It’s not clear why anyone should spend $10,000 on a TV in 2021, even one that’s 8K and 85-inches. TCL thinks otherwise. The China-based TV maker, mostly known for its budget priced TVs, is introducing a sleek flagship 8K television with included stand, pop-up camera, and Dolby Atmos soundbar and subwoofer in partnership with Onkyo.
The new TCL X925PRO 85-inch OD Zero mini-LED (third-generation) 8K TV is almost here. For simplicity, TCL calls it the X9 and says it’s a marvel of technology that delivers revolutionary optics, ultra-thin design, and immersive premium audio combined with the personalized experience of Google TV™.
The X9 joins TCL’s XL Collection – a unique selection of TVs exceeding 80” that deliver larger-than-life home entertainment with varying features that fit any big-screen home theater. Other markets (outside of North America) will get the step-down X9 model (X925, pictured top right) with a less powerful sound system in 2021 in three screen sizes:
- 85X925 (85-inch 8K)
- 75X925 (75-inch 8K)
- 65X925 (65-inch 8K)
For those seeking an 85-inch TV without maxing out their credit cards, TCL offers two 85-inch 4K TVs for 2021.
- 85R745 (85-inch 4K) – $2,999 at Amazon
- 85S435 (85-inch 4K) – $1,799 at Amazon
If only the best from TCL will do, rest assured the 85” TCL X9 features exceptional 8K display resolution with over 33 million pixels for brilliant 8K clarity that’s four times the sharpness of 4K TVs.
With a planned certification by the 8K Association, every frame on the X9 is intelligently enhanced by TCL’s AiPQ EngineTM technology which uses machine-learning to dynamically adjust color, contrast, and clarity as you watch for an unrivaled 8K HDR experience with three core picture quality algorithms – Smart 8K HDR for vibrant color, Smart 8K Upscaling for sharp clarity, and Smart 8K Contrast for dramatic depth.
OD Zero technology combines TCL’s latest mini-LED backlight technology to deliver an incredibly thin display with tens of thousands of mini-LEDs and thousands of Contrast Control Zones™ for striking brightness, precision contrast, and smooth uniformity. The zero is said to represent the measurement of distance between TCL’s mini-LED backlight layer and the LCD display layer.
Although TCL claims 0 mm distance, we suspect the number is very small but not actually zero. TCL further states the distance is 700 times smaller in size than conventional LEDs in the TCL X915 8K QLED TV. Nonetheless, the proof is in X9’s ultra-slim high-performance panel, TCL’s thinnest QLED TV yet.
In addition to impressive display performance, TCL’s new X9 delivers a room-defining listening experience featuring powerful Onkyo-tuned drivers to create an immersive soundstage paired with Dolby Atmos® 3D audio processing for high-fidelity sound that surrounds. With 25 speaker drivers combined to faithfully reproduce rich, object-based audio across 5.1.2 channels and use a unique acoustic design so side speakers are reflected toward the audience to create an incredibly wide soundstage.
Meanwhile, it should be noted the X925 (non-pro) 8K TV doesn’t include the stand, isn’t as thin, and comes with 2.1 channel audio system with 60 watts of output.
The X925PRO’s components share a singular design language, encased in brushed anodized aluminum housing and accented with piano black finishes, and a versatile integrated stand that can be configured for any environment as a floor stand, table stand, or wall mount.
Plus, the TV’s FullView edge-to-edge glass blends seamlessly so that beautiful sound, bold design, and boundless performance intersect to make the X9 the centerpiece of any living room.
“As an innovator in mini-LED backlight technology, I’m proud to say that TCL is revolutionizing high performance TVs to bring the distance between the mini-LED and the LCD to zero for the ultimate display of contrast and luminance. The X9 is TCL’s most premium model, crowning our new XL Collection, and represents a significant shift in content consumption where consumers are seeking out large-size, powerful televisions that can exceed today’s movie-going experience to bring premium cinematic moments directly into their home,” said Chris Larson, Senior Vice President, TCL.
TCL’s X9 also meets the needs and high standards of gamers demanding seamless game-play with low latency, Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Game Mode features for a smoother, optimized gaming experience. In addition, Natural Motion 480 delivers exceptionally smooth clarity during fast action scenes and users can connect all their favorite devices through the four HDMI inputs including two HDMI 2.1 ports, and one eARC to easily sync audio and video sources.
For more impactful and engaging visual experiences, the powerful X9 will feature Quantum Dot (QLED) wide color technology to provide exceptionally vivid and lifelike picture performance. With a measured 100% color volume in the DCI-P3 Hollywood reference color space, QLED color technology delivers more than a billion colors with greater accuracy, better brightness, and wider color volume, matching the format used by most cinema screens and Hollywood content creators. The 85” OD Zero mini-LED TV also boasts TCL’s Contrast Control Zones™ technology which optimizes the image across individual zones to yield striking contrast between light and dark areas. Engineered for superior 8K picture clarity, the X9 will benefit from HDR Pro Pack – allowing consumers to enjoy incredible brightness, contrast, and amazingly lifelike color and detail with support for Dolby Vision®, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG.
TCL’s X9 with Google TV will deliver a content-first interface that is built around the consumer and what they love to watch. Designed to help users easily browse and discover new favorites with recommendations based on previous watch history, saved content and what’s trending, Google TV brings effortless entertainment by aggregating movies and shows across all services in one place and features the intuitive hands-free voice control.
For the first time, an XL Collection model can now benefit from Google Assistant to search through 700,000+ movies as well as TV shows, answer questions, manage smart home devices, and more. The TCL X9 even houses a pop-up camera for big-screen video chats that descends automatically into the TV cabinet after the call.
Price & Availability
Launching in select global markets first, the TCL X9 85” 8K OD Zero Mini-LED TV (X925PRO) will be available in North America later this year for $9,999.99.
