When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn moreWe put the TCL QM7L SQD TV through our tests, and its bright, colorful performance is impressive for the price.Ryan Waniata/Business InsiderThis year, TCL is putting the "super" in quantum dots, the tiny nanocrystals that have been enhancing TV colors and brightness for over a decade. TCL's newly developed Super Quantum Dot (SQD) TVs, including the midrange QM7L, take QD technology to new heights. They're designed to compete with other cutting-edge TV tech, such as RGB LED and OLED.As the first SQD TV I've tested, the QM7L had a lot to live up to, and in many ways it exceeded my expectations. Its black levels and contrast rank among the best I've seen in a TV with LED backlighting (read non-OLED), and it pairs that with striking brightness and, as promised, expansive colors.The QM7L still reveals its midrange status in a few minor shortcomings, including a notably reflective screen and so-so off-center viewing, but in many ways it comes tantalizingly close to premium performance. It's a worthy successor to last year's QM7K, which was one of our favorite midrange TVs. And it easily earns its place as a more affordable alternative to TCL's higher-end QM8L and X11L SQD TVs. Looking for more TV recommendations? Check out our guides to the best TVs and best TCL TVs. The QM7L is stylish and available in many sizesThe TV features a handsome design, but its pedestal is large, and its screen is reflective.Ryan Waniata/Business InsiderThe QM7L comes in five sizes, from 55 to 98 inches. In keeping with the current big-screen trend, my review unit was a 75-inch model rather than the traditional 65-inch. Even at this size, TCL has kept the weight down to just 44 pounds, which makes unboxing the TV and attaching its pedestal stand relatively easy as long as you've got a partner.Peeling off the last of several layers of clingy plastic reveals a stylish set with a relatively thin frame and slim, smoked-chrome bezels. The faux-metal stand looks good, but at 14.5 inches long, it takes up a lot of space on your console. Unlike Hisense's rival U7SG, the QM7L doesn't use a matte screen, which results in significantly more reflections, even in low lighting, though it also makes black levels more convincing in some scenarios.The TV has onboard microphones for hands-free smart commands, now handled by Gemini rather than the Google Assistant. However, I prefer to mute this feature and use the remote for voice control instead. The wand-style remote is generally intuitive to use, save for the mute key, which is oddly banished to the far left corner. That caused me to confuse it with the power and input keys several times.Four HDMI ports are included, but only two support 144Hz gaming.Ryan Waniata/Business InsiderAt the TV's right flank is a solid collection of inputs, including four HDMI 2.1 ports, though only two support high-bandwidth data speeds for gaming features like VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) at up to 144Hz. That's still on par with Sony and Panasonic flagships, and I appreciate that neither gaming input overlaps with the HDMI eARC port, leaving it free for connecting an audio device. The built-in Bang & Olufsen speakers include dual woofers along the back panel for decent bass, but you'll still do much better with a good soundbar or surround system.As with previous models, the QM7L supports all major HDR flavors, including both dynamic formats in Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Other handy features include support for Dolby Atmos and DTS: X audio, streaming via AirPlay and Chromecast, and Bluetooth 5.4. One notable omission for those with indoor TV antennas is ATSC 3.0, which supports NextGen channels for 4K HDR broadcasts. TCL is far from the first to drop the feature, which seems to be falling out of favor across brands.Contrast and colors are a big step up, but there's still room to growThe TV's SQD tech helps to enable a wide, vibrant range of bright colors.Ryan Waniata/Business InsiderTCL says the QM7L's Mini LED backlight system uses up to 2,100 dimming zones to preserve black levels (though it doesn't specify by size), further refined by the company's Enhanced Halo Control system. That's supplemented by the titular Super Quantum Dot layer and a specialized color filter, which, in theory, allows the TV to achieve up to 100% of the next-gen BT.2020 color gamut.TCL says that number is based on "typical achievement," and results may vary due to multiple factors. I measured a still-impressive 85% of the BT.2020 spectrum using a Portrait Displays C6 HDR5000 colorimeter, a G1 pattern generator, and Calman software. Frankly, BT.2020 isn't a huge benefit for most content available today, since most movies and shows still stick to the narrower DCI-P3 color spectrum, but the TV covers nearly all of P3 and should be primed for the future.Contrast, the way our eyes perceive the difference between the darkest and brig
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