- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: TCL Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Google TV Model year: 2026
This review is an English translation of the Polish original. Read the original on Wybierz.tv.
This year TCL is developing its MiniLED TV line in two ways, introducing the RGB Mini LED and SQD-Mini LED technologies in parallel at a similar product level. The result is the TCL RM7L model, the counterpart to the C7L series, which, instead of the standard quantum dot solution, uses RGB backlighting. That raises the question: which approach works better and which should the customer choose? We'll try to find the answer.
TCL RM7L - Our verdict
7.8
Overall rating
The TCL RM7L is a TV that can't be fairly assessed by measurements and charts alone. Although it isn't uncompromising kit, it more than holds its own in everyday use. It delivers a bright, dynamic and richly saturated picture, which makes it great for HDR content, gaming and fast-paced films. The RM7L doesn't chase perfect "reference-level" accuracy. Instead, it serves up an image that simply pleases the eye. In daily use there's little to fault. Google TV runs smoothly and provides access to a full suite of apps, and the generous set of gaming features means the TV performs just as well when connected to a console or PC as it does during an evening on the sofa. It's simply a versatile piece of kit that will suit most home uses. The most interesting aspect, though, is TCL's approach to backlighting. Rather than chasing numbers and inflating dimming zone counts, as with the C7L, they opted for RGB Mini-LED technology. The effect is genuinely intriguing. Although blacks and contrast are very good, in the most demanding scenes, with bright objects on a dark background, the halo can be slightly more noticeable than on the rival from the same stable. Interestingly, the glow itself takes on the colour of the displayed element, which makes it look much more natural and less distracting than on classic Mini-LED screens.
And that is where the dilemma appears. Placing the RM7L next to the TCL C7L, it's hard to deliver a clear, objective verdict. Both models cost almost the same, but represent two completely different backlight design philosophies. The C7L wins on dimming precision thanks to a larger number of zones, while the RM7L makes up for it with the distinctive, extremely pleasing-to-the-eye character of its RGB panel. Until recently the choice boiled down to a simple zone count; today, as TCL shows, the matter is much more interesting. If we had to choose between the two, the scales would tip slightly towards the C7L because of the higher zone count and equally impressive, saturated colours, but the final decision always depends on what an individual expects from their equipment.
Advantages
Very high HDR and SDR brightness
Good black levels and contrast (VA panel + mini-LED)
Full support for HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Extensive gaming features (VRR, ALLM, HGiG)
Good motion clarity with low blur (up to 288Hz)
Google TV operating system (many apps, Gemini voice assistant)
Disadvantages
Poor digital image processing due to the use of the older MediaTek Pentonic 700 processor
The glossy screen coating does little to reduce reflections
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports
Less stable colours, dependent on the dimming algorithm (a characteristic of RGB panels)
Movies and series in UHD quality7.4
Classic TV, YouTube7.1
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)6.9
Gaming on console8.8
TV as a computer monitor8.4
Watching in bright light7.8
Utility functions7.8
Apps9.6
Sound quality7.8
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TCL RM7L - Competing TVs in this price range
TCL RM7L - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Good
Stand type: Central
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Height adjustment
Flat design: No
Accessories: Stand
The RM7L is heavily based on the C7 series chassis we already knew a year ago. To be honest, in terms of appearance the RM7L is practically a copy of the C7L TV and uses the same design. As a result we get the same narrow bezels, the same central stand and the same relatively slim construction, a design that fits almost any interior.
The only difference that might stand out is the badges used. Firstly, instead of the side Premium SQD Mini-LED badge, the model is labelled RGB, which is entirely understandable. A bigger change is the audio-brand badging. Whereas the C and X series carried a Bang & Olufsen speaker signature, the RM7L features an indication that the company collaborated with... Onkyo. It is a firm TCL has worked with before and which is also part of the premium audio world.
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TCL RM7L - Contrast and black detail
7.7/10
Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 448 (16 x 28)
Result
258,450:1
Result
41,400:1
Result
18,800:1
Result
15,650:1
Result
8,350:1
Black performance on the TCL RM7L is really good. The combination of a high-contrast VA panel with a zone-based RGB Mini-LED backlight allows the TV to achieve very high contrast figures. In most of the scenes we measured, the results were good enough that dark parts of the image looked deep and convincing. The RM7L performs best in less demanding shots where black occupies a large portion of the screen and bright elements are relatively small. In such conditions contrast can reach six-figure values. As scene complexity increases, results gradually fall off, but that is a natural characteristic of any LCD TV using local dimming.
