TCL A1s Review: A Big-Screen Google TV Projector on a Budget

TCL made its name undercutting the TV market on price, and it is now pointing the same strategy at projectors, launching three compact models all in the three-figure price bracket. The A1s is the pick of the trio, and independent testing found a smart Google TV beamer that throws a big picture and sensible sound for the money. This review is based on that laboratory test, not our own hands-on trial.

The A1s is compact but not a pocket projector — that role falls to TCL's battery-powered PlayCube, and the A1s stays tethered to the mains. It is robustly built, arrives fully assembled in a reusable case, and looks a clear step above the cheaper C1 budget model, with a glossy multifunction handle that doubles as a carry grip and a prop for tilting the image into place. There is no assembly in the traditional sense: no screws, no fiddly alignment, and the LED light source shrugs off knocks. You place it, plug it in, and it is ready. It sits naturally among the picks in our best mini projectors guide.

The sparse connections matter little because Google TV turns the A1s into a smart all-in-one. Anyone who has used Google TV on a smart set will find nothing new: a Google account login is needed before the Play Store opens, and without it use is limited to external players over HDMI or USB. Once past the login and a stack of nested terms-and-conditions pages, all the major streaming and TV apps are on hand, controlled by the bundled remote or a phone app for iPhone and Android. The picture settings, as ever with Google TV, are buried a little deep.

You rarely need those settings, though, because the projector sets itself up well: autofocus sharpens the image and automatic keystone correction squares it off, so no painstaking alignment is required. The one real limit is brightness — at around 650 ANSI lumens it performs strongly for its size but is not built for a fully lit room, let alone daylight. In the dark, the Full HD picture is pleasingly colourful, if without very deep or finely graded contrast, and it scales up to a giant 150-inch image, roughly the area of nine mid-sized televisions. Buyers wanting more brightness, sharper HDR or a built-in battery should weigh the BenQ GV50, while the ultra-short-throw Hisense PT1 is the step up for a permanent living-room setup.

Modern projectors are meant to be self-contained, and the A1s handles its own audio well enough that no separate TV speaker or Bluetooth box is required. The sound naturally does not fill a room the way a 150-inch picture fills a wall, but dialogue is clear and film scores carry a pleasantly warm tone — more than serviceable for casual movie nights.

The TCL A1s is a mini-beamer only in price: for a manageable sum under £300 it delivers a giant Full HD image, respectable built-in sound and the full Google TV app library. What it does not offer is high brightness, differentiated HDR or genuine surround sound, and despite its compact size there is no battery — for that, TCL points you to the pricier PlayCube. As an affordable route to a big, smart, dark-room picture, though, it is an easy recommendation. Check the price on Amazon.