TCL A1s Review: A 150-Inch Picture for Three Figures

TCL makes projectors now. That is a sentence somebody was presumably waiting for — and it is not as odd as it sounds. The smart televisions of what was once a budget brand now set genuine technical benchmarks, and the prices have stayed small all the same. There is reason to hope the same value applies to its projectors, and the A1s is where that gets tested.

After its assault on the television market and a surprising new home cinema sound system, the Chinese giant is now aiming at the growing smart projector segment, where compatriots Xgimi and Aurzen have already established themselves as specialists and the home cinema old guard from Epson to BenQ is fighting back with unusually affordable lifestyle models.

TCL seems unstoppable, and it enters with a clear plan: three models launching in parallel, all compact devices in the three-figure price bracket. The A1s is one of them — so what separates it from the rest?

The A1s is very compact, but it is not a portable mini projector — that role falls to the TCL PlayCube in the new range. The A1s is manoeuvrable but tethered to a mains socket.

Robustly made, it arrives fully assembled in a practical reusable polystyrene transport case. It is distinctly better looking and better made than the smallest projector in the TCL trio, the C1, which is the stripped-back budget option. The most striking feature is the glossy multifunction handle, which lets you carry the plastic block securely and prop it up when aiming it.

There is no assembly in the traditional sense: no screws, no small parts, and no need for meticulous alignment with the projection surface. Unlike the sensitive projectors of old, lifestyle models like this are robust little blocks whose LED light source takes no damage even when the unit is knocked about. Set it down where you want to watch, plug in the power supply, and it is ready.

The sparse connection panel does not play a leading role, because the pre-installed Google TV interface turns the projector into a self-contained entertainer — even if, for newcomers, none of it feels especially smart at first.

Anyone who knows Google TV as a television operating system will find nothing new here. Before the A1s gives you access to the Google Play store you have to sign in with a Google account; without that link, use is heavily restricted and only external media players over HDMI or USB work without limitation.

Once you are signed in and have clicked through several pages of irritatingly nested terms and conditions, it finally does become properly smart: all the common streaming apps and television providers are available, and it is operated with the supplied remote or an app for iPhone and Android. The settings are rather harder to navigate than the main menu.

Picture settings are generally somewhat buried in Google TV, and that applies here too. Fortunately they are rarely important, because the projector sets its image up well without any intervention: autofocus sharpens the projection and automatic keystone correction prevents a skewed picture, so no fussy alignment to the screen is needed.

What is not always ideal is brightness, which stays capped. Although the A1s performs strongly for its size at around 650 ANSI lumens, this compact TCL is not suited to running with the lights fully on — daylight is out of the question entirely. In the dark the Full HD picture is attractive in its colour too, even if you will not see very deep or finely graded contrast.

Modern projectors are designed as self-contained entertainers, which means they have to handle the film's sound as well. The A1s puts in a respectable enough performance here that no television sound system or Bluetooth speaker has to step in.

The sound does not, of course, scale to match the 150-inch image — a picture area equivalent to roughly nine medium-sized televisions. But clear dialogue, and a pleasantly warm tone for film music, are definitely there.

A mini projector? The A1s is not one, unless you mean the price. For a manageable three-figure sum it delivers a gigantic Full HD image and decent sound with it, and Google TV brings all the important streaming and television apps included.

What it does not deliver is high brightness, differentiated HDR or surround sound. And despite the very compact dimensions, there is no battery inside — anyone wanting a TCL projector with one should look at the PlayCube instead.

It is sold on Amazon UK, with the current verified price shown in the buying panel above. A second listing described as an "upgraded" A1s at 600 ISO lumens was priced considerably higher, so check the specification of the one you are buying. Check the price on Amazon UK or search on Amazon US