- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
TCL A400 PRO Review
Available screen sizes:
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: TCL Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Google TV Model year: 2026
"Artistic" TVs are already a separate category of devices. Samsung has its The Frame, Hisense is developing the Canvas TV, and TCL is entering this rivalry with the A400 Pro. At first glance the premise is similar: the television should not only display an image but also serve as an interior decoration. The TCL A400 Pro does not turn that concept on its head. Its greatest strength lies elsewhere. For the first time in this type of design we get full-fledged Mini-LED backlighting positioned directly behind the panel. That's a significant novelty in the lifestyle TV segment, because until now similar models often prioritised looks over picture quality. Will Mini-LED actually lift this kind of device to a completely different level? Has TCL found a way to make a "picture on the wall" that not only looks good but also performs well for watching films, series and sport? We will answer those questions in this review.
TCL A400 PRO - Our verdict
7.1
Overall rating
TCL A400 Pro is one of the most interesting lifestyle TVs we’ve tested so far. Not because it turns the whole idea of the “TV as a picture” on its head. In that respect it does roughly what the competition does: it’s meant to look good, blend into the room and not be just another black slab in the living room. Its real strength lies elsewhere: in picture quality. This is the first TV of this kind that actually gives us an image built on solid blacks and high contrast. Full-fledged Mini-LED backlighting combined with a VA panel means the A400 Pro can show a level of depth that has simply been missing from lifestyle TVs until now. Of course it’s not Mini-LED that you would put shoulder to shoulder with the best LCDs on the market, but in its “picture-focused” category the A400 Pro does something important: it proves that an artistic TV doesn’t have to mean a large compromise in picture quality. What’s important is that it’s not just about blacks and contrast. The A400 Pro has very good colour, supports Dolby Vision and runs Google TV, so day to day it’s simply a convenient, fully fledged TV for films, series and streaming. On top of that there are very strong gaming features, so it performs easily with a console or a PC. And perhaps it’s this versatility that is its biggest surprise. It looks like a lifestyle TV, but it doesn’t force you to give up the features you expect from a regular television.
Paradoxically, the biggest reservations are not really about the image itself. Sure, the number of local dimming zones could be higher and the upscaling doesn’t stand out from the norm. However, given the character of this model what bothers us more are decisions related to the whole concept of a TV on the wall. The lack of a slim wall mount in the box is a strange move, because this type of mounting should be the default here. In addition, the wood-effect bezels are fixed, so they don’t offer the same freedom of personalisation as in other models of this type. And because the casing is thicker, the A400 Pro doesn’t always deliver as flat and subtle a look as you might expect from a TV in this category.
And that is the biggest paradox of the TCL A400 Pro. Picture-wise it can be one of the strongest lifestyle TVs on the market, yet it loses a little where such a product should charm the most. All the same, the overall verdict is very positive. If the design choices mentioned above don’t bother you, the A400 Pro makes a lot of sense. It’s a TV for people who want something nicer than a classic television but don’t want to pay for looks with a big sacrifice in picture quality. That is why the TCL A400 Pro is one of the most interesting models in its class.
