Samsung The Frame 85-Inch TV: Is It Worth It?

by Alex Braham 46 views

So, you're thinking about getting the Samsung The Frame 85-inch TV, huh? It's a big decision, especially considering the price tag. Let's dive deep and see if this lifestyle TV lives up to the hype. We'll break down everything from its stunning design and picture quality to its smart features and, of course, whether it's really worth your hard-earned cash.

Design and Aesthetics: Blending Art and Technology

The Samsung The Frame isn't just a TV; it's a statement piece. Its design is what truly sets it apart. The idea behind The Frame is simple but genius: when you're not watching TV, it displays artwork, blending seamlessly into your home decor. The 85-inch model takes this concept to a whole new level, commanding attention with its sheer size and elegant design. Let's talk about the bezel. The Frame comes with customizable bezels that you can swap out to match your room's aesthetic. Whether you prefer a modern white, a cozy wood finish, or a sleek metallic look, there's a bezel to suit your style. This customization is a fantastic touch, allowing you to truly integrate the TV into your living space. When the TV is in Art Mode, it displays digital artwork or your own photos, making it look like a framed piece of art. The display has a matte finish, which significantly reduces glare and reflections, enhancing the art-like appearance. This is a crucial detail because a glossy screen would ruin the illusion. The slim profile and clean lines of The Frame make it easy to mount flush against the wall, further enhancing its art-like aesthetic. Samsung's No Gap Wall Mount ensures that the TV sits almost perfectly flat against the wall, minimizing any distractions from its appearance. The One Connect Box is another clever design element. It's an external box that houses all the TV's ports (HDMI, USB, etc.), connecting to the TV with a single, thin cable. This helps to reduce cable clutter and keeps your entertainment area looking tidy. The 85-inch size is perfect for larger living rooms, creating a cinematic experience while still maintaining an elegant and sophisticated look. However, keep in mind that its large size may be overwhelming in smaller spaces, so consider your room dimensions before making a purchase. The design of The Frame is not just about aesthetics; it's also about functionality. The user interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy to navigate through the various settings and features. The remote control is minimalist and easy to use, with only the essential buttons. Overall, the design and aesthetics of the Samsung The Frame 85-inch TV are exceptional. It's a beautiful piece of technology that seamlessly blends into your home decor, making it a standout choice for design-conscious consumers.

Picture Quality: QLED Technology and Performance

When it comes to picture quality, the Samsung The Frame 85-inch doesn't disappoint. It uses Samsung's QLED (Quantum Dot LED) technology, which delivers vibrant colors, excellent contrast, and impressive brightness. The picture quality is a major factor to consider. The QLED technology ensures that colors are rich and accurate, making everything from movies to video games look stunning. The TV also supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), which enhances the contrast and brightness, creating a more realistic and immersive viewing experience. The 85-inch screen size provides a truly cinematic experience, filling your field of vision and drawing you into the action. Whether you're watching a blockbuster movie or a nature documentary, the large screen size enhances the sense of immersion. The Frame also boasts excellent upscaling capabilities, meaning it can take lower-resolution content (like standard HD TV) and upscale it to near-4K quality. This ensures that everything you watch looks sharp and detailed, even if it wasn't originally filmed in 4K. The viewing angles on The Frame are also quite good, meaning you can enjoy a consistent picture quality even when viewing the TV from off-center positions. This is important for larger living rooms where people may be sitting at different angles. The TV's processor plays a crucial role in its picture quality. The Frame uses Samsung's Quantum Processor 4K, which is responsible for upscaling, noise reduction, and other image-enhancing tasks. This processor ensures that the picture is always optimized for the best possible viewing experience. The black levels on The Frame are also impressive, thanks to its local dimming technology. This technology allows the TV to dim the backlight in specific areas of the screen, resulting in deeper blacks and improved contrast. However, it's worth noting that The Frame doesn't offer the same level of black levels as OLED TVs, which have self-emissive pixels that can be completely turned off for perfect blacks. For gamers, The Frame offers several features that enhance the gaming experience. It supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which reduce input lag and ensure smooth, tear-free gaming. The large screen size also makes gaming more immersive, allowing you to fully appreciate the graphics and details of your favorite games. Overall, the picture quality of the Samsung The Frame 85-inch TV is excellent. It delivers vibrant colors, impressive contrast, and excellent upscaling capabilities, making it a great choice for both movies and gaming. While it may not offer the same level of black levels as OLED TVs, its QLED technology and other image-enhancing features ensure a stunning viewing experience.

