Like LG and Samsung, TCL now offers a microLED TV for the super-rich. The 163-inch TV, known as X11H Max, has been launched in China for 800,000 yuan, approximately $110,000.

While a microLED TV might sound like the natural progression from a miniLED TV, there is a fundamental difference between the industry's two newly adopted marketing terms. A 'miniLED TV' is an LCD TV with a miniLED backlight, whereas a 'microLED TV' features light-emitting diodes so small that they serve as the actual sub-pixels – eliminating the LCD panel.

In other words, it is a real LED TV, also known as a direct-view LED TV, and a new display technology.


 TCL has for years exhibited microLED prototypes at trade shows. Here's one of the prototypes from IFA 2022. Photo: FlatpanelsHD

Brighter, faster, longer-lasting
TCL is now launching its first microLED TV, initially in its home country of China. The X11H Max microLED TV is a colossal 163-inch screen with 4K resolution, featuring a total of 24.88 million individual LEDs (3840x2160x3 = 24.88 million).

TCL says that it achieves peak brightness of 10,000 nits, meeting the maximum brightness level of the current HDR standards. It also claims 22-bit colors, although it is not entirely clear how it is defined.



Moreover, TCL says that it features nanosecond-level response time – surpassing even the fastest OLED panels specified to 0.03ms. However, the difference is unlikely to be discernible.

The TV comes equipped with a powerful sound system built-in, which is expandable, described as a 6.2.2 + 7.1.4 channel solution.

It is assembled from smaller microLED modules and is specified to have a lifespan of more than 100,000 hours.


And extremely expensive...
However, like other microLED TVs, it is prohibitively expensive. TCL is offering it in China for 800,000 yuan, approximately $110,000.

For comparison, Samsung's 110-inch microLED TV cost $155,000 at launch and LG's 136-inch microLED TV costs $300,000.

 Also read: First look: Samsung's 110" microLED TV

Although TCL's version is larger and slightly less expensive, the launch proves that microLED technology still has a long way to go before it can compete with LCD and OLED in normal living rooms around the world.

- Source: TCL China via ITHome