Advantages
Good black levels and contrast thanks to Mini-LED and a VA panel
Very good picture quality for a lifestyle TV
Rich colours thanks to a PFS/QLED filter
Supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Excellent factory colour tuning on the tested unit
144 Hz panel and very low input lag
Excellent feature set for gamers
Great PC compatibility
Matte finish effectively reduces reflections
Google TV with a wide selection of apps
Extensive digital art gallery
'Lifestyle' design
Disadvantages
No slim mount included
Bezels are fixed
Average digital image processing
Visible smearing on the VA panel
Average viewing angles
Only two full HDMI 2.1 ports
Sound is rather flat
Note: No Mini-LED in the 32- and 43-inch versions
Movies and series in UHD quality6.6
Classic TV, YouTube6.9
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)6.6
Gaming on console8.4
TV as a computer monitor8.9
Watching in bright light5.7
Utility functions7.2
Apps9.6
Sound quality6.6
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TCL A400 PRO - Competing TVs in this price range
TCL A400 PRO - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Good
Stand type: Legs
Bezel color: Changeable Frame
Stand: Height adjustment, Base adjustment
Flat design: Yes
Accessories: Stand
As befits a lifestyle TV, the TCL A400 Pro looks very good. The most distinctive elements are, of course, the bezels which, as in other models of this type, are intended to give the device a more 'picture-like' character. Unlike conventional TVs they are not ultra-thin or highly discreet. On the contrary: they are clearly defined and meant to resemble the frame of a picture hanging on the wall. It is worth clarifying one thing straight away: on the A400 Pro the wood-effect bezels are fixed elements, not interchangeable covers that the user can swap to match the interior. On the one hand that is a pity, because greater customisation would be welcome in a TV of this kind. On the other hand, from the front the whole thing looks really good. The TV genuinely feels less like typical AV equipment and more like an element of interior décor. Especially when it is hung on the wall and viewed straight on. Straight on, because a compromise only becomes apparent from the side. Due to the use of a Mini-LED backlight the TV is thicker than typical lifestyle designs, and the additional black border means it does not convincingly pass as a classic picture from every angle. That is of course justified and stems from the desire to improve image quality, but you should be aware that this is achieved at the expense of the perfectly 'framed' look. A significant drawback, however, is the lack of a dedicated wall mount included. For a regular TV that might not be a major problem, but this model is meant to look like a picture on the wall. It is all the more surprising that TCL supplies standard feet rather than a mount that would allow the screen to be hung as close to the wall as possible, especially since the housing has been prepared with specific holes for one. We think such a mount would suit the device far better. The feet are of course practical, but on this kind of TV they feel more like an emergency add-on than the intended solution.
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TCL A400 PRO - Contrast and black detail
7.7/10
Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 180 (10 x 18)
Result
131,100:1
Result
33,750:1
Result
17,350:1
Result
15,000:1
Result
5,900:1
Visibility of details in the lights:
Moving on to picture quality tests, it is immediately apparent that the biggest change the TCL A400 Pro brings compared with typical lifestyle TVs is in blacks and contrast. This is all down to a full Mini-LED backlight placed directly behind the panel. As a result, the TV can locally dim selected parts of the image and is not limited solely to the native contrast of the panel. In the 65-inch sample we tested, we counted 180 dimming zones. That is not an impressive number compared with conventional Mini-LED TVs, where zones can be many times more numerous, but for a lifestyle TV it is already a very large step forward. Especially as competing models often either lack advanced local dimming or use much simpler edge-lit backlights.
In practice this produces very good results. In simpler scenes, where bright elements are clearly separated from a dark background, the A400 Pro can effectively dim the black areas of the image and show genuinely deep black. It is one of those things that immediately sets it apart from many conventional “picture” TVs. Of course, this does not mean TCL entirely avoids the limitations of Mini-LED LCD technology. 180 zones is still relatively few, so in more complex scenes, for example those with many small bright elements on a dark background, a halo effect can appear. It can also happen that blacks take on a more navy‑blue to purple tint in such conditions, because the TV cannot dim the background with the same precision as OLED TVs. Despite these limitations, we believe the A400 Pro brings a genuinely fresh breath to this category. For a lifestyle TV, which is primarily intended to look good on the wall, the level of blacks and contrast is a very strong selling point.
NOTE. It is worth noting that the number of local dimming zones depends on the screen diagonal. Larger variants should have more, but because the number of zones increases with panel size, we do not expect large differences in black level and contrast between the Mini-LED versions. The exception are the 32- and 43-inch models, in which TCL did not implement local dimming. These are significantly simpler LCD designs, so our review does not directly apply to those diagonals, and the prices quoted with the review should be treated as indicative only.
