You’ve seen the photos. Those impossibly chic living rooms where a Matisse print sits above a fireplace, and somehow, it’s actually a television. It looks incredible. But here’s the thing: buying the 65 inches The Frame TV is a weirdly emotional decision that often clashes with cold, hard technical specs. Most people buy it because they hate how a giant black plastic rectangle ruins their interior design. I get it. Black holes belong in space, not on your shiplap.
But is it actually a good TV?
Honestly, it depends on what you value. If you’re a hardcore cinephile who spends their weekends measuring nit levels and obsessing over blooming in dark scenes, this probably isn’t your soulmate. However, if you want your home to look like an Architectural Digest spread without sacrificing the ability to binge Succession in 4K, Samsung has carved out a very specific niche here. The 65-inch model is the "Goldilocks" size—big enough to feel like a cinema experience but not so massive that it overwhelms a standard-sized room.
The Matte Display: A Literal Game Changer
Let’s talk about the 2024 and 2025 iterations of the 65 inches The Frame TV. The biggest leap Samsung ever made wasn't in resolution or smart features; it was the matte finish.
Traditional TVs are glossy. They’re basically mirrors. If you have a window opposite your couch, you’re going to see your own reflection and a giant glare during the daytime. Samsung’s "Matte Display" (which earned a Verified Reflection-Free certification from UL) basically eats light. It diffuses reflections so effectively that the screen looks like actual paper or canvas.
When you put the TV into Art Mode, this matte texture is what sells the illusion. It doesn't look like a glowing screen; it looks like a physical object. You can walk right up to it, and unless you're looking for pixels, your brain kind of struggles to categorize it as electronics. It’s genuinely impressive technology that changes how we think about screen placement in bright rooms.
Why 65 Inches Is the Sweet Spot
Why go for 65? Well, 55 inches often feels a bit "bedroom-sized" once you mount it on a large living room wall. Conversely, the 75 and 85-inch versions are so heavy that they require serious wall reinforcement and can look a bit ostentatious when used as "art."
The 65 inches The Frame TV provides enough surface area for Art Mode to truly shine. Landscape photos look expansive. Portraits look life-sized. From a technical standpoint, the 65-inch model retains all the high-end features like the 120Hz refresh rate, which you don't always get in the smaller 32 or 43-inch versions.
💡 You might also like: Why It’s So Hard to Ban Female Hate Subs Once and for All
You’re getting a 4K QLED panel with Quantum Dot technology. This means the colors are vibrant—almost hyper-real. While it lacks the infinite blacks of an OLED (since it’s an edge-lit LED), the color volume is excellent. Just don't expect it to beat a Samsung S95D or a Sony A95L in a dark room. It won't. It's not meant to.
The One Connect Box: The Secret Sauce
Most people forget about the wires. A "flush mount" TV doesn't look like art if there are three HDMI cables and a power cord dangling down the wall like an exposed nervous system.
Samsung solves this with the One Connect Box.
There is a single, near-transparent cable—about the thickness of a fishing line—that runs from the TV to a separate box. You hide that box in a cabinet or a media console. All your devices (PS5, Apple TV, Cable box) plug into that hidden box. This is how you get that impossibly clean "floating" look.
But a word of warning: that cable is fragile. Don't kink it. Don't let your cat chew it. Replacing a One Connect cable is surprisingly expensive and a total headache.
Art Mode and the "Subscription" Problem
We need to be real about the Art Store.
When you buy the 65 inches The Frame TV, you get a handful of free pieces of art. They’re fine, but they’re basic. If you want the "real" stuff—the Louvres, the Met, the Van Goghs—you have to pay a monthly subscription fee. It’s a few bucks a month, but it feels a bit "nickel and dime-y" after you’ve already dropped a couple of grand on the hardware.
📖 Related: Finding the 24/7 apple support number: What You Need to Know Before Calling
The workaround? You can upload your own photos via the SmartThings app.
- Find high-res public domain art online.
- Format them to 3840 x 2160 pixels.
