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I tried the best new art TVs -- did any of them defeat Samsung's Frame?
Models from Hisense and TCL are gunning for your living room, but do any of them deserve the wall space?
Ever notice that when your TV is off, it's just a big black (some would say soul-sucking) rectangle staring you in the face? Bo-ring! Why not use that screen estate for something cool, like a Monet painting or Ansel Adams photograph? That's an idea Samsung pioneered with its popular The Frame TVs, which display such artworks when idle. And when wall-mounted and adorned with an actual frame, they really do look less like a TV and more like a piece of decor. So what's the best "art TV" for your wall? Samsung now has competition from Hisense, Roku and TCL; I tested and reviewed not only these models but also Samsung's 2024-edition Frame. Let's look at the options for giving your wall a museum-style makeover.
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First, we need to address the LCD elephant in the living room: Can't your current TV do the same thing? I mean, we're just talking about an art-themed screensaver, right? Google TVs and Apple and Amazon streaming devices already have apps or modes that can show famous paintings, and Roku just went all-in on this as well.
The answer is yes — to a point. It's not so much about the art itself, but rather how it's displayed. These TVs have actual frames that immediately establish that "framed art" aesthetic. They have thin, flush-mount designs and matte-screen finishes to minimize glare. Some use sensors to save energy (meaning the screen will turn off after a period of time if there's no activity in the room) and reduce brightness levels. And to further enhance the simulation of paint on canvas, many of these TVs can overlay a virtual mat in different sizes, colors and/or textures.
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Put all these things together and you get something that pretty closely resembles the real deal — until you fire up Netflix for a new season of Bridgerton, of course. Then it's just a TV.
Full disclosure: There's not a single model here that hits it out of the park. All three will do the job of putting a lovely framed 4K screen on your wall and adorning it with famous artworks during non-viewing hours, but all three have limitations or annoyances or both. That said, they're much better than simply installing an art app on your current smart TV, for all the reasons cited above.
To learn more, be sure to read our FAQ section below the reviews.
The best overall art TV
Rick Broida/Yahoo
Available sizes (inches): 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, 85 | Frame included: Basic black | Artworks included: 2,500+ (with subscription) | Dolby(s): Atmos | Operating System: Tizen | Smart-home compatibility: Alexa, Bixby | Voice controls: Push-button
It probably comes as no surprise that Samsung makes the best art TV, because the company's Frame lineup dates all the way back to 2017 — plenty of time to refine and improve the concept. The 2024 model boasts an unrivaled art collection, an also-unrivaled connectivity solution (in the form of its One Connect box) and tons of attractive bezel options (though mostly from third-party sellers). It all adds up to a lovely — though expensive and not without flaws — addition to your living room.
Read my complete Samsung The Frame review to learn more.
- Polished, pleasing art mode
- Lots of cool third-party frames available
- Solar-powered remote
- Vibrant, well-balanced color
- Thin, no-gap design and clever breakout box
- Surprisingly decent speakers
- Expensive
- Art store requires a subscription
- Stock frame is black, thin and boring
- Samsung's pricey decorative frames are made of plastic
- Remote has small, cumbersome controls
- Poor printed mounting and setup instructions
- Buggy app, some usability issues.
Other art TVs we like
Rick Broida/Yahoo
Available sizes (inches): 55, 65 | Frame included: Yes | Artworks included: 120 | Dolby(s): Vision | Operating System: Google | Smart-home compatibility: Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant | Voice controls: Push-button
Hisense's first-ever art TV is very good and far more affordable than Samsung's venerable model, with a substantial wood frame included in the box and a subscription-free art collection. That collection is on the small side, though, and there's no way to expand it without uploading your own images — an easy but not always successful operation. The CanvasTV does have the best remote in the bunch, and a bright matte-finish screen to boot.
Read my complete Hisense CanvasTV review to learn more.
- Significantly less expensive than competing art TVs
- Magnetic frame included in the price
- Beautiful matte-finish screen
- No subscription required for art
- Backlit remote with customizable favorite button
- High refresh rate for gaming
- Awkward wall-mount instructions; no hanging template included
- Rear ports hard to access after mounting
- Colors a little muted
- Weak speakers
- No art store, limited art selection included
- Only two sizes available
Rick Broida/Yahoo
Available sizes (inches): 55, 65, 75, 85 | Frame included: Yes (2) | Artworks included: 350+ and AI | Dolby(s): Atmos, Vision | Operating System: Google | Smart-home compatibility: Alexa, Google | Voice controls: Push-button
On paper, I love everything about the TCL Nxtframe. In reality, I'm disappointed by much of it: the below-average screen, the missing sensors and smart settings for art mode, the bad mat designs and the lack of additional magnetic-frame options (though you do get two colors in the box). The reason this is so crushing is that TCL supplies not only a generous helping of great art (all of it subscription-free), but also a killer AI-powered art-generation tool, something I wish every other art TV had. For some buyers, that may be enough to overlook all the rest.
