This Samsung Frame TV review shares what you really need to know about the TV that looks like art before you replace your old TV with this unique gadget.
The Samsung Frame TV is a very popular topic on this website. But, before I tell you about the Samsung Frame TV, I want to note that this is a “regular person’s” Samsung Frame TV review. I am just your average consumer who wanted a nice tv for my smart home that looked like art and not a big black box. And over the course of owning the Samsung Frame TV, I learned some helpful things about it that help thousands of newbies each and every month.
Samsung Frame TV Review
The Samsung Frame TV is the TV that looks like art. It features a no-gap wall mount so it lays flat against the wall like art, the ability to easily hide wires and the brains of the TV, the ability to affix a picture frame around it, and an “art mode,” which allows you to add matting to your digital art as well as adjust the settings to it appears dull like art and minimizes glare.
We have two models, which I purchased in 2021: one in our living room and one in our bedroom. The exact models I own, for your reference, are:
- SAMSUNG 43″ Class 4K (2160P) The Frame QLED Smart TV QN43LS03 2021
- SAMSUNG 32″ Class The Frame Full HD QLED Smart TV with HDR QN32LS03TBFXZA 2020
Check Samsung for the latest Frame TVs and deals on them.
Specifications
Below are some basic specifications of the Samsung Frame TV, with a focus on what I think will be of most interest to the average consumer. In other words, I am not going to get too technical. You can review the exact specs of various models yourself, especially as they can differ by year.
The Samsung Frame TV currently comes in seven different sizes (measured by the inch):
- 32″
- 43″
- 50″
- 55″
- 65″
- 75″
- 85″
In the box, besides the Samsung Frame TV itself, you will find:
- a no-gap wall mount by which the TV can be mounted flush to the wall
- the “One Connect” box houses the brains of the TV and can be placed up to sixteen feet away from the TV
- The “invisible” connection (to connect the TV to the box)
- “OneRemote” solar-powered remote control (which automatically finds and controls compatible devices and content so you don’t need multiple remote controls)
Of note, in our bedroom, we store the One Connect box under the dresser where the TV hangs. In our living room, we store it in a cabinet on a different wall than the Samsung Frame TV. So, we are proof that there really are a variety of ways you can store it to remain out of sight.
There are a few more features about the Samsung Frame TV that the average consumer may be interested in learning:
It’s a Smart TV (QLED HDR Smart (4K)) by which you can easily stream from a variety of services.
The home screen contains the Samsung TV Plus app, which includes a bunch of free channels to watch. (We actually love their travel channel!)
The home screen also contains an array of popular streaming apps you can easily sign into and watch your favorite series, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Disney Plus. We also watch HBO Max, YouTube, and HULU on ours. All you need to do is turn the TV on, and then scroll to the app you want to watch.
The Samsung Frame TV is equipped with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can control it with your voice.
You can broadcast from your personal computer on the screen of the Samsung Frame TV with the PC on TV app. You can also mirror your smartphone on the Samsung Frame TV.
It contains energy-saving motion sensor technology to turn your artwork on and off based on motion.
It also contains a brightness sensor, so when external lighting conditions change, the Samsung Frame TV automatically adjusts screen brightness, keeping the natural colors of your artwork from changing.
The picture quality and sound quality are both very good. They are not “state of the art” for the amount you are spending, but what you are really “paying for” is the design of this TV. Still, I am impressed by both the image and sound qualities, and I think you will be too.
To get a bit technical, the Samsung Frame TV has 100% color volume with Quantum Dot and dual LED color tones to deliver enhanced color realism versus a conventional TV, as well as SpaceFit Sound, by which you can place the TV anywhere in the room and it will auto-optimize and calibrate sound settings after analyzing the environment.
Lastly, if you are deciding between the 2021 and 2022 models of the Samsung Frame TV, I will note that I saw a video comparing the two in which the 2022 model gave off less glare under artificial lighting. That being said, the glare isn’t bad at all with our 2020 and 2021 models.
Cost
CHECK CURRENT PRICES OF THE SAMSUNG FRAME TV:
Installation
Before we installed our Samsung Frame TV, we researched everything we could possibly find about it. The process was fairly difficult because most of the guides available online were for models different than ours and the exact process can differ.
Plus, you also may need some extra tools and accessories (like anchors, conduits, etc.) as we did.
We learned so much in the process that we created our own (now very popular) Samsung Frame TV installation guide, which you can take a look at to get a better idea of the installation process. It’s become popular with thousands of readers!
But if this scares you, note that you can also hire a pro to do it for you!
