TCL's New QM7K QD-Mini LED 4K TVs Crank The Brightness And Rock Premium B&O Audio
It's only been a few months since TCL introduced its QM6K series TVs (at the Consumer Electronics Show in January), the first in its extensive lineup to feature the company's 'Precise Dimming' technology, and it's already old news. The newer kid on the block is the QM7K series, the second in its Precise Dimming lineup with some notable upgrades.
As with the QM6K, the new QM7K models are quantum dot mini LED (QD-mini LED) models. They're also the second models to feature TCL's 'Halo Control System', which the company claims is what really sets these models apart from the competition.
"The Halo Control System yields three key benefits including enhanced color accuracy, gray scale accuracy, as well as virtually no blooming, for more natural, stunning picture quality. The new system’s Super High Energy LED Chip combines high brightness with increased light efficiency while a Super Condensed Micro Lens uses a narrower light path for more precise light control," TCL explains.
"Additionally, the new TCL Micro OD reduces optical distance between the backlight and diffuser plate for virtually no blooming or halo effect and avoids LED light overlap to produce clear, sharp edges between bright whites and dark blacks," TCL adds.
There's no shortage of marketing jargon to wade through, and we'll have to wait for reviews to see how the new TVs actually fare. That said, the specs sound promising. What we're looking at here is a TV series built around a new anti-reflective CrystGlow HVA panel offered in 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch sizes initially, followed by 98-inch and 115-inch models that are "coming soon." According to TCL, its HVA panel blocks out more light and provides up to 5X more native contrast.
They also feature a native 144Hz refresh rate (up to 288Hz via Game Accelerator trickery) with AMD FreeSync support, robust HDR support (HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision IQ), a new Filmmaker mode, retooled audio that's now powered by Bang & Olufsen, up to 3,000 nits of brightness, and up to 2,800 local dimming zones. Those latter specs undoubtedly vary by size (typically the bigger the display, the more dimming zones).
TCL's also touting a 23-bit backlight controller as part of its Halo Control System, which purportedly allows finer granular control of over 65,000 levels of brightness for each LED. Other features include a new backlit remote, a new Art mode and Art gallery, thinner bezels, and Google TV for smart chores.
Here's what pricing looks like, with four of the available sizes available now...
- 55-inch TCL QM7K: $1,299.99
- 65-inch TCL QM7K: $1,499.99
- 75-inch TCL QM7K: $1,999.99
- 85-inch TCL QM7K: $2,499.99
- 98-inch TCL QM7K: $3,999.99
- 115-inch TCL QM7K: $19,999.99
For a limited time, TCL is also offering a $500 gift card with purchase when buying directly from TCL. It doesn't look the same applies to Amazon, though Best Buy's listings also show a free $500 store gift card with purchase.
