TVs as art in a somewhat new category, defined largely by the Frame from Samsung, but there are some other contenders that are worth considering.
Back in the 20th century, when TVs were bulky cathode-ray-tube affairs, some people hid them in cabinets. You’d walk into their living room, and the sofas were turned to face what was apparently a small cupboard. Samsung’s Frame TV is the modern-day equivalent. Introduced in 2017, it was the first television designed to look like a piece of art when not in use. It immediately found its market with people who don’t want a big TV hanging around in their otherwise beautifully furnished house looking all „televisiony“.
The distinguishing features of The Frame — and other manufacturers‘ models that followed — are a glare-free matte screen, a choice of artworks, and an ultra-thin build that lies almost flush against the wall. There are surprisingly few competitors for Samsung’s crown in the Art TV niche. In fact, there are really only two — TCL NXTVISION and Hisense Canvas. Although there will be a new Art TV on the block come Spring 2026 when Amazon releases its Ember Artline TV. There’s also the impressively thin LG OLED Gallery Edition TV, but that’s in a whole other bracket — with prices more than double those of The Frame.
While the TCL NXTVISION is a good TV, we think the Hisense Canvas is the best alternative to Samsung’s Frame for smart-money shoppers. Like The Frame, it’s a 4K QLED TV with a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution and a motion sensor to avoid wasting power. But the Hisense has a major advantage over Samsung’s — it’s considerably cheaper. It’s also cheaper than the TCL NXTVISION. It outperforms The Frame in several areas, making it a smart choice for gamers and budget-minded art lovers. However, there are some trade-offs when it comes to picture quality.The Hisense Canvas wins on price, art selection, and refresh rate
On Amazon, at the time of writing, the prices of both Hisense Canvas and Samsung Frame TVs have reductions of between 18% and 33%. The Canvas is available in four sizes, so you can choose between 55, 65, 75, and 85 inches, depending on how big you like your pictures, how much wall space you have, and how much you’re prepared to spend.
