- 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 expanding its Mini-LED TV lineup in two ways, introducing RGB Mini-LED and SQD-Mini-LED technologies in similar product tiers. The result is the TCL RM7L model, the counterpart to the C7L series, which uses RGB backlighting instead of the standard quantum dot-based solution. That raises the question: which approach performs 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 judged by measurements and charts alone. Although it isn’t uncompromising hardware, in everyday use it more than holds its own. It delivers a bright, dynamic, and saturated image, which makes it great for HDR content, gaming, or fast-paced movies. The RM7L doesn’t chase perfect “reference” performance. Instead it serves up a picture that simply pleases the eye. It’s also hard to fault in daily use. Google TV runs smoothly and provides access to a full suite of apps, and the comprehensive set of features for gamers means the TV handles being connected to a console or PC just as well as an evening session on the couch. It’s simply a versatile TV that will suit most home uses. The most interesting thing, however, is TCL’s approach to backlighting. Instead of chasing numbers and increasing the number of dimming zones (as in the C7L), they went with RGB Mini-LED technology. The result is really intriguing. While black levels and contrast are very good, in the toughest scenes — bright objects on a dark background — blooming can be a bit more noticeable than with the sibling model. Interestingly, the glow itself takes on the color of the displayed element, which makes it look much more natural and less distracting than on traditional Mini-LED screens.
And here’s the dilemma. Placing the RM7L next to the TCL C7L, it’s hard to reach 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 specific, extremely pleasing character of its RGB panel. Until recently the choice came down to a simple count of zones; today, as TCL shows, it’s much more interesting. If we had to choose between the two ourselves, we’d lean slightly toward the C7L because of the greater number of zones and equally impressive, saturated colors, 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)
Impressive picture
Full support for HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Extensive gaming features (VRR, ALLM, HGiG)
Good motion handling with low blur (up to 288Hz)
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 colors, 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 chassis that we already knew a year ago. To be honest, in terms of appearance the RM7L is almost a copy of the C7L and relies on the same design. As a result, we get the same narrow bezels, the same central stand, and the same relatively slim build, a design that fits into almost any interior.
The only difference that may stand out is the badges used. First, instead of the side Premium SQD Mini-LED badge, the model is labeled RGB, which is perfectly understandable. A bigger change is the audio branding. Instead of the Bang & Olufsen speaker signature used on the C and X series, the RM7L carries a badge indicating a collaboration with... Onkyo. That’s a company TCL has worked with before and that also belongs to 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
The TCL RM7L is a bright TV. In our measurements its peak brightness hovered around 1600 nits. That's clearly less than the C7L, which can approach 2600 nits, but in real movie scenes the difference between the two models isn't that big. In less demanding shots with many bright elements on screen, the RM7L can hold around 1000 nits, and sometimes a bit more, approaching 1500 nits. It performs worse in dark scenes with small highlights; then their brightness can fall to around 500 nits. However, this behavior is not accidental. The TV intentionally dims small elements to better control the backlight and maintain higher contrast. This comes at the cost of their intensity, but it's typical behavior for local-dimming TVs in a similar price bracket.
Color gamut coverage
In HDR it's not only brightness that matters, but also color. And here the RM7L has a lot to show. Colors are strongly saturated, and a wide color gamut is one of its bigger strengths. In measurements it reached about 96% of DCI-P3 and around 83% of BT.2020. It's worth remembering, though, that on a TV with this kind of backlight the result can vary depending on the scene. On test patterns colors look best, while in movies their saturation can be a bit lower than on SQD Mini LED or QD-OLED TVs. The backlight construction itself is also interesting. The RM7L doesn't use the classic red, green and blue diode set. TCL used two green diodes and one blue, and obtains the red color using a PFS phosphor. You can see this in spectrometer measurements, but it doesn't have a major impact on the picture. Colors are still produced 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 don't fully convey what it's like to watch something on the RM7L. So we also checked how this TV performs with normal scenes. For the most part the picture looks really good. Colors are vivid, the overall image has a lot of energy, and at the same time it doesn't stray far from how the material should look. In brighter, less demanding shots the TV is very convincing. It shows good detail in clouds, highlights, and bright parts of the background, though in places you can notice the image is slightly boosted. The same goes for the shadows — darker elements are sometimes a bit lifted, and in the brightest areas a little detail can be lost. These aren't major faults, however. Overall fidelity to the director's intent is good, and for most of a viewing the RM7L simply looks attractive.
