TCL 40S5400AK: 40-Inch FHD Smart TV TCL - Review 🏆

The TCL 40S5400AK is a 40-inch Full HD smart TV that offers a high-quality viewing experience at an affordable price point. This 2021 model TV features a sleek, bezel-less design and runs on the Android TV operating system, giving you access to a wide variety of apps and streaming services.

Some of the key features of the TCL 40S5400AK include:

• 40-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) LED display with HDR for enhanced color and contrast
• Bezel-less frameless design for an immersive viewing experience
• Built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to the internet and streaming content
• Android TV 9.0 operating system provides access to Google Play Store apps and Google Assistant
• Works with popular voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
• Dolby Audio sound technology for clear audio quality
• Multiple HDMI ports for connecting external devices
• Dedicated button on the remote to access Netflix and YouTube quickly

With its combination of sleek design, vivid display quality, smart TV capabilities, and affordable price, the TCL 40S5400AK is a great option to consider for anyone looking for a mid-sized Full HD smart TV.

Design

The TCL 40S5400AK has a modern and minimalist design with thin bezels around the display that allow the 40-inch screen to take center stage. The bezels measure just 8.7mm thick, creating an immersive viewing experience and sleek aesthetic.

The TV has an elegant gunmetal gray finish and smooth back panel that complement any living room decor. The angular metal stand provides sturdy support while keeping the footprint compact. Overall the design focuses on the essentials, ditching buttons and excess flair for a straightforward and streamlined look.

At just 2.28 inches deep, this is one of the slimmest 40-inch TVs available. The slim profile allows flexible placement options, whether wall mounting or sitting on a TV stand. Weighing just 13.8 pounds without the stand, the TV is fairly lightweight for the screen size.

The minimalist design with thin bezels and compact form factor make this 40-inch TCL TV an attractive option for spaces where you want entertainment without dominating the room.

In addition to the 40S5400AK, the TCL 50P638K: 50-Inch 4K Ultra HD LED Smart TV offers a stunning 50-inch 4K display that enhances your viewing experience. The sleek design with ultra-thin bezels maximizes screen space, while its HDR capabilities deliver vibrant colors and sharp details. Ideal for home theaters, this model combines advanced Smart TV features with easy navigation, giving you access to your favorite apps and streaming services. It's a perfect choice for modern living rooms where both style and performance are essential.

Display Quality

The TCL 40S5400AK is equipped with a 40-inch LED display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. This produces a crisp picture quality with vibrant colors and good contrast.

The inclusion of HDR support further enhances the visual experience. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and allows for greater brightness levels, deeper blacks, and an expanded color gamut. This results in more realistic imagery with fine details in both bright and dark areas.

Overall, the display provides an immersive viewing experience, making it well-suited for watching movies and TV shows. The 40-inch screen size is a good fit for most living rooms and bedrooms. It's large enough to provide an engaging viewing experience without dominating the space.

Another excellent option is the TCL 40ES568: 40-Inch LED Smart TV Full HD. This model features a Full HD resolution and smart capabilities, allowing you to access streaming services directly from the TV. With its sleek design and impressive picture quality, the TCL 40ES568 is perfect for both gaming and watching your favorite shows. The smart functionality and extensive app support make it versatile and ideal for any entertainment setup.

Sound Quality

The TCL 40S5400AK comes equipped with two integrated 8W speakers that provide decent audio performance for everyday TV watching. While the speakers lack the fullness and bass of a dedicated soundbar, they can fill a small to medium-sized room without distortion at reasonable volumes.

For a boost in sound quality, the TV supports Dolby Audio decoding. When watching movies or shows that use Dolby sound encoding, the 40S5400AK is able to decode the signal and optimize the audio output. This helps provide a wider soundstage and improved clarity in the dialogue and effects. The difference is noticeable, especially in action scenes with a lot of sound effects. While the speakers still have limitations in low frequency response, the Dolby Audio support helps enhance the listening experience for compatible content without the need for an external sound system.

Overall, the integrated speakers deliver satisfactory sound for casual TV watching and the Dolby Audio provides a worthwhile enhancement when available. Users looking for a truly immersive home theater experience would likely still benefit from adding a soundbar or surround sound system. But for everyday TV usage, the 40S5400AK's audio capabilities are sufficient.

Smart TV Features

The TCL 40S5400AK runs on the Android TV operating system, giving you access to a wide variety of apps and streaming services through the Google Play store. It comes with Google Assistant built-in, allowing you to use voice commands to search for content, get recommendations, control smart home devices, and more.

Some of the key smart TV features include:

• Access to popular apps like Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and more. You can download new apps directly on the TV.

• Chromecast built-in lets you cast movies, shows, photos, music, and other content directly from your mobile device to the TV.

• Google Assistant integration allows you to find content through voice commands. You can say things like "Ok Google, play Stranger Things on Netflix" to start streaming right away.

• Works with smart home devices for voice control. You can say "Ok Google, turn on the lights" to control compatible smart home devices.

• Personalized recommendations for content based on your viewing history and preferences.

The Android TV platform provides an easy, intuitive smart TV experience while giving you access to a vast library of apps and streaming services. The addition of Google Assistant makes it easy to find and play content hands-free.

