Smart TVs have developed rapidly over the past two years. Thanks to technological advancements, prices have become increasingly affordable. For example, ultra-large televisions of 85 and 98 inches can now be purchased for around 5000 yuan. OLED, QLED, and MiniLED, once symbols of high-end hardware, can now be found at reasonable prices. For instance, we recently experienced the new TCL C11G high-definition QLED smart screen (hereinafter referred to as the TCL C11G smart screen). Today, I will share my usage experience with you.

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

Parameter Overview

The TCL C11G smart screen is a mid-to-high-end product in TCL’s TV line, utilizing TCL’s latest quantum dot matrix backlight Pro technology. It comes in three sizes: 55, 65, and 75 inches. The appearance is exquisite, with an ultra-narrow metal bezel and a minimalist stand, making the entire unit very refined. Let’s first look at its specifications.

TCL has provided quite a lot, with up to 220 backlight zones, HDR1000 standard, four HDMI 2.1 ports, and full-blooded performance, which exceeds some flagship models from other brands. It also comes equipped with Onkyo 2.1 HiFi speakers, making it a product with excellent hardware and great cost performance.

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

As a mid-to-high-end product under TCL, in addition to strong hardware specifications, there are also many unique technologies. The two most eye-catching are: quantum dot matrix backlight Pro and A++ butterfly ultra-clear screen. It is these two technologies that give the TCL C11G smart screen its amazing color, brightness, and contrast performance.

Quantum Dot Interpretation

Let’s take a look one by one. The quantum dot matrix backlight Pro, although it is one term, contains two technologies: quantum dots and matrix backlighting. Let’s start with quantum dots. As we all know, while LCD TVs are affordable, they also have many drawbacks, one of which is a limited color gamut, with conventional LCD TVs having a color gamut of about 104% BT.709. Even high color gamut TVs can only reach around 118% BT.709, which affects the viewing experience.

To solve this problem, quantum dot technology emerged. This is not a new technology; TCL launched quantum dot LCD TVs as early as 2014. In simple terms, quantum dot TVs add an extra layer of quantum dot film to the screen layer of ordinary LCD TVs. This layer of film can be excited by high-energy blue light to emit pure green and red light, significantly enhancing the color gamut of the TV screen, making the colors more vivid and bright. The quantum dots used in the TCL C11G have been upgraded from ordinary binary quantum dots. They use a new four-component quantum crystal, replacing the single-crystal structure with an alloy structure while adopting ultra-high precision wrapping technology. Compared to ordinary quantum dots, both stability and light absorption efficiency have significantly improved. Ultimately, the TCL C11G smart screen achieves a color gamut coverage of 157% BT.709, wider than that of ordinary OLED TVs, and naturally leads among LCD TVs in the same price range.

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

The test data shows that the TCL C11G smart screen can achieve 130% sRGB and 92.7% DCI P3 color gamut with an average color accuracy of 1.61, overall performance is outstanding, rivaling flagship TV products.

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

As for the lifespan of quantum dot TVs, TCL has also considered this. To enhance the lifespan of the TV as much as possible, TCL upgraded the quantum dot materials from the common binary to four-component quantum dots. TCL officially states that the quantum dot Pro 2023 products using four-component quantum crystal materials can guarantee no fading for 10,000 hours. What does this mean? If you watch TV for 12 hours a day without interruption for a year, it can guarantee nearly 23 years without fading. So you can use it with peace of mind.

Matrix Backlight Technology Interpretation

The quantum dot technology solves the color gamut problem. The issue of insufficient contrast in LCD TVs is left to matrix backlighting. This technology is also familiar to us, which is partitioned backlighting. However, traditional LCD lamp beads are relatively large, so the backlight partitioning is also limited. How to further improve the contrast of TVs under these constraints? TCL’s matrix backlight technology was born for this reason.

First, the TCL C11G smart screen adopts the industry’s first high-voltage light-emitting chip. High voltage allows the light-emitting chip to have higher light-emitting power under the same current. At the same time, it increases the number of independent light-emitting zones under a single light-emitting chip. Compared to ordinary LCD light-emitting chips, official data shows that the light-emitting area has increased by 60%.

TCL also uses micron-level cutting technology to cut individual wafers into six independent light-emitting areas, meaning that each light-emitting chip contains a total of 12 independent light-emitting zones. This is six times that of ordinary LCD light-emitting chips. Larger light-emitting chips and higher light-emitting efficiency allow the TCL C11G smart screen to reach a brightness of 1000 nits.

Comparison of Refractive and Reflective Lenses

With high brightness, the TCL C11G smart screen began to tackle the halo problem. First, TCL adjusted the lens structure in the light-emitting zones, replacing traditional reflective lenses with refractive ones. This allows the light emitted by the light-emitting chip to disperse more evenly across individual zones. Official data shows a 50% improvement in halo.

