The FrameTV (Samsung)

1,583 Views | 15 Replies | Last: 5 mo ago by htxag09
Caesar4
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AG
I'm thinking about getting this TV and looking for advice. Here are some aspects I'm wondering about:

* How does the standard frame look? Did anyone go with an upgraded frame?

* Wondering if it might be a pain to use a Roku with it. We use Roku throughout the house, mostly because of the number of available apps. I would hate to give up access to those apps (the less common ones, like Britbox, Plex, Pluto, The Great Courses, MasterClass, etc)

* Are the native apps updated according to (by/from the app provider) or is there a lag because of some Samsung process such that the apps on the TV are out-of-date? I suppose I'm wondering if Samsung imposes a delay to getting app bug fixes.

* How is the artwork subscription? Reliable? Worth it?

* How about uploading your own pics for the art mode? Any problems or dissatisfactions?

* Installation problems/regrets?
TxAg82
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AG
Caesar4 said:

I'm thinking about getting this TV and looking for advice. Here are some aspects I'm wondering about:

* How does the standard frame look? Did anyone go with an upgraded frame?

I just use the standard frame. I thought about getting one of the fancier frames to make it look more like art but I'm limited on space above my mantel.

* Wondering if it might be a pain to use a Roku with it. We use Roku throughout the house, mostly because of the number of available apps. I would hate to give up access to those apps (the less common ones, like Britbox, Plex, Pluto, The Great Courses, MasterClass, etc)

I use it with a Google TV chrome cast with no issues. In fact, the inputs are not on the back of a TV. They are on a separate box that is connected by a cable. So access is easy to the inputs.

* Are the native apps updated according to (by/from the app provider) or is there a lag because of some Samsung process such that the apps on the TV are out-of-date? I suppose I'm wondering if Samsung imposes a delay to getting app bug fixes.

I don't use the native apps.

* How is the artwork subscription? Reliable? Worth it?

Don't pay for subscriptions. You can upload any file you want through the Samsung Smartthings app.

* How about uploading your own pics for the art mode? Any problems or dissatisfactions?

See above.

* Installation problems/regrets?


It's the only TV I ever paid to have professionally installed. The included cable to connect the power/input box is not inwall rated. Which makes no sense considering the point of this TV. So you will need to order the proper $300 in wall rated cable.
Aggie_Journalist
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AG
We have a Frame TV above the fireplace in our living room and love it. It does exactly what you'd hope it would do, makes you forget there's a tv in the room at all. There have definitely been some "wow" moments when folks realize it's a tv.
A tactically placed plant covers the wire which then hangs snug along the fireplace to the equipment & outlet nearer the floor. So it's generally unnoticeable, but the other poster makes a good point about it not being wall graded if you don't have anything to hide the wire behind.

Answers to some of your questions…

* How does the standard frame look? Did anyone go with an upgraded frame? Looks good. Did not go with an upgraded frame. The picture on the tv will look better than the trim around it

* Wondering if it might be a pain to use a Roku with it. We use Roku throughout the house, mostly because of the number of available apps. I would hate to give up access to those apps (the less common ones, like Britbox, Plex, Pluto, The Great Courses, MasterClass, etc) We don't have a Roku, but the tv natively supports all the apps we've ever needed

* Are the native apps updated according to (by/from the app provider) or is there a lag because of some Samsung process such that the apps on the TV are out-of-date? I suppose I'm wondering if Samsung imposes a delay to getting app bug fixes. Not sure but I've never noticed any app bugs in 12 months of owning the tv

* How is the artwork subscription? Reliable? Worth it?We don't pay for the subscription. It comes with a some free art (maybe 20-30 options?)

* How about uploading your own pics for the art mode? Any problems or dissatisfactions?The SmartThings App is a little janky and randomly stopped being able to connect with my tv. Still troubleshooting this one. But when it was working, uploading art was fairly easy. I might have uploaded some scoreboard screenshots to gloat over friends at times

* Installation problems/regrets? We bought from Best Buy and had Geek Squad install it. They were great, even offered some advice on saving money (like don't pay for the subscription, just upload art you like for free instead)
Thanks and gig'em
V8Aggie
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AG
TxAg82 said:

Caesar4 said:

I'm thinking about getting this TV and looking for advice. Here are some aspects I'm wondering about:

* How does the standard frame look? Did anyone go with an upgraded frame?

