Samsung’s Frame TVs Are Great, But Smart Money Shoppers Buy This Brand Instead

In the early days of flat-screen TVs, many people struggled with the idea of having a large black rectangle dominating their living room. Some went as far as hiding their televisions inside cabinets, creating awkward furniture arrangements where sofas faced what appeared to be a small cupboard. Samsung’s Frame TV changed that narrative when it launched in 2017, becoming the first television specifically designed to look like a piece of art when not in use.

The Frame immediately resonated with design-conscious consumers who wanted the functionality of a smart TV without sacrificing their aesthetic vision. It offered a solution to the age-old problem of the “big black screen” that interior designers have long complained about. The concept was brilliant: a TV that transforms into artwork, blending seamlessly with your decor and elevating your space rather than detracting from it.

The distinguishing features that made The Frame revolutionary include its glare-free matte screen that mimics the texture of real artwork, an extensive library of curated artworks that you can display when not watching TV, and an ultra-thin profile that sits nearly flush against the wall. These elements combined to create something genuinely innovative in the television market.

Interestingly, despite the success of The Frame, there are surprisingly few direct competitors in the art TV niche. Beyond Samsung’s offering, only a handful of brands have attempted to capture this market. TCL offers the NXTVISION, Hisense has the Canvas, and Amazon is set to enter the space in Spring 2026 with its Ember Artline TV. LG does have its Gallery Edition OLED, but that sits in a completely different price bracket—often costing more than double what you’d pay for a comparable Frame model.

For budget-conscious consumers who still want the art TV experience, the Hisense Canvas emerges as the clear winner. It’s not just a cheaper alternative; it’s a compelling option that outperforms Samsung’s offering in several key areas while maintaining the core art TV functionality that made The Frame so popular.

The Hisense Canvas Wins on Price, Art Selection, and Refresh Rate

The most immediate advantage of the Hisense Canvas is its price point. At the time of writing, both Hisense Canvas and Samsung Frame TVs are seeing significant discounts on Amazon, ranging from 18% to 33% off across various models. The Canvas comes in four sizes: 55, 65, 75, and 85 inches, giving consumers flexibility based on their space and budget constraints.

The 55-inch Hisense Canvas currently retails for $690 on Amazon, while the equivalent Samsung Frame costs $898—a difference of over $200 for the same screen size. The price gap widens with larger models. The 65-inch Canvas is $851 compared to the Frame’s $1,598, the 75-inch is $1,398 versus $1,998, and the massive 85-inch Canvas costs $1,898 compared to the Frame’s eye-watering $3,298.

Even when comparing full retail prices, the Canvas models consistently come out cheaper than discounted Frame TVs, making them an attractive option for value-conscious shoppers.

Beyond the price advantage, the Hisense Canvas offers several other compelling features. Unlike Samsung, which requires a subscription to its art app for access to a wider selection beyond the included 30 or so free pictures, Hisense includes access to its entire art library in the purchase price. While Hisense doesn’t provide extensive details about their art collection on their website—which is somewhat surprising given that art display is a primary selling feature—reviews indicate that users have access to around a thousand artworks spanning various styles and periods.

The Canvas also includes a magnetic frame that clips onto the edges of the television. This isn’t just a decorative addition; it’s a practical feature that enhances the art-like appearance of the TV when mounted on the wall. The frame comes in a walnut finish, adding a touch of sophistication that complements most interior design schemes.

For gamers and sports enthusiasts, the Canvas boasts a 144Hz refresh rate compared to The Frame’s 120Hz. This higher refresh rate translates to smoother motion handling, reduced input lag, and an overall better experience for fast-paced content. In an era where gaming has become a major consideration for TV purchases, this advantage shouldn’t be overlooked.

The Canvas runs on Google’s smart TV operating system rather than Samsung’s proprietary TizenOS. This gives users access to the Google Play Store, Google Assistant integration, and a more familiar interface if they’ve used Android devices before. The two-year warranty that comes with the Hisense Canvas also provides better peace of mind compared to Samsung’s standard one-year coverage.

You May Prefer The Frame’s Port Handling and Picture Quality

While the Hisense Canvas offers numerous advantages at a lower price point, there are some areas where Samsung’s Frame maintains its superiority. The most significant difference lies in how the TVs handle connectivity.

Samsung’s Frame comes with a separate One Connect box that houses all the HDMI and USB ports. This means that when you mount the TV on the wall, you only have a single nearly invisible cable running to the separate box, which can be hidden away. The Hisense Canvas, like traditional TVs, has all its ports built into the back of the television itself. This means multiple cables running to and from the TV, which can be problematic when you’re trying to maintain the illusion that it’s a piece of art rather than a television.

There are workarounds for this issue. You can use cord management systems, strategically place decorative items to hide cables, or even cut holes in your wall to run cables through. However, these solutions require additional effort and expense. The port placement also means the Canvas has a slightly bulkier profile than The Frame, though it’s still relatively thin compared to traditional televisions.

The most critical factor that might sway consumers toward The Frame is picture quality. While the Hisense Canvas receives generally positive reviews, many users and professional reviewers note that the Samsung Frame delivers superior picture performance. According to RTINGS, “The Samsung has better contrast and is brighter in HDR,” which are crucial factors for both movie watching and displaying artwork accurately.

ZDNet’s reviewer pointed out that “The viewing angles are also not ideal, with colors fading quickly if you’re not directly facing the center of the TV.” What Hi-Fi was even more direct, stating that “the Canvas TV’s picture quality is a real disappointment.” These assessments suggest that while the Canvas is competent, it may not satisfy viewers who prioritize picture quality above all else.

The display quality is particularly important when you’re using the TV to showcase artwork. If the colors aren’t accurate or the brightness isn’t sufficient, the art mode loses much of its appeal. Samsung has invested heavily in optimizing The Frame for art display, and it shows in the final product.

Methodology

In developing this comparison, we focused specifically on televisions designed to double as framed artwork, rather than including all TVs capable of displaying images. This narrowed our field considerably and allowed for a more apples-to-apples comparison between the leading art TV options.

We gathered specifications directly from the manufacturers’ websites to ensure accuracy. Price comparisons were based on Amazon.com listings at the time of writing, though we acknowledge that prices fluctuate regularly. Samsung’s direct pricing was also considered, which tended to be slightly higher than Amazon’s prices. For the Hisense Canvas, we used Amazon as our primary price reference since Hisense directs customers to various retailers through their website.

To understand real-world user experiences, we consulted multiple sources including Reddit discussions, Amazon customer reviews, and professional evaluations from respected technology publications. Sources included RTINGS.com for detailed technical analysis, ZDNet for consumer-focused reviews, What Hi-Fi for audio-visual expertise, and additional insights from CNN, Business Insider, and digital art marketplace ArtForFrame.com.

It’s worth noting that individual preferences and requirements vary significantly when it comes to television purchases. While we’ve highlighted the key differences between these models, we strongly recommend that potential buyers visit physical retail locations to see both TVs in person before making a final decision. The viewing experience can vary dramatically based on room lighting, viewing distance, and personal sensitivity to picture quality differences.

Tags

Hisense Canvas vs Samsung Frame, art TV comparison, budget-friendly art television, 4K QLED art display, smart money TV shopping, Google TV vs TizenOS, 144Hz refresh rate TV, art mode television, matte screen TV, wall-mounted art TV, gaming art TV, TCL NXTVISION alternative, Amazon Ember Artline TV, LG Gallery Edition OLED, cord management for wall-mounted TVs, art subscription TV services, magnetic frame TV, ultra-thin television design, HDR performance comparison, TV warranty comparison

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