The Samsung Frame TV, or what some call the Samsung picture frame TV, is back with new features. But is it worth the high price, even with all the cool artwork it displays? After our Samsung Frame TV unboxing, sitting down to watch some movies, and exploring the Art Store selection, these are the biggest pros and cons of this design-centric TV. This video features the 65-inch Frame TV (MSRP: $1,999).
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00:00Should you buy or skip the Samsung Frame TV for 2024?
00:03Let's get right into it.
00:05The number one product I get asked about as a TV reviewer
00:08is the Frame TV.
00:09If it's any good, why is it so expensive, things like that.
00:12Well, I'll let you know that the Samsung Frame
00:14is definitely one of the more interesting 4K TVs
00:17that you can buy today.
00:18Sitting in the lifestyle category of Samsung's TV lineup,
00:21sort of separate from the traditional OLED TVs
00:24and QLED TVs that I'm always talking about in my videos.
00:27This is a TV that blends modern tech
00:29with aesthetic museum caliber design.
00:32With its slim design and always-on display
00:34that lets you customize the photos
00:35or artwork shown on screen,
00:37you have a bright and beautiful canvas
00:39to display your favorite images.
00:41Combine it with swappable bezels,
00:42which cost extra, of course,
00:44and you basically have a museum-like experience,
00:47but at home.
00:48Refreshed for 2024,
00:50the latest version of the Frame right here
00:51has a few minor upgrades like better color reproduction
00:54and a new dynamic refresh rate mode
00:56that makes it a better and more energy efficient TV
00:59for enjoying digitized artwork on a big screen.
01:01Starting at $999 for the 43-inch model
01:05and going all the way up to $4,299 for the 85-inch size,
01:10I'll tell you whether the Frame
01:11is actually worth the investment.
01:14Spoiler, there really is a clear cut
01:16between the people who should and shouldn't buy it.
01:18The first reason the Samsung Frame is worth buying
01:21is that it's arguably one of the most beautiful large TVs
01:24that you can buy today,
01:25not only because it's intended to display artwork,
01:28but because the TV itself looks like a piece of art
01:30hung on the wall even when it's not in use.
01:33I have it set up on the included feet here,
01:35but you got the point.
01:36To help sell this effect,
01:37the TV is compatible with a selection of swappable bezels
01:41in different colors and materials.
01:43Prices for these vary based on the TV,
01:45but I really love how you could change
01:47the whole look of your TV
01:48without actually needing to buy a whole new TV.
01:51I already mentioned the feet,
01:52but to really take advantage of the Frame's design,
01:54I'd suggest mounting it on your wall
01:56with the special slim-fit wall mount
01:58that makes the TV sit flush.
02:00To make this slim design possible,
02:02Samsung has offloaded the Frame's connections
02:03to its One Connect box,
02:05which you can then tuck away out of sight.
02:07Obviously, a black cable would stick out like a sore thumb
02:10against most light-colored walls,
02:12so Samsung instead uses the One Invisible connection,
02:15which is basically just a light-colored cable
02:17that complements this minimal setup very well.
02:20So when mounted properly and fitted with one of its bezels,
02:24I think the Frame TV looks worthy
02:25of belonging in a museum,
02:27or at least a very upscale home.
02:29The anti-reflective screen eliminates the sheen
02:31you normally see on TV screens,
02:34significantly helping make art displayed
02:36look more realistic and pop,
02:38even with bright lights in rooms.
02:39The Samsung Frame TV is one of the best TVs
02:42you can buy today if you're bored
02:43of that blank black screen on your wall.
02:45I know a lot of people don't care about that
02:48from an aesthetic perspective,
02:49but there also are a lot of people who do,
02:51and specifically art-minded people will get a big kick
02:54out of what the Frame has to offer.
02:57When you aren't watching something like a movie or show,
02:59the Frame can be set to cycle
03:00between a wide selection of curated art,
03:02or of course, anything you choose to upload,
03:04making this basically a super fancy digital picture frame.
03:08To help make your art or photos look great,
03:10the TV uses brightness sensors
03:11to automatically adjust the picture
03:13to help keep the colors looking the most accurate
03:15as the lighting conditions in the room
03:17change throughout the day.
03:18The screen has a matte finish
03:20that almost entirely eliminates glare,
03:22so while you probably wouldn't mistake this
03:24for an original print, it does get quite close.
03:27Now, for how you actually get art,
03:29Samsung offers a monthly curation of 20 free artworks
03:32that you can display, as well as a wide selection
03:34of individual pieces that you can buy.
03:37I know no one likes add-on fees,
03:39but I like to think of it as I'm saving money
03:41on a theoretical trip to the loo because girl math.
03:45New for this year, the Frame has Pantone-validated
03:47Artful Color certification,
03:49which basically just means that no matter
03:51which art you choose, it should look accurate
03:53to how it would look in a gallery like the loo.