Number of dimming zones in the TCL A400 Pro
Screen size | Backlight type | Number of local dimming zones |
32" | PFS LED | No local dimming |
43" | PFS LED | No local dimming |
55" | QD Mini-LED | 112 zones |
65" | QD Mini-LED | 180 zones |
75" | QD Mini-LED | 240 zones |
85" | QD Mini-LED | 264 zones |
98" | QD Mini-LED | 448 zones |
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
TCL A400 PRO - HDR effect quality
4/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
439 nit
Result
111 nit
Result
296 nit
Result
74 nit
Result
543 nit
The TCL A400 Pro is a moderately bright TV. Its peak brightness reaches around 600 nits. That level already allows for a real HDR effect, and in many films it does produce a noticeably more attractive picture than in SDR. However, it is not a level that overwhelms with sheer brightness. The A400 Pro therefore isn’t one of those TVs that ‘attack’ the viewer with a powerful flash in every eye-catching scene. The biggest limitation is seen with small bright elements on a dark background. Because of fairly aggressive local dimming control, the TV can significantly reduce their brightness, in extreme cases even to around 100 nits. This means that small lights, sparks, stars or individual highlights can be much less visible than they should be. It’s worth adding, however, that this isn’t without reason. The A400 Pro does this to maintain as deep a black level as possible and to limit the halo effect around bright objects. So it’s an intentional compromise: the TV more often opts for deeper blacks rather than maximally bright, point-like highlights. On one hand this can be understood, especially given the limited number of dimming zones, but on the other you should be aware that the HDR effect won’t always be as strong as the peak brightness alone might suggest.
On the plus side, the colours are a strength. The PFS LED filter used here, marketed by the manufacturer as QLED, allows for suitably saturated colours. Coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut measured around 94%, and BT.2020 around 74%, which is a solid result for this class.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 [%] | P3 [%] | R [%] | G [%] | B [%] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 73.6 | 94.2 | 57.1 | 64.7 | 66.6 |
| Film measurements | 73.7 | 94.2 | 53.0 | 60.1 | 62.2 |
Arithmetic means of BT.2020 and P3 gamut coverage and the luminance of the primary colors (red, green, blue) as a % of target.
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
Given the A400 Pro’s modest brightness capabilities, you might assume it wouldn’t take an especially ambitious approach to HDR. That made what we saw in practice all the more pleasant a surprise. With less demanding material the TV performs quite respectably. The picture is slightly boosted, but not in a way that completely undermines its character. On the contrary, overall adherence to the creators’ intent is surprisingly good, especially considering TCL’s characteristic tendency to slightly brighten the image. The situation is a little worse with HDR content mastered to 4000 nits. There the A400 Pro starts to struggle more with the brightest parts of the picture. Highlights can be slightly blurred, and some of the brightest details can merge into a single blot. That is not unexpected for this class of brightness, but it’s worth noting, because in more demanding films (for example on Blu-ray) the HDR effect may not always be rendered with full precision. Fortunately TCL has a very sensible solution in the form of the "Detail Priority" function, which handles dynamic tone mapping. And we must admit it does a very good job. Once activated, the TV noticeably recovers details in the brightest parts of the picture, so clouds, light reflections and very bright areas of a scene look clearer. For the capabilities of the A400 Pro itself, it’s a surprisingly effective tool. It genuinely improves the handling of demanding HDR material and we strongly recommend enabling this feature.
HDR luminance chart:
You can clearly see here how much the aforementioned dynamic tone mapping feature contributes. After switching it on, the differences between HDR10 material with static metadata and the same material in Dolby Vision turn out to be surprisingly small. In practice it was hard to find clear discrepancies in the way the brightest parts of the image are rendered, which shows that TCL really handles detail recovery well even without dynamic metadata.
