Summary
- QM9K are the first Google TVs with Gemini for more conversational, contextual Assistant answers.
- mmWave presence sensor senses sitting vs passing and lets you tune detection radius to avoid false wake-ups.
- 65-98-inch 4K QM9K lineup: 144Hz, brighter panels, ZeroBorder bezels, Bang & Olufsen sound; US sale this month.
Isn’t it cool how your TV turns on when you enter the room? Okay, you probably don’t have that, but TCL is hoping you will one day. The company is releasing the first Google TV to ship with Gemini, and it also has some crazy presence-sensing abilities.
TCL is bringing its new QM9K series to the US market, and it’s pretty cool for a few reasons. As mentioned, these are the first Google TV sets with Gemini built in. This was first shown off at CES earlier this year, and it looks to be a decent improvement over the standard Google Assistant. Gemini is supposed to be more conversational and contextual, so you can ask it more natural questions and get better answers.
That’s probably not the most interesting feature, though. This new TV comes with a presence sensor, but it’s not just a camera or dumb motion sensor. It’s an mmWave sensor, and it can supposedly tell the difference between you just walking by the TV or sitting down on the couch. You can even fine-tune the radius in the room, so it doesn’t turn on just because you’re in the same general vicinity. It’s a small detail that could make a big difference in how you interact with your TV.
As for the rest of the details, the QM9K series will come in four sizes: 65, 75, 85, and 98-inch sizes—all with 4K resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. It also boasts very thin bezels in what TCL calls a “ZeroBorder” design. TCL also says the new panels are 30% brighter with 57% more precise dimming zones than their previous models. And if you’re not someone who uses external audio devices for your TV, you’ll appreciate the fact that the sound is by Bang & Olufsen.
The TVs are set to go on sale later this month, starting at Best Buy. Sadly, TCL hasn’t announced pricing yet, but based on the specs and considering the existing QM8K series is easily over $1K, you can expect these to be a bit on the pricier side.
Source: 9to5Google
