TCL: What Does The TV Brand's Name Stand For?

It's easy to find TCL products in any store that sells electronics. Shopping in your local Best Buy or Target will turn up TCL brand smart TVs, sound bars, mobile phones, headphones, projectors, air conditioners, and even home appliances. Aside from its wide array of products, TCL is also known for offering high-quality items at affordable prices, such as its TCL QM6K TV.

Today, TCL has tens of thousands of employees supporting a business that sells products in over 120 countries and manages the world's biggest appliance factory. It has won SMM Challenge Gold Tier Awards from the EPA for its initiatives in sustainability. It has launched many industry firsts that paved the way for future electronics, including the world's first mini-LED TV in 2019.

This global dominance was not always the case for a small company in China that began in 1981 selling audio cassette tapes. What TCL actually stands for, Telephone Communication Limited, doesn't tell the full story of an impressive history of a specialty-focused local business that grew into a global innovator.

TCL was actually founded under the name TTK Home Appliances Co., Ltd in China's Guangdong Province. It began by selling cassette tapes. These aren't seen at all in stores today, except for perhaps vintage or antique shops, and they aren't likely to make a novelty comeback like the record player has.

By 1985, TTK had expanded into the telecommunications business. It was met with an obstacle, though. An electronics parts company known as TDK thought TTK's name was too much like its own and sued. In response, TTK changed its name to TCL, or Telephone Communication Limited. This was based on what they sold at the time. But that narrow focus didn't last for long.

In 1991, TCL began to sell televisions. The brand grew to rapid success in China. It did so well so quickly, that in 1999 it expanded into the international market. First, it sold products in Vietnam and other countries in Asia. Next came the European markets, and finally the American markets.

Today, TCL is known for its impact on the electronics industry and its focus on the future. This is especially obvious in its development of televisions. In 2014, it crafted the first big-screen QLED TV and launched the first Roku TV. Five years later in 2019, TCL produced the first mini-LED TV. Its televisions continue to be known for their great image quality and user-friendly design at a moderate price, like the TCL QM8.

The growth at TCL has not stopped. In 2019, the organization went through a restructuring period. It split into TCL Technology Group Corporation and TCL Industries Holdings. Both are more commonly referred to as TCL Technology and TCL Industries.

For this spirited company that began selling cassette tapes in China in 1981, growth has been fast-paced and large-scale — though its name, Telephone Communication Limited, doesn't reflect the wide array of its products today.