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Irish Mirror

Lifestyle

Mark Kavanagh

Samsung The Frame review: a high spec TV that’s also a work of art

Samsung Disney Netflix

Last year I reviewed the Samsung S95B 66in quantum dot OLED TV and it blew my mind.

It blended premium quality picture quality with a stylish design, nifty voice remote and plenty of cutting-edge smart tech and in my review I dubbed it “one of the most fantastic TVs I have ever experienced.”

It was so amazing that I was hesitant to later test Samsung’s The Frame 55in TV (2022, QE55LS03 model) for several weeks.

That’s because I didn’t see how The Frame could come close to what the S95B offered.

The S95B is a QD-OLED TV which marries the advantages of traditional OLED TVs – high contrast, deep blacks, and unlimited viewing angles – with the higher peak brightness and more vibrant colours you often get with QLED TVs.

However, I took The Frame into my home for a couple of weeks and discovered it is a superb piece of kit in its own right.

It is a stunning slim, customisable, 4K QLED TV and it’s unique selling point – the reason it’s called The Frame – is that can be dressed in a variety of art-style frames for wall-hanging.

It comes with the Bezel, designed to make your telly indistinguishable from a modern picture frame in every detail and allow it to seamlessly blend with any room décor.

When mounted on your wall, there’s virtually no gap between this pristine TV and the wall, and the Bezel is so thin it can be mistaken for a true picture frame.

In Art mode, you will find a selection of complimentary digital artworks, with the option of subscribing to the Samsung Art Store for €5.99 each month to unlock 1,000 more.

The QLED panel comes with an unusual matte finish that makes the artwork look more authentic.

But pick up the solar-powered remote and within a couple of presses you can go from displaying wall art to streaming Disney+ or Netflix.

Perfect for bright room viewing

And that’s because The Frame is also a well-equipped smart TV; one that is perfect for bright room viewing.

All connectivity is handled by a separate One Connect box, which is around the size of a traditional set-top box and can be hidden away anywhere within five metres from the TV.

It’s into this box that you’ll route your aerial connection and external sources, as well as power. A single clear cable connects this function junction to the panel itself.

This is a TV on which you can view the likes of Stranger things during the bright daylight and still enjoy the darker colours.

And the quantum dot LED (QLED) display panel uses its ultra-tiny dots to create bold and bright colours. It uses Quantum HDR to deliver superior contrast too.

The Frame runs on Samsung’s Tizen OS and all your favourite streaming services are built in - Disney+, Prime Video, Netflix, AppleTV+ and YouTube.

The One Remote has a built-in microphone that supports Google Assistant, Alexa and Bixby to help you search for content.

It’s a super set for watching content of all types on, whether action movies or 4K live sport broadcasts.

And it sounds great too, thanks to the Dolby Atmos support in the up-firing speakers which are also equipped with Object Tracking sound so the audio follows the action on screen.

Verdict

The Frame is a beautiful TV that adds a splash of art decor to your home while also offering excellent picture quality for movie nights and streaming binges.

If you're not planning on using The Frame to display artwork, then you're better off investing in the S95B you’ll get far superior overall performance.

But you’ll definitely not be disappointed by The Frame.