Supersized living room screens have finally gone mainstream, and the 98‑inch class is where high‑end home cinema now collides with everyday streaming. After looking at lab measurements, expert evaluations, and buyer feedback, I ranked the standout 98‑inch TVs of 2025 by how they actually perform in real homes, not just on spec sheets. The result is a short list of sets that justify their wall‑dominating footprint with serious brightness, contrast, and smart features.
How I ranked the best 98‑inch TVs in 2025
When I compare 98‑inch models, I start with picture performance, because at this size any weakness in contrast, color, or motion is impossible to miss from a sofa. I look for strong peak brightness for HDR, tight local dimming control, and wide color coverage, then cross‑check those impressions against objective testing where available. A detailed breakdown of the top 98, 100 inch sets, including a home theater score of 8.5 for the leading model and notes on the underlying methodology, helps anchor those judgments in measured data rather than marketing language.
Beyond raw image quality, I weigh smart platforms, gaming responsiveness, and sound, because a 98‑inch screen is usually the centerpiece of a room, not a bare panel waiting for add‑ons. I also factor in how each TV fits into the broader landscape of large‑screen recommendations, such as the curated list of best 98-inch TV options that highlights which models deliver a cinema‑like experience without demanding a professional install. Price matters, but at this size the real question is value: which sets feel like a long‑term upgrade rather than an oversized compromise.
Sony Bravia 5: the 98‑inch reference point
For most buyers who want a no‑regrets 98‑inch upgrade, I see the Sony Bravia 5 Mini LED as the reference choice. It is consistently positioned as the Sony Bravia flagship in this size, and that tracks with what I would expect from Sony’s processing and backlight control. The set uses a dense Mini LED array to deliver high brightness and precise local dimming, which is exactly what you want on a 98‑inch canvas where blooming and grayish blacks are otherwise hard to hide.
Real‑world feedback backs up that positioning. Owners of the Sony 98 Class BRAVIA 5 Mini LED 4K UHD Smart Google TV repeatedly highlight its impressive picture quality, noting that the combination of Mini LED hardware and Sony’s tuning produces a crystal‑clear image with convincing HDR. A focused summary of what Customers are saying about the 98 inch model underscores that this is not just a spec‑sheet winner but a set that satisfies people who have already committed the wall space and budget.
Inside Sony’s Mini LED hardware and processing
The Bravia 5’s appeal starts with its backlight. Sony leans on a dense grid of Mini LED zones to push brightness while keeping halos around bright objects in check, a balance that becomes critical on a 98‑inch panel. The official product description invites buyers to Step up to Mini LED brightness and contrast, which is marketing language but also an accurate shorthand for what this technology does in a darkened room with HDR movies.
That same description emphasizes Mini LED as the backbone of a “big screen experience” built around crystal‑clear 4K and advanced upscaling. On a 98‑inch panel, upscaling is not a minor feature, it is the difference between streaming HD sports that look acceptably sharp and a smeared mess. Sony’s long track record with motion handling and tone mapping, combined with this hardware, is why I treat the Bravia 5 as the benchmark for how a 98‑inch LCD should look in mixed use.
TCL 98QM8K: the value flagship that punches up
If Sony sets the bar for refinement, TCL’s 98QM8K is the model that tries to reach similar heights at a more aggressive price. Independent testing identifies the TCL 98QM8K as the Best Inch TV in the 98 to 100 inch bracket, with that 8.5 home theater score reflecting strong brightness and contrast for movies and games. That aligns with TCL’s broader strategy of using high‑zone Mini LED backlights and quantum dots to deliver flagship‑level punch without the same premium pricing as the traditional top‑tier brands.
A closer look at the 98QM8K confirms that positioning. A detailed review describes the TCL QM8K Class 98‑inch TV as a costly but worthy flagship, with excellent Mini LED picture quality, good speakers, and plenty of features. That combination matters at 98 inches, where adding a separate sound system and streaming box can quickly erode any savings. In my rankings, the 98QM8K lands as the best choice for buyers who want near‑reference performance but are willing to trade a bit of processing polish for a more approachable price.
How TCL’s QM8K and QM6K differ at 98 inches
TCL does not stop at a single 98‑inch model, and the differences between its QM8K and QM6K lines are important if you are trying to balance budget and performance. The higher‑end QM8K uses a QD‑Mini LED backlight and a premium design, which is reflected in the product pitch that invites you to product that changes how you watch TV. That same listing highlights the 98‑inch size and advanced backlight as key reasons to step up.