Read my TCL Nxtframe review to learn more.
- Good printed TV-setup instructions
- Extra frame included
- Warm, vibrant colors
- Lots of subscription-free art preloaded
- Cool AI-powered art generation feature
- Tiny TV-mounting instructions
- No additional frame styles/colors available
- Below-average brightness and contrast
- No brightness or night-hours settings for art mode
- No motion or ambient-light detection
- Art-mode interface can be confusing
- Overly large mat designs
Other art TVs we're evaluating
Xgimi Aura 2: Not a TV — a projector! Xgimi's ultra-short-throw model is the first I've seen that offers an art mode, so we're going to check it out. Needless to say, it'll be up to you to supply a physical frame if you want one. And possibly a big one at that: The Aura 2 can produce a Dolby Vision-enhanced 4K image of up to 100 inches, all while parked right next to your wall (instead of from across the room or mounted to the ceiling). There's already one known issue, however, and it's maddening: No built-in Netflix.
Other art TVs we've tested
These are perhaps better classified as "TVs that can display art," because they don't have physical frames or anti-glare displays — features that really "sell" the painting effect. But they do have art modes, and can therefore be part of the discussion. Plus, the TVs themselves tend to be much more affordable.
Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series: The current flagship of Amazon's Fire TV lineup, the Omni QLED Series is a solid mid-tier TV that's equipped with something called Ambient Experience — a diverse and extensive collection of art and photos that can take the place of the TV's default screensaver. It's a nice value-add, especially the new public-beta AI feature that lets you ask Alexa to generate any kind of art you'd like, but with a seriously confusing user interface and weak "mat" options (they're called borders and they're not 3D). Read my Fire TV Omni QLED Series review to learn more.
Roku Pro Series TV: Roku's just-released Backdrops feature brings boatloads of art to this highly recommended TV (and other Roku devices), all of it free, all of it wrapped in that familiar, pleasant, easy-to-navigate interface. And with the company's optional wall bracket, you can get closer to a Frame-like flush mount than with most TVs. Backdrops is a good start, but Roku needs to add some mat options and pay closer attention to how artwork gets cropped. Read my Roku Pro Series TV review to learn more.
FAQs
What makes an "art TV" different from a traditional TV?
For starters, the design: The Hisense, Samsung and TCL TVs reviewed above were built with wall-mounting in mind, specifically flush-mounting to help create the illusion of framed art. Furthering that illusion, Hisense and TCL provide magnetic frame pieces that border the screen. (Samsung's frames are optional and cost extra.) Beyond that, these TVs have low-glare, matte-finish displays, such that when you're viewing them from across the room, paintings look pretty darn real.
How hard is it to wall-mount these things?
It varies. The actual mounting isn't too complicated — screw a bracket into some studs, hang the TV from the bracket — but the real thing to consider is cords.
Unless there's an outlet in just the right spot (meaning behind the TV and deeply recessed), you'll have to contend with at least one cord — for power — running down the wall. Not a good look. You could hire an electrician to install an outlet behind the TV, or you could fish that cord — and any others you might need, like HDMI for a cable box or game console — through the wall. (Here's an inexpensive kit to help you with the latter project.)
Anything else I should know about wall mounting?
Much as I love the art modes on these things, I don't like watching a TV that's mounted too high up on a wall. If you're accustomed to a TV that sits lower, like on a stand, putting one over your fireplace or somewhere else that's "art height" may prove disappointing. What's more, these TVs all mount flush with your wall; they don't have the option of angling the screen toward, say, the couch. So give real thought to where your furniture is and where the TV is going to go.
Can I choose different frames for these TVs?
Depends on the TV. Samsung offers only a handful of choices for The Frame lineup, but you can find third-party sellers on Etsy and elsewhere with lots of larger and more decorative options. Hisense offers a few color choices as well, and TCL, well, it ends with what you get in the box. It's possible the Etsy community will start to support these brands, but at this writing, it hasn't happened yet.
Can I add my own art and photos?
Absolutely, and in fact these TVs can make for great monster-size digital photo frames. However, the process of uploading your own photos can be cumbersome, and in my testing I sometimes wound up with upside-down images — and no way to flip them. Worth noting: Roku's Backdrops feature lets you connect to a Google Photos account, arguably the fastest and easiest way to view personal collections on a TV.
Can I add an "art mode" to my existing TV?
It may already have one! Google-powered TVs offer an "Art gallery" option for the screensaver (though you get little say over what art is actually displayed), and Roku's aforementioned Backdrops feature is currently available on some Roku TVs; it should arrive on other Roku-powered devices in the future. Just remember that these options aren't nearly as robust as what you get from a proper "art TV," and you'll also miss out on things like a physical frame and anti-glare screen.