- 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
The TCL X11L is one of the most advanced and "blinged-out" Mini-LED TVs to appear in 2026. Against market trends, TCL didn't adopt the new RGB backlight in its flagship X series. Instead, it combines an absurdly large number of local dimming zones with new Super QLED quantum dots. How does that pairing perform in practice, and is the X11L the best LCD TV of 2026? We tested it for you!
TCL X11L - Our verdict
8.5
Overall rating
The TCL X11L is, without a doubt, a powerful demonstration of the manufacturer's capabilities and a TV that impresses in many areas. You can see the engineers focused on what matters most: peak brightness, black levels and contrast. The new quantum dots with an SQD filter do such a job that color saturation is on par with the top new RGB panels. And the blacks? The X11L can easily be placed next to an OLED and it doesn't lose that battle by much, which is a real achievement in the Mini-LED world. On top of that comes a whole bunch of things surrounding the panel. The new MediaTek Pentonic 800 processor has completely eliminated TCL's old issues; digital processing, upscaling and the smoothness of tonal transitions finally look as good as those from competitors in Korea or Japan. There is nothing to be ashamed of anymore. Gamers will be thrilled too: four full HDMI 2.1 ports, refresh rates up to 288 Hz, a console-inspired Game Bar and Dolby Vision without any noticeable input lag. All of this is tied together by a very smooth Google TV system. Sounds like a recipe for the best Mini-LED of 2026, right? And it would be perfect if not for one annoying quirk that stems directly from TCL's stubborn "philosophy" of image tuning. This TV can simply ignore the director's intent and, in HDR formats, arbitrarily and artificially brighten entire scenes. What’s the effect? The picture can be too bright at times, sometimes even blown out. The worst part is that the software offers no way to fix it; even during professional calibration we weren't able to fully correct this flaw. For a screen at this price that aspires to be "the best of the best," such willful behavior is simply unacceptable, especially in the "Filmmaker" mode.
Still, if you don't care about perfect, studio-accurate fidelity and you want a picture that is above all maximally striking, spectacular and extremely bright in daylight, the X11L is a true beast. It's the first Mini-LED to come so close to OLED black levels, and in brightness it simply crushes OLED. The only real brake here is the price. The amount you'll have to pay for this model (regardless of size) is a serious outlay. Is it worth spending that money? We'll leave that up to you. One thing you have to give it: it's currently one of the best Mini-LEDs we've tested so far.
Advantages
Best black level on the market in a MINI-LED display
Extremely high HDR and SDR brightness
Excellent color saturation thanks to the SQD (Super QLED) filter
Very good image processing (MediaTek Pentonic 800)
Loads of features for gamers: 4x HDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM, refresh rate up to 288Hz (PC)
Good motion handling
Open operating system: Google TV
Outstanding design and build quality
Backlit metal remote
Built-in audio system tuned by Bang & Olufsen
Disadvantages
Artificial image brightening: the TV brightens the entire HDR image on its own
Glossy panel does a poor job of suppressing reflections
Missing "TV" features, e.g., USB recording (PVR), PiP
High price
Movies and series in UHD quality8.5
Classic TV, YouTube7.8
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)7.2
Gaming on console9.1
TV as a computer monitor8.6
Watching in bright light10.0
Utility functions8.3
Apps9.6
Sound quality8.2
Complete the survey to find out what fits your preferences
TCL X11L - Competing TVs in this price range
TCL X11L - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 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: Super Premium
Stand type: Legs
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Height adjustment
Flat design: Yes
Accessories: Stand
X11L is the nicest and best-made TCL device we've tested so far. Above all, high-quality materials are used here, and the entire bezel is made of metal in a graphite-copper finish. It looks really stunning, especially thanks to the design TCL calls "ZeroBorder"; the TV has no classic black border around the screen. The set is also extremely slim, measuring just 2.4 cm thick overall, so when hung on the wall the screen can seem almost glued to it. For those who prefer to place the X11L on furniture, there's also a solution. The package includes sturdy metal feet positioned at the edges of the screen. Although they are not adjustable in width, you can change their height, for example to easily fit an additional soundbar underneath. That said, many buyers will probably not even think about a separate soundbar, because another standout feature of this model is the built-in audio system along the bottom edge of the screen. As with last year, the sound was tuned by Bang & Olufsen, and you'll find prominent logos on the chassis highlighting that collaboration. The X11L is undoubtedly the best-looking TV from this brand, and there won't be a single thing about its design that you could dislike.
