A new era for art-themed lifestyle TVs is here

Despite a continued push to make gimmicky lifestyle TVs happen, from rollings TVs to portrait-aligned screens, the only lifestyle TV to really catch on has been The Frame. The innovative TV from Samsung helped usher in an era where TVs didn’t just focus on screen technology and processing power, but aesthetic design as well. The Frame was meant to look great even when you weren’t watching something on it.

Due to its success, many other companies have tried to replicate it. While doing so, Samsung continues to lead the way, this year releasing an updated version of the model. Here’s what you should know about the latest Frame, and how all the other competitors and copycats stack up against it.

Samsung announces The Frame Pro

The latest and greatest version of the iconic smart TV

Samsung

The Frame Pro was only recently announced, but it quickly generated excitement for its new features. Most notably, Samsung is improving the screen technology, implementing in this version of the Frame mini-LEDs to improve brightness and color accuracy, albeit these will be located along the bottom of the screen. One of the knocks against the OG Frame and all of its copycats was that in order to make the art part of the TV look great, it ended up sacrificing some screen quality. This version, however, is significantly improving on that so that people who enjoy artsy, attractive TVs and who also like to enjoy lifelike, cinematic content can find comfort in this model.

In addition, Samsung is boosting the native refresh rate from 120Hz to 144Hz, although this increase will only really be sought after by PC gamers. It will also come with a wireless connecting box, so that HDMI cables won’t be hanging off the back of the TV, creating an eyesore. It’s not yet clear when it will be released or how much it will cost; but it won’t be cheap.

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Samsung The Frame QLED 4K TV

The iconic and influential art TV

Samsung FRAME QLED LS03 Series

The Frame has been around for a while now, but it continues to offer a quality viewing experience with a beautiful aesthetic to match. A QLED screen with a matte display and anti-glare properties makes for a quality viewing experience, while personalized bezels and a customizable frame transform the TV into a piece of decor that looks great on the way. The Frame boasts an extensive art gallery so that when you’re not watching TV, you can put on a slideshow of iconic works.

Samsung has updated The Frame over the years, with the latest boasting a fast processor, motion sensors, as well as sought-after features like Dolby Atmos, Filmmaker Mode, and HDR10+. Still, the knock against it is that it lacks the cinematic fidelity, peak brightness, and color volume that high-end TVs offer. It’s a worthy TV for those who casually enjoy a lot of different kinds of content, but it’s not the best for those who want an awe-inspiring and realistic image on screen.

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Hisense CanvasTV QLED

A budget-friendly alternative with a popular OS

Hisense S7N CanvasTV

$698 $1000 Save $302

One of the drawbacks of The Frame is that it comes with a relatively high price tag. You’re not just paying for the TV technology, you’re paying for the aesthetic and the brand. Hisense’s artistic alternative comes in at a lower price point, making it instantly appealing. Like The Frame, it boasts an art gallery, an anti-glare screen, a motion detector, a replaceable frame, and a slim design to make it look good on the wall.

It also features Google TV, a popular OS that outdoes Tizen in some areas, including customization and app availability. It features a native refresh rate of 144Hz, and unlike Samsung, it offers both the high-end video formats in HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Still, its contrast and brightness are relatively average; it’s not a TV that’s ideal for those seeking to faithfully enjoy prestige TV shows or the works of auteur filmmakers and creatives.

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TCL NXTFrame QLED TV

A stylish model with some worthy features

TCL

TCL’s artistic offering is a bit of a mouthful, but NXTFRAME TV is more attractive than the cumbersome name suggests. It only became available in the U.S. last year, but it’s done well to rival Samsung in a few areas. It features an art gallery, a slim design, and all the other specs that make a smart TV an ‘art TV.’ Notably, it offers AI-generated art works, which may be a dealbreaker depending what you think about “AI art.”

Like Hisense’s TV, TCL bests Samsung by offering both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and runs on Google TV OS. Still, with an emphasis on esthetics, it suffers when it comes to image and video quality. The screen struggles with contrast and is best enjoyed in a dark room without any ambient light due to its relatively low peak brightness. It has some attractive gaming features, but isn’t the best for those seeking cinematic fidelity, a common trait across the board.

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Ambient Mode and art gallery TVs

Smart TVs with artworks and slim designs

Samsung S90D

$1160 $1798 Save $638

While there are only a handful of smart TVs that feature a notable frame and matte display, two features designed to accentuate the model’s artistic merit, there are plenty of these that boast some of the artistic traits of these TVs on a smaller scale. Some new Samsung TVs offer Ambient Mode, with prints and calming videos and images to display, while Roku has a feature called Backdrops, allowing you to display photos and artworks when the TV is not in normal use. Some LG TVs also feature an Art Gallery Mode.

In addition, both Samsung and LG are making efforts to fix the cable situation when mounting a TV, tidying up the cords or removing them altogether from behind the unit so that they don’t just dangle towards the ground.

For those who don’t want to sacrifice performance and power when watching the latest movies and TV shows, new TVs with slim builds and these latent modes allow you to still enjoy some artistic quality to the TV without losing out on all your content consumption.