MANILA, Philippines (Jun 2025) — Imagine staring at what looks like a framed oil painting on your living room wall, only to realize it’s actually a television. That was the moment that stopped guests cold at TCL’s “Heritage in Every Frame” launch event held at Centro de Turismo Intramuros in Manila.
The occasion: the Philippine debut of the TCL A400 Series QD-MiniLED TVs, timed to coincide with the country’s 128th Independence Day. But the real draw wasn’t a spec sheet — it was watching the works of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo breathe.
Amorsolo, animated
Digital animator Mark Cañega was commissioned to reimagine seven of Amorsolo’s most iconic paintings using modern animation techniques, then display them on the A400 Series screens throughout the historic venue. The result was something between a gallery and a cinema: canvases from “Noonday Meal,” “Dalagang Bukid,” “Tinikling,” “Bataan,” “The Blind Man,” “Fruit Market,” and “Carabao Riding in Sunset” came alive with rippling light, moving wind, and the warm golden glow Amorsolo was famous for.
“Animating the masterpieces of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo is an incredible honor and a unique technical challenge,” Cañega said. “His paintings are not static — they are vibrant snapshots of moving wind, flowing rivers, and rural Filipino life. Every frame is carefully optimized to preserve Amorsolo’s signature use of glowing sunlight and warm colors, matching the beautiful texture of the original oil paintings.”
The Fernando C. Amorsolo Foundation was represented at the event, lending the project an added layer of significance.
What the A400 Series actually is
The lineup consists of two models: the A400M and the A400 Pro, both featuring QD-MiniLED display technology, which uses quantum dot color enhancement over a miniaturized LED backlight grid. The result is tighter contrast control, more accurate color reproduction, and brighter highlights than conventional LED panels.
TCL CEO Peter Chen positioned the A400 Series not just as a content display but as a design object. “The TCL A400 Series represents our vision of what home entertainment can become, not simply a device for viewing content, but a centerpiece that enhances the living space even when not in use,” he said.
That last part refers to the TV’s art gallery mode, which displays curated paintings on screen when the set is idle rather than showing a blank panel or screensaver.
The screen-as-art-piece moment
Actress Heaven Peralejo, mommy content creator Jenny Yeo, and Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo were on hand as TCL brand partners and shared their reactions to the display.
Peralejo admitted she didn’t initially clock it as a television. “I thought it was an actual painting. The screen captures the texture, details, and raw emotion so flawlessly that the essence of the original artwork remains intact,” she said.
For Yeo, the art gallery mode was the clincher. “Growing up, I always watched TV, but now I love that this mode allows me to display beautiful, available paintings instead of a blank screen. It strikes the perfect balance between functionality and aesthetics.”
Manalo put it plainly: “When you look at the TV, it doesn’t even feel like a typical piece of modern technology — it blends in like a piece of art.”
A give-back component
Beyond the launch itself, TCL donated televisions and air conditioning units to four institutions within Intramuros: the Centro de Turismo, the Intramuros Information Center, the iMAKE History Fortress LEGO Education Center, and the Fr. Luis G. Merino, O.S.A. Library.
Intramuros Administration head Atty. Joan Padilla welcomed both the donation and the concept. “Through new and dynamic mediums, we are able to breathe fresh life into the masterpieces of our National Artists, allowing their stories to reach and inspire a new generation of Filipinos,” she said.
Pricing and availability
TCL Philippines has not yet announced official retail pricing for the A400M and A400 Pro in the local market. For updates on availability and pricing, visit tcl.com.ph.
