TVs that look like art: every art TV compared
Updated September 17, 2026 · Contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
An “art TV” is a television built to look like a framed picture when it is off: a matte screen that reads as paper, a bezel that reads as a frame, a flush mount, and an art mode that shows a still image at low brightness with sensors to dim and sleep it. Samsung invented the category with The Frame in 2017; there are now real alternatives. People search for these under every name – art TV, painting TV, picture frame TV, a TV that looks like a painting, a TV that looks like a picture frame, a TV that is artwork, a Samsung art TV or Samsung art frame TV, a smart TV with Art Mode – and they all mean the same thing: a television designed to disappear into the wall as a framed picture. Here is how they compare, and what to do if you want the effect on a TV you already own.
The contenders
| Samsung The Frame / Frame Pro | TCL NXTFRAME (A300) | Hisense CanvasTV | LG Gallery / OLED | Sony Bravia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art mode | Yes – best sensors, mattes, Art Store | Yes – own library + uploads | Yes – own library + uploads | Gallery mode (limited) | Ambient/photo screensaver |
| Matte screen | Yes (2022+) | Yes | Yes | No (glossy) | No |
| Swappable bezel | Yes, magnetic, many finishes | Yes, included frames | Yes, included frames | No | No |
| Flush mount included | Yes (US) | Yes | Yes | Gallery mount on some | No |
| Own uploads | SmartThings / USB | App / USB | App / USB | USB | Google Photos / USB |
| Sizes | 32–85” | 55–85” | 55–65” (varies) | Many | Many |
| Picture quality | Fair (Frame), very good (Pro) | Good (QLED) | Good (QLED) | Excellent (OLED) | Excellent |
| Price | Highest | Lower | Lower | Varies | Varies |
Samsung The Frame – the benchmark
The Samsung art TV that started it. Still the most convincing art TV: the matte anti-reflection panel, the motion and light sensors, the largest bezel ecosystem (Samsung’s plus Deco TV Frames and others) and the Art Store’s museum catalogue. Weaknesses: price, and the standard model’s edge-lit picture. The 2025 Frame Pro fixes the picture with Mini-LED. Full breakdown: best Frame TV.
A Samsung TV that looks like a painting
Search for a Samsung TV that looks like art or a Samsung TV that looks like a painting and every result is The Frame – the Samsung art TV frame, matte screen and Art Mode are exclusive to that line. A regular Samsung smart TV with a frame (a bezel from a third party) plus Ambient Mode gets part of the way; the Samsung smart Frame TV itself gets all the way. The Samsung TV gallery feature on non-Frame models is a slideshow, not a sensor-driven art mode.
TCL NXTFRAME – the closest copy
Launched 2024. Matte screen, art mode with sensors, a magnetic frame bezel included, and a QLED panel that is arguably better for TV than the standard Frame at a lower price. The art library is smaller than Samsung’s Art Store and the software is less polished; uploads of your own art work via the TCL app or USB.
Hisense CanvasTV – the value option
Similar recipe: matte screen, art mode, teak-look frame included, QLED. Usually the cheapest of the three at 55”/65”. Library and app are the weakest; own uploads work.
LG – gallery design, not gallery function
LG’s Gallery OLEDs (G-series) are gorgeous hardware that sits flush to the wall, and webOS has a Gallery mode with LG’s images, but there is no matte screen, no proper art mode with sensors, and limited own-image support. A glossy OLED showing a still image also raises image-retention concerns. Best picture of any TV here; weakest art TV.
Sony and everyone else
Sony’s Google TVs can show your Google Photos as an ambient screensaver, which is decent, but there is no bezel, no matte screen and the TV runs at TV brightness. The same applies to any Google TV, Fire TV or Roku setup – see art for any TV for how to do it well.
What actually makes a TV look like art
Ranked by how much difference each makes:
- Matte screen. Glossy panels reflect the room; matte reads as paper. Samsung, TCL and Hisense have it; LG and Sony do not.
- Low brightness with sensors. A screen at TV brightness never looks like paint. Art mode with a light sensor gets this right automatically.
- A bezel that looks like a frame. Wood or white; black says TV.
- Flush mounting. A TV on a stand or a tilting mount is a TV.
- The art itself. Painterly, muted, textured images – the best Frame TV art list was chosen on exactly this – rather than bright photographs.
You can add 3, 4 and 5 to any TV; 1 and 2 are why people buy the purpose-built ones.
TVs that look like picture frames vs TVs that look like paintings
Two slightly different goals. A TV that looks like a picture frame needs the bezel and the flush mount above all – any of the three matte-screen TVs manages it. A TV that looks like a painting additionally needs low, sensor-controlled brightness and painterly art; that is where Samsung’s Art Mode and the TCL/Hisense art modes pull ahead of a plain smart TV with a wooden frame. An LG or Sony can be a convincing picture-frame TV and still fail as a painting TV because the panel is glossy.
Which should you buy?
- Money no object / want the Art Store: Samsung Frame Pro or Frame.
- Best value art TV: TCL NXTFRAME.
- Cheapest true art TV: Hisense CanvasTV.
- Picture first, art second: LG OLED with a wooden bezel and a screensaver.
- Keep your current TV: streaming-stick screensaver + third-party frame – bezels and frames.
Whichever you pick, the art files are interchangeable: everything on this site is 3840 × 2160 JPEG and works on all of them. The detailed three-way comparison is in TCL vs Hisense vs Samsung Frame.
Frequently asked questions
What TV looks like a painting?
Samsung The Frame is the original and most convincing, thanks to its matte screen, sensors and swappable bezel. TCL NXTFRAME and Hisense CanvasTV are close copies at lower prices. Any TV can show a painting; these are the ones designed to pass for one.
Which TVs have an art mode?
Samsung The Frame and Frame Pro (Art Mode), Samsung 2024+ TVs (basic Ambient/Art), TCL NXTFRAME (Art Mode), Hisense CanvasTV (Art Mode), LG (Gallery mode on many models), Sony Google TVs (ambient mode with your photos), and any TV via a streaming stick screensaver.
Is there a cheaper alternative to the Samsung Frame?
TCL NXTFRAME (A300) and Hisense CanvasTV typically cost 30–40% less at the same size and include a matte screen, art mode and a frame bezel. See our TCL vs Hisense vs Samsung comparison.
Is an art TV worth it?
If it lives in a room where a black rectangle bothers you, yes – it is the only category of TV that improves the room when off. If it is a media-room TV, put the money into picture quality instead.