Buy at the best price
Select size:
TCL X11L - Contrast and black detail
9.1/10
Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 11520 (80 x 144)
Result
1,842,100:1
Result
942,400:1
Result
93,700:1
Result
91,450:1
Result
27,550:1
Visibility of details in the lights:
Black levels and contrast on the X11L are simply A M A Z I N G. The main credit goes to the astronomical number of local dimming zones combined with the proprietary WHVA 2.0 VA panel. In the 75-inch model we tested, we counted exactly 11,520 of them. Yes, you read that right, over 11 thousand local dimming zones in a Mini-LED screen! That translated into outstanding results in our tests: most scenes, especially the less complex ones, had blacks uncannily similar to those on OLEDs. Even in total darkness, when the screen displayed deep, almost pitch-black parts of the image, you could mistake it for an OLED panel. This is currently the best Mini-LED if you care about the deepest possible blacks.
That said, remember this is still an LCD TV. Even with such an astronomical number of zones, very complex sequences with lots of small elements against a black background (like a starfield or our demanding test pattern no. 5 from the Pioneer Kuro) can reveal some haloing, a faint glow around bright objects. Undoubtedly, however, the effect is not as noticeable as on other screens of this type we've tested so far. The algorithm does a great job.
Naturally, the number of zones increases with the screen diagonal. Below you can see the number of zones for each size:
X11L screen size | Number of local dimming zones |
75" | 11,520 zones |
85" | 14,400 zones |
98" | 20,736 zones |
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
TCL X11L - HDR effect quality
9.2/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
2934 nit
Result
2105 nit
Result
2809 nit
Result
1782 nit
Result
2841 nit
Such a large number of zones translated not only into deep, inky blacks but also into the panel’s brightness. The X11L is an extremely bright TV. Peak brightness can easily exceed 4000 nits, and with the special "Boost" mode enabled, under specific conditions that brightness can even hover around the marketing figures of 9000–10,000 nits. This is undoubtedly one of the brightest, if not the brightest, screens on the market. But how do those numbers translate to real-world movie measurements? The results are very good, though of course far from the marketing promises. Our measured brightness in actual movie scenes hovered around 2000–3000 nits. That’s an outstanding result, considering that the vast majority of content is produced to those brightness levels, including the rarer material mastered to 4000 nits. But it also shows that the numbers the manufacturer brags about don’t always translate directly to the video content available at home. The only "quirk" (if you can call it that) is that when very small, bright elements appear on the screen, their brightness drops below 2000 nits. The dimming algorithm does this deliberately to preserve deep blacks and minimize halo. This is entirely understandable and the effect remains very strong, but it also demonstrates that even with such powerful hardware, Mini-LED technology has its limits and does not always work without compromise. In HDR, brightness isn’t the only thing that matters; color saturation and color accuracy do as well. On the X11L these are very good thanks to the new Super QLED quantum dots (SQD). The addition of a newly applied filter delivered excellent coverage of the P3 color gamut and the ultra-wide BT.2020. Although it doesn’t reach the advertised 100% of BT.2020, values around 89–90% can be called excellent. Colors are not far off those of RGB Mini-LED panels. We can even say they’re more stable because they use a less demanding algorithm than the one RGB screens often have to deal with.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 [%] | P3 [%] | R [%] | G [%] | B [%] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 88.9 | 97.4 | 66.3 | 70.4 | 72.4 |
| Film measurements | 89.0 | 97.5 | 86.5 | 88.7 | 92.4 |
Arithmetic means of BT.2020 and P3 gamut coverage and the luminance of the primary colors (red, green, blue) as a % of target.
