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.
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