TCL focuses on new QM6K and QLED advancements at CES 2025

News from TCL at CES 2025 is heavily focused on the new QM6K series TV — the first of what TCL is calling its Precise Dimming Series. Under TCL’s “phased series launch strategy,” the QM6K is the TV for the first phase of that strategy.

Last year, the Q6 was the one remaining Q series TV from TCL that didn’t have mini-LED. Now, in 2025, the least expensive Q television from TCL also gets the M in its name. But the QM6K won’t just be adding mini-LED backlight technology. TCL has made multiple developments in its backlight tech, and it seems like the QM6K will just be the first of the TVs this year to benefit.

TCL should also have the QM7K on the show floor when the CES doors open on Tuesday morning. No spec details are available beforehand, but we expect to have some more specific details once we get to the TCL booth. Going by the 2025 naming scheme and its relation to last year, we think we can bet on a QM8K at some point in 2025 (although this was not confirmed by TCL). It certainly won’t be at CES, though.

There are multiple parts to the overall improvement of TCL’s performance boost, the first being a new chip — the Super High Energy LED Chip — that increases brightness output by 53% and light efficiency by 10% (compared to last year’s chip, that’s a hefty increase potential on an already effective chip).

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The second improvement is how the light is focused. A new Condensed Micro Lens is an upgraded version of last year’s Ultra Wide Angle Dual Focus Lens, which was designed to improve light output. This new lens is said to allow for even more precise light path control.

TCL also has a redesigned backlight system. It’s decreased the optical distance — the space between the diffuser plate and the backlight — from 25 millimeters to 8 millimeters for what it’s calling the TCL Micro OD. TCL says the closer distance “virtually eliminates any halo effect,” or blooming, as it’s often referred to, for over 18% better blooming control. In addition, backlight uniformity is improved by 143%. The concept makes sense — having the backlight that much closer to the diffuser plate allows for less stray light to go where it shouldn’t.

The fourth piece of the puzzle is the high contrast CSOT HVA panel that does a better job of blocking light when the LCD is in its closed position. TCL says it achieves a 7,000:1 static contrast ratio.

There are also some processing improvements related to the backlight technology, with TCL’s Zero-Delay Transient Response creating “virtually no lag between the input signal and the backlight response.” Also, a new bidirectional 23-bit backlight controller allows for fine control of over 65,000 levels of brightness — reminiscent of what we saw with the Sony Bravia 9 this year. It will be very interesting to see how the two technologies might stack up against each other.

In addition to all of the new technology packed into the QM6K — and presumably future TCL 2025 TVs — the TV has a 144Hz native refresh rate, Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X, a hands-free voice system, and an Onkyo 2.1 speaker system, and it runs on the Google TV OS.

The TCL QM6K is available for preorder now on tcl.com in the 65-, 75-, and 85-inch sizes. Pricing for the three is $1,000, $1,300, and $2,000, respectively. If you preorder any of the three available sizes, you’ll also get a TCL Q75H soundbar for free. There’s no word on when the preorders will ship.

In addition, pricing on the remaining sizes will be $750 for the 50-inch model, $800 for the 55-inch, and $3,500 for the 98-inch big-screen model.

More Precise Dimming Series TVs will be coming later in 2025. Hopefully, we’ll get more details to share as CES begins.