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Art mode without buying a Frame TV

The Frame made art mode mainstream, and it is a genuinely good product. But a lot of what people are paying for is software, and software is the part you can replicate on a TV you already own. Here is an honest split.

Updated For Google TV & Android TV

What is genuinely hardware

  • The matte anti-glare panel. This is the real differentiator and it cannot be replicated in software. A glossy screen reflects the room; a matte one scatters that reflection the way paper does.
  • The physical bezel. Magnetic wooden frames that clip over the edge. Third parties sell these for other TVs too, from around $100.
  • The flush wall mount. The Frame sits almost flat against the wall. A standard slim mount gets reasonably close.
  • The brightness and motion sensor. Dims to suit the room and turns off when nobody is there. Some non-Samsung sets have equivalents.

What is just software

  • Displaying art when idle. Every Google TV can do this.
  • The art library. Samsung's Art Store is a subscription. The public-domain works inside it are free elsewhere — see our guide to finding free art.
  • Mats and frame styles. Entirely a rendering choice. This is the part that makes the biggest visual difference and it costs nothing to do well.

Getting an ordinary TV close

In rough order of effect:

  1. Drop the backlight to 25–35% and set picture mode to Warm or Filmmaker Mode. This is most of the gap, and it is free.
  2. Mat the image rather than filling the screen or letterboxing it. A bevelled border with a bottom weight is what reads as "framed".
  3. Consider a stick-on bezel if the black plastic rim bothers you.
  4. Mind the glare. You cannot make a glossy panel matte, so place the TV where it is not facing a window.

What you will not match is the panel finish in a bright room. If your TV lives opposite a large window in daylight, that is the one case where The Frame's hardware genuinely earns its price.

Common questions

Can I get art mode on a TV that isn't a Samsung Frame?
Yes, for the software side. Any Google TV or Android TV can display art when idle, with mats and frame styles. What you cannot replicate is The Frame's matte anti-glare panel.
Is the Samsung Art Store worth it?
It is a convenience subscription. The public-domain works it includes are available free from museum open-access collections, and the Frame will display your own uploads at no cost.
What makes a TV look like a real framed picture?
Lowering the backlight to 25-35% and setting a warm picture mode does most of it. After that, matting the image with a bevelled border rather than filling or letterboxing the screen.
Do I need a special TV to display art?
No. The main hardware advantage of an art TV is a matte anti-glare panel, which matters most in a bright room. Everything else is software or a clip-on bezel.

Art Frame TV puts your photos and gallery classics inside photorealistic frames with real passe-partout matting, on Google TV and Android TV. Free, no account, no ads. See how it works →

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