Head-to-head
Sony Bravia 9 vs TCL QM8K
Both are mini-LED TVs that get gloriously bright, but they sit about $1,500 apart — the Sony Bravia 9 lands around $2,499 and the TCL QM8K around $1,000 — so the real question is what that gap actually buys. The Bravia 9 is the premium pick: roughly 2,800 nits of peak brightness, the best anti-reflective screen in the category, and Sony's processing and motion handling, which is the thing that separates a great sports TV from a merely bright one. The TCL QM8K answers with most of the muscle for far less — around 2,200-plus nits, its own anti-glare screen, and the most screen size per dollar of anything here. Picture quality on a torture-test scene goes to Sony; dollars-per-inch goes decisively to TCL. Here's how to choose.
 Sony Bravia 9 Sony |  TCL QM8K TCL | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.8 | 8.5 |
| Price | $2,499 | $999.99 |
| Verdict | The brightest, most controlled mini-LED for bright rooms and sports — OLED-like blacks without OLED's brightness ceiling. | The big-screen value champion: flagship mini-LED brightness and an anti-glare screen for far less than premium OLED — if you can live with only two HDMI 2.1 ports. |
| Best for | Sports fans and anyone with a bright, sunny living room who wants searing, glare-fighting brightness and clean motion, paired with OLED-like black levels. | Buyers who want a large, very bright 4K screen for movies and sports in a well-lit room — and the most screen and brightness per dollar — without paying premium OLED or flagship mini-LED prices. |
| Avoid if | You sit at wide angles, need four HDMI 2.1 ports for multiple consoles, or want the best value — premium OLEDs and the Hisense/TCL mini-LEDs cost less. | You game on more than two HDMI 2.1 sources, want the deepest OLED blacks in a dark home theater, or want the most polished image processing — premium OLEDs like the LG C5 or the brighter Sony Bravia 9 handle those better. |
| Score breakdown | ||
| size value | 7.0 | 9.5 |
| gaming features | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| motion handling | 9.5 | 8.0 |
| picture quality | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| brightness room fit | 9.5 | 9.0 |
| Specs | ||
| HDR | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG (no HDR10+) | Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG |
| Audio | Acoustic Multi-Audio+ beam tweeters, Dolby Atmos | Audio by Bang & Olufsen, Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X (85W) |
| Panel | Mini-LED QLED (Quantum Dot) | QD Mini-LED (CrystGlow WHVA) |
| Sizes | 65, 75, 85 in | 65, 75, 85, 98 in |
| Gaming | VRR, ALLM, Perfect for PS5 (2x HDMI 2.1) | VRR, ALLM, Game Accelerator to 288Hz, Filmmaker Mode |
| Screen | Anti-reflective | Anti-glare, Ultra Wide Angle, ZeroBorder |
| Smart OS | Google TV (ATSC 3.0 tuner) | Google TV |
| Backlight | XR Backlight Master Drive (High Peak Luminance) | Halo Control System, 23-bit controller |
| Processor | XR Processor | — |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 144Hz |
| Peak brightness | ~2,800 nits (18% window), up to ~4,000 nits | ~2,200-2,300 nits HDR (10% window) |
| Tuner | — | ATSC 3.0 |
| HDMI 2.1 ports | — | 2 (of 4) |
| Buy → | Buy → | |
Final verdict
Buy the Sony Bravia 9 if you watch a lot of sports or fast motion, sit in a bright room, and want the processing and refinement that make a demanding scene look right — it's the premium mini-LED, and it earns the price for picky viewers. Buy the TCL QM8K if you want the biggest, brightest screen your budget can stretch to and you're happy with most of the Sony's polish for well under half the money — for most living rooms, it's the smarter spend. Put simply: pay Sony for processing and motion, pay TCL for inches and value.
PickGrade may earn a commission from purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This never affects our grades. Full disclosure.