I just use the standard frame. I thought about getting one of the fancier frames to make it look more like art but I'm limited on space above my mantel.

* Wondering if it might be a pain to use a Roku with it. We use Roku throughout the house, mostly because of the number of available apps. I would hate to give up access to those apps (the less common ones, like Britbox, Plex, Pluto, The Great Courses, MasterClass, etc)

I use it with a Google TV chrome cast with no issues. In fact, the inputs are not on the back of a TV. They are on a separate box that is connected by a cable. So access is easy to the inputs.

* Are the native apps updated according to (by/from the app provider) or is there a lag because of some Samsung process such that the apps on the TV are out-of-date? I suppose I'm wondering if Samsung imposes a delay to getting app bug fixes.

I don't use the native apps.

* How is the artwork subscription? Reliable? Worth it?

Don't pay for subscriptions. You can upload any file you want through the Samsung Smartthings app.

* How about uploading your own pics for the art mode? Any problems or dissatisfactions?

See above.

* Installation problems/regrets?


It's the only TV I ever paid to have professionally installed. The included cable to connect the power/input box is not inwall rated. Which makes no sense considering the point of this TV. So you will need to order the proper $300 in wall rated cable.


Avoid the $300 cable and just put it in flexible conduit.
Diggity
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I don't think there are any included TV cords that would technically be "in wall rated". I would also venture that 95%+ of people install these cords without conduit.

Would not be high on my list of worries.
TxAg82
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AG
You are correct. I imagine almost no tv cords are wall rated. But, this particular premium tv is designed to look like art and I feel they should have made the proprietary wire that connects the tv to the connect box in wall rated since 99% of people are going to mount this in such a way that requires the cord to be in wall.

I also agree it probably isn't a big deal to just run the included cord in the wall, but I was doing plenty of other upgrades at the same time so I opted to spend the money to install it in the safest way possible.

Other than that - I highly recommend it for a tv over the mantle in a nice living room.
nkc1981
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AG
* How does the standard frame look? Did anyone go with an upgraded frame?
I have the beveled sand gold metal Samsung-branded frame and I think it looks nice. If by upgraded frame you're referring to one of the fancier looking options like the ones by Deco TV Frames, then those look much better in my opinion, but the pricing is pretty ridiculous depending on the size of your tv. Also, a lot of times some of the aftermarket frames block or create issues with the sensor, so I wasnt going to go that route for that reason alone.

* Wondering if it might be a pain to use a Roku with it. We use Roku throughout the house, mostly because of the number of available apps. I would hate to give up access to those apps (the less common ones, like Britbox, Plex, Pluto, The Great Courses, MasterClass, etc)
I have a Fire TV Stick 4k on mine and works perfectly well. You just hit the power button on the remote and it puts the TV in art mode, so I dont think using a Roku would be any different.

* Are the native apps updated according to (by/from the app provider) or is there a lag because of some Samsung process such that the apps on the TV are out-of-date? I suppose I'm wondering if Samsung imposes a delay to getting app bug fixes.
Not really sure on this but I prefer the Fire Stick UI over the native one, so I'm usually accessing apps through that.

* How is the artwork subscription? Reliable? Worth it?
I'd say its definitely not worth it given you can upload your own art manually, and plenty of free art can be found online.

* How about uploading your own pics for the art mode? Any problems or dissatisfactions?
The SmartThings app can sometimes be a little buggy specifically in regard to uploading art, but I havent really run into any issues.

* Installation problems/regrets?
I hired someone to do it but if you have the tools its not hard. That being said, the last part where youre attaching the hooks on the tv into the wall bracket can be tricky and in looking online, lots of people prolly dont have theirs seated into the mount correctly. You really have to push down pretty hard to make sure the hooks click all the way down into the mount, and then you'll hear/see it snap into place against the magnets (if it doesnt catch onto the magnets it'll leave abut an extra 1/4" gap between the tv and the wall).
Bocaj
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AG
+1 for the frameTV

We have had ours for about 2.5 years (2021 model) and still love it. I installed it myself and ran the included cable behind the Sheetrock through one of those cable kits at Home Depot.

