TCL 6-Series TVs could bring OLED quality to budget buyers thanks to Mini LED

(Image credit: Future)

TCL kicked off CES 2020 by announcing an update to its 8-Series screens with new-and-improved Mini LED technology. But what TCL didn’t mention is that Mini LED technology is coming to its well-loved and ultra-popular 6-Series as well. 

We caught a glimpse of the new screens at TCL’s CES 2020 booth where the new 6-Series TVs could be found, hidden in plain sight. 

While past iterations of the 6-Series have offered Full-Array backlights and, most recently Quantum Dots to enhance color saturation, the inclusion of Mini LED would massively boost black levels and overall contrast by increasing the number of contrast control zones to well over 1,000. 

Unlike OLED that tops out around 700 nits of peak brightness, these new Mini LED TVs would offer a peak brightness of above 1,000 nits – making them an even better option for watching HDR content and better suited for daytime viewing than an OLED TV.

 Better performance at a value sticker price 

The TCL 6-Series QLED with Mini LED

The TCL 6-Series QLED with Mini LED (Image credit: Future)

While no one at TCL’s booth could tell us the final price for the upcoming 6-Series, multiple employees cited how important the price of the range is to the company, and even pointed to a downward trend in pricing for the 6-Series in the last few years. 

That's far from a promise, but if the new 6-Series is cheaper than its predecessors and featured Mini LED technology that would be pretty impressive, especially considering how expensive the few Mini LED TVs on the market (TCL’s own 8-Series included) have been. (For reference, last year’s 8-Series launched at $1,999 for the 65-inch version and extended up to $2,999 for the 75-inch version.) 

If TCL can keep costs lower than LG’s OLED and offer similar performance, the new 6-Series could be the best mid-range TV to buy in 2020.

Meet the new TCL 5-Series QLED TV

On top of a Mini LED-powered 6-Series, we also saw a new 5-Series QLED TV on the show floor, too. Last year the 5-Series was upgraded to support Dolby Vision but this year's upgrade to QLED will make it much more colorful and vibrant. 

We'll try to get time with TCL's entire lineup this week at the show, but for now, these TVs could put some serious pressure on Samsung, Sony and LG.

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2020 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
TOPICS
Nick Pino

Nick Pino is Managing Editor, TV and AV for TechRadar's sister site, Tom's Guide. Previously, he was the Senior Editor of Home Entertainment at TechRadar, covering TVs, headphones, speakers, video games, VR and streaming devices. He's also written for GamesRadar+, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and he has a degree in computer science he's not using if anyone wants it.

Latest in Televisions
Google Chromecast 2
Google is finally rolling out a fix for broken Chromecasts – just as new bugs appear on the Chromecast with Google TV
Sony UBP-X700/K shown from the front
Sony launches new version of the best cheap 4K Blu-ray player that drops the streaming tech – but the price looks odd
Hisense 65-Inch Class U6 Series Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD Google Smart TV 65U6N 2024 Model with NBA player on screen over a red background with a big savings icon next to it
The Hisense U6N is an impressive budget mini-LED TV and it's now less than $500
Samsung, Roku, and Hisense TV screens
I review TVs for a living, and here are the 3 best budget TVs you can buy today
TV deals
Amazon has a ton of cheap TVs on sale for March Madness – deals starting at $79.99
Eight Samsung TVs mounted to the wall showing different basketball games
Samsung is offering you 8 new TVs in one bundle for March Madness, in case you want to watch all games at once like a Bond villain’s lair
Latest in News
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 18 (game #1149)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 18 (game #380)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, March 18 (game #646)
AI fashion
I asked ChatGPT 4o, Gemini Live, and Siri what to wear, and only one could really help me look my best
Seagate's new Genshin Impact Limited Edition SSD on a desk.
I didn't know an SSD could be cute until I saw Seagate's new Genshin Impact limited edition
European Union technical background
EU tech companies push for digital sovereignty, reducing reliance on US and others