TCL recently flew me out to their launch event of the RM9L, QM8L, and QM7L, and after seeing what these TVs are capable of, it's clear that TCL is out to dominate the TV market.
Starting with the RM9L this TV is their first RGB Mini LED boasting a 4K 144Hz HVA Pro panel capable of up to 9,000 nits of brightness and housing an insane 16,848 color zones broken up into 5,616 local dimming zones on the flagship 115" model using their more precise Halo Control System.
HDR formats: Dolby Vision IQ / HDR10 / HDR 10+ / HLG
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According to TCL this will offer the best color and when paired with their TSR AiPQ Processor it will combine the excellent contrast TCL has become known for recently with the strengths of RGB Mini LED (including 100% BT.2020 support), and I will say it impressed me more than I expected.
To my eye the model they showed off appeared to give similar contrast to their QM8L TV while being capable of insane brightness & color saturation that I've never seen from a TCL TV before. It also comes equipped with Bang & Olufsen audio, Wifi 6, & 4x HDMI 2.1 ports for excellent connectivity & a slim premium design that looked great.
Yet despite that my favorite TV actually was the QM8L and let me explain why.
This TV is the future. Not only does the QM8L feature the same technology they debuted in the X11L including Super Quantum dot technology and an enhanced color filter to bring what TCL claims at 100% BT.2020 coverage just like the RM9L.
But here's the difference. The QM8L just like the insanely good X11L can achieve great color more consistantly than than RGB Mini LED TVs I've seen so far in my opinion. This is because the SQD + color filter approach never has to swap between a color or white backlight depending on the scene. It always relys upon the filter, which I believe leads to a more consistent image.
This TV also comes with up to 6,000nits of brightness, 4,000+ local dimming zones, their more precise Halo Control System, a WHVA Pro panel, ZeroBorder design, their TSR AI Pro Processor with ai optimizations, and a 144Hz refresh rate.
HDR formats: Dolby Vision IQ / HDR10 / HDR 10+ / HLG
Current Pricing (Affiliate Links Below)
Home Theater Review earns commission from sales.
Now I will say I was a little disappointed to see the zone count drop from around 20,000 on the X11L to 4,000 on the QM8L, as I think that is the biggest reason why the X11L is so good, so hopefully next year's model can jump up to something like 10,000 zones to help narrow the gap somewhat and get closer to the insane contrast the X11L provides.
This is where TCL has a chance to beat competitors that are going all in on RGB Mini LED, as RGB zones will increase build complexity and cost. Meanwhile TCL can use that to push higher zone counts and beat competitors on contrast, which is a far more important spec than color, as it does not need the content to be mastered in a new way to look better.
But as a whole the QM8L offers impressive picture quality at a far lower price than the RM9L and a glimpse into the future of TV technology.
Finally we have the QM7L which I think will be another banger this year. The 7 series from TCL always offers near flagship performance, while coming in at a far more affordable price.
This seems like it will be the case once again, as the QM7L will offer the same SQD technology, but drops down to a regular HVA panel (which hurts viewing angles a bit) and reduces the zone count, while still offering similar picture quality to the QM8L.
Expect up to 3000nits of brightness, 2100+ local dimming zones, 100% BT.2020, and a 144Hz refresh rate.
HDR formats: Dolby Vision IQ / HDR10 / HDR 10+ / HLG
Current Pricing (Affiliate Links Below)
Home Theater Review earns commission from sales.
Overall I was impressed with TCL had to show, but I'm even more excited to see where TCL takes their technology going forward as I think SQD-Mini LED gives them a huge advantage. While competitors chase color performance that isn't even available in most content today, TCL simply needs to get the X11L down in price offering still great color, but far more zones and contrast performance.
If you're interested in 2026 models however, make sure to stay tuned as my QM8L review will be live very soon.
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