Review: TCL RM9L RGB-Mini LED (2026)

TriangleUpBuy NowMultiple Buying Options Available$7,999 $5,999 at TCL$5,999 $4,999 at Best BuyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyRating:7/10Open rating explainerInformationWIREDOutstanding picture quality. Remote is backlit and mostly easy to use. Great picture quality customizations, even if they don’t all work perfectly.

The artwork looks stunning.TIREDExpensive. Very heavy and hard to maneuver.

Requires a massive TV stand. Skin tone benchmarks are not as realistic or convincing as a Micro RGB model.Size matters when it comes to televisions, but it can also reveal some problems.

At a bigger size, it’s easier to see flaws in clarity, brightness, and contrast. When a television uses brand new display technology, any visual imperfections are even more obvious.The TCL RM9L RGB-Mini LED is a good example of a large television that reveals too much but—like the more vibrant LG Micro RGB Evo that’s around the same price—is still worth considering.

More than anything, it shows how the settings you choose can make a world of difference in a Mini RGB television.The 85-inch model I tested costs $7,999.99, but it’s typically discounted by $2,000.

There’s also a 98-inch model ($8,999.99, which is usually $1,000 off) and a 115-inch size ($24,999.99).

Most TV makers offer a 65-inch or 75-inch size, but TCL must have decided to go big or go home.Photograph: John BrandonIn this case, going big felt a little overwhelming at times. The movies I watched on this TV in an average size living room certainly had luscious colors and phenomenal brightness, but a few of the streaming apps I tested lacked some crispness and clarity.

Blaming TCL isn’t entirely fair, though, and the workaround is to play high-res content using apps like Fandango at Home in 4K or stick with 4K Ultra HD discs. That said, the picture quality was not as exceptional as I would have expected at a price point in the same league as Samsung and LG.Also, the Mini RGB tech is so new that it’s barely out of the gate.

Mini RGB televisions like the TCL RM9L emit red, blue, and green light through an LCD panel. OLED TVs do not use backlighting at all and can control each individual pixel. At the 85-inch size, there were some lingering questions about whether OLED still has a leg up in terms of brightness, deep and rich blacks, and contrast for movies, shows, games, and even news channels.

Once I tweaked picture quality settings, I found RGB and OLED to be roughly equal in quality, but OLED models cost around $2,700 or less right about now, so it’s somewhat of a tough sell.However, judged by the quality of the display, the overall experience, the exceptional size, and the ease of use, the TCL RM9L RGB-Mini LED still impressed me quite a bit.Monster SetupI had to make some tough decisions about the TCL RM9L RGB-Mini LED right away, including where to put it in my house.

Your room size should dictate the size of your TV. Choose a model that’s too big for the room and you’ll feel like you are staring at a lightbulb. If the TV is too small, you won’t be able to read captions as easily and it won’t look as impressive.

I chose my larger upstairs family room but didn’t have a TV stand that was big enough. For testing, I had to use a long folding table for a while until I upgraded to a larger IKEA stand later on.Like many TCL televisions I’ve tested, the install process was straightforward and involved sliding the two legs into place and screwing them tight.

I do like how some Samsung models don’t even require screws, though. Maneuvering the TV is challenging because of its massive size. The 85-inch model weighs more than 114 pounds, and it’s hard to get a good grasp on the edge, since it’s only 1.

4 inches thick. I had to ask two friends to help me position this beast.Photograph: John BrandonWith the RM9L RGB-Mini, TCL doesn’t skimp on HDMI 2.

1 ports. There are four total, and each one can support a 144Hz refresh rate for low latency PC gaming or whatever you want to throw at the television. One of the HDMI 2.

1 ports is for eARC passthrough audio to powered speakers or a receiver. I added an Xbox Series X and a Google TV for testing and connected Klipsch the Nines II speakers. There are two USB ports (one coaxial), an Ethernet port for a wired connection, and a digital optical port.

The TV uses Wi-Fi 6, which is fast and compatible.I liked the remote for the most part, since it is clean and easy to use. The brightness controls are on the right-hand side, which is a surprisingly brilliant design choice.

For late-night gaming sessions you can crank down the brightness quickly or pump it up when the sunlight pours in. Tiny notches on the remote for volume and channels help you locate them without looking. The buttons for free television channels and a few others seemed like overkill.

Also, the Home button is not centered, so it’s harder to find. Thankfully at this price, the remote is backlit.Real-World Testing ResultsTwo movies I alway