- 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 have become their own category of devices. Samsung has its The Frame, Hisense is developing the Canvas TV, and TCL is entering that competition with the A400 Pro. At first glance the concept is similar: the TV should not only display an image but also serve as interior decoration. The TCL A400 Pro doesn't 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 placed directly behind the panel. This is a major innovation in the lifestyle TV segment, because until now similar models often prioritized looks over picture quality.
Will Mini-LED actually take this type of device to a whole new level? Has TCL found a way to make a "picture on the wall" that not only looks good but also performs well for watching movies, TV shows, and sports? We'll answer those questions in this review.
TCL A400 PRO - Our verdict
7.1
Overall rating
The TCL A400 Pro is one of the most interesting lifestyle TVs we've tested so far. And not because it turns the whole idea of the "TV as a picture" upside down. In that regard it does roughly what the competition does: it should look good, blend into the interior, and not be just another black slab in the living room. Its real strength lies elsewhere: in picture quality. It's the first TV of this type that actually delivers an image built on solid blacks and high contrast. A full Mini-LED backlight combined with a VA panel allows the A400 Pro to show a depth that has simply been missing from lifestyle TVs until now. Of course this is not Mini-LED that you would put side by side with the best LCDs on the market, but in its "picture" category the A400 Pro does something really important: it proves that an art TV doesn't have to mean a big compromise in picture quality. Crucially, it doesn't stop at blacks and contrast. The A400 Pro produces very good color, supports Dolby Vision and runs Google TV, so day to day it's simply a convenient, fully functional TV for movies, series and streaming. On top of that it has very strong gaming capabilities, so it works well with consoles and PCs too. And I think that universality is its biggest surprise. It looks like a lifestyle TV, but it doesn't force you to give up the functions you expect from a regular TV.
Paradoxically, the biggest reservations are not really about the picture itself. Sure, the number of local dimming zones could be higher and the upscaling is nothing beyond the norm. Given this model's character, though, we're more bothered by decisions tied to the very concept of a picture on the wall. The lack of a slim mount in the box is an odd choice, because that kind of installation should be the default here. On top of that, the wood-effect frames are permanently attached, so they don't offer the same freedom for personalization as other models of this type. And because the housing is thicker, the A400 Pro doesn't always achieve as flat and subtle an effect as one might expect from a TV in this category.
And that's the biggest paradox of the TCL A400 Pro. In terms of image it can be one of the strongest lifestyle TVs on the market, yet it loses a bit where this kind of product should charm the most. Still, the overall balance 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 prettier than a classic TV but don't want to pay for looks with a big compromise in picture quality. That's 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 image quality for a lifestyle TV
Rich colors thanks to the PFS/QLED filter
Supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Excellent factory color tuning in the unit we tested
144 Hz panel and very low input lag
Outstanding feature set for gamers
Great PC compatibility
The matte coating effectively reduces reflections
Google TV with a wide range of apps
Extensive digital art gallery
Lifestyle design
Disadvantages
No slim mount included
Bezels are permanently attached
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, like on other models of this type, are meant to give the device a more "picture-like" character. Unlike traditional TVs they are not ultra-thin or maximally discreet. On the contrary, they are pronounced and are meant to resemble the frame of a painting hanging on the wall. It’s worth clarifying one thing right away: on the A400 Pro the wood-effect bezels are fixed elements, not interchangeable covers the user can swap depending on the interior decor. On the one hand that’s a pity, because more personalization would be welcome on a TV like this. On the other hand you have to admit that from the front the whole thing looks really good. The TV genuinely feels less like typical consumer electronics and more like a piece of interior decor. Especially when it’s wall-mounted and viewed straight on. Straight on, because a certain compromise only becomes apparent from the side. Due to the use of Mini-LED backlighting, the TV is thicker than typical lifestyle designs, and the additional black trim means it doesn’t convincingly pass for a classic picture from every angle. This is of course justified and stems from the desire to improve image quality, but you should be aware that it comes at the expense of a perfectly "framed" look. A fairly big downside, however, is the lack of a dedicated wall mount included in the package. For an ordinary TV this might not be a major issue, but this is a model intended to look like a picture on the wall. All the more surprising is that TCL includes standard feet rather than a mount that would let you hang the screen as close to the wall as possible, especially since the chassis has dedicated openings for one. In our opinion such a mount would suit this device much better. The feet are of course practical, but on a TV like this they feel more like an emergency backup 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 image quality tests, it’s immediately clear that the biggest change compared with typical lifestyle TVs is what the TCL A400 Pro brings to black levels and contrast. This is all thanks to a full-fledged Mini-LED backlight placed directly behind the panel. That allows the TV to locally dim selected parts of the image instead of relying solely on the native contrast of the panel. In the 65-inch unit we tested, we counted 180 dimming zones. That number is not impressive compared with traditional Mini-LED TVs, which can have many times more zones, but for a lifestyle TV this is already a very large step forward. Especially since competing models often either lack advanced local dimming or use a much simpler edge-lit backlight.
