CES always has a way of making your eyes feel like they’ve been turned up too high. This year was no different—micro RGB TVs were everywhere, and at one point the demo booth lights seemed to buzz in the background while every screen tried to outshine the last.
TCL’s QM8L targets peak brightness and better color
TCL’s 2026 lineup leans hard into that fight, and the centerpiece is the QM8L.
TCL says it’s a follow-up to the excellent QM8K, with even greater brightness and upgraded color thanks to Super Quantum Dots.
The company’s calling these Super QDs “SQD-MiniLEDs,” and they’re described as a refined version of the dots already used in prior sets—specifically the same dots that make up the backlight of the flagship X11L.
That matters because TCL isn’t just talking in marketing terms. It claims the QM8L can reproduce 100% of the hard-to-obtain BT.2020 color space. On top of that, the QM8L brings up to 4,000 discrete local dimming zones and its Halo Control system, which the company says should improve contrast.
The other big headline is brightness.
TCL says peak brightness rises to 6,000 nits—an increase of 2,000—which, if accurate, would put it among the brightest TVs ever produced.
At a preview event, the company said this expanded brightness is designed to take advantage of the Dolby Vision 2 Max standard.
There’s also the CSOT WHVA 2.0 Ultra Panel for wider viewing angles with better color and higher contrast, plus an antireflective layer.
That last part stood out, because TCL contrasts it with the X11L, which it describes as “rather reflective.”
QM7L and RM9L add options, with preorder pricing
If the QM8L is the showstopper, the QM7L is the slightly more “okay, but still great” option.
It keeps TCL’s SQD-MicroLED approach for color, but uses a HVA 2.0 Pro panel that’s less advanced than the QM8L’s.
The tradeoffs are clear: half the dimming zones (2,100) and lower brightness (3,000 nits).
Still, TCL frames it as plenty bright, and argues the Super QDs should keep the picture punchy and color-forward.
Then there’s the RM9L, TCL’s own RGB-Mini LED TV.
This one is built around the Enhanced Halo Control systems, a high-contrast CSOT WHVA 2.0 Ultra panel, and the TSR AI Pro Processor.
TCL says it still prefers its own SQD-MicroLED, but if you want an RGB micro-LED, this is where it’s putting that idea.
TCL also confirmed it’s keeping the QM6K on for another year, calling it a great TV even if it’s dimmer than most competitors—and the company will keep the range on for 2026 and add an extra 50-inch size.
Maybe it’s a reminder that not every upgrade has to be maximum spec-chasing.
Or maybe TCL just knows people like a reliable alternative in the lineup.
Pricing and availability follow the usual pattern: the QM8L is available now, while the QM7L and RM9L are headed for preorder.
The QM8L comes in 65-inch for $2,500, 75-inch for $3,000, 85-inch for $4,000, and 98-inch for $6,000.
The RM9L is listed for preorder with 115-inch at $30,000, 98-inch at $10,000, and 85-inch at $8,000.
Meanwhile, the QM7L models also take preorder slots: 55-inch for $1,200, 65-inch for $1,500, 75-inch for $2,000, 85-inch for $2,500, and 98-inch for $4,000.
TCL’s been pretty consistent about pushing TVs to beat—Misryoum analysis and past hands-on comparisons have pointed to that track record, especially when pricing lands in a more tempting zone.
If these brightness and color upgrades translate into real, measurable picture quality, then yeah, it’s a win.
For everybody.
Though in this kind of display race, “everybody” can include the next booth over, which will also be trying to steal your attention in…
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