HDR luminance chart:
How the RM7L shows HDR largely depends on the format used. The TV performs best with Dolby Vision. Thanks to dynamic metadata, it gets more information about the brightness of each scene and can more accurately adapt the picture to its capabilities. The difference is clear compared with plain HDR10. In that format the RM7L has to decide how to allocate 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 user, because Dolby Vision and the similar HDR10+ are now widely used by streaming platforms, and the RM7L supports both formats.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
5.8/10
We checked the factory colors in Filmmaker Mode, the best picture setting available to the user. TCL has been using it in its TVs for two years, and its purpose is to present the image as faithfully as possible in line with the creators' intent. On the RM7L this was indeed the best-calibrated mode, although it wasn't without flaws. The biggest issue was the white balance. An excess of red and blue caused the picture to take on slightly pinkish tones. This was visible in both SDR and HDR. Additionally, the luminance response was slightly boosted, which made the image appear a bit brighter but also less contrasty than it should have been.
Color reproduction after calibration
8/10
Thanks to a fairly extensive calibration menu, we were able to correct the vast majority of the errors described earlier. The biggest change was to the white balance. After calibration it looks very good, so the image lost its pinkish cast and became much more neutral. The luminance response itself also improved. Both the SDR gamma and the HDR EOTF curve are now much closer to the reference values. The image is no longer unnecessarily brightened, and darker areas look more natural and have more depth. Better luminance accuracy also affected the colors, which after calibration are noticeably more accurate. Not everything could be set perfectly, though. In HDR material the RM7L still interprets part of the signal its own way and does not always follow the reference curve exactly. This is most apparent in some darker scenes, where the TV can either slightly lift the shadows or darken them completely. That was the source of the earlier impression of a slightly brightened, less contrasty image. Even so, the calibration delivers a very good result here. It removes the most visible errors and, above all, makes the image 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 obvious color banding. Minor issues only appear in exceptionally demanding material, such as our fourth test pattern with red water transitioning to black. It should be noted, however, that most TVs do not reproduce this scene perfectly. So in everyday use this should not be a major 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 used a MediaTek Pentonic 700 SoC here, designated MT5896, which isn't among the best processors at handling lower-quality content. The biggest problems show up with heavily compressed material from YouTube or regular broadcast TV. The processor can't effectively hide posterization and the characteristic color banding. The feature meant to smooth them does little here, and it often interferes too much with the picture, smoothing faces or fine textures, for example. For that reason, it's best to simply leave it off.
Straightforward upscaling to 4K looks better. Lower-quality sources remain reasonably sharp and retain enough detail. It's not on 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 uses a 144 Hz VA panel, so right out of the box it's a TV well suited for sports, gaming, and other fast-moving content. The high refresh rate also gives the motion interpolation engine more room to work, allowing it to generate extra frames. On the RM7L it works well, and with the right settings it can noticeably improve motion smoothness without causing an excessive soap opera effect.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Blur (4K@144Hz ):
In terms of motion blur, it's also pretty good. The VA panel used doesn't leave very noticeable trails behind moving objects, although motion isn't as sharp 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 slight edge doubling. Despite these drawbacks, it's worth experimenting with, especially when watching sports.
