Samsung's Frame is a TV meant to look like a piece of art hung on the wall when it's not turned on. I was impressed with the 2021 version of the Frame when I tested it last year, but it still required a bit of imagination to be convinced it was an actual, dedicated piece of art. This year, however, the 2022 version of the Frame is truly elevated: Its matte display, anti-glare improvements, and Art Mode make the screen useful throughout the entire day.
The Frame TV gains some new software features including an NFT gallery to display your tokens. But beyond its glare reduction and some on-screen tweaks, there's not too much different compared with the Frame's 2021 version. If you don't need, or want, a TV to double as wall art, then you can skip this year's model. There are cheaper and more technically advanced TVs out there. If a slim, wall-mounted TV that can easily be used to display photos and paintings is of interest, however, the 2022 Frame is probably the one to go in on.
I tested a 55-inch Frame TV with the standard black bezels. It's a QLED 4K TV with HDR. It has all the modern smart features that you would expect on a TV, such as downloadable apps, AirPlay and a selectable voice assistant. The TV enticed me to watch multiple shows at once with its split-screen software. But the absolute best thing about this TV is its matte display with anti-reflection technology.
Yes, the matte display is a huge win for bolstering the TV's Art Mode. It gives the Frame the look of a hand-selected piece of home decor—more than previous models. But, the anti-reflection technology, along with the matte display makes watching shows and movies much more enjoyable in sun-filled rooms, too. My current LG OLED TV looks stunning with vibrant colors and impossibility dark blacks, but it's hard to see throughout the day because of how it reflects light.
I was blown away when I set up the Frame directly in front of the LG TV; the same angles and lighting conditions yielded no discernible reflections on the Frame. The LG TV looked like a mirror in comparison. I moved the Frame to different locations in my house to view it in various lighting conditions, and the results were all excellent. Even in rooms in which the reflections were minimal, it was much more pleasant to see no hints of objects shining on the screen.
In terms of color, the matte display doesn't seem to hamper the colors dramatically. There are different preconfigured viewing modes such as Dynamic and Movie that I found to make a difference depending on the content I was watching. While streaming The Force Awakens, the picture in Movie mode was less blown out than it was in Dynamic. Selecting Dynamic was a better fit while playing MLB: The Show on the Nintendo Switch, however.