We have the standard white frame and I think it looks great. I can't imagine going back to a "regular" tv now.

The standard art is all we use and occasionally I have uploaded photos, but after a while I cared less about the art function than I thought I would.

We have an AppleTV that we primarily watch everything though, but I will say that I notice that the native apps always have better picture quality than the Apple TV - I have tried every HDMI cable possible and still can't get it quite as good. The native apps have stayed very snappy and have no complaints with the software slowing down over time.
BenTheGoodAg
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I'm thinking about getting this TV and looking for advice. Here are some aspects I'm wondering about:

I've got two Frames. Love them. I don't think I could go back to a regular TV

* How does the standard frame look? Did anyone go with an upgraded frame?
Personally, I think this depends on the home. Our house is more traditional and the modern style doesn't live up to it's potential. I made two custom frames to match the house and they really make them blend in. I will echo others - there is a lot of genuine wow factor when people realize it's a television. In our case, I don't think we'd get that response if we didn't add a custom frame.

* Wondering if it might be a pain to use a Roku with it. We use Roku throughout the house, mostly because of the number of available apps. I would hate to give up access to those apps (the less common ones, like Britbox, Plex, Pluto, The Great Courses, MasterClass, etc). N/A

* Are the native apps updated according to (by/from the app provider) or is there a lag because of some Samsung process such that the apps on the TV are out-of-date? I suppose I'm wondering if Samsung imposes a delay to getting app bug fixes. The apps we use seem to work for us. except we start to see some lag when we use a lot of different apps and we need to clear the cache. This generally only happens during football season when using Sling, Netflix, Amazon, ESPN on rotation regularly.

* How is the artwork subscription? Reliable? Worth it? I've never done the subscription. In general, I dislike the growing trend of subscriptions for things. I get streaming services like Netflix, but I don't understand heated seats, etc. To me, the value isn't worth it for something like this.

* How about uploading your own pics for the art mode? Any problems or dissatisfactions? - Pretty easy to do and they can look pretty incredible. The only issue I've had is if you don't scale/crop the photo to the native resolution of the TV (3840x2160), it struggled with some of the art modes (ie border vs borderless vs Shadowbox?)
- The color saturation/lighting settings are easy to make look good at a certain time of day, but as the lighting environment changes throughout a day, it may not look like a painting as much depending on the mix of natural light and interior lighting. We pick a the time of day we tend to use the room more. It's not a showstopper, just a limit of the technology.

* Installation problems/regrets? I mentioned a few things above I wish they would improve - they may have on more recent models. We have a first generation

For one of the walls, I did buy the in wall-rated cable and fished it through (Maybe $100 at the time). For the other, we were able to run it with the mortar on the brick over the fireplace. Installation was easy in my opinion.

AustinAg2K
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TxAg82 said:

Caesar4 said:

I'm thinking about getting this TV and looking for advice. Here are some aspects I'm wondering about:

* How does the standard frame look? Did anyone go with an upgraded frame?

I just use the standard frame. I thought about getting one of the fancier frames to make it look more like art but I'm limited on space above my mantel.

* Wondering if it might be a pain to use a Roku with it. We use Roku throughout the house, mostly because of the number of available apps. I would hate to give up access to those apps (the less common ones, like Britbox, Plex, Pluto, The Great Courses, MasterClass, etc)

I use it with a Google TV chrome cast with no issues. In fact, the inputs are not on the back of a TV. They are on a separate box that is connected by a cable. So access is easy to the inputs.

* Are the native apps updated according to (by/from the app provider) or is there a lag because of some Samsung process such that the apps on the TV are out-of-date? I suppose I'm wondering if Samsung imposes a delay to getting app bug fixes.

I don't use the native apps.

* How is the artwork subscription? Reliable? Worth it?

Don't pay for subscriptions. You can upload any file you want through the Samsung Smartthings app.

* How about uploading your own pics for the art mode? Any problems or dissatisfactions?

See above.

* Installation problems/regrets?


It's the only TV I ever paid to have professionally installed. The included cable to connect the power/input box is not inwall rated. Which makes no sense considering the point of this TV. So you will need to order the proper $300 in wall rated cable.


