As someone that has surprisingly, reviewed quite a few projectors over the past few years, I was quite impressed with TCL’s first projector. Not because it’s the best thing ever made, but because at this price, you usually get some very mid-range or low-end projectors. Typically with very low brightness, fuzzy images, and sometimes no real software built-in, making you use the HDMI port for a set-top box. TCL does none of that, and in fact includes RGB lights on the back of the projector.
Typically, I turn down reviews of projectors like this, as I prefer the ultra-short throw projectors, they are often brighter, with better picture quality, and offer larger picture sizes. But I was very interested in the Projector A1 when it was announced, and TCL was kind enough to send one over to check out.
This retails for $499, though it is currently $379 at Amazon, so is that to much for this projector? Let’s find out in our full review.
TCL Projector A1 Review: Design
The design of the TCL Projector A1 is somehow minimal but also unique. The top half of the projector has a mesh material around it, with the bottom half being metal and housing the speakers. TCL has buttons on the top of the projector, but you’ll likely never use them. There are also RGB lights on the side, to really make your movie night interesting. I also did not use this much either. In fact, I kind of forgot it had RGB light strips on either side.
What’s really interesting about this design is the handle. This handle goes through the projector and is movable. Allowing you to adjust the angle that the projector is projecting at. It’s a really smart way to do this, while also providing a handle for moving it around.
On the bottom, you’ll find the mount for mounting it on a wall or ceiling. However that would be very difficult with this form-factor. And as someone who lives in an apartment, I wouldn’t be doing that anyway. On the back, is the collection of ports, and mind you, there’s not many. There’s the DC barrel outlet for power, a single HDMI port, USB-A, and a headphone jack. There is also an IR receiver on the back for the remote control. However, that doesn’t seem to be necessary for the remote to work.
Over on the front, you have the big lens for the projector, and towards the bottom, you’ll notice there is a camera and other sensors. This is so the projector can correct itself, giving you a rectangle picture, versus it being off-center. It does have keystone correction, automatic focus, and obstacle avoidance. You can also opt to do the keystone correction yourself. Though, I’ve found that it does a pretty good job of doing that itself.
The TCL Projector A1 is a pretty good-looking projector and would look really great on a shelf or table in your home.
TCL Projector A1 Review: Picture and Sound
Even more important than the design, is the picture and sound quality of the projector, and the Projector A1 does a pretty good job with both. This projector is able to output up to a 1080p HD image. It can handle a 4K source, but it will only output at 1080p. Typically, with projectors, 1080p resolution looks pretty terrible, but that’s not the case with the Projector A1. Somehow TCL made the picture look super crisp with this projector, and it’s appreciated.
TCL notes that the Projector A1 can provide a screen size from 45-inches up to 120-inches. Now since this isn’t an ultra-short throw projector, you’re limited by the size of your room. While I don’t know for sure how large the picture is I was getting with the Projector A1, I’d venture to guess its around 75-80 inches diagonally. Which puts it right in the middle of the range, and it looked great. One of the reasons why I love projectors so much is, that I can lay in bed watching TV, without needing to wear my glasses, since I’m apparently part blind.
The downside to the picture quality is going to be brightness. TCL says that this is a 360 ANSI Lumens projector, which is not very bright at all. The Anker Nebula Cosmos projector I reviewed a few years ago was 1,500 ANSI Lumens and it looked great, though it was also more than three-times the price. So that’s something else to keep in mind here. If you put the Projector A1 into a room with blackout curtains, and very little ambient light, then you’re going to be just fine. But if there’s loads of sunlight coming in, you’re going to have a tough time seeing the picture.
Onto sound, TCL has packed in dual 8W high-quality speakers into the Projector A1, which use Dolby Audio. While Dolby Atmos would definitely be better, I did not expect to see that included for $500. However, it does still provide crystal-clear audio with plenty of bass, and some pretty crisp highs. There’s really no complaints about the sound here, but there is still a HDMI port on the back, if you wish to plug in your own soundbar.
The bottom line is, you get a little more than what you pay for here. Keep in mind that this is a $500 projector, so you’re not going to get the brightest picture or the best sound on the planet.
TCL Projector A1 Review: Google TV
This should come as no surprise, but the software on the TCL Projector A1 is Google TV. TCL has been using Google TV or Roku on all of its popular TVs, so we’d expect nothing less. TCL has also done something that a lot of other projectors haven’t, and it’s why I have no problem recommending it, and that’s Netflix certification. You see, Netflix certifies devices differently than other streaming services. Instead of just certifying Google TV, they certify each product. And those products need to sell a certain amount, or they won’t certify it. So a lot of the projectors from Nebula, XGIMI, and others that are pretty cheap, won’t have Netflix certified, and instead you’re using the mobile version that was sideloaded – which is a terrible experience.
But Netflix works the same here as it would on a TCL TV. And that is perhaps the best selling point of this projector. It does have thousands of other apps included, like YouTube, YouTube TV, MAX, Hulu, Disney Plus and many more. So you’ll never have to worry about there being nothing to watch. It of course has all of the usual features of Google TV, including Cast and Google Assistant. If you used the Chromecast with Google TV, or any other Google TV set, then you’ll feel right at home here.
The remote that is included is pretty decent, though surprisingly there’s no mute button. Which is pretty strange, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a remote without a mute button before. But there are shortcuts to settings, keystone correction and of course a few apps like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. It’s a pretty easy remote to use, and fits nicely in the hand. It is somewhat thin, so you could end up losing it in a couch or a chair, so beware of that. It is powered by two AAA batteries, which TCL does include in the box.
Obviously, if you’d rather not use Google TV, then you can always plug in a set-top box to the HDMI port. Which is what I’ve done. I plugged in my Apple TV 4K into the HDMI port and it works just as you’d expect. The Apple TV remote can turn on and off the projector as well. It also solves the problem of the Google TV software being a bit on the slow side. It’s not terrible, but it is a bit slow from time to time. We’ve seen other Google TV products built in that it was unbearably slow, and that’s not the case here. If you do buy the TCL Projector A1, make sure to install all available updates, as that did greatly improves the speed and responsiveness out of the box. For most people, I don’t think this will bother them, as it is still fairly fast.
Should you buy the TCL Projector A1?
The TCL Projector A1 is not the best projector out there, and for $500, it definitely shouldn’t be. However, I do believe that this is a very good option for a lot of people. You could use it in your basement for a man cave, or use it in a dorm room, or really anywhere that is smaller, that a nice 55-inch TV wouldn’t really fit or take up too much space.
I think the TCL Projector A1 might be the best projector at its price point.