The more affordable QM6K line still targets big‑screen buyers but with a slightly different emphasis. The description of The TCL Class QM6K Series QD‑Mini LED QLED 4K UHD Smart Google TV stresses that its 98-inch panel uses QLED and a Halo Control System to combine advanced display tech with precise light management. A separate product view of the 98-inch QLED model reinforces that this is meant as a premium large‑screen experience, even if it sits a notch below the QM8K in sheer backlight muscle.
TCL’s quantum color and why it matters on a 98‑inch screen
What sets TCL’s large sets apart is not just the Mini LED hardware but the way they handle color. The QM8K’s product description explicitly urges buyers to Change the way they watch TV, crediting The Color Quantum Crystal material for transforming standard colors into richer, more realistic tones. On a 98‑inch panel, that extra saturation and accuracy helps avoid the washed‑out look that can plague very large LCDs in bright rooms.
The same quantum‑dot approach underpins TCL’s broader 98‑inch QLED strategy. The description of the TCL Class QM8K Series 4K QD‑Mini LED UHD HDR Smart TV again highlights The Color Quantum Crystal as the key to more lifelike color, while the separate listing for QLED with the Halo Control System emphasizes how that color engine pairs with precise dimming. In practice, that means animated films, sports uniforms, and game worlds retain their punch even when you are sitting relatively close to a 98‑inch screen.
Samsung’s Neo QLED 8K and 4K options at wall‑filling sizes
Samsung’s answer to the 98‑inch trend leans heavily on AI processing and high‑end Neo QLED panels. The Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN990F Vision AI Smart TV is described as Our most advanced AI‑powered 8K processor, with the NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor Powers the best AI‑enhanced 8K TV experience from Samsung. That kind of silicon matters on a 98‑inch panel, where upscaling lower‑resolution content to 8K without artifacts is a constant challenge.
A separate product listing reiterates that Processor Powers the best AI‑enhanced 8K TV experience from Samsung, underlining how central that chip is to the QN990F’s pitch. For buyers who do not want or need 8K, the Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN90F Vision AI Smart TV focuses on smarter scaling and sound, with a description that says it Uses AI to deliver incredible 4K picture and dynamic sound. A parallel listing invites you to See content upscaled to impressive 4K, which is exactly the kind of promise that matters when you are feeding a huge screen with a mix of streaming and broadcast sources.
How these 98‑inch sets compare for movies, sports, and gaming
Once you line up Sony’s Bravia 5, TCL’s QM8K and QM6K, and Samsung’s Neo QLED options, the differences become clearer when you think in terms of use cases. For film‑first viewers who watch a lot of HDR in a dim room, the Sony’s Mini LED control and processing give it an edge in subtle shadow detail and tone mapping, which is why it often tops curated Table of Contents lists as the Best 98-inch TV overall. TCL’s 98QM8K, with its high brightness and quantum color, is a close second for cinematic use and can actually look more impactful in brighter living rooms where sheer nits matter more than the last word in gradation.
For sports and gaming, the calculus shifts slightly. TCL’s aggressive pricing on the TCL Class QM8K Series 4K QD‑Mini LED UHD HDR Smart TV makes it easier to justify a 98‑inch gaming display, especially when paired with its strong brightness and color. Samsung’s Neo QLED sets, particularly the QN90F, lean on AI processing to keep motion clean and input lag low, which is attractive for fast‑paced content. Sony’s Bravia 5 still holds its own here, but if your priority is a huge, bright, responsive screen for weekend games and console sessions, TCL and Samsung both offer compelling alternatives.
What real buyers say about living with a 98‑inch TV
Lab scores and spec sheets only go so far, so I pay close attention to how owners describe living with these wall‑filling screens. Reviews of the Class BRAVIA 5 Mini LED 4K UHD Smart Go TV repeatedly mention the shock of stepping up to a 98 inch panel and then quickly adjusting to it as the new normal. People highlight how streaming series, live sports, and even casual YouTube clips feel more immersive, which is exactly what you want when you are dedicating a wall to a single device.
On the TCL side, buyers of the Halo Control System equipped 98‑inch QLED sets talk about the balance between brightness and black levels, noting that the advanced dimming helps keep letterbox bars and dark scenes under control even in mixed lighting. That kind of feedback, combined with the structured testing that identifies the Best 98-100 Inch TV models, is why I am comfortable saying that 98‑inch televisions have moved from niche curiosities to practical centerpieces for people who care about picture quality.
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