That does not, however, change the fact that Dolby Vision still has a very practical advantage. It is a dynamic format, so the TV receives information about brightness and picture mapping not only for the entire film but for individual scenes. This makes it easier to preserve detail in the highlights and avoid overexposure in more demanding material. And since Dolby Vision is currently the most popular dynamic HDR format on streaming services, its presence in the A400 Pro must be seen as a big plus.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
8/10
As standard, we performed colour measurements in the best‑tuned Filmmaker Mode, the mode that is designed to be closest to the creators' intentions. The A400 Pro of course also offers other picture modes, but in practice these come with considerably larger colour errors and interfere more with the character of the image. Therefore we will not deal with them in detail in this part of the test. So how does the out‑of‑the‑box colour reproduction fare? In short: really very good. Actually, looking at our measurement results, downright excellent. Both the white balance and the luminance response were set surprisingly precisely. The errors were so small that during measurements we genuinely rubbed our eyes in amazement. Such good factory settings do not happen often, even in TVs operating in Filmmaker Mode. All the more credit is due to TCL, because the A400 Pro right out of the box can deliver an image very close to how the source material should look. The results were so good that one could easily think someone had already given this unit extra attention and tried to calibrate it.
Our nitpicking really comes down to just one thing. In SDR content the image was slightly brighter than the dark‑room reference intends, because the factory gamma was set closer to 2.3 than to 2.4. This is not a large error and most viewers will probably not even notice it.
It should, however, be noted that we are talking about our specific test sample. With factory colours there can always be some variation between units, production batches or screen sizes. We do not assume, therefore, that every A400 Pro will look identical straight out of the box.
Color reproduction after calibration
8.2/10
Despite its superb factory calibration, we couldn't resist checking how the TCL A400 Pro would respond to professional calibration. Since the starting point was so good, we were all the more curious whether there was anything more to be had from the TV. And here we must boast: we managed to reduce our unit's colour errors to absurdly low levels. Measurements below a value of 1 are not something you see every day, even in very good TVs. Such results are more commonly associated with professional reference monitors than with a lifestyle TV for the living room. In terms of white balance and colour reproduction the A400 Pro therefore simply performed exceptionally well after calibration. The only gripe we have after closer analysis relates to the luminance behaviour. The TV adjusts luminance depending on the content being displayed and quite often the picture is slightly darker than the reference calls for. This is most likely due to the way the Mini-LED backlight and local dimming algorithms operate in this model. However, this does not spoil the overall impression, because in terms of colour accuracy alone the calibrated A400 Pro showed a level that was really hard to expect.
TCL A400 PRO - Smoothness of tonal transitions
9/10
The TCL A400 Pro is very good at maintaining smooth tonal transitions. Gradation in most material is smooth, and any imperfections are only visible in extreme cases, mainly on subtle grey transitions. It should be added that the vast majority of televisions struggle with such scenes. Equally good news is the lack of gradation issues in Dolby Vision. The A400 Pro did not introduce additional banding or visible artefacts in that format, which recently has not been a given. This is another factor that positively affects the viewing of films and TV series in HDR.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
5.5/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Digital image processing is, unfortunately, one of the weaker points of the TCL A400 Pro. That does not mean the TV performs badly, but it is hard to call it anything clearly above average. The upscaling itself is adequate: edges are smoothed fairly well, the picture does not look overly sharp or "pixelated", and lower-quality content can be watched without much discomfort. At the same time, the overall image is slightly soft and lacks the precision offered by the best image processors in more expensive TVs.
Much worse, however, is how it handles tonal transitions caused by strong signal compression. TCL has equipped the A400 Pro with a "Gradual Smoothing" feature that, in theory, should limit visible colour banding and artifacts in lower-quality material. In practice, though, its effectiveness is very limited. It does not improve tonal transitions in any noticeable way, and at higher settings it can also smooth out image details, giving the picture an artificial, slightly blurred character. For that reason, we think it is best to leave this feature off. The A400 Pro copes decently with basic image scaling, but if you often watch heavily compressed content with noticeable posterisation, this model will not be among the best choices.