However, the RM7L has noticeably fewer zones than its counterpart using an SQD Mini-LED backlight. In the 65-inch version the difference is more than twofold, so you more often see more pronounced blooming around bright elements on a dark background. In terms of pure dimming precision, the RM7L is therefore not as accurate as the C7L. RGB Mini-LED has its own advantage here though. The bloom is not simply white, it takes on the color of the displayed element. A good example is the helicopter cockpit scene from Sicario 2, where a greenish bloom appears around the green lights instead of the typical bright halo known from conventional Mini-LED TVs. The halo effect is still visible, but because its color matches the image it is less distracting and looks more natural.
Ultimately we rate the RM7L and C7L similarly for black-level performance. The C7L controls the backlight better thanks to a larger number of zones, while the RM7L makes up for it with the character of its bloom. The bloom is somewhat larger, but its color blends better with the displayed image.
NOTE: Naturally, as the TV size increases the number of zones grows, yet we expect similar contrast results across RM7L sizes. It’s also worth adding that TCL lists the number of "color zones" in its product brochures, not the actual dimming zones. Since each color zone consists of three RGB channels, the advertised number should be divided by three. Therefore 1,344 color zones in the 65-inch unit we tested mean 448 actual dimming zones.
Size | Dimming zones (actual) | Color zones |
|---|---|---|
65" | 448 | 1344 |
75" | 600 | 1800 |
85" | 720 | 2160 |
98" | 960 | 2880 |
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
TCL RM7L - HDR effect quality
6.6/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
914 nit
Result
538 nit
Result
653 nit
Result
494 nit
Result
1413 nit
TCL RM7L is a bright TV. In our measurements its peak brightness hovered around 1600 nits. That is clearly less than the C7L, which can approach 2600 nits, but in real film scenes the difference between the models is not that large. In less demanding shots with many bright elements, the RM7L can sustain about 1000 nits, and sometimes even a little more, getting close to 1500 nits. It performs worse in dark scenes with small points of light, where their brightness can fall to around 500 nits. This is not random behaviour. The TV intentionally dims fine details to better control the backlight and preserve higher contrast. That comes at the expense of their intensity, but it is typical behaviour for TVs with local dimming in a similar price bracket.
Colour gamut coverage
In HDR not only brightness matters but also colour. And here the RM7L has plenty to show. Colours are highly saturated and a wide colour gamut is one of its major strengths. In our DCI-P3 measurements it reached about 96%, and BT.2020 around 83%. It is worth remembering that on a TV with this kind of backlight the result can vary depending on the scene. On test patterns colours look best, while in films their saturation is sometimes a little lower than on SQD Mini LED or QD-OLED TVs. The construction of the backlight itself is also interesting. The RM7L does not use the classic red, green and blue LED set. TCL used two green LEDs and one blue, with the red produced by a PFS phosphor. This shows up in spectrometer measurements, but it does not have a major impact on the picture. Colours are still rendered correctly.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 86.7% | 97.2% | 56% | 48% | 41% |
| Film measurements | 83.8% | 96.2% | 68% | 60% | 71% |
BT.2020
BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
Measurements are of course important, but they do not fully convey what it’s like to watch something on the RM7L. That’s why we also checked how this television performs in everyday scenes. For the most part the picture looks really good. Colours are vivid, the overall image feels energetic, and at the same time it does not stray far from how the source material should look. In brighter, less demanding shots the TV is very convincing. It shows detail in clouds, highlights and bright parts of the background well, although in places you can notice the image is slightly boosted. The same applies in the shadows... darker elements are sometimes a little lifted, and in the brightest areas a bit of detail can be lost. These are not major drawbacks, though. Overall the image’s fidelity to the director’s vision is good, and for most of a viewing the RM7L simply looks attractive.
HDR luminance chart:
How the RM7L handles HDR largely depends on the format used. The TV performs best with Dolby Vision. Thanks to dynamic metadata it receives more information about the brightness of each scene and can more accurately tailor the picture to its capabilities. The difference is clear compared with standard HDR10. In that format the RM7L has to decide how to tone-map brightness itself, which more often causes it to lose some detail in the brightest parts of the image. Dolby Vision is clearly better in this respect and lets you get more out of the TV. That's good news for the viewer, because Dolby Vision and the similar HDR10+ are now widely used by streaming services, and the RM7L supports both formats.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
5.8/10
We checked the out-of-the-box colours in Filmmaker Mode, the best picture setting available to the user. TCL has been using it in its TVs for two years, and its aim is to reproduce the image as faithfully as possible in line with the creators' intent. On the RM7L it was indeed the most accurately set mode, although it was not without flaws. The biggest problem was the white balance. Too much red and blue made the image shift towards slightly pink tones. This was visible in both SDR and HDR. On top of that the brightness response was slightly boosted, making the picture appear a little brighter but at the same time less contrasty than it should be.