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
You can say almost nothing but good things about the RM7L when it comes to gamer features. The TV supports ALLM, VRR, Dolby Vision Gaming and works correctly with HGiG, so it’s hard to point out any major omissions in that area. In practice this means automatic switching to low-latency mode, a smoother picture with variable frame rates, and accurate brightness reproduction in HDR games. There’s also a handy Game Bar. From it you can quickly check the frame rate, VRR status, signal format, and aspect ratio, and change key settings without leaving the game. TCL also added a few extra options, like a crosshair and brightening of dark parts of the image, which can be useful in some titles. The biggest downside comes from the use of the Pentonic 700 processor. Only two of the four HDMI ports support the full HDMI 2.1 standard. With a single console this won’t matter much, but when connecting two consoles and a PC you may run out of space. Especially since one of those ports may also be needed for eARC and a soundbar.
TCL RM7L - Input lag
9.9/10
Input lag in the RM7L is low. With a 120 Hz signal it falls below 10 ms, and at 60 Hz it’s just under 15 ms. In practice the response to inputs is instantaneous, and even the lower figures associated with OLEDs don’t give a clear advantage here. Dolby Vision Gaming also performs well. Input lag remains at the same level in this mode 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
The RM7L works very well with a PC, especially when you see it as a gaming display. The TV supports 4K at 144 Hz, and lowering the resolution to Full HD can increase the refresh rate to as much as 288 Hz. It also supports G-Sync and FreeSync, so there's little to complain about in terms of smoothness. Working with text is a bit less good. At the maximum refresh rate, letters viewed from very close aren't perfectly sharp and you can notice a faint shadow behind them. Switching to 120 Hz improves the situation, though they still aren't perfect. However, it's hard to call this a major flaw, since the RM7L's available sizes mean it likely won't sit 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’ll find in TVs with VA panels. Even when viewing the screen from the side, colors don’t shift as much as in many classic designs of this type. In this respect the RM7L can be compared to the better WHVA panels used in higher TCL series, such as the C8L or X11L. There is, however, one clear drawback. As the viewing angle increases, brightness falls off very quickly. Colors 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 large enough that the picture can simply look too dim. For that reason the RM7L is best watched as close to the center of the screen as possible.
TCL RM7L - Daytime performance
7.8/10
Panel finish: Glare
Reflection suppression: Poor
Black levels during daytime: Very Good
RM7L should perform well in a bright living room, mainly thanks to its high SDR brightness. With everyday content the TV averages around 1000 nits, so it easily cuts through ambient light entering the room and keeps a readable picture during the day. A weak point is the panel's glossy coating. Direct reflections are quite noticeable on it, and stronger light sources can also spread across the screen surface. For that reason it's best not to place the TV directly opposite a window or a lamp. With proper placement, however, the RM7L will still be a very good choice for a heavily 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, and that's great news because it's one of the most polished systems on the market today. The store has pretty much everything: from major streaming platforms to lesser-known apps, so you really don't have to worry about a lack of content. On board we also have the classics, Chromecast and AirPlay, which let you easily cast your phone's screen to the big display. An interesting change is the replacement of the previous Google Assistant with Gemini. The new "artificial brain" better understands natural speech and can respond to 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 by the inclusion of a traditional remote. It has a full numeric keypad and plenty of physical buttons, so operating the TV is quite straightforward without having to dig through on-screen menus. When it comes to the TV's features, it's simply solid. The program guide (EPG) and channel switching work flawlessly, although you won't find any extra 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 RM7L's built-in file player performs very well. The TV had no trouble with most of the test material, whether movies, photos, or music. Shortcomings do occur, of course, but they mostly involve less common formats. In practice, most people will be fine without installing an additional media 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 include an audio system branded by Bang & Olufsen. TCL went with an Onkyo speaker package supported by "Ultra Bass" technology. The difference is also visible in the build. Instead of metal covers, simpler plastic grilles were used. Does that affect sound quality? In our view, not as much as you might expect. The RM7L simply sounds good, with a slightly different tonal character than the C7L. Dialogues are clean and clear, and the TV can easily fill even a larger living room. The amount of low end is also a plus. For a TV at this level there’s a fair amount of bass and it doesn’t come across as completely flat. Our measurements confirm this. Maximum volume reaches about 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 output, so the top end isn’t as well emphasized. That said, for a TV in this class the RM7L delivers a surprisingly pleasant sound and most users won’t have much to complain about.
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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