If the TCL QM8's colors look wrong, start with the picture mode: Vivid oversaturates, while Movie, Filmmaker or Standard look more natural. Reset the picture settings, check the HDR setting for the input and test another source to find whether it is the TV or the source. A green or purple tint can come from a bad HDMI cable, a wrong color range or an HDR mismatch; swap the cable and set the source to the matching range. The QM8's local dimming and mini-LED backlight can cause blooming that is not a color fault. Update the TV and run any picture test pattern. If the colors stay wrong in every source and mode, the panel needs TCL service.
Differential
Likely causes of “TCL TV line colors look wrong, washed out or tinted”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A vivid picture mode
What separates it Oversaturated colors
How to confirm Choose Movie or Filmmaker mode
- 2
A bad cable
What separates it Green or purple tint
How to confirm Swap the cable
- 3
HDR or color range mismatch
What separates it Washed out or crushed
How to confirm Set the source to match
- 4
Local dimming
What separates it Halos around bright objects
How to confirm Adjust the local dimming level
- 5
A panel fault
What separates it Colors wrong everywhere
How to confirm Contact TCL
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The mode and input
- Whether other sources look wrong
- The HDR setting
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedReset the picture
ReversibleUse the picture reset.
Choose a natural mode
ReversibleSelect Movie or Filmmaker.
Swap the cable
ReversibleUse another HDMI cable.
Check HDR
ReversibleMatch the HDR setting.
Update
ReversibleInstall the latest software.
Compare with another source
ReversibleTry a streaming app and a console to see which looks wrong.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Backlight
- The QM8 uses a mini-LED backlight with local dimming.
- Picture modes
- Choose Movie, Filmmaker or Standard for natural colors.
- Calibrating by eye
- Pick a familiar scene, such as a face in daylight, and adjust until skin looks natural before you touch anything else. Then check a bright cloudy sky and a dark room scene. If the face is orange, lower the color temperature; if it looks pale, raise the color a notch. Small steps and a pause between them give a better result than large jumps.
- Source differences
- A streaming app, a game console and a Blu-ray player each send slightly different signals, so a setting that suits one can look wrong on another. Many TVs remember picture settings for each input, so adjust while the device you care about is on screen. If a console looks washed out, check its own output range and HDR calibration before changing the TV.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models QM7, Q7, Q6, R655, R646, S555.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If every source and mode looks wrong, contact TCL
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Picture settings.
Google TV settings.
Input, cable and reset steps.
General Google TV troubleshooting.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why are the colors too bright on my QM8?+
Vivid mode is probably selected. Choose Movie or Filmmaker.
What causes a green tint?+
A bad cable or color range mismatch.
What is blooming?+
Halos around bright objects on a dark background, caused by local dimming.
Should I turn off HDR?+
Only to test. Use the source's HDR when content supports it.
How do I calibrate?+
Use a picture mode and the TV's built-in tools.
Why does my QM8 look too dim in daytime?+
Check the brightness and the energy-saving mode. HDR content can also look dim if the TV cannot reach full brightness in a bright room.
What is the best picture mode for movies on the QM8?+
Movie or Filmmaker mode gives the most natural colors and removes motion smoothing.
What does local dimming do?+
It dims zones of the backlight to deepen blacks; a higher setting can cause halos, a lower one reduces contrast.
How do I fix a yellow or blue tint?+
Check the color temperature setting, choose Warm or Standard and reset the picture settings.
Does HDR look different on each input?+
HDR settings are per input, so check the picture settings on the input that is wrong.
How do I judge color without a meter?+
Use a familiar scene, such as a face in daylight, and aim for natural skin before anything else.
Do picture settings stay per input?+
On many TVs they do, so adjust each input separately.
Why does a console look different from streaming?+
The console may send a different range or HDR setting.
Is a blue tint a fault?+
Usually it is the color temperature or a source setting, not the panel.