TCL put all its chips down on one new TV model for CES 2026. And after spending time with the new X11L SQD Mini-LED series, it’s clear to me the gamble paid off.
While brands like LG and Samsung are prioritizing RGB display technology for 2026, TCL is making a very deliberate argument about color of it's own. The X11L is TCL’s new flagship Mini-LED TV, available in 75-, 85-, and 98-inch sizes, and it’s built around a new display approach TCL calls SQD Mini-LED (Super Quantum Dot Mini-LED).
On paper, the numbers are borderline absurd: up to 20,000 local dimming zones, peak brightness up to 10,000 nits and a claimed 100% of BT.2020 color coverage. But it's what I saw in person that made me a believer, especially when it comes to exploring alternative iterations to Mini-LED TVs beyond RGB.
SQD Mini-LED vs. RBG Mini-LED
Mini-LED TVs have improved significantly over the last few years, but they’ve also hit a familiar tradeoff between brightness and color volume. RGB Mini-LED (which, fyi, TCL is also showing in concept form at CES) pushes color saturation hard, but it may come at the risk of color blooming and "crosstalk," especially because RGB LEDs have to mix colors to produce white.
SQD Mini-LED is TCL’s answer to that compromise. Instead of relying on RGB Mini-LEDs, TCL developed a new Deep Color System, made up of reformulated Super Quantum Dots, a CSOT UltraColor Filter, and an advanced color purity algorithm designed to keep colors clean and consistent.
TCL claims that, as a result, its SQD Mini-LED achieves up to 100% BT.2020 color coverage without color blooming issues that may occur with RGB Mini-LED. That’s a benchmark that could prove difficult to verify, but my hands-on experience did a lot of talking on its behalf.
TCL X11L hands on: The new king of color?
Watching demo footage on the X11L, the first thing that stood out wasn’t brightness, but clarity. Bright whites popped hard against deep blacks without washing out surrounding colors. Greens, yellows and neon reds looked intensely saturated but controlled, not smeared or glowing past their edges.
I spent time comparing it directly next to TCL’s own concept RGB Mini-LED set and an unnamed competitor’s RGB display. TCL’s RGB still looked very good (thanks in part to the same UltraColor Filter), but the competitor’s RGB set appeared noticeably more muted. TCL quietly blamed a less advanced color filter, and honestly, it showed.
I saw minimal visible blooming, even in high-contrast scenes with bright logos and text. In one demo, the RGB competitor actually crushed shadow detail, trying to hold onto blacks, while the X11L preserved contrast and vibrancy.
TCL X11L specs, sound and design
The X11L is built around TCL’s CSOT WHVA 2.0 Ultra Panel, which improves wide viewing angles while maintaining strong native contrast (up to 7,000:1). A ZeroBorder design and anti-reflective layer help it hold contrast in brighter rooms, too.
Powering it is TCL’s latest-gen AI Processor, paired with a 26-bit backlight controller and the latest Halo Control System.
It also has comprehensive format support, including Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, Filmmaker Mode, and a native 144Hz refresh rate, plus other gaming features like VRR, Game Accelerator 288, and four HDMI 2.1 ports.
Audio by Bang & Olufsen delivers clear, multi-channel sound with a dedicated center channel, and you can add a wireless subwoofer without buying a soundbar. For more immersion, TCL’s Dolby Atmos FlexConnect speakers can expand the system to 4.1.4.
All of this lives in a chassis just 0.8 inches deep, with a flat back that mounts cleanly on the wall and an Art Mode that definitely makes sense for a TV this thin.
Will SQD Mini-LED live up to the hype?
The TCL X11L doesn't come cheap by TCL standards. Pricing starts at $6,999 for the 75-inch and tops out at $9,999 for the 98-inch.
This is TCL planting a flag in the ultra-premium category and making a very specific claim: that you don’t have to choose between extreme brightness, deep blacks, and accurate, saturated color.
After seeing it in person, I’m not ready to crown it just yet, but I am convinced SQD Mini-LED is more than a buzzword. And if this is what TCL’s flagship looks like heading into 2026, the Mini-LED arms race just got a lot more interesting.
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