I don’t know if you know this about me but I LOVE watching TV. It’s my everything. I have two TVs in my house currently. One in my bedroom and in my living room. The two in my house were actually purchased while in college. They’re both somehow still kicking. So did I really need a new TV? Not really.
But I was sick of looking at a big black rectangle in my bedroom that just felt like an eyesore. And I’ve been wanting a Frame TV for years now. Once it went on sale during Amazon Prime Day, I had to snag it. And I’m so glad I did.
The Frame TV is a flatscreen tv from Samsung that lays flush against your wall and also can look like a piece of what. What makes it really special is when it’s turned off. Or really when it goes into art mode.
When it’s turned to art mode your Samsung Frame TV gets turned into just that, a piece of art. And it’s not just the beautiful screen that looks like a piece of art. But the tv itself. It hangs flush against the wall just like any piece of art in your home. It seamlessly blends with your home decor as you can pick and choose your own art to display.
Frame TV Review
Instead of staring at a giant black rectangle in your home, why not have your television serve as art when you’re not using it? It elevates the overall vibe and look of your space all with the click of a button. Not to mention, the tv has great picture quality and sound quality so first and foremost, it’s a great tv.
But you can also change up the art on your Frame TV with the seasons, add photos of your family or travel, either way, make the tv a part of your home instead of making your decor work around a tv. Here are all of your most common questions about this popular TV and everything you need to know if you’re interested in purchasing on for yourself during the holiday sales.
Depending on where you like to shop for electronics, this TV is usually the same price everywhere including when there’s usually a sale like Black Friday. Below are options on where to shop the Samsung Frame TV at the top online retailers.
WHERE TO SHOP
How To Install The Frame TV
Installing and mounting are insanely easy to do. It comes with everything you need right in the box so there’s no need to go out and buy a mounting system. The whole thing that makes this TV so great is the unique no-gap wall mount system that it comes with.
It allows the tv to lay flush against the wall so it looks JUST like art. Mounting will require two people. You may be able to do it yourself with the 32 inch. But anything larger will definitely require a second set of hands. All you do is screw the mounting plate to the wall, add the attaching mount component to the tv and it slides into place. It’s kind of hard to explain how it slides in, but it’s so insanely easy!
If you do need your Frame TV to swivel out at an angle, you can purchase a swivel wall mounting system as the tv does work with universal tv mounts. Samsung recommends this swivel tv mount. However, you will lose that great flush no gap look, but honestly, I think it’s fine! I may be doing this combo for my living room which would require the swivel.
How Do You Hide The Cord?
You’re probably wondering, what about plugging the tv in? The tv must have a cord right? It does and it’s also genius. The Samsung Frame TV comes with a unique setup to make sure it maximizes the look of your tv in your home.
The Frame TV comes with a One Invisible Connection cord that’s a clear thin cord that is connected to your TV and goes into the Samsung One Connect Box. This box is where you plug the tv into and plug the power into the wall. It’s also where you’ll connect your HDMI connections for cable or Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV and so on.
You can store this box a few feet from your TV making it easy to access and allowing the tv to be free from cords and boxes. In my bedroom, I have it under my dresser and it still works with the remote.
*My cord is not visible because I went against the instructions and put them in the wall. This is not advised to do!
Great Picture Quality
Since I was still using a tv that was at least a decade old, this was an instant upgrade in terms of picture quality. Regardless of my terrible previous tv, the Samsung Frame TV does have fantastic picture quality at 4k resolution.
There was also an update from the 2019 model to the Frame 2020 version making for better picture quality with an increase in brightness. The complaint I’ve heard is that the 2020 model is more bright when in art mode, but honestly I think it’s fine. I think it really all depends on the art you choose and the settings you apply.
How Does The Samsung Frame TV Work?
You’re probably wondering, does the TV just stay on all day? How the heck does it work? Isn’t that a waste of energy? In order to enjoy the art, yes the tv does stay on. However, there is a way to set the Frame TV up so that it senses motion in a room. If there’s no motion, it turns off.
If you walk into the room, it turns on. You can also turn on the Power Saving Mode to reduce the energy used as it’ll make the art mode not as bright. Which honestly can sometimes make art look more realistic anyway.
Can You Just Turn The Frame TV Off?
You can also just turn the tv off with the power button no problem. But honestly, I’ve had this tv for a solid month now and didn’t notice anything different with my power bill. I think if you’re an avid TV watcher, you probably won’t see a difference.
But there are plenty of options with the power modes, ambient light settings and motion sensor that you can reduce the use of the TV art mode if you’re not around much.
Where Do You Get The Art For A Frame TV?
Out of the box, this tv comes with a few free art options. The one you see in my photos is one of them. You can also join the the Art Store through Samsung and pay a monthly subscription fee to access hundreds of photos and artwork to use. I personally think this is kind of a waste of money. Instead, you can use the SmartThings app to upload your own images and digital downloads to the Frame TV.
This is super easy to do and one of my favorite bloggers, Jenny Komenda, actually has a tutorial on this here. Her print shop, Juniper Print Shop, has tons of beautiful art prints you can purchase the digital download for and upload easily upload via the SmartThings app. This makes it great to support your favorite artists too.
What Size Should The Art Be For A Frame TV?
When uploading your own art or photo to the SmartThings app to use, be sure you have the right size. Images should be a 16:9 ratio to look best. You’ll also want a high resolution photo for best quality.
And if you don’t want the mat (not shown here, but the art does have a mat option and you can change the color!) you’ll want to make sure it’s this specific ratio or you’ll be forced to apply the mat.
You can also make sure your art looks more realistic and less like a digital image by adjusting the brightness and warmth/coolness. Usually making things a little less bright and warmer can help. It’s also recommended to use painting prints versus actual digital photos from your camera. But that’s all a preference.
Can You Change Out The Frame?
When you install your new television, the tv itself will have a black frame as part of the tv. You can buy frames to add to the perimeter to create a true frame that better matches your decor. They’re actually magnetic and come in 4 pieces and it’s super cool how it snaps on really easily.
The Samsung Frame TV offers a handful of frame colors to choose from like white, beige (which is what you see in these photos) and dark wood. It also comes in black, but I personally would not recommend buying the black frame to add to this since it looks no different with or without it on. It’s a waste of money. The frame is sold separately and the price is a little under $100 depending on where you purchase it.
Frame TV Size & Pricing
I’ll be honest, this was way more than I expected to pay for a tv in 2020. I think I spent the same amount 10+ years ago when I purchased my big screen tvs when they were first on the market. Now you can get a great quality tv for so little as the technology has come so far.
Obviously, you’re paying for two really great things here. The flush mount against the wall (honestly why don’t ALL tvs do this I dont get it) and the art mode option that is what’s so game changer. For these two reasons, I think the outrageous price does make it worth it to overall elevate your home.
The pricing ranges based on the size of the tv obviously. The smaller, the cheaper. The size options being at 32 inches and go up to 75 inches. For my bedroom, I have a 43 inch which cost me $799.99 during Amazon Prime Day, regularly $999.99. I urge you to measure where your tv will go before purchasing. Just use some painter’s tape to map it out so you can get a feel for the size.