It's probably cheaper to just have a plug installed into the wall directly behind the TV.
nai06
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AG
* How does the standard frame look? Did anyone go with an upgraded frame?
I ordered via the chat assistant and they threw in the frame plus installation for free

* Wondering if it might be a pain to use a Roku with it. We use Roku throughout the house, mostly because of the number of available apps. I would hate to give up access to those apps (the less common ones, like Britbox, Plex, Pluto, The Great Courses, MasterClass, etc)
The native app works just fine, but I also use my Roku and have had no problems with it. Its just a different input.

* Are the native apps updated according to (by/from the app provider) or is there a lag because of some Samsung process such that the apps on the TV are out-of-date? I suppose I'm wondering if Samsung imposes a delay to getting app bug fixes.
I've not noticed any trouble with the native apps before. I typically use native apps for everything and Roku for more obscure ones

* How is the artwork subscription? Reliable? Worth it?
The Artwork subscription gives you access to a lot of options but the free ones are pretty good too. They periodically rotate out some free options as well.

* How about uploading your own pics for the art mode? Any problems or dissatisfactions?
I felt like it was a pain in the ass. I had to use the app to upload which wasn't very user friendly IMO (this was a few years ago). The most difficult part was finding a picture that was high enough resolution and the right dimensions. Otherwise is just looks oddly cropped and really ruins the effect of the TV

* Installation problems/regrets?
I recently moved so I had to install it myself at my new place. It was actually pretty easy. There are two mounting brackets that have lots of mounting point options depending on your set up. As long as you measure correctly its pretty easy. My new place had a built in TV cabinet that I had the top half covered over. I hung the frame TV on that (it has studs) and ran the cable behind it. I don't have the wall rated cable, but I am not really concerned as the built cabinet in still behind the dry wall and I can easily reach up and access from behind.


overall no regrets. I really love the TV.
nkc1981
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AG
nai06 said:

* How about uploading your own pics for the art mode? Any problems or dissatisfactions?
I felt like it was a pain in the ass. I had to use the app to upload which wasn't very user friendly IMO (this was a few years ago). The most difficult part was finding a picture that was high enough resolution and the right dimensions. Otherwise is just looks oddly cropped and really ruins the effect of the TV

Theres an app called Samsung Frame Art Tool that resizes pictures to the correct size needed that you could try. Ive only used it once or twice but you may want to give it a shot.
nai06
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I might have to try that out. I messed around with it about 4 years ago so it might be a lot more user friendly now.
Sazerac
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Roku works great with the frame.
I've uploaded art using the app.
Tried some art during the trial period from their store but no subscription.

Haven't been able to find a frame we really love yet. The Samsung metal ones are pretty cheap looking. Tried samples of decora brand but can't find one we love either.

Will probably move this 65" to another room once that TV goes out and upgrade to 75".

I installed a wall box behind the TV which houses the AV box so it's a clean install.
Caesar4
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AG
Any concerns about routing the Samsung cable through the wall if that wall also has a flue (natural gas fireplace)?
htxag09
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Echo all of the above. But just to add on to a couple points....

We have one of the Samsung frames and I think it looks great. Don't think it looked bad before we installed it but definitely looks better with it.

We by default use the native TV apps and have had zero complaints. We still use the Apple TV from time to time and it's interface is also pretty flawless. Just push a button on the Apple TV remote and TV will change inputs, etc. We really only do this for ESPN. Not sure why but the ESPN app on Apple TV has a lot more features, mainly being able to watch 2 or 4 things at once, then any other ESPN app interface I've seen.

Smart Things sucks. We don't do the art subscription. My wife will buy random art from people on Etsy for pretty cheap (I think like $3) especially around holidays, like she did painted hearts around Valentines. But the Smart Things app has been crap lately. If you try to upload the photo with a mat it hasn't been working for me. I've found I can upload the photo only then add the mat after the fact, though. We recently had our 2nd kid and I tried doing the 3 photos screensaver from the newborn photo shoot and still haven't gotten that to work.......

I actually thought install looked extremely easy. Everything needed for mounting came with the TV. We paid someone to do it but after watching have no doubt I could have done it myself. Hardest part was the tile ours was mounted on and drilling into it. House already had conduit running to an entertainment cabinet.

All in all, really like the TV. We're about to redo our office with built ins and likely buying a second Frame TV to act as the monitor in there.
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