TCL has been hit by an antitrust probe for falsely advertising its QD TV range. The probe was launched by Korean chemical and materials maker Hansol Chemicals that claims TCL advertises its QD TVs to include quantum dot materials but in fact, the entire lineup doesn’t include the material.
Hansol Chemicals says TCL advertises the QD TV lineup as exactly that – a quantum dot-enhanced display with enhanced image quality thanks to the added QD chemicals. However, this is false.
QD TVs aren’t anything new. Samsung introduced the first batch of quantum dot TVs back in 2018 but the technology does come with a premium tax. QD-OLED TVs have recently been introduced to the market following years of success for LCD TVs. Essentially, quantum dot TVs include ultra-fine crystals that are smaller than a few nanometers.
This material is made from semiconductors and layered on top of the TV’s panel. When these particles come into contact with electricity, they trigger a chemical reaction which results in enhanced colour range and vibrancy on the display. Quantum dot tech has been a big deal for the industry since its creation. Three researchers who developed and invented the nanoparticles received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2023.
Of course, the issue here is that TCL claims to be adding quantum dot tech to its QD TV lineup and Hansol Chemicals rejects these claims. The company says TCL’s three QD TV models, the C655, C655 Pro and C755 have no indium or cadmium in them. These are the core elements needed to produce quantum dot materials.
TCL has denied the allegations claiming that the company uses QD films containing cadmium for its TV models. At the moment it isn’t clear how Hansol Chemicals discovered the lack of QD in the TVs. The chemical company would have had to test the product in order to detect the elements or lack thereof.
Keep in mind that in South Africa, we get these exact QD TV models. The region has the C655, C655 Pro and C755 available for sale. These TVs are competitively priced but given the new antitrust probe, perhaps TCL has been selling a product that isn’t exactly what it claims to be.
Source: Korean Herald