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
So how do real movies stack up against those great measurements? Pretty well, though with one small gripe from us. You have to give the X11L this: it can produce an incredibly striking picture. What’s supposed to be bright is extremely bright, and what should be plunged into shadow and deep black stays exactly that. The overall image is full of detail and nothing melts into uniform white blobs. In films like Pan or Billy Lynn’s, regardless of the scene’s overall brightness, the picture looked fantastic, getting the most out of HDR. But honestly? That’s simply what you should expect from gear at this price point. So where’s our gripe? It’s about how these scenes look in reality versus how they should look according to the director’s intent. In the factory Filmmaker Mode and even after professional calibration, the image is simply too bright in many places. The TV boosts brightness where it shouldn’t, which robs the material of cinematic fidelity. On one hand, some people might like that—the image seems “more alive,” you can see more detail in the shadows, and some elements hit even harder. On the other hand, for a product of this class we have the right to expect near-reference quality. For some reason TCL is “resistant” to that and sticks to its philosophy of cranking TVs toward a “wow” effect. Well, you just have to live with it.
HDR luminance chart:
What we wrote earlier is clearly visible when you directly compare material in the classic HDR10 format with a Dolby Vision signal. When a TV has to tone-map the image itself using HDR10’s static metadata, it tends to over-brighten, the image can get washed out with white and lose some detail in certain areas. Fortunately, a Dolby Vision signal, available on almost every modern streaming platform, comes to the rescue for the X11L model. Thanks to dynamic metadata, the TV no longer has to "guess" how a given scene should look, since every precise instruction on brightness and contrast is encoded directly in the format. It’s also perfect proof that astronomical HDR brightness alone isn’t enough to display such content correctly; smart management of that power is just as crucial. Luckily, because the X11L fully supports all dynamic formats, both Dolby Vision and the competing HDR10+, we can count on the picture looking exactly as it should 99% of the time.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
5.2/10
When you enable the supposedly best Filmmaker Mode, you expect a one-to-one image of what the director saw. On the X11L it's pretty good, but the mode has obvious flaws that our measurements immediately exposed. Let's start with SDR. Both the white balance and the gamma are simply misaligned here. The whites have too much blue and red, giving a faint pink tint. That also hurt the gamma, which instead of holding the cinematic 2.4 runs closer to 2.2. What did that result in? The whole image ends up pushed and artificially brightened. The worst is saved for last: the HDR measurements. Apart from that slight white balance drift, the X11L fails on the brightness management curve called the EOTF. What we saw in the measurements instantly explains what we noticed earlier in the films. The image is unnaturally bright because the curve is massively overshot above the reference. The TV simply and ruthlessly lifts the dark parts of the image to create a "wow" effect, completely ignoring the director's intent.
Color reproduction after calibration
7/10
After a professional calibration we were above all able to fully tame the SDR signal. The X11L responded perfectly to our adjustments. We were able to completely straighten the white balance, eliminate that pink tint, and set gamma to a stable 2.4. After that treatment the picture finally became consistent with the director’s intent, natural and free of artificial boosts. For HDR we also managed to make minor corrections, but the TV’s biggest flaw remained unchanged. I’m talking, of course, about how the X11L manages its brightness and how badly it overshoots the EOTF curve. Unfortunately, TCL provides virtually no tools to manipulate this parameter. Even during professional calibration the software offers no way to tame that curve, so the TV will always tend to brighten the image in HDR.
