Samsung The Frame art TV gets matte, anti-reflective screen at CES 2022
It's designed to make paintings and other art look more like paper or canvas.
- Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
Samsung's The Frame TV has always offered a unique proposition. It's made to display not only your favorite TV shows and movies but also -- for some buyers, primarily -- to show off art. It has a built-in art store that allows you to purchase digital versions of paintings, photography and more, it allows you to show off your own images and photos, and it works with customized metal and wooden frames so as to better mimic a piece of wall art.
At CES 2022, Samsung is introducing the latest enhancement for The Frame: a new anti-reflective screen designed to make that art look more realistic (and less TV-like) than ever. The company describes the new matte screen finish as a "lifelike paper and canvas texture" that's "engineered to maximize light scattering surface irregularities" even in bright rooms. In my experience Samsung's non-Frame TVs are the best on the market at combating reflections, so I expect new The Frame to up the ante even further.
Read more: Get rid of annoying TV reflections with these 5 tricks
Samsung says two of its other unique lifestyle TVs, The Serif and The Sero, will also get the new screen in 2022. The company is also selling a new motorized wall mount for its TVs that orients them from standard wide, or landscape mode, into vertical or portrait mode, as well as redesigning its menus and user interface to work in portrait mode as well.
Also new for the 2022 version of The Frame is a redesigned version of the art store said to make finding content easier. A paid subscription costs $5 per month for access to more than 1,400 pieces of art from "world-renowned" institutions. You can also attach a specialized shelf to the TV.
Aside from the new screen and UX, Samsung didn't do much to improve the picture compared with earlier versions. The Frame has 4K resolution, QLED tech with quantum dots and the company's dual LED backlight structure, which lacks local dimming. Based on those specifications we don't expect it to rival the picture quality something like the QN90A, but it should be much better at showing off art.
The Frame will be available in sizes from 32 to 85 inches. Pricing and availability were not announced for 2022, but for reference the 2021 version ranges from about $500 to $4,300, depending on size, which is quite a bit more than standard Samsung QLED TVs like the Q60A.