Smart Features and Functionality: More Than Just a TV

The Samsung The Frame 85-inch is packed with smart features that go beyond just watching TV. It runs on Samsung's Tizen operating system, which is known for its user-friendly interface and wide range of apps. Navigating through the menus is smooth and responsive, and the app selection is extensive, including popular streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more. The smart features of The Frame are a key selling point, transforming it from a simple display into a central hub for your entertainment and smart home needs. One of the standout features is Bixby, Samsung's voice assistant. With Bixby, you can control the TV with your voice, search for content, adjust the volume, and even control other smart home devices. The voice control is accurate and responsive, making it a convenient way to interact with your TV. The Frame also supports Apple AirPlay 2, allowing you to easily stream content from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This is a great feature for Apple users who want to share photos, videos, or music on the big screen. The TV also has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making it easy to connect to the internet and other devices. The Frame also offers a Multi View feature, which allows you to watch two different sources at the same time. This is perfect for multitasking, like watching a sports game while keeping an eye on social media. The Ambient Mode is another useful feature that allows the TV to display useful information like the weather, news headlines, or even a digital clock. This is a great way to make the TV blend into your environment when you're not actively watching it. The Frame also supports SmartThings, Samsung's smart home platform. With SmartThings, you can control your smart home devices directly from the TV, such as adjusting the thermostat, turning on the lights, or locking the doors. The smart features of The Frame are constantly being updated with new features and improvements, ensuring that you always have access to the latest technology. Samsung also offers excellent customer support, so if you ever have any issues with your TV, you can easily get help from their support team. Overall, the smart features and functionality of the Samsung The Frame 85-inch TV are excellent. It's a smart TV that offers a wide range of features and functionality, making it a great choice for anyone who wants a TV that can do more than just display content.

Art Mode: A Gallery in Your Living Room

The Art Mode on the Samsung The Frame 85-inch TV is what truly sets it apart from other TVs on the market. When you're not watching TV, it transforms into a piece of art, displaying digital artwork or your own photos. The art mode is one of the main reasons why people are interested in The Frame, as it allows them to have a beautiful piece of art on their wall instead of a black screen. The TV comes with a selection of pre-loaded artwork from various artists and galleries, but you can also subscribe to the Art Store to access a wider range of artwork. The Art Store offers a vast library of artwork from different genres and styles, ensuring that there's something for everyone. You can also upload your own photos to display on the TV, making it a personalized art gallery. Whether you want to showcase your family vacation photos or your own artwork, The Frame makes it easy to do so. The TV has a built-in brightness sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness of the artwork to match the ambient lighting in the room. This ensures that the artwork always looks its best, regardless of the lighting conditions. The matte display also helps to reduce glare and reflections, enhancing the art-like appearance. The Frame also has a motion sensor that automatically turns the display off when no one is in the room, saving energy. You can customize the settings to adjust the sensitivity of the motion sensor. The Art Mode is not just about displaying artwork; it's also about creating a mood and atmosphere in your living room. You can choose artwork that matches your decor or reflects your personal style, creating a space that is both beautiful and inviting. The Frame also offers a variety of display options, such as different frames and layouts, allowing you to customize the look of the artwork. You can also add a digital mat to the artwork, giving it a more polished and professional look. The Art Mode is easy to use and customize, making it a great feature for anyone who wants to add a touch of art to their living room. It's a unique feature that sets The Frame apart from other TVs on the market, making it a standout choice for design-conscious consumers. Overall, the Art Mode on the Samsung The Frame 85-inch TV is exceptional. It's a beautiful and functional feature that transforms the TV into a piece of art, adding a touch of elegance to your living room.

Is It Worth It? Weighing the Pros and Cons

So, the big question: Is the Samsung The Frame 85-inch TV worth it? The answer, as with most things, depends on your individual needs and priorities. Let's weigh the pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.

Pros:

  • Stunning Design: The Frame's design is its biggest selling point. It's a beautiful TV that seamlessly blends into your home decor, especially with the customizable bezels and No Gap Wall Mount.
  • Excellent Picture Quality: The QLED technology delivers vibrant colors, excellent contrast, and impressive brightness.
  • Art Mode: The Art Mode is a unique feature that transforms the TV into a piece of art, adding a touch of elegance to your living room.
  • Smart Features: The Frame is packed with smart features, including Bixby voice control, Apple AirPlay 2, and SmartThings integration.

Cons:

  • Price: The Frame is more expensive than other TVs with similar picture quality.
  • Black Levels: While the black levels are good, they're not as deep as OLED TVs.
  • Sound Quality: The built-in speakers are decent, but you'll likely want to invest in a soundbar for a more immersive audio experience.

Final Verdict:

If you value design and aesthetics above all else, and you're willing to pay a premium for a TV that looks as good as it performs, then the Samsung The Frame 85-inch is definitely worth considering. Its unique design, excellent picture quality, and smart features make it a standout choice for design-conscious consumers. However, if you're primarily concerned with picture quality and you're on a budget, you may want to consider other TVs with similar specs that cost less. Ultimately, the decision is up to you and what you value most in a TV.