Color reproduction after calibration
8/10
Thanks to the fairly extensive calibration menu we were able to correct the vast majority of the previously described issues. The biggest change concerned the white balance. After calibration it now looks very good, so the picture shed its pinkish tint and became much more neutral. The luminance response has also improved. Both the SDR gamma and the HDR EOTF curve are now much closer to the reference values. The picture is no longer unnecessarily brightened, and darker areas look more natural and have greater depth. Better luminance accuracy also affected the colours, which after calibration are noticeably more accurate. Not everything could, however, be set perfectly. With HDR material the RM7L still interprets part of the signal in its own way and does not always follow the reference curve precisely. This is most apparent in some darker scenes, where the TV can either slightly lift the shadows or darken them completely. That is where the earlier impression of a slightly brightened, less contrasty picture came from. Despite this, the calibration delivers a very good result. It removes the most visible errors and, above all, makes the picture much closer to how it should look.
TCL RM7L - Smoothness of tonal transitions
8.9/10
The smoothness of tonal transitions on the RM7L is very good. In both bright and dark scenes the gradients are smooth and there is no visible colour banding. Minor issues only appear with exceptionally demanding material, such as our fourth test pattern featuring red water transitioning into black. It should be noted, however, that most televisions struggle to reproduce this scene perfectly. Therefore, in everyday use this should not pose a significant problem.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
5.5/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Upscaling and digital image processing are not the RM7L's strong suit. TCL has used the MediaTek Pentonic 700 chipset here, designated MT5896, which is not among the best processors when it comes to handling lower-quality source material. The biggest problems appear with heavily compressed content from YouTube or standard broadcast TV. The processor cannot effectively hide posterization and the characteristic banding between tones. The feature intended to smooth these issues does little to help, and can also interfere with the image too much, smoothing, for example, faces or fine textures. For that reason it is best simply not to use it.
Standard upscaling to 4K looks better. Lower-quality content is sufficiently sharp and retains an adequate amount of detail. It is not on a par with the best processors on the market, but for everyday viewing the result is entirely acceptable.
TCL RM7L - Blur and motion smoothness
7.8/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 120Hz (double contours)
BFI function 120Hz: Yes, 240Hz (double contours)
Brightness drop with BFI: 44%
The RM7L features a 144 Hz VA panel, so from the outset it is well suited to sports, gaming and other fast-paced content. The high refresh rate also gives the motion interpolation more scope, allowing it to generate additional frames. On the RM7L it works well and, with the right settings, can noticeably improve motion smoothness without an excessive soap opera effect.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Blur (4K@144Hz ):
It also fares quite well in terms of motion blur. The VA panel used does not leave very noticeable trails behind moving objects, although motion is, of course, not as crisp as on OLED TVs. You can further improve this with the BFI feature, which inserts black frames between successive frames. Motion then becomes noticeably sharper, but you should expect a drop in brightness and some slight contour doubling. Despite these drawbacks, it’s worth experimenting with, especially when watching sport.
TCL RM7L - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.8/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 288Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
The RM7L earns almost nothing but praise when it comes to features for gamers. The TV supports ALLM, VRR and Dolby Vision Gaming and works properly with HGiG, so it’s hard to point to any major omissions in that regard. In practice this means automatic switching to a low-latency mode, smoother motion at variable frame rates and accurate brightness reproduction in HDR games. There’s also a very useful Game Bar. From it you can quickly check frame rate, VRR status, signal format or aspect ratio, and change the key settings without leaving the game. TCL has also added a few extra options, such as a crosshair overlay and brightening of dark image areas, which can be handy in some titles. The biggest drawback stems from the use of the Pentonic 700 processor. Only two of the four HDMI ports support the full HDMI 2.1 standard. That won’t matter much with a single console, but if you connect two consoles and a PC you may run out of ports, especially since one of those ports may be needed for eARC and a soundbar.
