CheckMag | Five TVs that double as decor for the house

While TVs are generally not known to be decorative pieces, it is not unusual for guests to comment about their size, picture quality, and sound. However, when turned off, most TVs are just a large slab of black glass hanging on your wall or sitting on your TV console. That doesn't have to be the case as some TVs can double as decor for your house even when they are not in use. Here are five of such TVs:

Samsung is one of the leading brands for smart TVs, and The Frame TV is one of the top choices if you want a TV that isn't just a TV but also a piece of decor. The Frame TV's unique feature is its ability to display artworks from famous galleries and museums when not in use.

Thanks to its matte display with anti-reflection, The Frame TV looks like a canvas when showing off masterpieces and photos. The TV isn't constantly displaying art when not in use, but it comes on when it senses movement in the room. Another interesting feature of The Frame TV is that you can buy bezels to match the rest of your decor.

Owners can choose to mount The Frame TV on the wall horizontally or even opt for an auto-rotating wall mount (or auto-rotating stand if you don't want to place it on the wall)  so that vertical paintings and photos appear just the way they should. The Frame TV is available in sizes starting from 32''up to 85'' depending on the year and has a starting price of $599.

Buy Samsung The Frame (32'') on Amazon for $548.

The LG OLED Posé Smart Lifestyle TV is a mouthful, so we'll simply call it the LG Posé TV. Just from the name, it can be deduced that this isn't an average TV. The 4K 120Hz OLED smart TV has a fabric-like finish and sits on a metal stand similar to an artist's easel. It has also been designed to cleverly hide cables, an important addition considering it won't be hung on the wall. In addition, the back of the TV doubles as a shelf for books and magazines.

The TV runs webOS with hands-free voice control. There is support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG, and if you want to use it for gaming, there's support for VRR (variable refresh rate), ALLM (Auto low latency mode), and HGiG; and it comes with NVIDIA GeForce Now cloud gaming service. In addition, the LG Posé TV has a 4.0 channel system with front-firing speakers with Dolby Atmos.

The LG Posé TV is available in 48'' and 55'' sizes and a starting price of $1,499. The 55'' LG Posé TV is currently available on Amazon for $1697.

First released in 2015, The Serif can be described as the Samsung equivalent of the LG Posé. With an iconic design inspired by the alphabet "I' in the Serif font, The Serif has a detachable easel stand but can also be used without a stand. Owners can also place decorative objects on the flat top of the TV to enhance whatever space you put it in.

The Serif isn't just gorgeous on the outside, it is also a pretty high-end TV. It boasts a QLED 4K matte display that reduces glare so you can enjoy your TV shows or movies without distractions from ambient light. The Serif supports Multi View which lets you watch two things simultaneously including from your phone. With this, you can cast walkthroughs from your phone while playing a game or live stats for a sports game.

When not in use, The Serif has an ambient mode that displays artworks and personal photos. Other features of The Serif are 4K AI upscaling, variable refresh rate, and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Samsung offers The Serif in 43'', 55'', and 65'' sizes with a starting price of $999.
Buy Samsung The Serif TV (43'' 2024 model) on Amazon for $897.

The Hisense Class S7 CanvasTV is Hisense's answer to Samsung's The Frame. Like The Frame, it transforms into an art canvas when not in use, and because of its ultra-slim wall mount, it hangs flat on the wall. The CanvasTV allows users to choose one artwork to display or a slideshow. There's also the option to display your photos by plugging a USB drive or uploading them to the Art Mode app.

Hisense has covered the screen of the CanvasTV with a special low-reflection coating for a matte finish to reduce glare. The TV also has a sensor that detects presence, so it only displays when someone is nearby. Another sensor automatically adjusts color temperature and brightness based on ambient light. And like The Frame, it has swappable (magnetic) bezels.

On the technical side, the Hisense Class S7 CanvasTV is a 4K QLED TV with a 144Hz Game Mode PRO refresh rate, 48Hz variable refresh rate, and 2.0.2 surround sound. It ships with Google TV, making it a great choice for those who do not fancy Samsung's Tizen OS. It also has a backlit remote with a Find My Remote function and a customizable favorite key. While Samsung offers The Frame in multiple sizes up to 85'', the Hisense Class S7 CanvasTV is only available in 55'' and 65''.

Buy the Hisense Class S7 CanvasTV (55-inch 2024) on Amazon for $899.

TCL also jumped on the TV as a digital canvas train with its NXTFRAME TV. The TV has off-white bezels but TCL ships it with a light wood frame to make it look more like a paint frame. The TV comes with a curated art library, AI art generation capability, and a photo gallery mode. While most people would want to hang it on the wall, there's the option to buy an easel-like stand. The stand has detachable wheels, cable management, and a storage shelf. There are also height-adjustable table stands if you choose to place the TV on a console.

Like Samsung's The Frame and the Hisense CanvasTV, the TCL NXTFRAME Pro TV has a matte anti-glare screen. The TV has support for Dolby Atmos Audio, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG. There's also a processor that uses AI to optimize color, contrast, clarity, and motion to create images. The QLED panel has a 120Hz refresh rate and there's a 240 variable refresh rate and support for AMD Freesync Premium. The TV runs Google TV and has support for hands-free voice control. It also supports Apple Airplay 2.

The TCL NXTFRAME Pro TV has a suggested price of $1,499 for the 55'' model, $1,999 for the 65'' variant, $2,499 for the 75'' model, and $3,999 for the 85'' model.

Buy the TCL NXTFRAME Pro TV 85'' on Amazon for $2,378.