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The newest and best TVs of 2026 are coming in hot. And, while plenty of ink has been spilled about RGB LED TVs and the latest OLEDs, there’s one type of TV technology that hasn’t received as much attention: Super Quantum Dot.
Abbreviated ‘SQD,’ this enhanced version of a traditional quantum-dot display is quietly making a serious impression on my TV-testing colleagues and me. SQD TVs are similar to regular QLED TVs, but they're engineered to do take quantum dots to the next level.
If you’re in the market for a new TV this year — especially if you have an eye for picture quality — you ought to familiarize yourself with Super Quantum Dot technology.
What are Super Quantum Dot (SQD) TVs?
Making their global debut in 2026, SQD TVs are a new spin on the tried and true combination of Mini-LED backlighting and quantum dot color. Despite many similarities between QLEDs and SQD TVs, the latter promises — and, according to our test results, delivers — brighter, purer color than what you'll commonly get on a regular, quantum dot-enhanced LED TV.
Without going too far into the weeds, the Super Quantum Dot recipe is made up of a several ingredients: reformulated quantum dots, a new, advanced color filter to go along with said quantum dots and some algorithmic functions designed to keep the display's colors consistent.
TCL, the brand behind SQD technology, refers to that last bit as its Advanced Color Purity Algorithm. When taken as a whole, all of these elements form TCL's proprietary Deep Color System, engineered for eye-popping color.
But the real question is whether or not this technology works. We've had the luxury of getting up close and personal with two SQD TVs so far in 2026 —the TCL X11L and the TCL QM8L — and so far, the test results speak for themselves.
On the chart below you'll find both SQD TVs we've tested alongside a quantum dot-enhanced OLED TV (the Samsung S95F) that offered up some of the best color results we measured last year. For added context, I've included TCL's best-performing quantum-dot TV from 2025, the QM9K.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | TCL X11L (SQD) | TCL QM8L (SQD) | Samsung S95F (QD-OLED) | TCL QM9K (QD Mini-LED) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rec. 2020 Gamut Coverage | 91.77% | 90.34% | 90.26% | 80.29% |
When it comes to color, not only do the pair of TCL SQD TVs outpace Samsung's QD-OLED by a hair, they blow right past TCL's best-performing Mini-LED TV from last year, the QM9K. All of the TCL TVs in the chart above make use of Mini-LED backlighting, but only the SQD TVs' enhanced hardware allows for QD-OLED-levels of color.
These SQD TVs lag behind the few RGB LED TVs we've tested ever so slightly (the Hisense UR9 RGB Mini-LED TV covers about 93% of the BT.2020 color space), but TCL's figures are nothing to scoff at.
In other words, if you're looking for the brightest, purest color money can buy in 2026, there are three types of TV that ought to be on your radar: quantum dot-enhanced OLED (QD-OLED), RGB LED, and now, SQD Mini-LED.
Should you buy an SQD TV?
If you're looking for a visually stunning TV for less than the price of what you'd end up paying for most QD-OLEDs or RGB LED TVs, Super Quantum Dot might be the way to go.
Currently, the only TV-maker selling SQD TVs is TCL. But the good news is that the brand is offering several different avenues for folks looking to get in on these souped-up QLEDs.
As mentioned, we tested TCL's top-tier SQD TV (the X11L) and walked away impressed. However, as TCL's best TV for 2026, the X11L doesn't quite have mass appeal. It's only available in 75-, 85- and 98-inch sizes, and the 75-inch TCL X11L is $3,923 at Best Buy at the time of publishing.
This is why I recommend taking a look at the TCL QM8L. This set is available in the ever-popular 65-inch screen size, and it starts at $1,799.
And, while we're still in the process of evaluating it, TCL is also rolling out an entry-level SQD TV: the TCL QM7L. This set is available at an even smaller size of 55 inches, and right now, the 55-inch TCL QM7L is just $999 at Best Buy.
Having not seen the QM7L in person yet, I still recommend the QM8L above it. That said, its wider range of sizes and friendlier price tag ought to suit budget-conscious shoppers who nonetheless wish to experience some cutting-edge TV tech.
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