TCL X11L - Smoothness of tonal transitions
9.5/10
Praise is due for the smoothness of tonal transitions. In both bright and dark areas the image simply looks smooth and is free of annoying banding or contouring. Importantly, with Dolby Vision content this issue is also not pronounced, which is something that happens quite often on other TVs. Minor gradation errors are visible only on specific shades of gray, but they’re small enough that in everyday use they will bother virtually no one. In that respect the X11L is almost flawless.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
7.8/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Like in the C8L model we tested earlier, TCL has delivered a substantial upgrade in its flagship X series in this area. It's all thanks to the MediaTek Pentonic 800 processor used in this model. Thanks to it, features that smooth tonal transitions or even upscale content to higher resolutions finally look the way they should. The biggest Achilles' heel of previous TCL models has finally been addressed. The processor excels at digital processing, and in this respect the TV no longer lags behind flagship models from Korea or even the most refined ones from Japan.
TCL X11L - Blur and motion smoothness
7.7/10
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: 50%
In terms of specs, the X11L can impress: it supports refresh rates up to 144 Hz at 4K, and at Full HD it can be pushed to 288 Hz. But from a real-world perspective, we were most interested in how the screen handles 120 Hz. After all, modern hardware is limited to that rate, led by current-generation consoles. How does it perform in practice? Although it uses a VA panel, the screen doesn't exhibit heavy ghosting. With very fast-moving objects you can notice a slight smear, but it's subtle enough that it doesn't stand out when gaming or watching sports. The motion smoothing feature called "Motion Clarity" is also very helpful; it lets you adjust motion smoothness to your liking. Recommended settings are shown in the photo.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Blur (1080p@288Hz):
The BFI function deserves high praise. When enabled, the screen delivers noticeably improved motion smoothness. What's more, the image doesn't flicker annoyingly, which is a problem with many other TVs, so you can actually use this feature—for example when watching fast-paced sports broadcasts. Of course, because of how the feature works, the trade-off for perfect smoothness is doubled outlines around moving objects that are visible up close and about a 50% drop in brightness. However, when watching the TV from a normal distance of a few meters, the outline issue disappears. Moreover, even with brightness reduced by half, the X11L still produces enough light that the model's large power reserve fully compensates for the loss.
TCL X11L - 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
For gamers the X11L is simply a superb screen. TCL has already gotten us used to the fact that its products deliver practically every feature available on the market, and it's exactly the same with the flagship from the X series. Thanks to the new processor, the X11L offers four HDMI 2.1 ports with the full 48 Gbps bandwidth. Naturally, the 2.1 standard brings a set of extremely useful options, such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and VRR frame synchronization, working across the full refresh range up to 288 Hz. All of these features can be conveniently controlled from a dedicated Game Bar. Interestingly, its appearance can be customized to your taste, with three ready-made themes referencing Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. And speaking of Xbox: Dolby Vision Gaming also works on the X11L without any problems.
When gaming in the standard HDR10 format, however, you should be aware of the specific tuning of the brightness curve, which can cause problems during initial setup. Although the TV supports HGiG, configuring everything through the PlayStation or Xbox system menus can be tricky. The screen's algorithms tend to artificially brighten the test checkerboard pattern, making it really hard to hit the correct white clipping point by eye. For HDR10 content to look right, we recommend manually setting the brightness in the console menu to around 2500–3000 nits.
TCL X11L - Input lag
9.8/10
Input lag is very good. Figures around 10–15 ms don't exactly break market records, but in practice they deliver the same level of comfort as the top 5 ms. At values this low the difference is purely theoretical. During gameplay no one can sense any delay.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 17 ms | 2160p60: 16 ms | 2160p60 DV: 16 ms |
| 1080p120: 10 ms | 2160p120: 9 ms | 2160p120 DV: 10 ms |
| 2160p60: 16 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 10 ms |
TCL X11L - Compatibility with PC
8.6/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Very Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Average
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 9ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
Cooperation with a PC is excellent on the X11L, mainly thanks to a powerful suite of gaming features. Besides the console-like benefits and a very high refresh rate, you also get support for PC frame‑synchronization technologies (G-Sync Compatible and AMD FreeSync Premium PRO), matched to specific graphics cards. In short: for gaming, even from a PC source, this panel is simply outstanding. Working with text is a bit worse, though, because of the fonts' particular legibility. Up close you can notice that horizontal strokes are slightly darker than vertical ones, and there are faint artifacts around the edges. The truth is, however, that from a meter or two away this is completely unnoticeable. And given the size of the X11L series, nobody is likely to put this "beast" on their desk. 😉
TCL X11L - Viewing angles
4.5/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 69%
Thanks to its proprietary WHVA 2.0 panel, the viewing angles (for an LCD TV with this type of panel) are really decent. Colors don't wash out as much as with classic VA panels found in lower-end models. It's not, admittedly, on par with good IPS/ADS panels, and certainly not with any OLED, but it's still not a weak point of this model.