TCL A400 PRO - Blur and motion smoothness
7.1/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 120Hz (double contours)
BFI function 120Hz: Yes, 240Hz (double contours)
Brightness drop with BFI: 25%
The TCL A400 Pro is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, but in practice we are most interested in its behaviour at 120 Hz. That is the frequency most consoles are limited to today, as well as many sports broadcasts and high-frame-rate content. At that rate the TV performs quite well. The sharpness of moving objects is really good, especially after properly configuring the motion smoothing. The "Motion Clarity" function is responsible for improving smoothness. Its settings include two sliders that let you tailor how the motion smoothing operates to your preferences, separately for lower and higher frame-rate material. This makes it possible to achieve both a more cinematic look and a noticeably smoother picture. Those who do not want to fiddle with manual configuration can use presets such as low, medium, high, cinema or nature.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Blur (4K@144Hz):
Motion handling itself is therefore good, but smearing is worse. Because the A400 Pro uses a VA panel with a relatively slow pixel response time, it can leave a noticeable trail behind moving objects. This is most apparent on darker backgrounds, where the smearing becomes more pronounced. The UFO test showed this clearly: a distinct halo trailed the test "UFO" that could not be completely removed by the television's settings.
TCL A400 PRO - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.8/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 288Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
In terms of features for gamers the TCL A400 Pro performs brilliantly. The TV has practically everything you can expect from a gaming TV today: support for 4K at high refresh rates, VRR, ALLM, correct implementation of HDR formats in games including Dolby Vision, and HGiG. That means it works well with both next-generation consoles and a PC. Another plus is the presence of the Game Bar, a special panel with the most important settings for gamers. From it you can quickly check basic information about the signal, refresh rate or active features, and also adjust the appearance and behaviour of some settings to suit your preferences. This solution may not change picture quality by itself, but it greatly improves the convenience of using the TV while gaming.
The only thing to complain about is the number of full HDMI 2.1 ports. The A400 Pro has only two such connectors out of the four available, and one of them also serves as eARC. In practice this means that if someone wants to connect two next-generation consoles and a soundbar, they may run into some limitations. In that scenario you will have to either swap devices or use additional equipment, such as an AV receiver or a soundbar with HDMI inputs. Even so, it is hard not to rate the A400 Pro very highly as a TV for gamers. The gaming feature set here is truly powerful.
TCL A400 PRO - Input lag
9.8/10
Input lag on the TCL A400 Pro is very low. At 120 Hz we measured a value of around 11 ms, and at 60 Hz about 15 ms. They may not be the few-millisecond results seen on some OLEDs, but in practice that makes little difference. The delay is small enough that control remains quick, responsive and fully comfortable both on a console and when connected to a PC.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 14 ms | 2160p60: 14 ms | 2160p60 DV: 14 ms |
| 1080p120: 11 ms | 2160p120: 11 ms | 2160p120 DV: 11 ms |
| 2160p60: 14 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 11 ms |
TCL A400 PRO - Compatibility with PC
8.9/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Very Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 11ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The TCL A400 Pro also performs pretty well as a large computer monitor. A whole suite of gaming features helps with that, of course: VRR, FreeSync, G-Sync compatibility, refresh up to 144 Hz and very low input lag. If someone wanted to connect a PC and play from the sofa or at a desk, the TV is perfectly suitable for that. Importantly, it also performs well for everyday computer work. At 120 Hz the text is very legible, so browsing, working with documents or using the operating system doesn’t strain the eyes. It looks a little worse at 144 Hz — the horizontal parts of letters become slightly darker. However, it’s not something that significantly interferes with daily use. Overall, text legibility is very good.
TCL A400 PRO - Viewing angles
3.9/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 79%
Viewing angles are not the TCL A400 Pro's strongest suit. This is primarily due to its use of a VA panel, which offers better contrast but naturally performs worse off-axis. You only need to move further off the screen's axis to notice a drop in brightness and colour saturation. So it's not at the level we see with IPS/ADS panels, and certainly not with OLED screens, which in this respect remain beyond the reach of conventional LCDs. The A400 Pro is simply best viewed straight on. That's when its picture looks its best.
