Review: The TCL A1 projector’s form factor shines while the brightness doesn’t

What’s good about the TCL A1 projector

Design, portability, Google TV

The TCL A1 is TCL’s first foray into the world of projectors, and I really like how it’s designed aesthetically. It almost looks like a tiny Star Wars droid, complete with a way to project important messages to you. It looks great sitting on a shelf, stand, or even temporarily resting on a coffee table. However, due to its form factor, I wouldn’t mount it.

Built into the projector itself is a metal, well, loop (for lack of a better term) that travels through the projector. TCL calls this the VersaGrip. On top, it’s a handle. Push down on that handle, and it comes out of the bottom of the projector, raising the device’s angle. It’s clever and offers enough resistance that it won’t sink back down under its own weight.

Also great here is the fact that Google TV is baked in. It works just like the standalone

Google TV device
, except it has additional settings for a projector, like manual/auto keystone, shift and focus, and even screen adjustments. All of these are easy to use despite them being an annoying part of having a projector in general.

The sound output is pretty decent (you can connect it to a Bluetooth soundbar if you want). Because the projector is so compact and comes with a neat little carrying case (it’s like molded foam with seat belt material for a strap), it feels like it can be taken anywhere. And it can, as long as there’s a nearby outlet. Unfortunately, there’s no built-in battery here for camping.

Also, if the room is dark enough, the 1080p image is fun to watch, especially at larger sizes. It can handle a 4K source, but will only output in 1080p.

What’s bad about the TCL A1 projector?

How much are blackout curtains?

At 360 ISO lumens, the TCL A1 projector is too dim to be viewed during the day, unless you have it in a basement and you have some thick shades. I struggled to watch anything during the day due to the light I had in my living room. At night, however, the experience was much, much better — but the brightness never wowed me or my family.

In addition to this, the performance of the built-in Google TV was slow, and the whole device had to warm up to offer any kind of responsiveness. On top of this, there were two software updates in the time that I tested, one right out of the box and one a little later. They’re incredibly slow in downloading and installing (no Wi-Fi 6 here). The projector was even situated right on the other side of the wall that houses the router in the next room, and despite speeds of 500+ mbps, each update approached 45 minutes for download and installation.

Another gripe I have here is the remote. I’m happy that there are dedicated buttons for both manual focus and projector settings — so you don’t have to navigate the menus to find them — but there’s no mute button. How? Why? You’re gonna give us giant over-sized YouTube/Netflix/Prime Video buttons, but no mute button?

My final issue is probably due to the size of my room, but I need to mention it so you can plan accordingly. We purchased a 120-inch motorized screen as this room is not ideal for displaying a TV. The screen retracts and hides behind one of the beams near the fireplace mantle. Initially, we had a smaller screen, but we couldn’t get the A1 throw distance or angle good enough to fit uniformly on the screen. So, we went larger — but the ideal throw distance from projector to screen is right in the middle of our couch. Yet, our couch can’t go anywhere other than where it is. The solution was to get a temporary stand that sits very close to the couch and projects over our heads.

Only then did it look good enough. But, TCL has included a couple of autofocus and auto-keystone settings that are on by default. So, if the projector is moved, it automatically launches this process. And by “moved,” I mean anything from picking it up to setting it down to slightly bumping it. It became more frustrating than it was helpful.

Last thing: the TCL A1 can be mounted to the ceiling, but I wouldn’t. The device’s vertical nature would leave it hanging down considerably. While other projectors lie flat and hug the ceiling, this would not. Maybe if your ceiling is high, though, it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb regardless.

Should you buy it?

Wait for the price to drop

At $499, the TCL A1 is hard to recommend based solely on its brightness. A quick Google shows me some much brighter 4K-instead-of-1080p options for not much more money. The LG Cinebeam Q is 4K, has a similar form factor, is around $799 when you can find it on sale, and can do up to 500 ISO lumens. Other, cheaper, 1080p options might not be as aesthetically pleasing but can output brighter 1080p pictures as well. So, as a mid-range projector, it’s hard to recommend the TCL A1 at its current price point.

Still, I love the design of it. While the performance isn’t terrible, it could be a fun, compact addition to your life if you find it on sale, despite the difficulty with daytime viewing and low ISO lumens. You just have to ask yourself: do you want to watch things during the day or not?