03:56It's difficult to test for that benchmark in particular,
03:59but if you wanna see all of the Frame TV's test results
04:02in terms of brightness, accuracy, and color reproduction,
04:05you can read my full review linked
04:06in the description below.
04:08Finally, this year's Samsung Frame
04:09sees important improvements with its energy efficiency.
04:12It now has a dynamic refresh rate
04:14that will automatically reduce the TV's refresh rate
04:16when it's in art mode from its normal 120 hertz
04:19to just 60 hertz.
04:20If you were to upgrade from a 2021 or 22 Frame
04:23with the standard 120 hertz refresh rate to this new one,
04:27you could possibly see those savings reflected
04:29on your energy bill too.
04:31Then when you bump back into watching a show or movie,
04:33you'll get the higher refresh rate
04:35that's more standard for 4K TVs in this price bracket.
04:38The Frame also uses motion sensors
04:40to help detect when people are in the room with it.
04:42So when it detects no one is in the room,
04:44it'll turn the display off.
04:46Then if you come back into the room,
04:47the display will automatically kick back on.
04:50While the brightness sensor I mentioned earlier
04:51does come enabled by default, motion sensing does not.
04:55So you'll need to enable it in your settings.
04:57There are other few key points
04:59that make the Samsung Frame worth considering,
05:01but there are also a few reasons
05:02this might not be worth your money.
05:04And those reasons are pretty important to someone like me.
05:07The first reason you may wanna skip the Samsung Frame
05:10is if you don't see yourself
05:11really displaying art like this all that much.
05:14While the TV is still quite capable
05:16for all other kinds of content,
05:17like movies and shows and even playing games,
05:20you can easily find other options with better contrast,
05:23higher refresh rates,
05:24and the kind of brightness abilities
05:26that'll make any old boring movie night at home
05:28feel really special.
05:29This is mostly in the context of price
05:31because me personally,
05:33if I'm gonna spend $2,000 on a 65 inch TV,
05:36I want premium picture performance all around.
05:39You can absolutely get a mini LED powered TV for that price
05:43packed with more individual LEDs
05:45for a greater number of local dimming zones,
05:47which often translates to less picture blooming
05:49and more differentiated shades of black.
05:52I also found the Samsung Frame doesn't have the best
05:54or should I say the widest viewing angles.
05:57So if you're placing this TV in a space
05:59where people will be sitting off to the sides,
06:01I would absolutely forego the Frame's aesthetic appeal
06:04and just shop for an OLED.
06:05This is probably in part due to the very same
06:08anti-glare filter that makes art look so great
06:10from more of a direct viewing angle.
06:12But if you're looking at it past 40 or 45 degrees,
06:15the picture quality and more specifically the colors
06:18start to degrade.
06:19Finally, the Frame TV is not cheap.
06:22As I mentioned earlier,
06:23the picture quality is actually subpar in some ways
06:25compared to TVs that cost around the same price.
06:28For comparison, you can buy a 55 inch LG OLED TV
06:31for as low as $1,099 with sales.
06:34You'll of course lose out
06:35on the Frame's impressive flush wall mounting
06:37and the art focus features,
06:39but you'll still have impressive image quality.
06:41Aside from that, to really get that hanging piece
06:44of artifact with the Frame,
06:46you'll probably wanna purchase
06:47one of Samsung's optional bezels.
06:49We didn't even get one with ours here.
06:51Unfortunately, unless you bundle one
06:53at the time of your purchase,
06:55you're not gonna see it included
06:56in the base price of your TV.
06:58And you can expect anywhere from another $99
07:00to a whopping $299 depending on the size of your Frame TV.
07:05The Frame is already a pretty significant investment
07:07compared to more traditional TVs,
07:09but for those more creative,
07:11this might inspire you to try to build
07:12your own custom Frames.
07:14Call me if you wanna make one for mine.
07:16So, buy or skip?
07:18All things considered, I'm not buying a Frame TV,
07:21especially not for that price,
07:23but I'm also not someone who cares so much
07:25about the aesthetics of my home.
07:27I have Lego sets and mismatched throw blankets
07:29and books just everywhere,
07:31and I honestly feel like the Frame would look out of place.
07:33The Venn diagram of people who care deeply
07:35about home design and who care deeply
07:37about TV picture performance doesn't have a huge overlap
07:40from what I've seen.
07:42Now, the Frame TV is not the best TV you can get
07:44for the price and the performance,
07:46but it is the best looking TV when set up properly.
07:49And I do respect shoppers who want that.
07:51I think if that's you, you'll absolutely love the Frame.
07:54But let me know what you really think about the Frame TV.
07:57Is it a buy or skip?
07:58Let me know in the comments.
07:59You can also get more behind the scenes
08:01and an unboxing on our socials everywhere at Tom's Guide.
08:04Thanks for watching.
08:05I'll catch you next time.