TL;DR: Chinese tech company TCL is under the microscope following allegations from a South Korean quantum dot film manufacturer that some models of its QLED TV lineup do not contain quantum dot technology. The company denied the claims, citing results from a different test confirming that its QLED TVs use quantum-dot tech.

South Korean news site ET News notes that testing by two independent certification agencies, SGS and Intertek, found that the TCL C755, C655, and C655 Pro QLED TV models do not contain any signs of the elements indium and cadmium, which are essential to the creation of quantum dot nanocrystals. Hansol Chemical, which supplies quantum dot films to Samsung and other QLED TV manufacturers, commissioned the tests.

The television manufacturer denied the false advertising allegations, claiming all its quantum dot TVs contain actual quantum dot films.

"The QD content may vary depending on the supplier, but it definitely contains cadmium," the company explained.

The TLC press release also questioned Hansol's testing methodology, claiming it wasn't accurate enough to detect the exact amount of cadmium in the panels.

The company provided findings from a different test commissioned by one of its quantum dot film suppliers, also conducted by SGS, one of the agencies employed by Hansol. Its analysis reportedly found trace amounts of cadmium, while a spectrogram conducted on the QD film is also said to have confirmed the presence of quantum dots.

However, there is a critical difference between the two tests and the materials used to detect the presence of cadmium. Hansol's original analysis used actual TCL TV panels. The report TCL quoted examined QD films from its suppliers. It's unclear whether the films used in the models in question are from the same supplier as the ones TCL had tested.

After the ET News report broke in the west, TCL released a statement to Tom's Guide, claiming it doesn't sell any of the models in question in the US.

Quantum dot LED, or QLED, is a relatively new technology that offers enhanced color reproduction and superior picture quality. Quantum dots are manufactured nanocrystals that produce different colors depending on the particle size. They can emit precise colors because particle sizes adjust at quantum-level velocities, producing accurate and efficient light emission.

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TCL faces backlash as its QLED TVs may not have any quantum dots

different colors depending on the particle size. They can emit precise colors because particle sizes adjust at quantum-level velocities, producing accurate and efficient light emission.

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