Best art TVs of 2024: How the Samsung Frame compares to the alternatives
The Samsung Frame TV has officially kicked off a trend -- video displays that double as showcases for art. The Frame features a reflection-resistant matte display for TV shows, sports and movies, showcasing a beautiful picture, with accurate and life-like colors, stunning detail and fluid action. And when you're not watching TV, the Frame displays famous works of art -- or your own. This means you can decorate your living space in a way that matches your personality, taste and decor.
The Frame is a favorite for CBS Essentials readers, and with good reason. But, for the first time, there are alternatives to the Frame that offer equally compelling features. Let's take a closer look at three of your current art displaying smart TV options that feature a matte display.
Which is the best art TV?
Let's take a closer look at Samsung's Frame TV, the Hisense Class S7 CanvasTV and TCL NXTFrame TV -- your best options in the now wildly popular art TV category.
Samsung's 2024 Frame TV
Display type: QLED (non-reflective matte finish) | Resolution: 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Operating System: Tizen | HDR Support: Quantum HDR, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG | Speakers: 2.0.2 ch. 40-watts with Dolby Atmos | Main Ports: 4x HDMI, 1x Ethernet, 2x USB, 1x Digital audio out, 1x Ex-Link | Motion detection: Yes | Interchangeable bezels: Yes | Art service subscription fee: $5.99 per month or $49.99 per year (Samsung Art Store)
Available sizes: 43 inches ($900), 50 inches ($1,100), 55 inches ($1,300), 65 inches ($2,000), 75 inches ($3,000), 85 inches ($4,300)
All sizes of the 2024 edition of the Frame TV are now Pantone validated. This means that when artwork is displayed, it looks even more authentic -- just like an actual painting, as the artist intended. And thanks to a thin (just 1-inch thick) design, the Frame smart TV truly looks like a hanging picture frame on any wall. It uses its QLED display to showcase 4K resolution video with HDR support and Quantum Dot technology, so it can display more than 1 billion accurate colors.
When watching any programming, you'll enjoy a 100% color volume that takes full advantage of Samsung's Quantum Processor 4K. Regardless of what you're watching -- TV shows, movies, documentaries or sports -- all showcase stunning, bright and accurate colors. The matte finish of the display virtually eliminates unwanted glare.
Samsung now offers a curated selection of 20 art pieces each month that Frame owners can display for free. But if you subscribe to Samsung's Art Store ($5.99 per month), it now includes access to more than 2,500 artworks from world-renowned museums and galleries.
And thanks to the Frame's broad viewing angle, wherever you're sitting in the room, you'll have a clear view. You can buy a magnetically attachable bezel to make the Frame TV look like it's in a traditional picture frame. Choose the bezel design (between $200 and $300 each) that matches the decor of any room. A company called Deco TV Frames also offers bezels for the Frame TV on Amazon.
Be sure to read our in-depth review of the 2024 Samsung Frame TV for more information about this popular art TV, as well as a list of seven things we love and three things we hate.
Hisense 2024 Class S7 CanvasTV
Display type: QLED (non-reflective matte finish) | Resolution: 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) | Refresh rate: 144Hz | Operating System: GoogleTV | HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG | Speakers: 2.0.2 ch. 36-watts with DTS Virtual X | Main Ports: 1x HDMI eARC, 3x HDMI, 1x LAN, 1x USB | Motion detection: Yes | Interchangeable bezels: Yes | Art service subscription fee: $0
Available sizes: 55 inches ($1,000), 65 inches ($1,300)
In keeping with the company's core objective of offering cutting-edge smart TVs at a fraction of what its competition charges for similar technology, Hisense has introduced it's answer to Samsung's Frame smart TV. It's called the CanvasTV and it's now available with either a 55-inch or 65-inch screen size. It's also less expensive than the Frame, but in some ways, offers more robust features (like a faster refresh rate).
Just like the Frame, the CanvasTV offers an anti-reflective matte finish display. It's also just 1.4 inches thick and comes with a wall mount that allows the TV to sit flush against a wall. Unlike the Frame, the CanvasTV comes with a teak bezel to enhance its picture frame appearance, but it's interchangeable with other bezel options that come in a variety of colors and styles (each sold separately).