In practice this yields very good results. In simpler scenes where bright elements are clearly separated from a dark background, the A400 Pro can effectively dim black areas of the picture and produce truly deep blacks. That’s one of those things that immediately sets it apart from many conventional picture-focused TVs. Of course, this does not mean TCL completely avoids the limits of LCD Mini-LED technology. 180 zones is still relatively few, so in more complex scenes, for example those with small bright elements on a dark background, a halo effect can appear. It also happens that blacks in such conditions take on a more navy-violet tint, because the TV can’t turn off the background with the same precision as OLED TVs. Despite these limitations, we believe the A400 Pro brings a real breath of fresh air to this category. For a lifestyle TV that is primarily designed to look good on the wall, the level of black and contrast is a very strong selling point.
NOTE. It’s worth noting that the number of local dimming zones depends on screen size. Larger variants should have more zones, but because the number of zones increases with panel size, we don’t expect large differences in the assessment of black levels and contrast between Mini-LED versions. The exceptions are the 32- and 43-inch models, in which TCL did not use local dimming. Those are much 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 local dimming zones in the TCL A400 Pro
Screen size | Backlight type | Number of local dimming zones |
32" | PFS LED | No zones |
43" | PFS LED | No zones |
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 about 600 nits. That level already allows for a real HDR effect and in many movies it does produce a noticeably more attractive picture than SDR. However, it is not a level that overwhelms by brightness alone. The A400 Pro is not one of those TVs that "attack" the viewer with a powerful flash in every dramatic scene. The biggest limitation is visible with small bright elements on a dark background. Due to rather aggressive control of the dimming zones, the TV can significantly reduce their brightness — in extreme cases down to around 100 nits. That means small lights, sparks, stars, or single highlights can be much less visible than they should be. That said, this is not done without reason. The A400 Pro does this to keep blacks as deep as possible and to limit haloing around bright objects. It's a deliberate compromise: the TV more often chooses deeper blacks over maximally bright, point-like highlights. On one hand this is understandable, especially with a limited number of dimming zones, but on the other hand you should be aware that the HDR effect will not always be as strong as the peak brightness alone would suggest.
On the plus side, the colors are worth noting. The PFS LED filter used here, marketed by the manufacturer as QLED, produces suitably saturated colors. Our measurements showed about 94% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut and about 74% of BT.2020, 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 there's no point expecting it to take an ambitious approach to HDR. That's why we were pleasantly surprised by what we saw in practice. With less demanding material, the TV performs quite decently. The image is slightly boosted, but not in a way that completely alters its character. On the contrary, overall fidelity to the creators' intent is surprisingly good, especially if you consider TCL's tendency to brighten the picture a bit. The situation is a bit worse with HDR content mastered to 4000 nits. There the A400 Pro starts to struggle more with the brightest parts of the image. Highlights can appear a bit soft, and some of the brightest details can blend into a single blotch. That's not unexpected at this brightness class, but it's worth mentioning because in more demanding films (for example on Blu-ray) the HDR effect won't always be rendered with full precision. Fortunately, TCL offers a very sensible solution in the form of the "Detailed Priority Description" feature, which handles dynamic tone mapping. And we must admit it does a really good job. When enabled, the TV noticeably recovers information in the brightest parts of the image, so clouds, light reflections, and strongly lit parts of a scene look clearer. For the A400 Pro's capabilities, it's a surprisingly effective tool. It genuinely improves the viewing of demanding HDR material, and we definitely recommend turning this feature on.
HDR luminance chart:
You can clearly see here how much the aforementioned dynamic tone mapping feature contributes. Once enabled, the differences between HDR10 content with static metadata and the same content in Dolby Vision turn out to be surprisingly small. In practice it was hard to find clear discrepancies in how the brightest parts of the image were rendered, which shows that TCL really does a great job of recovering detail even without dynamic metadata.