TCL X11L - Daytime performance
10/10
Panel finish: Glare
Reflection suppression: Average
Black levels during daytime: Very Good
X11L delivers outstanding daytime viewing performance, mainly thanks to its extremely high brightness. In SDR content the TV can, on average, "crank out" roughly 2000 nits of brightness! The screen is so bright that in typical home conditions it easily cuts through any sunlight entering the room. In that respect a bright day is no challenge for it. The only drawback for the X11L in this area is its fairly glossy panel. Unfortunately the screen doesn't suppress reflections very well, so it behaves a bit like a mirror. For that reason, when watching in the evening it's best not to turn on lights directly opposite the screen, because lamps and bright elements of the surroundings will be quite visible on the panel surface.
Panel brightness
TCL X11L: 1949 cd/m2
TCL X11L - TV features
8.3/10
System: Google TV
System performance: Very good
- HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 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: Yes
- 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: Google TV
When it comes to Smart TV, the flagship TCL runs on Google TV, and it's simply a great piece of software. The platform offers a huge app library that includes virtually every major video-on-demand service today. Everything runs very smoothly, and the intuitive interface makes daily content browsing easy. A big plus is the responsive voice assistant, which, combined with Gemini AI support, can accurately suggest movies or series based on our previous choices.
Classic features and the remote
While the Smart TV system is top-tier, when it comes to traditional features... there really isn't much to write about. The TV offers a smoothly working teletext, and that's basically all you can expect in terms of traditional TV. TCL skimped on basic features here. On board, there is no USB program recording (PVR) and it doesn't even offer a Picture-in-Picture (PiP) split-screen mode. As for the remote, it's very well made, feels great in the hand, and even has backlit buttons that make nighttime use easier. Unfortunately, the manufacturer chose not to include numeric buttons. That may not sit well with older viewers or those who prefer to flip through channels the old-fashioned way by entering channel numbers.
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: No
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
TCL X11L - Apps
9.6/10
TCL X11L - 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 player works very well. During our tests we examined it from every angle and it played virtually every video file and audio format we threw at it without a hitch. The only minor quirk is that the player wouldn’t work with external text files in .txt format. If that’s a big problem for you, the operating system comes to the rescue. In the app store you can always install a third-party player, like the reliable VLC, which will handle any type of subtitles. In most cases you won’t need to, though, because TCL’s stock app is top-notch when it comes to file compatibility.
TCL X11L - Sound
8.2/10
84dB
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
The X11L's sound is really good, thanks to a very comprehensive audio system. The Bang & Olufsen-branded speakers used here perform reliably, and the sound is fairly spacious, clean, and free of any odd distortions or cabinet resonances even at higher volumes. In that respect the X11L delivers. Still, we're left slightly wanting. Given that there's an integrated soundbar at the front of the cabinet, we expected a bit better sound. We certainly wouldn't compare this to the similar solutions used by direct competitors. Despite our minor reservations, the sound is definitely above average and accurate. It's ideal for everyday viewing, and buying a basic soundbar without a subwoofer for this model makes no sense.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
84dBC (Max)
75dBC
TCL X11L - Panel details
Software version during testing: v8-0015T01-LF1V080.000644
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: Mini-LED QLED
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