Another differentiator from the Frame is that the CanvasTV offers a 144Hz refresh rate (not 120Hz) and uses the company's Motion Rate 480 technology so any action-oriented content that's displayed on the screen, whether it's a movie, sporting event or video game, will look incredibly smooth, with no pixelation or tearing. Plus, the screen can generate more than a billion colors.
The CanvasTV runs using the Google TV operating system, so you get intuitive access to all of the video streaming services you subscribe to. And when it comes to displaying artwork, Hisense offers a library of content for free. Plus, you can display your own digital photos in a slideshow format. For sound, the CanvasTV has built in speakers that provide 2.0.2 channel virtual surround sound for a more immersive experience.
One feature we really like is that the TV automatically adjusts its brightness and color temperature based on the ambient lighting in the room. This allows you to view a more consistent picture quality, without having to tinker with any controls. Using its built in sensor, the TV shuts down when nobody is in the room, but immediately turns on to showcase artwork whenever it senses motion.
TCL 2024 NXTFrame TV
Display type: QLED Pro (non-reflective matte finish) | Resolution: 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) | Refresh rate: 120Hz (up to 144Hz) | Operating System: Google TV | HDR Support: Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, HDR Ultra | Speakers: 40-watts with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X | Main Ports: 3x HDMI, 1x HDMI eARC, 2x USB, composite video, ethernet, optical audio | Interchangeable bezels: Yes | Art service subscription fee: $0
Available sizes: 55 inches ($1,500), 65 inches ($2,000), 75 inches ($2,500), 85 inches ($3,500)
The TCL NXTFrame is offered in a handful of common sizes, including a massive 85-inch version that can become the centerpiece of a home theater system.
This art TV comes with two bezels -- one that features a contemporary white design and the other offers a light wood finish. The 4K resolution smart TV has a 120Hz refresh rate, that when gaming can be boosted to 144Hz. Like all of the art TVs featured in this roundup, this one also uses quantum dot technology to showcase more than a billion colors. And with the help of Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG support, whatever content you're watching will look detailed, with vibrant and accurate colors.
The TV itself is about 1.1 inches thick, so when hung on a wall, it nicely resembles a picture. And the matte anti-glare screen makes artwork look very realistic. And TCL makes a curated art library with customizable matte options available for free. There's also an integrated personal photo gallery mode, so you can showcase your favorite digital images in a slideshow format.
Regardless of what's being displayed on the screen, whether it's video, art or a video game, the TV's AiPQ Pro processor optimizes color, contrast, clarity and motion to ensure stunning picture quality. An internal speaker system supports Dolby Atmos sound with an enhanced dialogue mode.
Like the Hisense CanvasTV, this one runs using the Google TV operating system and comes with a voice remote. If you don't want to hand the NXTFrame TV on a wall, an optional tabletop mount and moveable floor stand is available.
Which art TV is the best?
Focus on where you'll be hanging the TV, its feature collection, and the selection of bezels available for it. Next, consider what you most often watch. If this includes action movies and sports, or you enjoy playing video games, a higher refresh rate makes action-oriented content to look smoother, with little or no blur.
One thing you can count on is that whether you choose a Samsung, Hisense or TCL art TV, you'll get a high-quality smart TV that transforms your living space into a customizable art gallery. All of the art TVs check off all the boxes in terms of the features you'd want from a smart TV -- from picture and sound quality, to compatibility with video streaming and gaming services, to having access to a voice remote.
If you're shopping for any type of TV, we recommend checking out our coverage of the best TVs for 2024, the best 55-inch TVs of 2024, the best 65-inch TVs of 2024, the best 75-inch (and larger) TVs of 2024, the best TVs for video gamers and the best TVs for watching sports. We've also compiled a curated collection of the best home projectors for 2024 and the best TV soundbars for 2024. All of our latest tech coverage, which is continuously updated, is here to help you.