That doesn't change the fact, however, that Dolby Vision still has a very practical advantage. It's a dynamic format, so the TV receives information about brightness and tone mapping not just for the whole movie but for individual scenes. This makes it easier, with more demanding content, to preserve detail in highlights and avoid blown-out areas. And since Dolby Vision is currently the most popular dynamic HDR format on streaming services, its presence on the A400 Pro should be seen as a big plus.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
8/10
As standard, we carried out color measurements in the best-calibrated mode, Filmmaker Mode, the one that is supposed to be closest to the creators’ intent. The A400 Pro, of course, also offers other picture modes, but in practice they suffer from much larger color errors and alter the image character more strongly. We won’t go into those modes in detail in this part of the test. So how does the factory color reproduction perform? In short: really very well. In fact, looking at our measurement results, it’s excellent. Both the white balance and the luminance response were set surprisingly precisely. The errors were so small that during testing we genuinely rubbed our eyes in disbelief. Such good out-of-the-box settings don’t happen often, even in TVs operating in Filmmaker Mode. All the more reason to praise TCL, because the A400 Pro right out of the box can produce an image very close to how the source material should look. The results were so good that you could easily think someone had already paid extra attention to that unit and tried to calibrate it.
Our nitpicking really comes down to just one thing. In SDR content the image was slightly brighter than the reference for a dark room, because the factory gamma was set closer to 2.3 than to 2.4. It’s not a big error and most viewers probably won’t even notice it.
However, it should be noted that we’re talking about our specific review sample. With factory colors there can always be some variation between units, production batches, or screen sizes. So we don’t assume that every A400 Pro will look identical straight out of the box.
Color reproduction after calibration
8.2/10
Despite its excellent factory tuning, we couldn't resist checking how the TCL A400 Pro would respond to a professional calibration. Since the starting point was so good, we were even more curious whether we could squeeze even more out of this TV. And here we have to boast: we managed to bring our unit to absurdly low color errors. Results below 1 are something you don't see every day, even on very good TVs. Such results are more often associated with professional reference monitors than with a lifestyle TV for the living room. In terms of white balance and color reproduction, the A400 Pro after calibration simply performed outstandingly. The only thing we can pick at after a deeper analysis concerns the brightness behavior. The TV can manipulate luminance levels depending on the content being displayed, and quite often the image is a bit darker than it should be according to the standard. This most likely stems from the way the Mini-LED backlight and local dimming algorithms work in this model. However, that doesn't spoil the overall impression, because in terms of color precision alone the A400 Pro after calibration reached a level we really didn't expect.
TCL A400 PRO - Smoothness of tonal transitions
9/10
The TCL A400 Pro handles tonal transitions very well. Gradation in most content is smooth, and any imperfections are visible only in extreme cases, mainly in subtle gray transitions. It’s worth noting that the vast majority of TVs struggle with such scenes. Another very good point is the lack of gradation issues in Dolby Vision. The A400 Pro did not produce additional banding or visible artifacts in that format, which lately is not a given. This is another factor that improves the viewing of movies 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 video processing is unfortunately one of the weaker points of the TCL A400 Pro. That doesn't mean the TV performs badly, but it's hard to call it anything clearly above standard. The upscaling itself is adequate: edges are smoothed fairly well, the image doesn't look overly sharp or pixelated, and lower-quality content can be watched without major discomfort. At the same time the overall look is slightly soft and it lacks the precision that the best image processors in more expensive TVs can deliver.
Much worse, however, is its handling of tonal transitions caused by heavy compression. TCL equipped the A400 Pro with a "Gradual Smoothing" feature that in theory should reduce visible color banding and artifacts in lower-quality content. In practice 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's best to leave this feature off. The A400 Pro handles basic image scaling decently, but if you often watch heavily compressed content with visible posterization, this model won't be one of 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're most interested in how it performs at 120 Hz. That's the refresh rate used by most consoles today, as well as many sports broadcasts and high-frame-rate content. In this range the TV performs quite well. Motion clarity is really good, especially after properly configuring the motion smoothing. The "Motion Clarity" feature improves smoothness. Its settings include two sliders that let you tailor the motion smoothing to your preferences — separately for lower- and higher-frame-rate material. That way you can achieve either a more cinematic look or a noticeably smoother picture. If you don't want to tweak settings manually, you 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 motion blur is more of an issue. 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 visible on darker backgrounds, where the trailing becomes more apparent. The UFO test illustrated this well: a distinct glow trailed the test "alien," which couldn't be completely eliminated by the TV'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
When it comes to features for gamers, the TCL A400 Pro performs excellently. The TV has practically everything you can expect from a gaming TV today: 4K support at high refresh rates, VRR, ALLM, correct implementation of HDR formats in games, including Dolby Vision, and HGiG. Because of that it works well with both next-gen consoles and PCs. Another plus is the inclusion of a Game Bar, a special panel with the most important settings for gamers. From it you can quickly check basic signal information, refresh rate, and active features, and also adjust the look and behavior of some settings to your own preferences. This is a solution that 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 ports out of four, and one of them also functions as eARC. In practice this means that if someone wants to connect two next-gen consoles and a soundbar, they may hit some limitations. In that scenario you'll have to either swap devices or use extra equipment, for example an AV receiver or a soundbar with HDMI inputs. Despite this, it's hard not to rate the A400 Pro very highly as a gaming TV. The gaming feature set here is really powerful.
