TCL took to the stage at IFA 2023, unleashing a massive 115-inch Quantum Dot Mini-LED TV as it strives to retain its status as the king of big-sized TVs. The new X11G Max is actually a great alternative to some of the best 4K projectors, with its massive display showing equally enormous images. It’s already on sale in China, and may launch in Europe next year, the company said.
The launch of TCL's X11G Max coincided with Hisense's debut of its first, 100-inch Mini-LED TV, the Hisese U7KG, also at IFA 2023.
TCL Europe’s product development director Marek Maciejewski told various publications during the event that a European launch is being considered for next year, but added that costs remain an important factor in the decision-making process.
According to FlatPanels HD, the TCL X11G Max offers some great sounding specifications, with a whopping 20,000 local dimming zones and a 7000:1 contrast ratio, plus a peak brightness rated at 5,000 nits. Those specs emulate its recently announced X955 TV, which weighs in at 100-inches and is another great big-screen option for consumers. Other features include Dolby Vision support, a 144Hz panel with HDMI 2.1 inputs for gaming and a 6.2.2. channel speaker configuration.
As for pricing, TCL hasn’t said anything about other regions, but in China it is currently priced at 80,000 RMB, which equates to around £9,000, or $11,000. That’s not a bad price, considering Samsung Electronics’ recently announced 98-inch QLED TV is being sold for $8,000, with its smaller and lower-quality, non-Mini-LED panel.
On the other hand, most projectors cost a lot less than the TCL X11G. That said, they don’t match up to Mini-LED in terms of overall picture quality, especially for daytime viewing. TCL has developed a reputation for excelling at high brightness, and with its claims of 5,000 nits, it should provide an incredible daytime viewing experience that no projector is capable of.
There’s no denying that £9,000 is a lot of money, but the likely price tag may still provide value for money for those who can afford to shell out such a significant sum, especially when compared to rival big-screen TVs from other brands.
On the other hand, TCL’s Chinese rival Hisense will soon have a very affordable competitor to the TCL X11G. That’s because it has just announced a new 100-inch Mini-LED LCD with 4K resolution and local dimming.
The 100-inch model will be the biggest size available in Hisense’s new U7KQ range in Europe, and is expected to go on sale later this year with a price tag that will likely fall below 5,000 euros, FlatPanels HD reported. It offers Mini-LED backlights with 1,620 local dimming zones – some way less than the TCL X11G – but with its 120Hz LCD panel, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, two HDMI 2.1 ports that support Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low-Latency Mode and eARC, it still looks to be a very competitive option and much more affordable.
As for the smaller U7KQ TVs, these will be the first to feature MediaTek’s new Pentonic 700 chip. The chipset in the 100-inch model wasn’t confirmed, but if it’s the same one, then it will support Dolby Vision gaming at 4K 120Hz, like the smaller models.
Instead of the Google TV OS found on TCL’s X11G, the Hisense U7KQ TVs will run the Vidaa platform, which may lack access to certain local apps, but not the big ones like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
Bigger sized TVs have become all the rage since TCL kicked off with its XL collection of 98-inch models at affordable prices last year. As well as Samsung and Hisense, Sony has also launched its own 98-inch model. But while Samsung and Sony generally position their TVs as more premium products, Hisense will provide very real competition to TCL in terms of price. Just beware that its whopping 100-inch U7KQ is said to weight more than 70 kilograms, and you’ll need a decent sound system to get the most from it, as its built-in 2.1 speakers probably won’t be satisfying enough.
Hisense said the 100-inch U7KQ TV will be rolled out in Europe in September and October.
