Best Buy). Best Buy lists the 2026 M7 65-inch Roku TV at $409.99, read November 4, 2026 at 09:22 CET. By their page titles, the U6 and U6 Pro are the Fire TV sets in the table, and the U7 and UR8 run Google TV. If you plan to light the wall behind the set, our Govee vs Philips Hue comparison covers the backlight side.

Who should buy which

• Buy the TCL QM6K if you want Google TV and a printed zone figure at the sale price, and 144Hz is enough for your viewing.
• Buy the Hisense U6 Pro if you want the same price as the QM6K at Best Buy on a Fire TV set, and you accept no printed zone count.
• Buy the TCL QM7L if you want printed peak brightness and zones at the sale price, and you can accept 144Hz.
• Buy the Hisense U7 if 165Hz matters more to you than printed figures, and you will pay more at Best Buy.
• Buy the TCL QM8L if you want the most printed detail at the sale price, and 144Hz suits you.
• Buy the Hisense UR8 if you want 180Hz and an RGB backlight at the same price as the QM8L, and you accept no printed brightness.
• Buy the Hisense UR9 if you want 180Hz and the 8000-nit copy, and $1,699.99 at Best Buy fits your budget.

How the prices were read

Dupple data: TCL's 65-inch prices were read from us.tcl.com on November 4, 2026, from the store's variant data and its sale and regular price labels. Hisense's US site prints no price for its 65-inch sets. Its 65-inch pages carry a "Where to buy" button, and the Hisense prices on this page are the Best Buy prices for the same model and size, read November 4, 2026 at 08:40 CET. Best Buy can change its price at any time, so check it on the day you buy.

FAQ

Is TCL or Hisense cheaper at 65 inches?

TCL's three sale-priced sets are never dearer than the Hisense set in the same tier, but Hisense's U6 ($549.99 at Best Buy) is $50 under the QM6K. The QM6K and the U6 Pro cost the same at the entry rung, the QM7L is $100 under the U7, and the QM8L and the UR8 cost the same at the top. The Hisense prices come from Best Buy, read November 4, 2026, and can change.

Which is better for gaming, TCL or Hisense?

On the printed specifications, Hisense has the faster panels. Its U7 lists 165Hz, and its UR8 and UR9 list 180Hz. TCL's QM6K, QM7L and QM8L list 144Hz, the same as the U6 Pro. A gamer who wants the fastest panel on this page should look at the UR8 first, and at the U7 if $1,000 is the limit.

Does Hisense have a better picture than TCL?

The pages do not allow that comparison. TCL's QM8L lists up to 6,000 peak nits, and Hisense's UR9 copy says 8000-nit peaks, while the UR8 and U7 print no peak figure. Neither brand's page we read says how it measured peak brightness, so the numbers are vendor claims. Judge the picture in a store with the lights you use at home.

Which TV has more dimming zones at 65 inches?

TCL prints zone counts: up to 500 on the QM6K, up to 2,100+ on the QM7L and up to 4,000 on the QM8L. Hisense's 65-inch pages list local dimming and, on the UR9, "thousands" of RGB zones, but no count, so the two cannot be compared on zones.

Is the TCL QM6K in stock at 65 inches?

On the read date, TCL's store data showed the 65-inch QM6K as available at the sale price. Stock changes, so check the store before you buy.

Methodology

We compared TCL's US store and Hisense's US product pages on November 4, 2026. For TCL, we read the store's variant data for each 65-inch model and the specification rows on each product page. For Hisense, we read the specification table on each 65-inch page and the Best Buy price for the same model and size. Hisense's pages print no price, so every Hisense price on this page is a Best Buy price.

The order follows price-matched tiers. Each tier pairs the TCL and Hisense sets whose 65-inch prices are closest on the read date, from the entry pair to the top pair. Within a tier, the TCL and Hisense rows sit side by side, and the verdicts use the printed figures and the read prices only. Peak brightness and dimming zones are vendor claims, and neither brand's page we read says how it measured them.

Sources

• TCL QM6K product page, US store (read November 4, 2026)
• TCL QM7L product page, US store (read November 4, 2026)
• TCL QM8L product page, US store (read November 4, 2026)
• TCL QM9K product page, US store (read November 4, 2026)
• Hisense 65-inch U6 Pro product page (read November 4, 2026)
• Hisense 65-inch U7 product page (read November 4, 2026)
• Hisense 65-inch UR8 product page (read November 4, 2026)
• Hisense 65-inch UR9 product page (read November 4, 2026)
• Hisense 65-inch U6 product page (read November 4, 2026)
• Best Buy search for the 2026 Hisense 65-inch sets (read November 4, 2026, 08:40 CET)

Related reading

• Best portable projector (2026)
• Govee vs Philips Hue (2026)
• TP-Link Deco vs eero (2026)

Ready to decide? Check TCL's US store for the QM6K, QM7L or QM8L price on the day you buy, and check Best Buy for the Hisense figure, because both brands change prices and stock.