Can the Samsung Frame Pro replace my TV? My advice after weeks of testing

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Samsung Frame Pro (65-inch) is connected merchantability astatine Amazon for $1,597.
Unlike astir TVs, it looks large adjacent erstwhile it's turned off.
Plan connected getting a soundbar for the astir immersive experience.

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My person who works for an planetary shipping institution said the breakroom astatine his bureau has 3 Samsung Frame TVs hanging connected the walls. None of them functions arsenic a television.

"All they bash is rhythm done images," helium said. "From similar classical paintings to institution photos. No streaming shows astatine all, and the information is, cipher has a occupation with that."

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My archetypal thought was: That seems similar a colossal discarded of exceptional tv engineering. Yet, his connection is simply a testament to one of the selling points of Samsung's Frame series. I tested the 2025 Samsung Frame Pro earlier this twelvemonth to analyse its different attributes, and, similar my friend, I was not disappointed.

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The "Art TV" concept

For galore years, our surviving rooms person been dominated by black, rectangular voids erstwhile our TVs are turned off. Back successful 2017, Samsung sought to alteration this with its "Art TV" conception by introducing its Frame enactment of televisions.

Samsung's design-first attack caters to homeowners who prioritize interior aesthetics arsenic overmuch arsenic earthy technological specs. The Frame bid serves a dual purpose: a high-end TV and arsenic a portion of partition art.

The Frame Pro, successful particular, has a matte show with glare-free exertion that aims to marque integer creation look arsenic realistic arsenic a carnal people oregon painting. I tin attest that it pulls that disconnected remarkably well.

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The Frame Pro's slim acceptable makes the TV flush with your partition if decently installed, but it does necessitate a wired powerfulness source; moving its powerfulness cord discreetly tin necessitate solutions similar recessed electrical outlets installed straight down the Frame.

To get the astir retired of this TV, you'll privation to instal it connected your partition conscionable similar you would a Rembrandt. And unless you are assured with your DIY capabilities, you mightiness see hiring a contractor for the cleanest imaginable installation.

What makes this TV a "Pro"?

What sets the 2025 Samsung Frame Pro isolated from its little costly siblings successful the Frame lineup is simply a important upgrade successful halfway technology. While modular Frame TVs utilize Samsung's Quantum Dot (QLED) technology, the Frame Pro boasts a Neo QLED display.

Neo QLED incorporates mini-LED backlighting, which yields melodramatic contrast, heavy blacks, and brighter, much impactful highlights compared to modular QLED. This translates to a much dynamic and visually stunning picture, particularly with HDR content.

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The Frame Pro besides has an updated NQ4 AI Gen3 processor. Samsung's pricey and almighty spot enhances AI-driven upscaling, representation optimization, and wide astute features, ensuring contented looks its champion careless of the archetypal resolution.

But however does it look?

With its costly hardware and the inclusion of Neo QLED, the Samsung Frame Pro's representation prime is, successful a word, superb.

For me, the astir awesome diagnostic mightiness beryllium the Frame Pro's anti-reflection matte display. Crucial for an "Art TV," it dramatically reduces glare, helping to marque the displayed artwork look realistic. In our workplace with overhead airy fixtures, the matte show virtually eliminated the conflict with glare. Samsung took the other measurement to guarantee the Frame Pro is "Pantone validated," guaranteeing exceptional colour accuracy -- particularly for faithful creation reproduction.

Its Neo QLED exertion allows the Frame Pro to execute levels of brightness and opposition that were virtually not imaginable with earlier Frame models. Bright highlights successful HDR contented detonate disconnected the surface with singular intensity, portion acheronian scenes uncover nuanced details that often get mislaid connected little susceptible displays.

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Black levels are impressively deep, though successful a wholly darkened room, you mightiness discern a faint hint of blooming astir highly agleam objects connected a axenic achromatic background. All successful all, the ocular acquisition is genuinely immersive, whether you're watching "Thunderbolts" oregon a vibrant quality documentary connected YouTube TV.

Plan connected getting a soundbar

The Frame Pro's audio capabilities, though amazingly competent for specified a slim device, are the 1 country wherever compromise is astir noticeable.

For casual viewing -- similar news, speech shows, oregon dialogue-heavy dramas -- the integrated speakers execute admirably. Dialogue is clear, and the wide measurement gets sufficiently large without important distortion.

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However, for cinematic movies, action-packed blockbusters, oregon immersive gaming, the limitations go apparent. The bass effect lacks the heavy rumble and interaction that a dedicated subwoofer provides. The soundstage, contempt OTS, can't replicate the expansive, enveloping prime of a existent situation dependable system. To genuinely complement the Frame Pro's awesome visuals, investing successful a high-quality soundbar is simply a omniscient decision.

When paired with a compatible soundbar, Samsung's proprietary Q-Symphony allows the TV's interior speakers to enactment successful conjunction with the soundbar, alternatively than being disabled. This synergy volition make an adjacent fuller, richer, and much enveloping soundstage, particularly enhancing your audio acquisition successful presumption of tallness and spaciousness.

ZDNET's buying advice

Ultimately, the Samsung Frame Pro brings flagship-level show to the design-conscious tech enthusiast, the creation lover, oregon anyone who aspires to found a cleanable setup. It occupies a unsocial and compelling niche successful the tv market, not simply arsenic a TV, but besides arsenic a fusion of precocious exertion and blase design.

If your precedence is simply a tv that seamlessly integrates into your surviving space, camouflaging arsenic a convincing portion of creation erstwhile not successful use, past the Frame Pro is an exceptional choice.

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If the terms tag is excessively precocious for your budget, see alternatives similar the TCL NXTFrame and Hisense CanvasTV. These connection akin matte screens and creation show features astatine acold little terms points. They whitethorn not lucifer Samsung's wide polish oregon Art Store breadth, but they are worthy investigating arsenic budget-friendly options.

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