TCL has introduced the largest miniLED LCD TV available today with its 115-inch model, but the company's display manufacturing arm can actually produce even larger LCD panels.
A few years ago, China's TCL changed the game in the market for large-sized TVs when it launched affordable 98-inch models.
Since then, the company has expanded its lineup to include multiple models ranging from an inexpensive 98-inch LCD TV without any zone dimming to fully specced 98-inch miniLED LCD TVs with thousands of zones.
TCL CSOT, its display manufacturing division, has also begun supplying competing TV brands with 98-inch LCD panels. So when you see a 98-inch TV from LG, Sony, Samsung or another brand, there is a TCL panel inside.
From Gen 8.5 to Gen 11
The 98-inch panels are produced on so-called generation 8.5, or 8.5G, display factories. A 8.5G mother glass measures 2.2 meters by 2.5 meters and can be cut into smaller LCD panels, as seen in the photo further down.
TCL CSOT can theoretically produce hundreds of thousands of 98-inch panels monthly, although it would take away production capacity from smaller screens.
The new 115-inch LCD panel, which is starting to appear in Europe as the 115X955 Max and soon in North America as the 115QM891G, is produced on TCL CSOT's newer Generation 11, or 11G, factory from 2.94 by 3.37 meter mother glasses.
FlatpanelsHD will soon publish a review of TCL's 115-inch TV.
TCL is positioning its 115" TV an alternative to projectors, but with much improved picture quality. Photo: FlatpanelsHD
Even larger TVs in the future
At an event in Warsaw, Poland, attended by FlatpanelsHD, TCL's Marek Maciejewski, Product Development Director Europe, outlined the future capabilities of the Gen 11 plant.
Marek said that TCL is already exploring a 130-inch panel, as two 130-inch panels can be cut from one 11G mother glass.
TCL is experimenting with 130-inch panels and can even produce a 148-inch. Photo: FlatpanelsHD
In the future, TCL could even produce a mammoth 148-inch panel. This would be the largest 16:9 screen that can be produced from the 11G mother glass, although it would be significantly more expensive to produce than the 115 or 130-inch panels.
Also read: Future of displays: Insights from our LG Display & Samsung Display visits
With increasingly larger panels, LCD is starting to pull away from OLED in terms of size. OLED currently maxes out at 97 inches. In 2017, LG Display announced plans to construct a 10.5G plant for "super-sized" OLED TV panels, but the project has been postponed multiple times and is not expected until 2028 at the earliest.
Larger still?
For screens even larger than that, companies are exploring microLED screens built from smaller modules. These are made entirely from millions of tiny LEDs – no LCD panel required.
Samsung is currently selling large microLED TVs, but they are extremely expensive at over $100,000. TCL also recently introduced its first microLED TV in China, the 163-inch X11H Max. LG, Sony and other manufacturers are also exploring microLED TVs.
TCL's Marek Maciejewski arguing that you need a bigger TV. Photo: FlatpanelsHD
