TCL has a vision for the future of TV, and it’s different from rivals…
TCL has taken the wraps off its 2026 TV range, and in the process sparked a debate about the future of LED TV, reports Steve May. While the industry, at least the more committed players, seem to favour RGB-MiniLED as the road to take, TCL has a different view, in the shape of SQD-MiniLED. Of course, it’s also going big with RGB-MiniLED, but the brand currently sees Super QLED as Team Leader.
At a European trade unveiling in Paris, its SQD-MiniLED flagship, the X11L, available in 75-, 85- and 98-inch screen sizes, impressed visitors with astonishing colour depth and vibrancy, and near perfect black level handling.
SQD-MiniLED partners a quantum dot film with a new Ultra Color Filter said to expand the colour gamut by 33%. The WHVA 2.0 panel, supplied by TCL CSOT, delivers 100% coverage of the BT.2020 colour space, and has full array local dimming, with 20,736 zones on the largest model. It boasts an astonishing 10,000 nits peak brightness, said to be “always true to the original source.”
The 75-, and 85-inch X11L screens have 11,520 and 14,400 dimming zones respectively, delivering a peak brightness of 9,000 and 10,000 nits. Processing power comes from a TSR AiPQ chip.
Visible SQD-MiniLED consumer benefits include reduced colour crosstalk,and halos around objects on black backgrounds, courtesy of a proprietary light and shadow control algorithm. Enhanced motion clarity makes this a great option for both sports and movie fans.
The X11L also features Audio by Bang & Olufsen and has support for Dolby Atmos FlexConnect. It can be partnered with TCL’s Z100 FlexConnect speaker system, now with optional subwoofer, for full cinema sound.
Joining the X11L, at the TCL European showcase were the C8L and C7L SQD-MiniLED models.
The C8L has 4032 dimming zones, and a peak brightness of 6,000 nits. Launching in 55-, 65-, 75-, 85- and 98-inch screen sizes, it also has audio supplied by Bang & Olufsen.
The C7L will be available in 55-, 65-, 75-, 85- and 98-inch screen sizes. It utilises 2176 dimming zones, with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
When asked about the hierarchy of its new premium models, TCL said this was determined by the number of dimming zones a screen has, and not the panel technology used. It’s an interesting approach that actually makes some sense when you’re faced with a plethora of screens.
Flying the RGB-MiniLED flag for TCL in 2026 are the RM9L and RM7L. These have fewer dimming zones, ergo sit beneath SQD-MiniLED, but will be more competitively priced. The RM9L will be available in 85-, 98-, 115-inch screen sizes, while the RM7L will come in 65-, 75-, 85-, and 98-inch screen sizes.
Behind closed doors, the brand staged a shoot out between its SQD-MiniLED, RGB-Mini LED, and rival models. The two TCL combatants were notable both for just how good they looked, and how close they appeared in performance. The tech may be quite different, but on a shop floor, consumers will be hard pushed to tell the difference.
TCL also launched its latest lifestyle screen at the trade event. The A400 Pro NXTVision features a non glare matte screen, but uses a QD Mini LED with 448 local dimming zones which gives more brightness than the full array LED employed on its predecessor.
All new TCL TVs will use the Google Smart TV platform. Retail prices are TBA.
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