The term Mini LED is now appearing everywhere, but not all Mini LED TVs offer the same performance. While Mini LED refers to the use of smaller LEDs in backlighting, this technology can be implemented in quite different ways in different televisions.

For consumers, this means that simply looking at the Mini LED label is not enough to understand how a television will actually perform. Fortunately, it is possible to understand the differences between two Mini LED TVs using this technology with a few questions. Regardless of which brand you are considering, we have prepared three checklists to help you evaluate any model more consciously and confidently, without just relying on the label:

1. Check if the local dimming feature is hardware-based

Hardware-based local dimming turns off the backlight to prevent light leakage and create deeper blacks and higher contrast, while software-based dimming does not physically turn off the backlight; Instead, it darkens the image software-wise.

In televisions with hardware dimming, the physical LED clusters behind the screen can be controlled zone by zone, turned on, dimmed, or turned off completely. Thanks to the direct control of the actual light source, hardware dimming allows for deep and accurate blacks even next to bright areas, while minimizing light leakage between these areas. However, software-based dimming does not provide completely independent physical control over the backlight zones; Under similar conditions, it can result in more limited control of dark areas and more noticeable light leakage compared to hardware-based local dimming. In addition, blacks may appear closer to dark gray than true black.

For example, TCL’s Mini-LED technology allows for more precise control of light, while the latest generation SQD-Mini LED technology combines this advantage with advanced color technologies, taking image quality to a whole new level. It offers more accurate colors, higher brightness, and more precise light control across the entire screen, further enhancing image quality.

2. Check the number of local dimming zones

As the number of dimming zones increases, the control over light and shadow becomes more precise. Even a few hundred zones can provide a noticeable improvement in brightness and contrast compared to a classic LCD television. When the number of zones reaches thousands, light can be controlled much more precisely, thus reducing the halo effect around bright objects while increasing contrast and brightness even further. Therefore, if the number of local dimming zones is specified in the technical specifications, it is useful to compare different models in this respect as well.

The number of dimming zones is often not specified on the TV box, but this information can often be found on the manufacturer’s specifications page. If the specifications of two Mini LED TVs appear similar on paper in other aspects, the number of zones stands out as one of the more reliable numerical values ​​to consider when comparing models.

The TCL C8L SQD-Mini LED, part of TCL’s 2026 SQD-Mini LED range offered for sale in Turkey, offers up to 4,032 local dimming zones and a peak brightness of up to 6,000 nits. The C7L combines up to 2,176 local dimming zones with a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits.

3. Note the Full Arrangement Local Dimming (FALD) feature

In the Full Arrangement Local Dimming (FALD) system, LEDs are distributed homogeneously across the entire back surface of the panel, and each zone is controlled independently. This allows for precise and consistent control of the backlight across the entire screen. In edge-lit designs, LEDs are only placed at the edges of the screen, while in direct-lit designs, LEDs are located on the back of the panel, but the entire backlight is usually switched on and off as a single block. Therefore, neither of these designs offers the level of regional control provided by full arrangement local dimming.

TCL combines its Mini LED backlight architecture with advanced quantum dot devices and its unique panel optimization technology. All SQD-Mini LED TV models offer a wider color gamut up to 100% BT.2020, reduced moiré effect, clearer detail in shadowed areas, and a more balanced viewing experience on large screens.

In conclusion, a television can only be considered a true Mini LED TV if it adequately meets all three of these criteria. If it doesn’t, simply bearing the “Mini LED” label may not provide much information about the television’s actual performance.

Developing its own screen technologies

Moreover, TCL develops and manufactures the screen technologies that form the basis of its televisions in-house. Thanks to this integration, the company has more control over the development and production processes of panel technologies, which allows it to develop new technologies faster and constantly improve image quality.

TCL’s latest SQD-Mini LED technology takes the company’s pioneering QD-Mini LED technology even further, bringing valuable innovations in terms of image performance. SQD-Mini LED combines a highly advanced Mini LED backlight architecture with advanced quantum dot devices and TCL’s proprietary panel optimization technology. Thus, by improving the way light is converted into color, it increases both color accuracy and image stability under different viewing conditions.