TCL RM7L - Input lag
9.9/10
Input lag on the RM7L is low. With a 120 Hz signal it drops below 10 ms, and at 60 Hz it is just under 15 ms. In practice the response to input is instantaneous, and even the lower figures known from OLEDs do not provide a clear advantage here. Dolby Vision Gaming also performs well. Input lag in this mode remains at the same level as in the other gaming modes, which still isn't standard on every TV.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 14 ms | 2160p60: 14 ms | 2160p60 DV: 14 ms |
| 1080p120: 9 ms | 2160p120: 9 ms | 2160p120 DV: 9 ms |
| 2160p60: 14 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 9 ms |
TCL RM7L - Compatibility with PC
8.4/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 8ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
Using the RM7L with a computer performs very well, especially if you treat it as a gaming display. The TV supports 4K at 144 Hz, and dropping to Full HD can raise the refresh rate to as much as 288 Hz. It also supports G-Sync and FreeSync, so there's little to criticise in terms of smoothness. Text handling is a bit poorer. At the maximum refresh rate, letters viewed from very close are not perfectly sharp and you can notice a faint shadow behind them. Switching to 120 Hz improves matters, though they're still not perfect. However, it's hard to regard this as a serious flaw, because given the sizes in which the RM7L is available, it's unlikely to be used on a desk as a monitor for document work.
TCL RM7L - Viewing angles
4.5/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 81%
Viewing angles on the RM7L are quite good and among the better ones you will find in TVs with VA panels. Even when looking at the screen from the side, colours do not shift as much as in many conventional VA designs. In that respect the RM7L can be compared to the better WHVA panels used in higher TCL ranges such as the C8L or X11L. There is, however, one clear downside. As the viewing angle increases, image brightness falls off very quickly. Colours and the overall character of the image remain relatively intact, but the screen itself becomes noticeably darker. At very large off axis angles the difference is already enough that the picture can simply look too dark. For that reason the RM7L is best viewed as close to the centre of the screen as possible.
TCL RM7L - Daytime performance
7.8/10
Panel finish: Glare
Reflection suppression: Poor
Black levels during daytime: Very Good
The RM7L should perform well in a bright living room, primarily thanks to its high SDR brightness. With everyday content the television averages around 1000 nits, so it can easily cut through ambient light entering the room and maintain a clear image even during the day. A weak point is the panel's glossy coating. Direct reflections are quite noticeable, and stronger light sources can also spread across the screen surface. For that reason it's best not to position the television opposite a window or a lamp. With correct placement, however, the RM7L will still be a very good choice for a brightly sunlit room.
Panel brightness
TCL RM7L: 959 cd/m2
TCL RM7L - TV features
7.8/10
System: Google TV
System performance: Good
- HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No - Recording programming: No
- Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Smart TV features
The RM7L runs on Google TV, which is great news, because it’s one of the most polished systems on the market today. The store has pretty much everything: from the major streaming platforms to lesser-known apps, so you really don’t need to worry about a lack of content. There are also the classics on board, Chromecast and AirPlay, which make it easy to cast from your phone to the big screen. An interesting change is that the previous Google Assistant has been replaced by Gemini. The new "artificial brain" understands natural speech better and can answer questions much more sensibly. Everything runs smoothly and delivers exactly what we expect from a TV today.
Traditional TV
If someone prefers channel surfing to streaming, they’ll be pleased with the traditional remote control. It has a full numeric keypad and plenty of physical buttons, so operating the TV is quite straightforward, without having to wade through on‑screen menus. In terms of TV features it’s simply solid. The electronic programme guide (EPG) and channel switching work flawlessly, although you won’t find additional features like PiP or PVR.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: Yes
- DTS-HD Master Audio: Yes
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: Yes
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
TCL RM7L - Apps
9.6/10
TCL RM7L - Playing files from USB
9.4/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in media player in the RM7L performs very well. The TV handled most of our test material with ease, whether films, photos or music. Shortcomings do occur, of course, but they mostly affect less common formats. In practice most people will get by without installing an additional player.
TCL RM7L - Sound
7.8/10
88dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
Unlike the higher C7L, C8L or X11L series, the RM7L does not feature an audio system branded by Bang & Olufsen. TCL has opted here for an Onkyo speaker array supported by "Ultra Bass" technology. The difference is also visible in the build. Instead of metal covers, simpler plastic grilles have been used. Does that affect sound quality? In our view, not as much as you might think. The RM7L simply sounds good, with a slightly different character to the C7L. Dialogue is clean and clear, and the TV can easily fill a larger living room. The amount of low end is also a plus. For a TV in this class there is quite a bit of bass and it does not come across as completely flat. Our measurements confirm this. Maximum volume reaches around 88 dB, which is a very good result, and the frequency response remains relatively even. Only above roughly 7-8 kHz is there a more noticeable drop in efficiency, so the highest frequencies are no longer as well exposed. That said, for a TV of this class the RM7L offers a surprisingly pleasant sound and most users will have no cause for complaint.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
88dBC (Max)
75dBC
TCL RM7L - Panel details
Software version during testing: V8-0012T01-LF1V641.003171
Image processor: MT5896 2,5GB RAM
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: Mini-LED RGB
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