Where to Get Art for Your Samsung Frame TV
This is the fun part! You can:
- purchase art from the Samsung Art Store directly on your Samsung Frame TV
- Subscribe to a Samsung Art Store membership directly on your Samsung Frame TV for access to 1,400+ pieces of art
- Get free art from Deco TV Frames
- Buy Frame TV art on Etsy (my personal favorite)
- Get free art for the Frame TV with these tips
- Upload your own photos
Of note, you can store up to 1,200 images (16GB built-in) on the Samsung Frame TV or upload photos via phone or a USB flash drive (which is what I do).
You can also personalize your digital art with five mat backgrounds in sixteen different colors. We always play with the mat and display settings to find the perfect interior design for each piece of art.
By the way, it’s super easy to upload art and photos. We personally like to change them by season and holiday.
Adding a Frame to Your Samsung Frame TV
I personally believe that adding a frame to your Samsung Frame TV is an absolutely essential step in finalizing your Samsung Frame TV to really look like art.
Before we had a frame, our guests were not fooled into thinking our TV was art and, after we installed a frame on our Samsung Frame TV, even our fireplace repairman who stood in front of it for at least an hour was completely shocked it was a TV when I told him about it.
Just look at the difference for yourself!:
Samsung currently sells bezels in up to six colors for the Frame TV, which are magnetic and snap onto your TV. However, they are really thin, which, to me, isn’t frame-like enough to actually fool your guests and give the look of custom artwork.
I purchased my frame from Deco TV Frames, an American frame company that offers sixteen traditional and contemporary styles of premier frames and eleven alloy bezels specifically made for the Samsung Frame TV.
And if you are unsure which style to choose, you can even order samples!
Installation is super easy and anyone can install a Deco TV Frame in under 2 minutes.
Watch this one-minute video to see exactly how easy it is to install a Deco TV Frame and get a special offer:
Pros and Cons
To keep this simple and universal to the average consumer, below are the top pros and cons of the Samsung Frame TV.
Pros of the Samsung Frame TV:
PROS:
Cons of the Samsung Frame TV:
CONS:
Final Verdict
Is the Samsung Frame TV worth it?
The Samsung Frame TV is not perfect, but it is excellent, and we use it every single day. We love the sleek art-like display that looks good and fools our guests, and we also think it’s a genuinely good Smart TV.
I recommend that you buy the Samsung Frame TV if the design is more important to you.
I don’t think the picture and sound quality will disappoint you by any means, as they are excellent, but if they are more important than design, you can get higher quality for the same price as the Samsung Frame TV.
For us, having a high-quality TV with a clean design and the appearance of artwork was most important and so, we absolutely LOVE our Samsung Frame TVs and have no intention of ever not having one again.
CHECK CURRENT PRICES OF THE SAMSUNG FRAME TV:
Does having art display all the time damage the tv’s screen pixels?
Not that I’m aware of. I haven’t had any problems like this in 1.5 years.
Thank you for a great review. While the Frame does sound tempting I much prefer the art available on the Meural Canvas. I assume you can’t subscribe for their service but display it on the Frame?
Hi, Kevin. I am not familiar with Meural Canvas, but the way the Frame TV works is that you can add any digital art to the TV. So, if you can save an image in the correct size onto a USB drive, you can plug the USB drive into the Frame TV box and add it to your Frame TV.
@Jules Buono, Thanks Jules. Appreciate the reply. Meural also has a subscription service but a much larger collection of works. It is purely a display though not a TV as well so i think Frame is the winner
Sorry to be more specific the frame that is above the fireplace not in the tutorial. Thanks.
Hi! Thank you so much for your review! Love love love the frame you chose. I see the website where you got it from, but which one exactly did you purchase? Looking to by the same frame! Thanks!
Hi Erin, I got the warm silver frame. I love it!!
Thank you ever so much Jules for all the content on the Frame TV. It’s so great to get reviews from someone who’s using it and not just the tech geek sites! I’ve also found a literary site I now love (you had me hooked with all the Jane Austen stuff given she’s been my favourite author of all time since my teens, I regularly re-read my entire box set of all her published works every few years!). Thank you again, I’ll definitely be buying a Frame TV thanks to you, and when I do I’ll be back here to check out your helpful guides. Can’t thank you enough, you’re ever so kind to provide these free and incredibly helpful resources to all of us out here who want a decent quality tv in terms of picture quality but greatly dislike having an ugly black rectangle when the TV is turned off.
If you read this I have one question – and please point me to it if you’ve answered it elsewhere, did you have to buy the Deco Frame’s own sensor due to using their frames?
Hi Sam, Welcome to The Literary Lifestyle! I did not. Without the sensor, the TV turns on automatically a good percentage of the time and it doesn’t feel like an issue to me personally. It’s just one click to turn it on, and you can also set it to stay on for several hours at a time, which we do.