Quick Dive: What You'll Learn

I’ve been using the Huawei Mate TV Pro for about a month now. Friends kept asking, “Is it really worth the premium?” So I decided to write this from the couch, remote in hand, after hours of movies, games, and just staring at the screen. No fluff—just what I actually experienced.

First Impressions: Unboxing and Setup

The box is massive. Pulling it out, the first thing I noticed was the metal frame—it’s thin, premium, but a fingerprint magnet. Setting up took about 20 minutes: plug in, power on, connect to Wi‑Fi, and a quick firmware update. The remote feels cheap compared to the TV itself; plastic clicks are loud, and the buttons are a bit too glossy. Not a dealbreaker, but it bugged me.

Pro tip: Use the Ethernet port instead of Wi‑Fi if you plan on streaming 4K content often. My Wi‑Fi router is just 10 feet away, but I still hit occasional buffering on Wi‑Fi. Wired is rock solid.

Picture Quality: 4K HDR in Real Life

Out of the box, the picture is vivid—almost too vivid. The Quantum Dot display hits 100% DCI‑P3 color gamut, but the default “Standard” mode oversaturates skin tones. I switched to “Cinema” mode and calibrated brightness down by 10%. Watching Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse in 4K HDR, the colors popped without looking fake. Black levels are impressive: in a dark room, the local dimming zones (sadly only 48 zones on the 65‑inch model) handle subtle gradients well, but you can see mild blooming around bright subtitles. For the price, I expected better local dimming—Sony’s X90L has 60 zones and handles it cleaner.

I also tested SDR content. Regular cable TV looks decent upscaled, but older 720p content shows some ringing artifacts. The AI upscaling is good, not great—it sharpens edges a bit too aggressively. I’d compare it to Samsung’s Crystal UHD series, not the top‑tier QN90C.

HDR Gaming on PS5

Connected my PS5. The TV auto‑detected and set the HDMI input to “Game” mode. HDR looks fantastic in Horizon Forbidden West—the green foliage and bright skies really shine. Input lag measured around 12ms in Game mode, which is solid for casual gaming. But if you’re a competitive gamer, you might want something with lower input lag (like LG C2 OLED at 5ms). Also, VRR works only over HDMI 2.1, but the 65‑inch model I tested has only one HDMI 2.1 port. That’s a limitation.

Sound Performance: The Built-in Soundbar

Huawei claims a “70W sound system with subwoofer.” In practice, dialogue is clear, and there’s some bass, but it’s not room‑filling. Watching Dune, the explosions felt a bit thin. I had to enable “Voice Enhancement” in settings to avoid missing whispers. The soundbar is decent for a TV, but I’d still recommend a separate soundbar if you care about movie night impact. The lack of Dolby Atmos support is a bummer—Samsung’s Q80C supports it.

Smart Features: HarmonyOS and Casting

The interface runs HarmonyOS 3. It’s smooth, but the app selection is limited. No Apple TV app, no HBO Max (now Max), and no YouTube TV? I sideloaded some apps via USB, but it’s a hassle. The built‑in Casting feature works well for Huawei phones (MirrorShare), but for an iPhone, you need third‑party apps. The remote has a dedicated “Cast” button, but it often doesn’t find my iPhone unless I restart the TV. Annoying.

My irritation: The voice assistant is tied to Huawei’s own services. “Set a timer for 10 minutes” works. “Play Jazz on Spotify” doesn’t. If you live in the Huawei ecosystem, this is fine. Otherwise, you’ll feel locked out.

Gaming Experience: Input Lag and VRR

I play mostly single‑player games, so 12ms input lag feels fine. But I noticed occasional screen tearing in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II even with VRR enabled. Turns out the VRR range is only 48–60Hz. If you play below 48 fps, it disengages VRR. That’s a technical limitation. For competitive gamers, I’d lean toward an LG OLED or Samsung Neo QLED.

How It Stacks Up Against Competitors

Here’s a quick comparison of the 65‑inch models at similar price points (around $1500–1700):

Feature Huawei Mate TV Pro Samsung QN90C Sony X90L
Panel Type VA + Quantum Dot VA + Neo QLED Full Array LED
Local Dimming Zones (65") 48 120 60
HDR Peak Brightness ~800 nits ~1500 nits ~900 nits
HDMI 2.1 Ports 1 2 2
Smart Platform HarmonyOS Tizen Google TV
Dolby Atmos No Yes Yes

The Huawei Mate TV Pro sits in a weird spot: it’s cheaper than the Sony and Samsung, but you sacrifice local dimming, brightness, and ecosystem. If you own Huawei phones and tablets, the MirrorShare and seamless casting are addictive. I could swipe my phone’s screen to the TV instantly—no dongles. That’s the real selling point for Huawei loyalists.

FAQs: Your Burning Questions Answered

Can the Huawei Mate TV Pro run Netflix and Prime Video natively?
Not officially. The HarmonyOS app store doesn’t have Netflix or Prime. I sideloaded an APK, but it crashed frequently. If streaming apps are your priority, skip this TV or get an external device.
How does the Mate TV Pro handle motion blur in sports?
I watched a Premier League match. The motion interpolation (MEMC) works okay on “Smooth” mode, but fast pans show slight judder. It’s worse than Sony’s X‐Motion Clarity. For serious sports fans, consider Sony.
Is the Mate TV Pro good for a bright living room?
Peak brightness is around 800 nits, which is decent but not great. In my south‑facing room with midday sun, reflections were visible. The anti‑glare coating helps a bit, but I had to close curtains. Samsung’s QN90C is much better for bright rooms.
Can I use a universal remote with this TV?
Yes, it supports HDMI‑CEC, so my Fire TV remote can control basic functions. But the proprietary HarmonyOS remote has buttons for “Smart Hub” that third‑party remotes can’t replicate. You might lose one‑click access to casting.

After a month, I’m keeping the TV, but only because I’m deep in the Huawei ecosystem. If you’re not, there are better options for the price. The Mate TV Pro excels at integration with Huawei devices, but falls short in picture processing and app support. My advice? Buy it if you own a MatePad or P‑series phone. Otherwise, look elsewhere.