Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED vs. Samsung The Frame TV: Works of Art

When you turn your TV turned off, you probably expect the image to disappear and the screen to go black. Some newer TVs, however, are designed to show more. These large screens can display artwork, photographs, a weather report and more when you’re not watching TV.

The best known of these televisions is Samsung’s framework, which has been around for a few years. The most recent is Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, which debuted in fall 2022. They share some similarities, including access to thousands of museum-quality works of art, as well as some differences. Let’s dive into it.

Omni QLED versions of the Fire TV Omni to add QLED screens and other image quality improvements. They also have sensors to detect when you’re in the room and automatically activate to display artwork, widgets, or other content. If this sounds scary, you’re not alone.

The original “TV as art”, Samsung’s The Frame may look more like a painting than a TV. It offers plenty of frame choices, and the new 2022 version has a screen designed to reduce glare and be more canvas-like.

The Frame: more sizes, more expensive, custom frames

The first thing you’ll notice is that The Frame costs more than twice as much as the Omni QLED at the two sizes they share. On the other hand, Samsung’s TV is available in many other sizes, from 32 to 85 inches.

• The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED TV comes in two sizes: 65-inch ($900) and 75-inch ($1,100).
• Samsung The Frame QLED TV is available in seven different sizes: 32-inch ($600), 43-inch ($1,000), 50-inch ($1,300), 55-inch ($1,500), 65-inch ($2,000 ), 75-inch ($2,600), and 85-inch ($3,500).

Note that prices can fluctuate, but you get the idea.

Samsung also offers custom bezels for The Frame, starting at $100.

Art is free on Omni QLED, but not on The Frame

Both TVs allow you to display your digital photos and other files you own on the screens, as well as ambient modes that display clocks, as well as ambient and design screens. But a major feature for each is a dedicated art mode that shows paintings and other fine art, some from major museums.

• Amazon Fire TV Omni has 1,500 works of art in its collection, and it’s free.
• Samsung The Frame QLED TV boasts 2,000 artworks in the Samsung Art Store, and the subscription costs $5 per month.

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Image quality and other features

Most people don’t buy a TV like The Frame with picture quality as their top priority, but there are a few other similarities and differences worth noting nonetheless. Both TVs have built-in smart TVs – Samsung’s own system on The Frame and Fire TV on the Omni – and use QLED technology for improved brightness and color. We haven’t reviewed either TV, so can’t say how their picture quality compares, but here are the key differences:

• Features of Fire TV Omni full local dimminga feature that generally improves contrast and HDR by independently controlling the brightness in different areas of the screen. The frame has no local dimming.
• The frame has a matte, anti-glare screen designed to control glare, and in previous reviews Samsung’s screens have been excellent in this regard.
• The Fire TV Omni has a presence sensor that detects your presence in the room and turns on automatically. It also has a far-field mic so you can issue voice commands hands-free. The frame also has a motion sensor that can turn off the TV when you leave, but it only works in Art mode.
• The frame is equipped with a slim wall bracket so you can hang it on the wall. The Omni QLED can also be wall mounted, but you’ll need to purchase the stand separately.

Samsung’s The Frame is available now and Amazon’s Fire TV Omni will ship in October.