In addition to new hardware, the TCL C11G also features a dynamic backlight balancing algorithm that can more accurately calculate the backlight intensity of individual zones, ensuring that multiple zones are coordinated in brightness. Official data shows it can achieve 16-bit calculation precision. By combining software and hardware, the TCL C11G effectively addresses the problems of low brightness, unclear details, and halo effects caused by insufficient backlight partitioning in ordinary LCD TVs.

Higher brightness and finer backlight adjustments allow the TCL C11G smart screen’s over 200 backlight zones to present images with extremely high contrast, with deep blacks. It also effectively solves the large halo problems caused by backlight partitioning in LCD TVs.

These technologies, which ordinary consumers cannot see, allow the TCL C11G smart screen to achieve ultra-high contrast even with insufficient partitioning. Today, issues such as color, brightness, and contrast are easily resolved in its presence. It can be said that the TCL C11G smart screen is a groundbreaking new product in TCL’s C series, establishing its mid-to-high-end positioning.

A++ Butterfly Ultra-Clear Screen

After discussing the quantum dot matrix backlight Pro, let’s talk about the A++ butterfly ultra-clear screen. This term can be divided into two parts: A++ and butterfly. A++ naturally refers to screen quality, representing no dead pixels. Butterfly refers to the new screen technology.

The molecular arrangement of the liquid crystal layer in common LCD TVs is quite chaotic. Although the molecules are small, they can still affect the uniformity of light. The TCL C11G controls the direction of the liquid crystal molecules by adding polyimide to the liquid crystal layer to ensure the uniformity of light. Because the arranged liquid crystal molecules present a butterfly shape, it is also called the butterfly screen.

Although the quantum dot matrix backlight Pro and A++ butterfly screen have already provided this TV with outstanding picture performance, TCL did not stop there and continued to enhance the product. The TCL C11G smart screen also features the Lingyao M1 chip and TXR picture quality enhancement engine technology, further improving the TV’s picture quality through software algorithms. Whether from the hardware or software perspective, we can see that the configuration of the TCL C11G is very methodical and well-equipped.

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

Actual Experience

The solid hardware configuration and excellent software technology also provide this TV with an astonishing viewing experience. First, the color reproduction is significantly better than that of ordinary LCD TVs, especially when watching vibrant and colorful scenes; the display effect of the TCL C11G is excellent.

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

The robust screen quality and good light transmission also ensure sufficiently high brightness. Our tests show that the brightness of the TCL C11G can reach around 1000 nits, with outstanding HDR effects. Thanks to the quantum dot matrix backlight Pro and A++ butterfly screen, the TCL C11G smart screen also boasts ultra-high contrast that regular LCD TVs do not possess. In scenes with bright contrasts, such as starry skies and night views, the halo performance is also outstanding, leading one to suspect that this might be a MiniLED TV.

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

In terms of sound effects, the TCL C11G smart screen not only comes equipped with Onkyo 2.1 HiFi speakers but also features vertical AI sound field technology. Compared to other AI sound fields, it can simulate surround effects in the vertical direction, further enhancing the sense of spatial sound. Additionally, the bottom of the TV hides a high-precision sound sensor that can recognize the structure of the living room by picking up reflected sounds and automatically match a sound field effect unique to you through algorithms. The actual experience is very satisfactory, with a wide sound field and a very realistic surround effect. The bass reproduction, which is currently highly valued, is also well done. Even without adding a soundbar after bringing it home, it is not an issue.

Conclusion

Before experiencing this TV, I personally did not have high expectations. After all, the TCL C11G does not use the currently popular MiniLED and is not OLED. However, the actual experience brought me many surprises. The high color gamut of quantum dots was expected. But the fact that over 200 backlight zones can achieve such excellent brightness and contrast truly amazed me. Coupled with the outstanding screen, the viewing experience of the TCL C11G is no less than that of flagship MiniLED TVs priced over ten thousand yuan. It can be said that the TCL C11G smart screen is an ultimate work among traditional LCD TVs, truly mastering backlight control and color adjustment with excellence.

(Due to limitations of the shooting and display equipment, the effect is for reference only)

More importantly, it has shown me TCL’s hard power in technology. While everyone is competing for MiniLED and MicroLED, TCL can still remain true to its original intention, innovating traditional LCD screens so that consumers can enjoy a better viewing experience even with limited budgets. I am very pleased to have experienced such a good product in early 2023, and I highly recommend everyone to visit offline stores to actually experience the TCL C11G product, as I believe it will also bring you surprises.