TCL will, like Samsung, rebrand its LCD TVs to “QLED”. Unlike Samsung, TCL will offer a full array local dimming model, which should improve the HDR experience. Welcome the X6 flagship.
TCL X6 flagship
TCL’s X6 will be available only in an 85” format and will represent the best of the best that the company has to offer. The TV was unveiled to the world at IFA in Berlin where TCL also officially joined the “QLED” club; a marketing alliance and a front against OLED technology.
A few years ago, TCL was optimistic that it could mass-produce OLED TV panels at one of its factories. However, when we met them again at CES in January this optimism was gone, and at IFA it culminated with TCL’s first “QLED TV”. Another company has seemingly realized that OLED is extremely difficult to mass-produce.
X6 – or ”Private Theatre XESS X6” – combines a full array local dimming LCD panel with quantum dot technology. The result is a TV that should be able to reproduce HDR content better than most other LCD TVs on the market. TCL is boasting 1200 nits peak brightness and a wide color gamut. The backlight has around 600 zones, which is almost as many as Sony’s Z9D (ZD9) flagship.
- “Today marks a significant milestone for TCL, as we continue to innovate on behalf of our sophisticated global customer base,” said Tomson Li, CEO for TCL.
The TV supports Dolby Vision HDR as well as both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Despite all of this technology, it is just 24.8 mm thick, which makes it the thinnest TV with zone dimming larger than 80 inches, according to the company. The speakers were developed in collaboration with Harman Kardon and can output sound in 7.1.4 channels, of which four are up-firing.
Pricing was not announced but TCL X6 looks like a strong competitor to current top LCDs such as Sony ZD9 and Panasonic DX900 – it may even surpass them.