00:00Hey guys! Just ahead of CES, I got to check out what feels to me like TCL's most ambitious TV
00:07launch to date. In this video, I'm excited to introduce to you the TCL X11L SQD Mini-LED
00:14because this TV is doing something a little different.
00:23I think it makes the most sense to start with what is SQD Mini-LED? SQD is super
00:29quantum dot, so still mini-LED, but just basically souped up. There are three parts to what distinguishes
00:36SQD from QLED or more traditional mini-LED. First, new quantum dots, reformulated, bigger,
00:43and allegedly capable of 100% of the BT2020 spectrum, which is the standard for color space
00:49for HDR content. Then, TCL developed a new CSOT Ultra color filter that controls color pixel by pixel
00:57up to 4,000 pixels per dimming zone. Finally, software-wise, the X11L runs a color purity
01:04algorithm that keeps colors consistent even in bright whites.
01:10It's probably important to give you guys some context of SQD Mini-LED being TCL's answer to all
01:16of the RGB hype you've been hearing lately. TCL actually is making an RGB TV. More on that later
01:23in this video, but SQD came from hopes of actually making something better than RGB. Instead of blue
01:30LEDs plus quantum dots, RGB Mini-LED uses red, green, and blue LEDs directly. That promises bigger
01:37color volume, wider OLED-esque viewing angles, and color saturation that can approach 100% of BT2020.
01:44Note that most of the TVs that come into this lab that we test on our bench don't even hit
01:4990%.
01:49But the trade-off to RGB is control. And I say that not based on my personal viewing experience.
01:56There simply haven't been enough extended hands-on testing opportunities with any RGB TV,
02:01and they're just not mainstream in the US market yet. But technologically speaking,
02:07because RGB LEDs have to mix colors to make white, they need a little bit more space to do so,
02:13which can lead to color blooming or color overlap, also called crosstalk,
02:17actually making colors look more muted and blend into each other more than what you would like.
02:23TCL says that the elements of SQD that I already outlined should help avoid that very color crosstalk,
02:29and visually, from what I did get to see, it actually does kind of check out.
02:33I wasn't able to film some of the most telling demos. What you're seeing here in the video is basically
02:39just
02:39a sample model running the same stock footage. But in those more interesting demos, what I saw was
02:45really clean contrast between bright, bold colors, greens, reds, you know, colors that typically challenge TVs.
02:52And not only that, the blacks look deep, neon colors pop without that bleeding, logos look sharp.
02:57It was a noticeably more vibrant picture next to TCL's own RGB mini LED prototype.
03:04Side note, that one actually looked pretty great though, too, because it uses that same new ultra color filter
03:09that we're getting on the SQD model. But an unnamed competitor RGB set next to it looked a lot more
03:16muted,
03:17especially in those darker scenes. TCL said that comes down to having made a color filter designed to keep up
03:24with SQD.
03:25One big thing I noticed was the competitor RGB crushing blacks, while the X11L kept detail and color.
03:33It was a truly phenomenal demo.
03:38Now, I'm not saying that SQD is objectively better than RGB. This was a demo orchestrated by TCL. And again,
03:46we just really haven't had the chance to get RGB or now SQD into objective testing environments.
03:53Hopefully that will change this year. So make sure you're subscribed to the channel. I'll just leave it at that.
03:59In the meantime, there actually are a couple of other specs I can share about the X11L at this time.
04:04It uses TCL's new WHVA 2.0 panel, which claims to improve viewing angles, contrast and uniformity.
04:11It features up to 20,000 dimming zones, 10,000 nits peak brightness, and a 26-bit backlight controller.
04:19Audio by Bing and Olufsen, support for Dolby Vision 2.0 Max, and for HDMI 2.1 inputs are other
04:26premium specs to look out for.
04:28It'll come in 98-inch, 85-inch, and 75-inch sizes, with the bigger two actually launching pretty much right
04:34now.
04:35By the time I'm filming this video, I actually don't have the pricing details, but I'll update them in the
04:40description and also throw some links in,
04:42in case you're interested in being an early adopter of TCL's SQD Mini-LED technology.
04:48But TCL isn't betting on just one approach for 2026.
04:51TCL is still doing RGB Mini-LED with a set called the RM9L.
04:56We don't have any specs or anything for that one yet, but I do find it interesting how they're balancing
05:01RGB while also leaning into SQD across the rest of the lineup.
05:06In fact, later this year, we're also getting sets that are going to be called the QM8L and QM7L with
05:13SQD.
05:14And then, if you guys remember the QM6K we first saw at CES last year, that will be sticking around
05:20in the lineup.
05:22What do you think of TCL's TV strategy going into 2026?
05:25It feels to me like TCL is zagging while the rest of the TV space is zigging towards RGB so
05:32wholeheartedly.
05:33And I guess that's part of the fun of Tom's Guide to CES, right?
05:36We get to see trends as they're developing and seeing who's setting the tone, who's trying to be different, all
05:41that good stuff.
05:42So, if you want to see more from CES, make sure to keep it locked to this channel.
05:46I appreciate you guys for watching, and I will catch you next time.
06:06I'll see you next time.
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