TCL dramatically reduces price of true microLED TVs

Are microLED TVs finally becoming viable? TCL's new 163-inch model could be a game-changer, costing just one-third of the company's first microLED from 2024.

Remember Samsung's first 110-inch microLED TV, priced at over $150,000 in 2021? Or its 89-inch model for $100,000?

TCL's first 163-inch microLED TV in 2024 also cost around $110,000, while Hisense's first 136-inch microLED launched last year for around $100,000.

After a decade of development and eight years after Samsung unveiled 'The Wall', this promising display technology had begun to feel like a dead end due to the extremely high costs. Until this week.


163" microLED for $36,500
In China, TCL has launched two new 163-inch microLED TVs, Max163M and Max163M Pro, priced at 250,000 yuan ($36,500) and 350,000 yuan ($51,000), respectively. They are available to buy now.

In other words, the Max163M costs just one-third of TCL's first 163-inch microLED in 2024. This dramatic price reduction changes the conversation around microLED technology for TVs. It is the first significant price reduction.

Yes, it is still very expensive, but now roughly in line with flagship home projectors from brands like Sony or JVC. With the 163-inch microLED you get true blacks, 100% BT.2020 colors, extremely high contrast and up to 10,000 nits brightness, according to TCL. Projectors cannot deliver HDR, but this TV can deliver HDR in spades, providing picture quality that far surpasses even the best cinema projectors.

The Max163M Pro adds 4K 120Hz support and over 10,000 nits, according to TCL, which added that the RGB microLEDs are each driven at 22-bit.


Not to be confused with "micro RGB"
After "LED", "QLED" and "QNED", it is unfortunate that this extra section is necessary for clarification. All three terms once referred to promising new display technologies before being hijacked as marketing terms for LCD TVs.

In 2026, we are witnessing the launch of "micro RGB" models, but once again these are LCD TVs, now with an RGB LED backlight.

 Also read: First look at LG's G6 OLED and 'micro RGB'

True microLED is entirely different. There is no LCD panel; the picture is made up of 28.88 million tiny red, green, and blue LED sub-pixels for 4K resolution. MicroLED is a self-emitting display technology like plasma, OLED and QD-OLED (and true QNED and EL-QD).

If TCL can deliver this 163-inch model at $36,500, we hope other TV brands will follow quickly, reviving the dream of ultra-large microLED TVs for home cinema and eventually living rooms.

One challenge remains: These TVs are still assembled from smaller microLED modules, and in our experience the seams are visible under most lighting conditions.

- Source: TCL via ITHome