The short answer is: Yes, surprisingly much.

TCL used to be considered a purely budget brand (a “no-name” brand). That has changed drastically. Today, TCL is one of the world’s largest TV manufacturers and actively drives innovation.

Strengths

• Picture quality: Especially in the mid-range and high-end segments (often the C-series or QM-series), TCL offers features like QLED (better colors) and Mini-LED (high contrast and brightness), which often cost twice as much with other brands.
• Gaming: Many models support HDMI 2.1, 120Hz or 144Hz refresh rates, making them ideal for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
• Operating system: TCL mostly uses Google TV. This means a huge selection of apps and a modern interface (even if it sometimes runs a bit slower than on high-end devices).

The Weaknesses

• Upscaling & Motion Handling: This is where the biggest difference to Sony or Samsung lies. When watching a poor TV signal (SD/HD), more expensive processors upscale the image more cleanly than TCL. With 4K content (Netflix, Disney+), this is hardly noticeable.
• Viewing Angles: TCL often uses VA panels. These have great black levels, but the picture becomes washed out when viewed from the side.
• Quality Control: The variation in quality between individual units (the so-called “panel lottery”) can be somewhat higher with TCL than with premium brands.

It seems almost suspicious that a 65-inch TCL Mini-LED TV costs €800, while a comparable Samsung costs €1,500. There are three main economic reasons for this:

A. Vertical Integration (CSOT)

This is the most important point. TCL isn’t just a brand that buys up components. TCL owns the panel manufacturer CSOT.

• TCL manufactures its own screens.
• Moreover, TCL often manufactures panels for other brands (Samsung and Sony also sometimes buy panels from TCL/CSOT).
• Because they “own the factory,” the profit margin of intermediaries is eliminated.

B. Aggressive Market Strategy

TCL pursues a market penetration strategy. They are prepared to operate with minimal profit margins per device to capture market share from Samsung and LG. Quantity over quality when it comes to profit.

C. Savings in Less Visible Areas

To drive down the price, savings are made in areas that aren’t immediately apparent on the spec sheet:

• Casing: Lots of plastic, often a bit thicker, less of a “premium feel”.
• Processor: As mentioned above, the image processor is good, but not world-class (less AI optimization).
• Factory Calibration: Colors are often not perfectly calibrated out of the box and must be adjusted by the user in the menu.

Behind the low price is therefore not a “cheap importer”, but a highly integrated industrial titan that controls the entire value chain – from the raw glass for the display to the finished television in the living room.

Let’s take a look at what you can get if you have a budget of around €600 to €1,000 for a 65-inch TV.

The main rival: Hisense

• The duel: Hisense is the direct competitor from China. The strategy is almost identical.
• Comparison: Both offer Mini-LED and QLED at incredibly low prices. Hisense often has its own operating system (VIDAA), which is very fast, but has fewer apps than Google TV on TCL.
• Conclusion: A neck-and-neck race. The current daily deal often decides the choice.

The market leaders: Samsung (Crystal UHD / QLED entry-level)

For the price of a top-of-the-line TCL, Samsung often only offers entry-level models (Crystal UHD) or basic QLED TVs (Q60 series).

• Comparison: The Samsung will likely have a better menu and better upscaling for TV channels. However, the TCL will be brighter, have true local dimming (for better black levels), and often offer 120Hz, whereas the cheaper Samsung only has 60Hz.
• Conclusion: If you only watch linear TV, go for Samsung. If you stream movies and play games, you get more hardware for your money with TCL.

The premium league: LG & Sony

• LG: In the budget segment, LG often uses IPS panels. These have great viewing angles, but weak contrast (gray instead of black in the dark). Here, TCL, with its VA panels, outperforms LG in terms of image depth in dark rooms.
• Sony: Sony is hardly competitive in this price range. A Sony X90L (mid-range) significantly outperforms the TCL in image processing, but often costs 50–80% more.

Are TCL TVs any good? Absolutely!

TCL has managed to bridge the gap between “cheap junk” and “premium.” They offer high-end hardware (Mini-LED) at mid-range prices. The low price isn’t a scam, but the result of sound business practices: they save on the casing and marketing, but own the factories for the most important components themselves.

My recommendation: If you’re looking for a 65-inch TV (or larger) and your budget is limited, you’ll almost always get a better picture from TCL (or Hisense) than from entry-level models from Samsung or LG. However, if you’re a videophile seeking absolute color perfection and the best motion handling, you’ll still have to dig deep into your pockets and opt for Sony or OLED models from LG/Samsung.