TCL A400 PRO - Input lag
9.8/10
The input lag on the TCL A400 Pro is very low. With a 120 Hz signal we measured about 11 ms, and at 60 Hz about 15 ms. These aren't results that drop to a few milliseconds like in some OLEDs, but in practice it doesn't make much difference. The delay is small enough that controls remain quick, responsive, and fully comfortable both on a console and when connected to a computer.
| 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 works quite well as a large PC monitor. Helping with that is, of course, the full suite of gaming features: VRR, FreeSync, G-Sync compatibility, refresh rates up to 144 Hz, and very low input lag. If someone wanted to connect a PC and play from the couch or at a desk, the TV is perfectly suited for that. Importantly, it also performs well for regular computer work. At 120 Hz fonts are very legible, so using a browser, documents, or the OS doesn't strain the eyes. It looks a bit worse when switching to 144 Hz. Then the horizontal parts of letters become slightly darker. However, this isn't something that seriously interferes with everyday 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 strongest suit of the TCL A400 Pro. This is mainly due to the use of a VA panel, which has advantages like better contrast but naturally performs worse when viewed off axis. Just move farther from the screen's centerline and you'll notice a drop in brightness and color saturation. So it's not on the level of IPS/ADS panels, and even less so compared with OLED displays, which in this regard remain beyond the reach of traditional LCDs. The A400 Pro is simply best viewed straight on. That's when its picture looks by far the 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 handles a bright living room quite well. The matte screen coating does most of the work here, very effectively reducing reflections and meaning you don't have to battle every window or lamp reflecting off the panel during the day. There's also decent SDR brightness, reaching around 600 nits, so in terms of daytime image readability it's really good. You should remember, though, that the matte coating comes at a price. In a heavily lit room the image can lose a bit of depth, and colors don't look as punchy as they do in the evening. Reflections are far less noticeable, but at the same time color saturation clearly drops. It's still a good TV for a bright living room, but it performs best when you care primarily about viewing comfort rather than the most dramatic 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 Google TV, so on the Smart TV side it delivers a very solid package. All the major apps are available: YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Max, Prime Video, Apple TV and all the other services you’d expect today. It also includes Chromecast, voice search and Google Assistant. The system itself runs smoothly and is easy to use, although, as with Google TV, the home screen can be heavily filled with recommendations and promoted content. Some people will like that, others may find it a bit annoying. Functionally, though, there’s little to seriously complain about.
Digital art gallery
The most interesting part starts with the digital art gallery, since that’s what is meant to set the A400 Pro apart from regular TVs. TCL provides access to over 80 works of art that can be displayed when the screen isn’t being used for movies or series. That way the TV doesn’t have to hang on the wall as a black slab; it can actually mimic a picture. An ambient light sensor, which adjusts the screen to the room’s lighting conditions, helps with this. And here’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 your movie or TV settings. It may seem like a small detail, but in practice it’s important, because it makes the screen more like a picture and less like a glowing TV. TCL also adds the ability to create your own images using artificial intelligence. The manufacturer talks about more than 100,000 available artworks and variations, so there’s plenty to choose from. You can stick with the ready-made gallery or pick something that better matches your taste and room decor.
Classic features
The classic TV features are much less exciting. The A400 Pro doesn’t stand out here. You get standard broadcast TV, a channel guide and basic options, but no major extras that would change how 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 photo formats without any problems, so in most cases you just need to plug in a flash drive or an external hard drive and play the content. That's good news, because you don't have to install external players right away. The A400 Pro natively supports a very wide range of files and in our testing it 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 rather average. The best news is that the TV can play loudly. It easily reaches about 83 dB, so loudness is not an issue. Another positive is support for formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS, with DTS becoming increasingly rare in TVs. But that's about where the praise ends. The standard 2.0 speaker setup has its limits, and it's hard to get more out of it. It mainly lacks bass and a sense of space. The sound is fine for regular TV or YouTube, but with movies, TV series, and especially music it quickly becomes too flat. For that reason we'd definitely recommend adding at least a simple soundbar or a traditional home theater system to the A400 Pro. Especially since the TV itself supports Dolby Atmos and DTS, it practically begs to be connected to external audio 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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