These TVs Look Like Works of Art When They’re Not in Use

A common ask from integrators’ clients is that the technology installed be as invisible as possible and not take away from what is often a beautifully designed home and an architectural masterpiece.

However, that’s difficult to accomplish with large screens and TVs, which are often front and center in living rooms and other areas. Sure, the screen looks incredible when it’s powered on and showing 4K content in stunning quality, and you can minimize a lot of the clutter with a recessed wall mounting setup, but when it’s off, it’s literally just a dark screen.

Quite frankly, that does not achieve the idea of blending technology in with the home’s design.

That’s why the industry has adapted to create art-inspired lifestyle TVs like The Frame from Samsung that are meant to double as artwork when the user isn’t watching anything. Essentially, they pull images from a library of artwork, and coupled with a decorative frame, the display is transformed into a piece of art.

According to Mike Gleason, director of sales for Chinese TV manufacturer Skyworth’s U.S. business, there is plenty of room to be second to Samsung in this category.

In many high-end projects within the CEDIA channel, integrators are often working alongside interior decorators, who care very much about what home technology projects look like when they’re not in use.

“They’re building out the rest of the room, and you have this big TV that’s usually ugly, and they want the rest of the room to match what they’re trying to create,” Gleason says.

The trend is somewhat related to the miniature digital picture frames that were popular a handful of years ago.

“When people figured out that they could get art that changes and it doesn’t cost them $30,000 to put a piece of art in their house, it really provides flexibility and creativity for your home,” Gleason says.

That’s why Skyworth recently announced the C1, a slim-framed Google TV designed to look like a piece of art when not in use (Read below for more on this TV). In fact, TCL and Hisense also recently announced similar TVs that the companies will be showcasing at CEDIA Expo 2024.

A Quick List of Art TVs

Samsung The Frame

• Sizes: 43”, 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 85”
• Price: $999-$4,299.99
• OS: TizenOS

The Frame from Samsung is the leader in this category, and is the oldest, as it was first introduced in 2017. The TV features customizable frame options, an Art Mode when the TV isn’t being used as a TV, a brightness sensor to adjust to ambient lighting, power-saving mode, and a wall mount that makes it look like a picture frame.

TCL NXTFRAME

• Sizes: 55”, 65”, 75”, 85”
• Price: $1,999.99-$4,999.99.
• OS: Google TV

The NXTFRAME from TCL was recently released, featuring an off-white frame and a light wood-colored magnetic frame. An included wall mount, high matte anti-reflective screen, an art library, AI art capabilities, and personal photo gallery mode. The NXTFRAME can display a rotation of artwork, including a pre-loaded library of artwork with adjustable matting styles, several static and motion personal photo gallery options, screen saver mode and background music capability. The Pro models feature a soundbar and subwoofer co-developed by TCL and audio giant Bang & Olufsen, so this TV sounds as good as it looks.

Hisense Canvas TV

• Sizes: 55”, 65”
• Price: $1,999.99-$4,999.99
• OS: Google TV

The recently announced 4K QLED Hisense Canvas TV features Quantum Dot Color technology, a Hi-Matte anti-glare screen and a 144 Hz refresh rate. CanvasTV’s embedded Google TV offers control of smart home devices set up with Google Home via Google Assistant. CanvasTV also includes a teak frame with optional, magnetically attached additional frames for customization and versatile wall-mounting options. Key features include automatic brightness adjustment via a light sensor and an energy-saving motion sensor that turns off the screen when the room is empty.

LG OLED evo G4

• Sizes: 55”, 65”, 77”, 83”, 97”
• Price: $2,299.99, $2,799.99, $4,299.99, $5,999.99, $24,999.99
• OS: webOS

LG hasn’t quite made a TV in this same category, instead simply including an art gallery display mode in its Gallery Edition TVs (in addition to some other home appliances), most recently the G4. The company seems to focus more on performance and specs than some others on this list, and the price may reflect that. According to LG, the OLED G4 features a contemporary LG design that leaves no gap when it is mounted on a wall. Users can display paintings, photos and other content to “blend the LG OLED evo G4” into their surroundings. The LG OLED evo C4 offer similar features.

Skyworth C1

• Sizes: 55”, 65”
• Price: $1,200-$1,600
• OS: Google TV

In addition to featuring QLED 4K video quality, the slim-framed, 29mm Skyworth Canvas Art TV features the ability to showcase digital art and favorite photos when not being used as a TV. Rather than just a black screen, the TV is designed to look like a piece of art hanging on the wall. The all-in-one C1 Canvas Art TV includes a flush mount design without an external connection box for a clean look, and all of the connectivity ports are at the back of the TV. Installers can also mount the slim, 1/8-inch bezel TV flush against the wall without breaking through walls or drilling unnecessary holes, the company says.

C Seed N1

Sizes: 103”, 137”, 165”

Price: Up to $200,000

OS: N/A

The C Seed N1 is a bit different from the other TVs in this category in that it doesn’t offer the ability to display art when it’s not in use. Rather, the microLED TV unfolds from an elegant base to sizes ranging from 103 inches to 165 inches. When the TV is folded into its base, it looks like a contemporary sculpture or fine furniture. When it’s folded out, the N1 uses cutting-edge microLED technology and advanced video processing to create true-life images with a color processing depth of 16 bit per color and advanced HDR and HDR10+ processing for a superior viewing experience. There’s also an outdoor counterpart to this TV that looks just as striking.