The Frame: New Samsung television that looks like wall art

Televisions have come a long way in the last decade. We have progressed from gigantic plastic sets that dwarfed the living room to wafer-thin sleek metallic models. However, our desire for those fantastic large screens remains as strong as ever, and thus the dilemma endures: How do you integrate a television into the design of your room without it completely taking over proceedings?

This is no easy task, particularly in smaller homes and flats. One option is to mount it on the wall. This saves floor-space, but it does not remedy the aesthetic problem. A big black square bolted to the wall is fine in a sports bar or waiting room, but in your living room? The idea of mounting a television on the wall has never sat comfortably with me. After all it is a television, not a piece of art….or is it?

Last month Samsung launched its new ‘lifestyle TV’ in the UK called The Frame. To the casual observer The Frame looks like a tastefully framed piece of art, indistinguishable from the other photos or paintings, except flick a switch and hey presto! It transforms into a UHD television. Check it out:

Developed in partnership with world renowned designer Yves Behar, The Frame takes as its starting point the aim of seamlessly blending into your chosen décor. Rather than sitting there as a big, black, looming presence when not in use, The Frame goes into Art Mode, and offers the user the option of displaying one of 100s of pieces of art or personal photos. Each of these pieces of art can be customised with different mount settings to suit individual styles.

The Frame’s design is enhanced by several pieces of clever technology such as a brightness sensor that responds to the ambient light and adjusts the colour accordingly. This helps the artwork to appear real to the observer rather than a digital rendering. The Frame uses a ‘near invisible’ clear optical cable to connect with other devices to further the illusion of real hanging art. It can also be customised with a range of interchangeable bezels that come in black, white and wood veneer.

The Frame represents a very welcome shift in television design towards pieces that blend in with the feel of a space rather than dominate. This is what we have been looking for! The Frame won the ‘Best of Innovation’ award at the 2017 CES for seamlessly integrating into any space, and redefining how a TV can beautify the space as a piece of art.

Further information can be found here: click here

(I would love to say this is a sponsored post and that Samsung kindly donated me The Frame for review. I should be so lucky. I just think it is a fantastic design and beautifully executed idea!)