> At a Glance
> – Amazon unveiled the $899 Ember Artline TV at CES 2026 with 2,000 free artworks
> – Samsung’s 2017 Frame TV sparked a wave of matte-screen “art” televisions
> – Hisense CanvasTV, TCL NXTvision and LG Gallery TV will launch this year
> – Why it matters: City renters can now turn giant black rectangles into wall art without sacrificing picture quality
Samsung’s Frame TV proved dead TVs don’t have to look ugly. A matte, anti-glare panel and swappable bezels let the 2017 set mimic a framed painting when idle, and urbanites in cramped apartments took notice. Now the concept is everywhere.
The Copycat Brigade
Late last year Hisense teased the CanvasTV, TCL flaunted NXTvision ads starring Van Gogh, and LG confirmed a Gallery TV for 2026. Amazon’s Ember Artline, announced this week at CES, undercuts most rivals at $899 and bundles an Alexa AI curator that recommends the best pieces for your wall color.
Key specs buyers care about:
- Matte LED screens that drink light like canvas instead of bouncing it
- Local-dimming backlights slim enough to hang flush
- Ambient-light sensors that match room brightness in art mode
- Libraries of high-resolution digital works-Amazon offers 2,000 free, Samsung refreshes its catalog seasonally
Why Tech Giants Are Going Artsy
Two forces collided. First, TVs keep getting bigger while apartments stay small; a 55-inch panel dominates a studio. Second, panel makers finally nailed matte coatings that keep colors accurate without mirror-like reflections.
Advances in edge-to-edge backlighting mean even ultra-thin sets can hide hardware. Samsung’s 2025 Frame Pro stumbled in our tests, but the concept still wows guests when the screen is off-which, for many owners, is most of the time.
| Brand | Model | Price (MSRP) | Free Artworks | Launch Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Ember Artline | $899 | 2,000 | CES 2026 |
| Samsung | Frame TV | $1,300+ | Rotating | 2017-ongoing |
| Hisense | CanvasTV | TBA | TBA | 2026 |
| TCL | NXTvision | TBA | TBA | 2026 |
| LG | Gallery TV | TBA | TBA | Late 2026 |
Budget workaround: mount any LG OLED, run a 4K art YouTube playlist, and skip the matte premium.
Key Takeaways
- Frame-style sets cost more than performance-equivalent TVs
- Matte screens now deliver studio-grade color without glare
- Expect every major brand to announce art mode by 2027
The living-room gallery is no longer a pricey niche-it’s the next arms race in TV design.
