The year 2026 marked the arrival of a handful of new acronyms in the TV world, with regular old mini-LED now having to share space with SQD, RGB, Micro RGB, True RGB, and other related terms. While those last three are basically marketing labels for the same RGB-backlit LCD display technology, SQD was coined by TCL and stands for Super Quantum Dots. SQD is something entirely different from RGB tech, though it is mostly an evolution of the Quantum Dot technology long used in mini-LED TVs.
So far in 2026, eCoustics has reviewed two of TCLโs SQD Mini-LED TVs, including their flagship X11L, and their step-down QM8L, along with rivals featuring RGB Mini-LED TV technology from Samsung, Sony, and Hisense. Of these, the TCL QM8L and Hisense UR9, the companyโs flagship RGB Mini-LED TV, are often similarly priced, especially at the 65-inch size with both currently selling for under $2,000. How do these two top Mini-LED TVs stack up, and which model is worth your hard-earned money? Letโs compare them side by side.
SQD Mini-LED vs RGB Mini-LED: Whatโs the Difference?
The Hisense UR9 and TCL QM8L are both Mini-LED-lit LCD TVs. Where they mainly differ is in the design approach of the TVโs backlighting system.
RGB Mini-LED TVs like the Hisense UR9 use micro-sized red, green, and blue LEDs in place of the blue or white LEDs found in mini-LED TV backlights. RGB backlighting can, in theory, at least, provide more accurate color reproduction than standard LED backlights, and it can also deliver enhanced brightness and color saturation, along with extended BT.2020 color space coverage.
Super Quantum Dots are essentially a refined version of standard Quantum Dot technology. In SQD Mini-LED TVs like the TCL QM8L, the SQD layer is paired with an Advanced Color Purity algorithm and an Ultra Color filter that uses 5-nanometer particles instead of the 60-nanometer particles that are standard for Mini-LED TVs. The end result, according to TCL, is more…