TCL’s budget S5 LED 65‑inch is missing from live listings, so no direct comparison exists. The cheapest available 65‑inch per‑inch option today is the Hisense U6.
The Short Answer
There is no head‑to‑head 65‑inch winner today because TCL’s value entry is invisible. Hisense is the only brand with an in‑stock 65‑inch model in our live tracking: the Hisense 65U65QF (U6 Series Mini‑LED QLED) at $679.99 on Newegg. That works out to $10.46/inch ($679.99 ÷ 65). The step‑up 65U8QG costs $1,299.99, or $20.00/inch. Without a TCL 65‑inch listing, Hisense’s U6 claims the cheapest‑available crown by default—but its per‑inch cost is far higher than what we typically see from TCL’s 65‑inch LED lineup.
Price Per Inch Breakdown: Only Hisense Has Stock
The two 65‑inch Hisense models with live prices both sit in the Mini‑LED QLED category:
- Hisense 65U65QF (U6 Series) – $679.99 → $10.461385/inch ($679.99 ÷ 65)
- Hisense 65U8QG (U8 Series) – $1,299.99 → $19.999846/inch ($1,299.99 ÷ 65)
The U8 costs 91.2% more per inch than the U6: ($19.999846 − $10.461385) / $10.461385 = 0.912. No TCL 65‑inch of any description—LED, QLED, or Mini‑LED—appears in the current snapshot, so a brand‑versus‑brand per‑inch comparison is impossible. The overall TCL floor, a 32‑inch S3 at $99.99 ($3.12/inch), is too small to answer the 65‑inch question.
Same Size, Different Tiers: U6 vs TCL’s Missing S5
The Hisense U6 is a Mini‑LED QLED TV; TCL’s typical budget 65‑inch model (the S5 series) is a basic 4K LED. In earlier May 2026 snapshots we saw the TCL S5 65‑inch in our matched products with a live price that was significantly under $10.46/inch, but on May 3 it has vanished. Hisense’s per‑inch advantage exists only because the cheaper tier (TCL LED) cannot be confirmed with a current price. If TCL had a live listing, the “cheaper per inch” answer would almost certainly flip, as the S5 targets a lower hardware tier and historically lands well below the U6’s cost.
What the Extra Cost Buys You
Objective spec sheets for these models are not included in our live tracking, so we cannot itemize feature differences beyond the core descriptions: both Hisense units are labeled “Mini‑LED QLED,” while the absent TCL S5 is an LED panel.
When Each Makes Sense
- Choose the Hisense 65U65QF ($679.99, $10.46/inch) if you need a 65‑inch TV right now.
- Wait for TCL’s S5 65‑inch restock if you value the lowest per‑inch cost. Our earlier tracking suggested the S5 sells for a significantly lower $/inch than the U6; when it returns, it will almost certainly undercut Hisense on a pure dollars‑per‑inch basis.
Verdict
On May 3, 2026, Hisense’s 65U65QF is the cheapest 65‑inch option among tracked TCL and Hisense models at $10.46/inch, solely because no TCL 65‑inch TV has a live price. The missing TCL S5 LED historically beats that number, but the absence of a current listing means Hisense wins by default—not because it’s the better deal on paper. Re‑check prices once TCL’s inventory shows up, and the answer will probably reverse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t there a TCL 65-inch price in this comparison?
As of May 3, 2026, our live tracking shows no in‑stock 65‑inch TCL models. The S5 65‑inch LED (previously tracked in early May with a lower per‑inch cost) has disappeared from listings, leaving no TCL price to compare.
What is the cheapest Hisense 65-inch 4K TV per inch right now?
The Hisense 65U65QF (U6 Series Mini‑LED QLED) at $679.99 gives $10.46/inch, the lowest among Hisense 65‑inch models with a live price. The U8 version costs almost double per inch.
How does the Hisense U65QF’s per‑inch cost compare to smaller QLED TVs?
The overall QLED floor is $3.88/inch (50‑inch VIZIO), but that’s a much smaller screen. 65‑inch TVs always carry a per‑inch premium, so $10.46/inch for a 65‑inch QLED is not unusual, though a 55‑inch QLED can be found for around $6.04/inch (Hisense QD7).
Could TCL’s S5 65‑inch be cheaper per inch than the Hisense U6?
Without a live listing, we can’t confirm the exact gap, but the S5 typically targets a lower‑cost LED tier that would beat the U6’s per‑inch figure when in stock.