TCL has unveiled its newest flagship TV, the QM9K, which promises “unmatched” picture quality and the company says it is the first to include Google Gemini AI onboard.
The QD-Micro-LED QM9K joins the TCL QM8K as part of the Ultimate Performance series, which includes the company’s Halo Control System for better contrast. The Halo system includes “Micro OD,” which reduces the distance between the backlight and diffuser plate to help eliminate image blooming. TCL says the TV includes up to 6,000 dimming zones, and this is compared with the QM8K’s 3,800 zones for better contrast control. The LED backlight also promises a bright picture with over 5,000 nits of peak brightness.
The television also features the CrystGlow WHVA Panel, which claims an ultrawide color viewing angle. In addition, the QM9K includes a ZeroBorder “edge-to-edge” panel, which leaves a much smaller gap between the TV and the bezel.
The TV includes a presence sensor, which can wake the screen as the user enters the room and show screensavers or answer queries via the TV’s far-field microphones and Gemini voice assistant. TCL says the sensor can’t turn on connected devices, but it can turn them off using HDMI-CEC when the person leaves.
Gemini onboard
Google’s Jamieson Brettle demonstrated issuing commands to Google Gemini on the QM9K while using the microphone on the TV remote. These included asking for NFL games that were on this weekend and asking for movies that were suitable to watch with young children.
“The power of Gemini is being able to give you a more conversational and intuitive approach to being able to ask questions,” Brettle said. “Now, I can ask more free flowing questions and get some more nuanced answers,” he added.
As far as users are concerned, there’s no meaningful change in the move from Assistant to Gemini — for instance, you still say “Hey/OK Google” to activate the assistant. Most of the upgrades to the AI are in the cloud and won’t necessarily need a new device, though Google has yet to announce which devices are officially supported.
Overall, I found the Gemini experience to be quite similar to the current Google Assistant, though the animations and results screens are different. Even so, the operational improvements are something I could only gauge with testing over time.
TCL’s unveiling follows yesterday’s news that Google Nest devices would be getting Gemini on Oct. 1, while reports suggest that a host of new, Gemini-supporting devices will be announced the same day.
Google’s Gemini is not the only AI assistant on TVs, with Microsoft Copilot and Amazon Alexa (Fire TV and Panasonic) also joggling for consumers’ attention. These are in addition to Siri on the Apple TV and the content-centric Roku Voice.
Outlook
The TCL QM9K is designed to compete with the picture quality king OLED, and it remains to be seen whether TCL can deliver better contrast for less than the price of an LG or Samsung OLED.
The TV will come in four sizes — 65 inches, 75 inches, 85 inches and 98 inches — and will be available later this month at Best Buy, with prices to be confirmed.
Look out for a full review on CNET.com soon.
Read the full article here