- Upload them for free.
Pro tip: if you’re uploading photos of your family, desaturate them a little and add a "matte" border in the settings. It makes them look like professional gallery prints rather than just a giant digital photo frame.
Gaming and Performance
Surprisingly, this isn't just a pretty face. The 65 inches The Frame TV is actually a decent gaming monitor. It supports HDMI 2.1, which is what you need for 4K gaming at 120Hz on a PS5 or Xbox Series X. It also features VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) to prevent screen tearing.
Input lag is impressively low. You won't feel a delay when playing fast-paced shooters or racing games. However, because it's an edge-lit panel, you might notice some "light bleed" in the corners during very dark gaming scenes. It’s a trade-off. You’re trading peak HDR performance for that matte, anti-reflective coating. For most casual gamers, the trade is worth it. For competitive players? Maybe look at the Odyssey line instead.
Installation: Not Your Average Wall Mount
The "Slim Fit Wall Mount" comes in the box. This is great because it allows the TV to sit literally flush against the drywall. There is no gap. None.
However, installing it is a bit of a project. You need to be precise. If your wall isn't perfectly flat, or if your studs aren't where you need them to be, you might end up with a slight tilt. If you aren't comfortable with a drill and a level, pay for professional installation. It is 100% worth the $150 to ensure your "art" isn't crooked.
Also, consider the bezels. The TV comes with a black frame, but you can buy magnetic "bezels" in teak, white, sand gold, or walnut. They snap on in seconds. They are, quite frankly, overpriced for what is essentially four strips of plastic or wood, but they are what actually makes the TV look like a frame.
👉 See also: The MOAB Explained: What Most People Get Wrong About the Mother of All Bombs
What Most People Get Wrong
People often compare The Frame to OLED TVs. That’s a mistake.
An OLED will always have better contrast. Always. But an OLED is also a giant black mirror when turned off. The 65 inches The Frame TV is a lifestyle product. It’s for the person who cares about the 20 hours a day the TV is off as much as the 4 hours it’s on.
Another misconception is power consumption. People worry that leaving "Art Mode" on all day will tank their electric bill. It won't. The TV has a motion sensor and a light sensor. If no one is in the room, it turns off. When you walk in, it wakes up. It also adjusts its brightness based on the ambient light in the room, so it’s never glowing like a neon sign in a dark house.
Practical Steps for Potential Buyers
If you’re leaning toward the 65 inches The Frame TV, here is how you should actually execute the purchase:
- Check your wall depth: If you want to hide the One Connect Box behind the TV, you’ll need to install a recessed "media box" inside the wall. Otherwise, plan where that external box is going to live.
- Wait for the sales: Samsung is notorious for aggressive sales cycles. This TV almost always goes on deep discount during Black Friday, Super Bowl season, and Prime Day. Never pay full MSRP.
- Audit your lighting: If your room has floor-to-ceiling windows, The Frame is your best friend. The matte screen will save your viewing experience.
- Budget for the bezel: Factor in an extra $100-$200 for the customizable frame. It’s not really "The Frame" without it.
- Look into third-party frames: Companies like Deco TV Frames make high-end, ornate gold or wooden frames that look much more "museum-grade" than Samsung's official plastic ones. They’re expensive, but they transform the look entirely.
The 65 inches The Frame TV isn't for everyone. It's a compromise. You're giving up the absolute pinnacle of picture quality for the absolute pinnacle of aesthetics. For some, that’s a dealbreaker. For others, it’s the only way they’ll allow a 65-inch screen into their living room.
Ultimately, it’s about how you use your space. If your TV is the centerpiece of a dedicated theater, buy an OLED. If your TV is an integrated part of a home you’ve worked hard to decorate, the Frame is in a league of its own. No other manufacturer has quite nailed the "invisible tech" vibe as well as Samsung has here. It's a sophisticated piece of hardware that manages to be both a high-tech hub and a quiet, beautiful object. Just remember to hide the box, buy the bezel, and maybe skip the official subscription in favor of your own high-res uploads.