Connectivity

The TCL 40S5400AK offers a good selection of connectivity options to hook up your devices and stream content.

It has 3 HDMI ports, which is decent for a TV of this size. The HDMI ports support HDCP 2.2 and one of them supports ARC (Audio Return Channel) so you can send audio to an external speaker system. There is also an optical audio output if you need it.

For USB devices, there are 2 USB ports provided, allowing you to plug in hard drives, flash drives, keyboards, etc. One of the ports supports USB recording to record live TV onto a storage device.

Built-in WiFi (802.11ac) provides fast and reliable wireless connectivity. It connects to 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks for stable streaming. There is also an ethernet port if you want to connect directly to your router.

Bluetooth is included for connecting wireless headphones, speakers or other accessories. You can stream audio directly from the TV to Bluetooth headphones for private listening.

Overall, the connectivity options on the TCL 40S5400AK cover everything you'd need for a modern smart TV experience. With HDMI, USB, WiFi, Bluetooth and ethernet, it makes it easy to connect video game consoles, soundbars, streaming devices and more.

Ease of Use

The TCL 40S5400AK comes with an intuitive remote control that makes navigating the TV's menus and settings a breeze. The remote is lightweight and fits nicely in your hand. All of the most frequently used buttons like volume, channel, home, and playback controls are located within easy reach. The buttons are responsive and give a satisfying click when pressed.

The TV also has built-in Google Assistant for hands-free voice control. You can change channels, adjust volume, open apps, search for content, and more completely hands-free. The TV responds quickly and accurately to voice commands. This makes controlling the TV extremely convenient, especially when your hands are full.

One of the best features for families is the dedicated Kids Mode. This creates a safe space for children to enjoy age-appropriate content. Kids Mode has parental controls that allow you to restrict access to certain apps and content. You can limit viewing time and set educational goals. The interface is easy for kids to navigate independently once set up. Overall, Kids Mode makes it simple for the whole family to enjoy the TV.

The intuitive remote, voice control capabilities, and Kids Mode make the TCL 40S5400AK incredibly easy to use for all members of the household. The convenient controls allow you to seamlessly watch your favorite movies, shows, and more.

Performance

The TCL 40S5400AK delivers smooth and responsive performance thanks to its quad-core CPU and 2GB of RAM. The user interface is fast and fluid, with quick load times when launching apps or switching between inputs.

Scrolling through menus and home screens has no lag at all. The remote is also very responsive, reacting instantly when pressing buttons. Changing volume, channels, and accessing settings is snappy.

Overall, the performance is very good for a budget 4K TV. The hardware seems well optimized to handle the demands of streaming, gaming, and using the Android TV interface. Even graphically intensive apps and games run smoothly, with no dropped frames or stuttering.

You won't be left waiting long for anything to load on the 40S5400AK. It feels very snappy in daily use. The TV turns on from standby quickly and is ready to use within seconds.

Pros and Cons

The TCL 40S5400AK has several pros that make it a compelling option:

Pros

• Excellent picture quality for the price - The 4K resolution and HDR support deliver crisp, vibrant visuals. Colors are rich and accurate.

• Sleek, bezel-less design - The nearly borderless screen looks much more premium than its price would suggest. The slim profile is modern and stylish.

• Great smart TV platform - Android TV offers access to thousands of apps, with Google Assistant built-in for voice control. Chromecast is included for easy casting.

• Good sound quality - The two 8W speakers provide decent audio for regular TV watching. Dialogue is clear and it can get reasonably loud.

• Simple setup and intuitive interface - Getting started is quick and painless. The Android TV menu system is straightforward to navigate.

Cons

• Motion could be better - Fast action scenes exhibit some motion blur and judder. Not ideal for sports or gaming.

• Limited ports - With just 2 HDMI inputs, you may need an HDMI switch if connecting more than a couple devices.

• Mediocre off-angle viewing - Picture quality degrades at wider viewing angles. Best viewed straight on.

• Basic remote - The remote is functional but lacks advanced controls. No voice control button.

Overall, the TCL 40S5400AK delivers stellar picture quality for the price. The inclusion of smart features and solid audio make it a very well-rounded budget 4K TV option. While it lacks some bells and whistles of pricier models, it nails the core essentials at an affordable price point.

Conclusion

The TCL 40S5400AK is an impressive 40-inch TV that offers a lot of value for the price. With its sleek bezel-less design, vibrant 4K display, Dolby Audio, and Android TV smart platform, it checks off many of the boxes buyers look for in an affordable smart TV.

The picture quality is very good for the price point, with 4K resolution, HDR support, and solid color and contrast. Motion handling could be better but casual viewers are unlikely to notice. The built-in sound is decent, but connecting an external soundbar can take it to the next level.

The Android TV interface works well and provides access to all the popular streaming apps. Connectivity options like HDMI ARC, USB, Bluetooth, and WiFi are ample. The remote is basic but easy to use.

Overall, the TCL 40S5400AK is a great option for those seeking a budget-friendly 40-inch 4K smart TV with good picture quality and features. It's ideal for secondary rooms or small spaces where you want an immersive viewing experience without spending too much. If you're looking for a simple, no-frills 4K TV that gets the job done, the TCL 40S5400AK is definitely worth considering.