In 2026, TV manufacturers are pitching RGB MiniLED as the hot new technology for rich, intense colors, but TCL has its own solution: Super Quantum Dots. The flagship TCL X11L is the first "SQD-Mini LED," and the company says it is capable of achieving 100% of the BT2020 color space, which is a lot.

TCL says its TV is capable of a very high brightness, and in my hands-on testing, I found it it did get eye-scorchingly bright, especially in Standard mode. Where all of its extra light output is most likely to show up in gaming on next-gen consoles.

I watched the X11L with a mix of Blu-rays and streaming, as well as performing some gaming tests, and I did find that the TCL performs well. Yet, with a starting price of $7,000, does anyone want to spend this much on a TV? For instance, the excellent 77-inch Samsung S95F plasma may not get as bright as the X11L, but it boasts a fantastic picture, works better in a lit room, and is half the price. Read on for my thoughts on the first Super Quantum Dot TV.

Also read: Best TVs of 2026

Features

I performed an in-person evaluation of the 85-inch TCL X11L, but this hands-on also applies to the other screen sizes in the series. All sizes have very similar specs and should provide very similar picture quality.  

• TCL 75X11L: $7,000
• TCL 85X11L: $8,000
• TCL 98X11L: $10,000

The TCL X11L is a 4K TV that features three different technologies for deeper color: Super Quantum Dot Crystals (Super QLED), a TCL UltraColor Filter, and TCL's Advanced Color Purity Algorithm. 

The TV uses a MiniLED backlight, which, when combined with the company's Halo Control system, is designed to reduce haloing artifacts in high-contrast images. The company says its TV is capable of achieving a brightness of up to 10,000 nits, which, if accurate, would make it one of the brightest TVs ever made. 

The screen features a WHVA 2.0 Ultra Panel with an anti-reflective edge-to-edge ZeroBorder, which minimizes the visible bezel. 

Like most TCL TVs, the X11L features the Google TV interface for streaming and managing your smart home. The TV features pretty much every app you might need and will integrate well with Android devices.

In addition, the TV supports Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10 Plus, HDR10 and HLG, and it includes an audio system by Bang and Olufsen with support for Dolby Atmos.

Testing

I tested the TCL X11L for brightness, gaming response and picture quality, and found that it was indeed a bright TV with excellent color saturation. Yet, as I watched the TV in TCL's offices, and not in the CNET TV labs, I wasn't able to subject it to my usual battery of tests. Most notably, I wasn't able to compare it against another TV, and this is the main reason why I haven't given the X11L a rating.

Using my handheld light meter, I measured a maximum of 3,743 nits, though my PCMag colleague Will Greenwald reached 7,000 nits. 

With the lights on, I found the X11L doesn't have the light rejection of OLED TVs like the S95F, and I found a direct light source will still show up on the TCL screen. Yet, the trade-off is that TCL has better contrast in bright light than I know the plasma's performance in a lit room.

I watched a number of 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays, including Mad Max: Fury Road and 1917, as well as streaming the opening scene of It. I tried two different settings -- Dolby Vision Dark and Dolby Vision Light -- and I found that the former setting I have seen better detail under the stairs in It. As I'd seen on other recent TCL TVs like the QM9K, the halo control system is very good at preventing backlight bleeding. As a result, dark areas didn't have the gray-washed-out look of some LCDs. Though without a TV to compare it against, it was hard to know how the shadow detail compares.

In terms of color, the comic book movie Mad Max popped on the X11L, though I didn't do any formal color tests. However, based on testing I've seen by competitors, as well as by our sister site PCMag, the X11L's Super Quantum Dots are not yet able to fulfill 100% of the BT2020 standard promise. For instance, in its review of the X11L, Tom's Guide found the TCL was able to hit 91.77%, and this is very high, but it's not 100. A bunch of competitive TVs for 2026 make the same key pledge about color coverage, but I'm skeptical about their claims as well.

Next, I listened to the TCL X11L's onboard speakers and dialogue sounded clear, but it was with the addition of the FlexConnect subwoofer that really brought action scenes to life. For an extra $300, this sub is a no-brainer if you don't want a separate -- and more complicated -- sound system.

Lastly, I hooked up the Leo Bodnar 4K lag tester and found that the X11L was only a little slower than some other recent TVs, with a score of 11.83ms in gaming mode. Combined with its very high brightness and huge size, this would make a very fun gaming TV.