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Jun 01, 2023

The best frame TVs in 2023

These clever devices look just like a picture frame when not in use. We reveal the best frame TVs to buy today – and there aren't as many around as you think. Frame TVs offer something quite unique

These clever devices look just like a picture frame when not in use. We reveal the best frame TVs to buy today – and there aren't as many around as you think.

Frame TVs offer something quite unique that you won't find anywhere else. Also known as 'picture frame TVs' or 'art TVs', these are 4K TVs with ultra-thin bezels that can be wall-mounted. And crucially, when not being used to watch TV shows and films, they double up as art frames, displaying your favourite works of art in high resolution.

Yes, technically you could use a normal flatscreen TV to display art. But the best frame TVs are purpose-built for the task.

That means that rather than the normal boring, plasticky bezels, the screen is set in a frame that's practically indistinguishable from something you'd see in an art gallery. The 4K display is so high quality that at first glance the artwork looks more like a real painting or photographic print than a reproduction. And the set can be mounted flush to the wall, again making it look just like a real artwork.

We've restricted our list of the best frame TVs to just three, because these are the only models on our list that we'd really define as qualifying for the label of the best art tv. They are pretty expensive, though, so if you'd rather just buy a standard television, check out our guide to the best TVs.

Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Our expert review:

The Samsung Frame is hands-down the best frame TV available today. The super-thin bezels give your frame an elegant look. In fact, if you placed it next to a normal frame, you'd be hard to tell the difference without a close look. It certainly doesn't look anything like a normal TV set. If you don't like the default you can also choose different colour options for the frame beyond the default black, although you will have to pay extra.

To get artistic content for your display, you can take out an Art Model subscription of $5 / £3.99 a month, which brings you the choice of 2,000+ artworks from the best galleries and museums around the world. Alternatively, you can add your own content for free, by loading up a USB stick and plugging it in to one of the two USB slots.

The Samsung Frame comes in a wide range of sizes: 32, 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, and 85 inches. And best of all, for lovers of minimalist decor, it has just one single cable. Admittedly, this needs to connect to a box that you'll need to hide in a cupboard if you want to keep your room uncluttered. (It can be anywhere within 16 feet from the TV). But if you can manage that, you'll be beautifully free of wires and clutter. Most of the ports are on the box, rather than the Frame itself.

Of course, it couldn't top our list of the best frame TVs without offering an excellent picture, in both senses of the word. The 4K resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 makes for sharp and detailed images, and the anti-glare, matte display means you can enjoy your artwork even under bright lights.

With Quantum HDR, a 120Hz refresh rate, an impressive colour range and strong contrast, it works great as a TV too. You also get a remote and voice assistance via Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The Dolby Atmos speakers are decent as well, although cinephiles and audiophiles may want to invest in a separate soundbar.

And here we encounter the main downside of the Samsung Frame over a normal TV: the amount of money it may end up costing you.

The price of the set itself is considerably more than a normal 4K TV of this size. You'll also have to pay extra if you want to swap the black bezels for a different shade. And then there's the matter of installation. Yes, the Samsung Frame does come with a wall mount which places your frame TV beautifully flush to the wall. But you'll need to drill holes in your wall to install it… or pay someone to do so. That said, this remains our clear pick as the best frame TV on the market today.

Our expert review:

At time of writing, the LG Gallery was more expensive than the Samsung Frame. But both do the same job, allowing you to display art when the TV is not in use, and can be mounted flush to the wall using an included mount. And both offer 4K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Atmos,

So what are you getting with the LG that's better?

Well, the main thing is that the LG's OLED EVO panel is superior to Samsung's QLED screen, which offers better brightness, contrast and colours overall, particularly its deep, rich, inky blacks. Its processor is great at adjusting these levels to the environment the TV is in. It auto-optimises the sound too.

That said, the advantages of LG's OLED over Samsung's QLED aren't all one way. While the LG does offer better brightness, only Samsung has a matte screen to help prevent screen glare. There's also a more limited range of screen size, namely 55, 65, 77 and 83 inches.

However, what you gain with the LG in terms of picture quality, you lose in terms of the range of artworks you're able to display. LG builds a limited set of artwork into the set, which is nice because you can get going immediately and don't need to pay a subscription. But that's all you can do: you're not able to add your own pictures via USB like you can with the Samsung.

Perhaps more significantly, in LG Gallery Mode you can’t choose one picture to keep up at all times. Instead, the LG simply rotates through them, and so unlike the Samsung, nobody's going to be fooled that they're looking at a real work of art; it's basically a big carousel-style screensaver.

Watching your budget? Then you'll want to check out the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, as it's over half the price of the Samsung Frame at time of writing, but still does basically the same job, with the same 4K picture resolution.

Best of all, you won't need to take out a subscription but will be able to access 1,500 pieces of art for free.

As you might expect, though, you'll be making some compromises. The overall design isn't as sleek and sophisticated as the Samsung or the LG, with only three of the four bezels being ultra-thin; the one on the bottom is much chunkier. Also, there are only two sizes to choose from: 65 and 75 inches. You can't customise the frame. And the wall mount isn't included, although you do get a stand.

Furthermore, the picture quality from the QLED display is pretty good for a mid-range TV, but nothing special, and certainly not up to the standard of the Samsung and LG models on this list. The same goes for the 8W speakers which are fine, but audiophiles will want to add a sound bar. Finally, gamers should note that the refresh rate is half of these rivals, at just 60Hz.

Given the competitive price, though, this frame TV offers great value. And the large selection of art you don't have to pay for is a lovely icing on the cake. So overall, this is definitely the best cheap frame TV we can recommend today.

A frame TV is a smart TV that has a design based on thin bezels. This makes it look like a real picture frame when it's turned off. That way, not only can you use it to consume all your normal content, but it can display artwork much like a normal picture frame when not in use.

Yes, a frame TV is an actual TV. It can display all your favourite shows, movies, and games, just like any other TV. It's called a frame TV because it has a thin, bezel-less design and can be mounted flush to a wall, making it look like similar to a real picture frame when it's turned off. That allows it to transform into a piece of art when not in use. This makes it a great choice for people who want a TV that can blend in with their décor and display a variety of content.

Frame TVs are generally more expensive to buy than traditional TVs. You may also need to buy extras such as a wall-mount and a digital art subscription to provide content to display when in 'art mode'. If you're not good at DIY (or just don't want to risk accidental damage), you'll probably need to pay a professional to fix it flush against the wall.

Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.