TCL A400 PRO - Daytime performance
5.7/10
Panel finish: Matte
Reflection suppression: Very Good
Black levels during daytime: Poor
The TCL A400 Pro performs quite well in a bright living room. The matte screen coating does most of the work here, very effectively suppressing reflections so that during the day you don't have to fight with every window or lamp reflecting in the panel. Add to that a decent SDR brightness of around 600 nits, so in terms of daytime image legibility it's really good. However, it's worth remembering that the matte coating has its price. In a brightly lit room the image can lose some depth and colours don't look as vibrant as they do in the evening. Reflections are much less visible, but colour saturation noticeably drops. It's still a good TV for a bright living room, but it performs best when viewing comfort is your priority rather than the most spectacular picture.
Panel brightness
TCL A400 PRO: 460 cd/m2
TCL A400 PRO - TV features
7.2/10
System: Google TV
System performance: Good
- HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No - Recording programming: No
- Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: No
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Google TV
The TCL A400 Pro runs on Google TV, so in terms of Smart TV it delivers a very solid package. All the key apps are there: YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Max, Prime Video, Apple TV and all the other services you’d expect today. There’s also Chromecast, voice search and Google Assistant. The system itself runs smoothly and is user‑friendly, although as with Google TV the home screen can be quite full of recommendations and promoted content. Some will like that, others may find it a bit irritating. Functionally, though, there’s little to seriously criticise.
Digital art gallery
The most interesting part starts with the digital gallery, because that’s what’s meant to set the A400 Pro apart from ordinary TVs. TCL provides access to over 80 works of art that can be displayed when the screen isn’t being used for films or TV series. This means the TV doesn’t have to hang on the wall as a black slab, it can actually mimic a picture. An ambient light sensor helps by adjusting the screen to the room’s lighting conditions. And there’s good news compared with the older NXT Vision A300. The A400 Pro fixes the annoying brightness issue in art mode. Gallery settings are now separate from regular viewing, so you can set a lower brightness for artworks without spoiling the settings for films or television. It’s a small detail, but in practice very important, because it makes the screen more likely to look like a picture and less like a glowing TV. TCL also adds the ability to create custom artwork using artificial intelligence. The manufacturer talks about over 100,000 available works and variants, so there’s plenty to choose from. You can stick with the default gallery or pick something more in keeping with your taste and the room’s décor.
Classic features
The TV’s classic features are much less exciting. The A400 Pro doesn’t stand out here. It offers standard broadcast TV, a channel guide and basic options, but no major extras that would change the way you use traditional TV.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: No
- DTS-HD Master Audio: No
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: No
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
TCL A400 PRO - Apps
9.6/10
TCL A400 PRO - Playing files from USB
9.5/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
Playing files from USB is one of the strengths of the TCL A400 Pro. The built-in player performs very well and can easily be counted among the best. It handles common video, audio and image formats with no problems, so in most cases you just need to plug in a USB stick or external drive and play the content. That's good news, because you don't have to install third-party players straight away. The A400 Pro natively supports a very wide range of file types and in our tests had no major issues playing them.
TCL A400 PRO - Sound
6.6/10
83dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
The sound in the TCL A400 Pro is fairly average. The main good news is that the TV can play loudly. It easily reaches about 83 dB, so volume itself is not a major issue. Also worth noting is support for formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS, which is becoming increasingly rare in televisions. But praise largely ends there. The standard 2.0 speaker layout has its limits and it’s hard to squeeze much more out of it. What’s mainly missing is bass and a sense of space. The sound is acceptable for regular TV or YouTube, but with films, series and especially music it quickly becomes too flat. For the A400 Pro we would therefore definitely recommend buying at least a simple soundbar or a classic home cinema system. Especially since the TV itself supports Dolby Atmos and DTS, it really cries out for external speakers that will actually make use of those capabilities.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
83dBC (Max)
75dBC
TCL A400 PRO - Panel details
Software version during testing: V8-0012T01-LF1V643.003175
Image processor: MT 5896, 2.5 GB RAM
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: Mini-LED PFS LED
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