the alternative to OLED for large format screens

One of the few TCL factories outside of China is located just 40 km from Warsaw, so it is not strange that the brand has chosen Poland to make the official presentation of its TV range for 2026.

In that presentation, in addition to knowing first-hand all the Chinese brand catalogwe have been able to test some demos on the RM9L, the brand’s first television in which a system of MiniLED RGB backlight with TCL’s new WHVA 2.0 Ultra LCD panel. I can tell you that the sensations have been really good.

The place where the RGB MiniLED and a new LCD panel converge

By placing this model in the brand’s catalog for 2026, would replace the C9K of 2025. That is, it is located within the sphere of TCL’s top range. This leadership is shared with the undisputed star of 2026: the X11L, which we could already try in China.

For its part, the RM7L, with which it matches RGB MiniLED technology, is one step below as a mid-range in terms of image quality and performance.

The RM9L is available in 115″, 98″ and 85″. The unit we have been able to test is the 85″ (although we had the 98″ right next to it).

This diagonal has 8,736 local dimming zonesso the light control is so precise that it is increasingly difficult to distinguish its image from that of an OLED panel with the naked eye. Having such a high count of dimming zones gives these displays better control of blacks and dark areas, and better segregation of high brightness areas.

There is barely any trace of a minimal halo in subtitles on a completely black background, and the representation of bright points (like a scene in space, for example) allows those bright points to be better displayed, something that OLED panels achieve very easily, but at MiniLED cost a little more…until now.

Although the TCL RM9L and the X11L They mount different backlighting technologiesis the closest to TCL’s flagship, with which it shares the latest generation WHVA 2.0 Ultra LCD panel. This panel manages to reduce the distance between the rear lighting LEDs and the LCD panel, which also makes the television somewhat thinner than usual for a MiniLED.

This panel also improves viewing angles, since the glass that redirects light has been redesigned, ensuring that no changes are seen in the contrast or brightness of the image when the screen is viewed from the sides. On the other hand, the change in the backlighting system means that when viewed from the right side, the colors on the screen acquire a slight reddish tint, while if viewed from the opposite side, the tint it acquires is slightly greenish.

This color nuance is especially noticeable when gray patterns are displayed, but it is difficult to appreciate when watching series or other types of regular content.

I was surprised by how well adjusted the FilmMaker mode, with which the full brightness potential of the panel is respected, maintaining very natural skin tones and an excellent color volume with which, using a colorimeter, we have seen that it covers 100% of the BT.2020 color space used in cinema.

The mode movies Apply a slightly higher brightness setting and manage to lift more shadow detail, but at the cost of washing out those areas a little more. This behavior makes this mode adjusted by TCL suitable in situations where the television is in a bright room. The 4,000 nits peak brightness they record this.

In these first tests we have also been able to change the motion interpolation setting. The preliminary results have represented a notable improvement in this adjustment, a point in which the Chinese brand televisions. However, we are not going to sing the alirón until we can analyze it with more calm and variety of content.

Although the display unit we tested was using the high-end 2025 remote control, those responsible for the brand assured us that the versions for sale of this model They will come with a new controller which we already saw in our test of the

Google TV 14: fluidity and ease of use

The units that we were able to test in Warsaw were fresh off the TCL assembly line, so a message appeared on some of them announcing that a new firmware version existed. Still, the RM9L unit I tested came with Google TV in its version with Android 14 and the December 2025 security patch.

The Pentonic 800 processor found in TCL’s high-end 2026 models moves the Google system very fluidly, responding immediately when starting new Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video apps by pressing the shortcut button on the remote, as well as when navigating through the configuration menus.

Since it is a display model, I was not able to test integration with Gemini which arrives in 2026, nor its response to voice commands. Therefore, we added it to our to-do list to see if it responds to the recognition of the content being watched like Alexa+ does on televisions with FireTV.

Bang & Olufsen has tried, but you have to add a sound bar

If we look at the specifications sheet, TCL indicates that the 85″ RM9L mounts a set of speakers that adds a power of 240 W. On paper everything indicated that sound was going to be a prominent aspect in this model. Reality does not always support the numbers.

The Danish brand Bang & Olufsen, specialized in high-fidelity audio, is collaborating with TCL in tuning the sound system of its high-end televisions.

While it is true that the audio system adjusted by the Danish company achieves a well-balanced sound without stridency in the most extreme frequencies, the limits on the size of its speakers impose its discipline and leaves a sound without the punch that a television in this category deserves.

The television has no problems when processing audio in both Dolby Atmos and DTS

In this case, it is especially necessary to incorporate an additional sound bar or, as it is compatible with the new Dolby Atmos FlexConnect systemconnect an external speaker system.

Another sign that the RM9L plays in the top range is its price: it is quite close to that of the 5,999 euros for the 85″ model that I have been able to test (500 euros more than the X11L of the same size).

If we look at the proposal with MicroLED RGB that Samsung has just presented for this same segment, the equivalent 85″ model borders on the 6,500 euros. Therefore, the Chinese brand maintains its pricing strategy that remains below the options of its rivals, even when we move into such high price ranges.

The price scale also gives us an idea of ​​its place within the global market. This RGB MiniLED is no longer measured with QLED televisions or conventional MiniLEDs, but looks face to face with the high-end OLED TVs and is presented as an alternative (along with the X11L) to occupy a space that OLED panels are not enough: the large inch televisions.

In Xataka | TCL has entered the television market by doing what seemed impossible: democratizing the Mini-LED