The Frame: a television as a work of art. We had never heard of that before 2017. At NL News we wrote about this special TV before, but now we try it for the first time. NL News Anic tested The Frame. Read the review here!
Samsung The Frame
This TV is therefore intended to be hung on the wall. With most flat TVs you still have a ‘box’ behind the screen. A part where your cables go, etc. Flat, but not so flat.
The Frame is 25 mm wide and has a separate box, which you can then put in a cupboard underneath, for example, so that you can really put the screen against the wall, like tadaa… a framed painting!
You do need power. In contrast to your artwork on the wall, there is still a cable here. Both power and data go through one cable. Samsung calls this cable the ‘Invisible Connection’. The wire is somewhat transparent, but you can really see that thing running. Unless you hide the cable in a slot in the wall, of course.
Design
The frame itself consists of four slats. You can easily attach it with magnets. The frame is available in different variants. So you can change again after your purchase. I have the teak wood look. It’s plastic, but looks like wood. The Frame also comes with two legs, if you still want to place the television on a cabinet. The height of the legs is adjustable. That is useful if you want to place a soundbar underneath.
Watch art
Via the Art Mode, The Frame displays works of art when you are not watching TV. Yes, Mona Lisa is replaced here with the push of a button for Girl with a Pearl Earring. You just need a subscription to use the art gallery. That costs € 4.99 per month.
I like showing my favorite pictures in this feature, which made the TV my picture frame. A motion sensor ensures that the TV is only on when someone is in the room. Thanks to the new Matte Display, there is less annoying reflection of light sources on the screen.
Image quality
This 4K TV gives a nice picture. The colors are bright and the image gives a fresh feeling. The period that I have The Frame at home, it is next to my current TV, an LG. Both manufacturers work with a completely different technology: LG with OLED and Samsung with QLED. Still, it’s a shame not to watch the same thing on both televisions at the same time, so who are you going to call?
I called in David Attenborough and came to the following conclusion:
The deep ocean appears a deeper black on the LG (OLED), but the fresh green plains of the Pantanal are fresher and brighter on The Frame (QLED).
Share image
In addition to a good smart TV and art frame, Samsung’s The Frame has a few more features that are worth mentioning.
- Tap View: Tap your phone against the corner of the TV and you can share your phone’s image. Nice when you have guests and you want to show everyone the photos of your weekend in Paris. This is only available with certain Android models, by the way.
- Multi View: the content of two devices on your TV. This may take some getting used to, but if you often work with two windows on your laptop, this actually feels quite logical. Handy when you’re watching the new season of Sex/Life and you’re in the queue to buy tickets for The Weekend at the same time. Netflix on the left, what’s on your phone on the right. Or the kick-off of a football match on one side of the screen while you are in a video call with your friends, who are also watching live. That’s how you see them on the screen.
Power consumption
Surely a screen that is on all day consumes a lot of power? I thought so too. Yet there are a number of tricks that make The Frame smart with energy. This is how you can switch on the motion sensor: if there has been no movement in the room, the TV switches off after a certain period of time. The Frame also automatically adjusts the brightness of the image to the light in the room: when it is dark, the image is also dimmed somewhat.
Nevertheless, it remains a fact that you use more energy when you have your work of art ‘on’ all day. It would be about 30% more. To gain insight into what that means in my case, I put a consumption meter in between for 24 hours. It was a weekend day where I was in the room a lot, so I had the Art Mode on a lot and also watched a series in the evening. The Frame consumed 0.9 kWh during that time period. Assuming an electricity price of € 0.40 per kWh times 31 days, you will then end up with € 11.16 costs for electricity in a month. Which is ultimately a bit lower, since you are home less often during the week. Would I leave the purchase of The Frame for that? I do not think so.
Conclusion
You pay about € 1000 for this 55” variant. I don’t think that is extremely expensive, considering what you get for it. A good-quality smart TV: all apps are already integrated in the device (you don’t have to buy a separate Chromecast, which I still need with my LG). With the concept of the frame and the Art Mode, Samsung knows how to distinguish itself from the rest. If you like photography and art then this is definitely for you.
Still, you don’t always turn on that Art Mode. Especially when I’m sitting at the table with the family in the evening, I don’t want another screen on. And during the day, well, why would I use electricity for a work of art? So, is it a gimmick? For some yes and for others no. Samsung has succeeded in breaking free from the traditional concept of a TV anyway. With nice extras that you can get the most out of if you’re in the Android/Samsung ecosystem.
Read also:
- Dr. Tech Girl. Buying a television: What is Qned?
- Is it a work of art? No, it’s a television!
