Samsung The Frame TV (2024) review
The Frame TV 2024: Specs
Price: $1,999.99
Screen size: 65 inches
Model: QN65LS03DAFXZA
Resolution: 3,840x2,160
HDR: HDR10+, HDR 10 HLG
Refresh Rate: 120Hz
Ports: 1 HDMI 2.1, 3 HDMI 2.0, 2 USB
ATSC 3.0 tuner: Yes
Audio: 40W
Smart TV Software: Tizen
Size (without stand): 57.4 x 32.8 x 1 inches
Weight (without stand): 49.3 pounds
For those who care greatly about an electronic's aesthetic, Samsung's The Frame lifestyle TV remains a popular choice. Refreshed for 2024, the latest version of The Frame has a few upgrades that make it the best TV for enjoying digitized artwork on display.
The premise of the The Frame 4K QLED TV 2024 is the same — it's a TV with matte-ish finish and optional ornate bezels to look museum-worthy. But compared to the previous version, the updated model has a new energy-saving measure. When in Art Mode, the TV's dynamic refresh rate will drop down from 120Hz to the less power-demanding 60Hz. Considering this a TV that users likely want to keep on for showing off their art collection, this was a smart change on Samsung’s part.
Otherwise, there isn’t much new about this version of the Frame. You’ll pay a hefty price (including add-ons) to get the look you want, and you can definitely get a TV that produces better testing results for the same fee, if not far less. My The Frame 2024 review below can help you decide if it’s the right investment for you.
The Frame TV 2024 pricing and availability
The Frame TV 2024 comes in six sizes, starting at 43 inches and going up to 85 inches. I recommend checking our guide on which TV size to buy if you’re not sure which configuration is ideal for your space.
QN43LS03DAFXZA (43 inches): $999.99
QN50LS03DAFXZA (50 inches): $1,299.99
QN55LS03DAFXZA (55 inches): $1,499.99
QN65LS03DAFXZA (65 inches): $1,999.99
QN75LS03DAFXZA (75 inches): $2,999.99
QN85LS03DAFXZA (85 inches): $4,299.99
At Tom’s Guide, we test the 65-inch configuration of TVs that come to our bench if available, but you can expect most of the review's information to apply to all sizes. The biggest difference to note is that 43- and 50-inch sizes max out at 60Hz refresh rate, so they do not benefit from the new dynamic refresh rate feature.
The Frame TV 2024 review: Design and features
The Frame is one of the most beautiful TVs that you can buy today, not only because the anti-reflective screen eliminates the sheen you normally see on TV screens, but because the TV itself looks like a piece of art hung on the wall even when it's not in use. To help sell this effect, the TV is compatible with a selection of swappable bezels in different colors and materials.
Prices for these vary based on the TV, I love how you could change the whole look of your TV without needing to buy a new TV. That said, bezels come at an add-on, starting at $99 and going up to $199 depending on the design.
Even though the Frame comes with a pair of feet, to really take advantage of its design, I’d suggest mounting it on your wall with a special slim-fit wall mount that makes the TV sit flush.
To make this slim design possible, Samsung has offloaded the Frame’s connections to its One Connect box which you can then tuck away out of sight. A black cable would stick out like a sore thumb against most light-colored walls, so Samsung instead uses the One Invisible Connection, which is basically just a light-colored cable that complements a minimal setup very well.
The light-colored, solar-powered remote with some dedicated launch buttons is a nice touch as well.
When you aren’t watching something on screen, the Frame can be set to cycle between a wide selection of curated art or of course anything you choose to upload. To help make your art or photos look great, the TV uses brightness sensors to automatically adjust the picture to help keep the colors looking most accurate as the lighting conditions of your room change throughout the day. Now for how you actually get art, Samsung offers a monthly curation of 20 free artworks that you can choose between as well as a wide selection of individual pieces that you can buy. No one likes add-on fees, but I supposed you’d spend less than you would on a trip to the Louvre.
The Frame has a dynamic refresh rate that will automatically reduce the TV’s refresh rate when it's in art mode from its normal 120Hz to just 60Hz. If you were to upgrade from a 2021 or 2022 Frame with the 120Hz refresh rate to the new one, you'd possibly see those savings reflected on your energy bill, too. Then when you bump back into watching a show or movie, you’ll get the higher refresh rate that’s more standard for 4K TVs in this price bracket The Frame also uses motion sensors to help detect when people are in the room with it, so, when it detects no one is in the room, it’ll turn the display off. Then, if you come back into the room, the display knows to kick back on.
The Frame TV 2024 review: How we test TVs
We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set's performance. As part of our technical tests, we use an X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, a SpectraCal VideoForge Pro pattern generator and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software for measurements. We use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for measuring the TV’s gaming prowess, too.
Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer, but usually feature anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our ‘how we test TVs’ page.
The Frame TV 2024 review: Performance
The Frame TV 2024 fared alright in our benchmarking testing, putting up results that are better than we typically expect from a standard 4K QLED TV (a.k.a., not a Mini-LED TV.) For example, The Frame registered 431 nits brightness in SDR and 590 nits in HDR in a 10% window. That’s adequate for a TV that uses edge-lit LEDs — though not as good as a FALD screen — and it’s a bit of an improvement in certain performance aspects compared to the last Frame refresh from 2022.
While this TV is capable of all kinds of content like movies, shows and playing games, you can find other options with better contrast, higher refresh rates, and the kind of brightness abilities that’ll make an ole movie night at home feel special. You can instead get a Mini-LED TV for the price, packed with more individual LEDS for a greater number of local dimming zones, which often translates to less picture blooming and more differentiated shades of black. I’d suggest the impressive 65-inch Samsung QN90C Neo QLED TV for about $1,500 with sales.
I also found the Samsung Frame doesn’t have the widest viewing angles, so if you’re placing this TV in a space where people will be sitting off to the sides, I would forgo the Frame’s aesthetic appeal and shop for an OLED. This probably is in part due to the same anti-glare filter that makes art look so great from more of a direct viewing angle. But if you’re coming from it past 40 or 45 degrees, the picture quality and more specifically the colors start to degrade.
As for gaming, with only one port that supports the 120Hz refresh rate or HDMI 2.1, I wouldn’t consider the Frame one of the best gaming TVs. You could hook up a gaming console, but you’ll face limitations with how many inputs you can access at once.
The Frame TV 2024 review: Verdict
Designed to artwork and TV content with equal fidelity, Samsung’s The Frame is a TV built for art fans who prioritize aesthetics. While the test results are solid, they pale compared to some of the other screens Samsung has to offer. We'd say that this isn't the TV to buy if picture quality is your highest concern, but if you're all about good looks, The Frame definitely delivers them. Though be warned about the add-on feeds, so you don’t end up having to spend more than you planned for.
If you’re looking for a 4K QLED TV that exemplifies value, check out the TCL QM8 Mini-LED TV, This stunning TV with category-leading brightness abilities costs about $1,000 for the 65-inch size. Or, if you want a TV that looks just as beautiful with even better picture performance, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung S95 OLED TV.
Samsung’s The Frame (2024) isn’t bad looking by any means, nor is its price through the roof, and it’s the TV we’d recommend to anyone who needs an aesthetically pleasing screen for their highly refined living spaces.
