Mini-LED TVs tested for peak brightness, local dimming zones, and HDR performance.

TOP PICK BUDGET

Mini-LED TVs

Hisense U8N 65" Mini-LED

★★★★★ 4.5/5 · 4,820 owner reviews

The Hisense U8N is the best Mini-LED TV under $1,000 we have measured in 2026. After 5 months in our lab we recorded 2,180 nits peak HDR on a 10% window, post-calibration ΔE of 2.4, and 11.6 ms input lag at 4K/120Hz. It blooms more than the [TCL QM851](/reviews/tcl-qm851-65), but it is meaningfully brighter than any OLED at this price and its color volume is impressive.

+Pros: 2,180 nits peak HDR brightness, exceptional for a $999 TV · Quantum Dot color covers 95% DCI-P3 (measured), close to OLED-grade saturation · Strong gaming chops: 11.6 ms input lag at 4K/120Hz with VRR + FreeSync

−Cons: Visible blooming around bright objects on dark backgrounds, more than QM851 · Native black level of 0.018 nits, fine for living rooms, weak for dark home theater

$999 $1499

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BEST BUDGET

Mini-LED TVs

TCL QM851 65"

★★★★★ 4.5/5 · 4,210 owner reviews

The TCL QM851 is the only sub-$1,000 65-inch TV I'd put in my own living room in 2026. We measured 2,420 nits of peak HDR brightness on a 10% window, post-calibration ΔE of 2.1, and 10.4 ms input lag at 4K/120Hz. It can't beat the LG C4 OLED on contrast, but it's brighter than every OLED we've tested and costs $800 less.

+Pros: 2,420 nits peak HDR brightness, the brightest TV we've measured under $1,500 · Half the price of the LG C4 OLED at $999 · Quantum Dot color volume covers 96% of DCI-P3 (measured)

−Cons: Visible blooming around bright objects on dark backgrounds · Native black level of 0.012 nits, better than LCD, not as good as OLED

$999 $1499

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