In Kate’s Hisense Canvas TV review, she’ll refer back to her previous Samsung Frame TV videos to see if the more affordable Google-powered “art tv” is a better value. Art TV screensavers can technically turn any TV into a Frame (especially if you know how to add a frame to your TV) but the Canvas TV QLED S7N with its matte display promises a one-stop solution for a screen that won’t ruin your home aesthetic. That said, there are some caveats to look out for.
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TechTranscript
00:00Times have changed my friends, you no longer need to get the Samsung frame TV in order to get in on the art TV trend.
00:07And, as it turns out, you also don't need to spend as much.
00:11I have here the Hisense Canvas TV.
00:13I'll take you through my reasons to buy and skip based on the value proposition it makes compared to Samsung's frame.
00:19Because I already know that some of you watching have wanted a frame TV for maybe a couple years now.
00:25But now that you see that there's finally a more affordable alternative, you want to know if it's actually worth getting.
00:31Let's talk about it.
00:33Number one reason to get a Canvas TV, it is objectively a good value if you're specifically looking for an art-first or aesthetic-first TV.
00:42It starts at $999 for the 55-inch version you see here, though I've already seen it on sale often for $799,
00:50compared to the frame that at full MSRP is $1499 for the same size.
00:55I just checked on Amazon, you can also get the 65-inch size under $1000 right now, so I'll link that deal in the description.
01:02A big thing for me is that this wooden frame comes included, whereas with the frame,
01:07you could and will be spending a few hundred dollars to get the bezel and look that you want as an add-on.
01:13If you don't like this color of wood finish, you're kind of out of luck for now.
01:17Hisense does say that there are more options coming in the future,
01:20but if this is a vibe that works for you, it personally works for me.
01:23I think it'll really satisfy out of the box.
01:26It's just so great that you don't have to pay an extra premium to get the frame effect.
01:30If you couldn't tell, that is my biggest eye roll at the frame.
01:34Another thing value-wise is that the 300-plus piece art collection on this TV is entirely free.
01:40No memberships or paid art like you'll need in order to fully appreciate the frame.
01:45Those savings do come with some trade-offs that I'll get to in the second half of this video,
01:49but overall, if you're talking about a frame TV alternative for several hundred dollars less,
01:54the Canvas TV seems to have a lot to offer.
01:57For the sake of filming in the studio, the Canvas TV is set up on a pair of included feet,
02:02but I imagine most people getting this would want to mount it on the wall so it actually looks like art.
02:08It comes with this flush wall mount magnetic system, but it's a pretty compact whole thing altogether.
02:14You will need to install these into the stud. All the screws come included,
02:18but from there, you'll basically hook these onto the mount, and you'll have that perfect flush look.
02:23Plus, all of the ports are integrated, so you don't have to get fussy with an external input box.
02:27I imagine that could be intimidating to some, but this whole thing together is very beginner-friendly.
02:32There is a big caveat about that. Again, more on that in a bit.
02:36But I think what more people will be happy about is since this is a Google TV,
02:40it's really easy to get signed in, set up with your Google account.
02:44If you have other Google Home devices, it'll join your ecosystem.
02:47Everything will play nice together, and I happen to think that Google TV is one of the best TV platforms
02:52for learning your preferences and helping you jump back into whatever it is you were last watching.
02:57Also, if you live in a multi-person household where everyone likes to watch different things,
03:01the ability to go over here, add accounts, make profiles is also a huge plus.
03:06If you've watched my TV videos before, you know I always like to take a close look at the remote.
03:11It gets overlooked a lot, but it's the thing that you're interfacing with the most,
03:15so I can really appreciate when great care has been taken to get it right.
03:20I think Hisense has done remotes well for a few years now.
03:23It's one of the only few brands that still does a backlit remote across a lot of its lineup,
03:27including, yes, the one for the Canvas TV.
03:30We've got some dedicated launchers for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+,
03:34services that I use all the time, plus a button that launches the art mode
03:38and an additional favorite button that you can customize in the TV settings,
03:42something that very few other TVs even offer.
03:45The only edge the Frame has in this regard is that the remote is rechargeable,
03:49as are most of Samsung TV remotes, which is by no means a small thing.
03:53But I think from the perspective of overall usability, a lot of other TV manufacturers should take note.
03:59Those are my biggest pros for the Canvas TV.
04:02Are you surprised by anything I've covered so far? Let me know.
04:05Otherwise, it's time to get into the reasons you might want to skip.
04:09I went over this in my Frame TV review, but I'll say it again.
04:12Art TVs are not the TVs to get if you're concerned with having the best picture quality possible.
04:17You'll see the 4K QLED buzzwords, but don't let that fool you.
04:20In this day and age, you can get mini LEDs like the Hisense U8K,
04:25which offer a lot more TVs with more advanced, accurate backlighting for less than you'd spend on this.
04:31On this TV in particular, the contrast is often lackluster, with dark parts skewing more blue than black.
04:38Viewing off angle causes the colors to lose a lot of saturation as well.
04:42Nothing about any of this surprised me.
04:44And despite reviewing some of the top quality TVs that are in the market,
04:48I can put myself in the mindset of this particular TV's target customer
04:52and recognize that these picture performance shortcomings just maybe really don't matter all that much.
04:58I wouldn't go as far as to say that it's a complete sacrifice for form over function.
05:02But let's be real. You're getting this for how it looks when you're not watching TV,
05:07not how it looks when you are.
05:09On a similarly unsurprising note, the Canvas TV doesn't impress much, if at all, with its sound quality.
05:15The volume levels are actually decent, but there's a bit of distortion at higher levels from these 36 watt speakers.
05:21Look, it's not bad, but it's also not good.
05:25And like, if you're watching a big action movie, you're just not going to get that truly immersive audio experience.
05:30Samsung was having this issue with the frame.
05:32So it actually made something called the Music Frame.
05:35And that's a wall-mountable subwoofer that's just as aesthetically pleasing.
05:39For the Canvas TV, I'd recommend using the savings compared to the frame to get a sound bar that supports DTS Virtual X.
05:45I think you can even get a matching Hisense 3.1.2 channel for about $200.
05:50You can also get creative from an aesthetic standpoint and use a set of Sonos or HomePod speakers on a stand or table just below.
05:57That's just the route that I'd probably go if I were installing this in my home.
06:01Plus, in addition to the two HDMI 2.0 inputs, you get two 2.1 HDMI 4K 144 Hertz.
06:08More flexibility there than what you get with the frame, especially in terms of max frame rate support in case you were considering this for gaming.
06:15But I can already see that if you're dealing with all of these inputs here, you'll have to be really considerate with your cable management.
06:22Keep in mind that this won't be that easy to access if you've hung your TV up high on the wall to really get that gallery wall look.
06:29There's a part of me that loves everything about what the Canvas TV has to offer from a design standpoint, especially for the price.
06:36Then there's the part of me that's like, hey, this actually isn't that great at doing typical TV things, especially for the price.
06:44It's a weird conundrum to be in, but I'm guessing if you're here, you already know that you want an RTV and just want to know if you can save money instead of getting the frame TV.
06:52The answer is yes, absolutely.
06:55If you've coveted a frame TV, but the price has just always been a little too high when you factor in the premiums for the literal frame and the artwork,
07:02the Canvas TV is a long awaited, more than satisfactory alternative.
07:07The frame TV will have an edge only if you're willing to invest in doing it right.
07:11Between the larger number of total supported artworks, more frame styles, the One Connect cable management and generally better picture quality.
07:19You're looking at at least a couple hundred dollars, probably more for that split.
07:23So it really comes down to your budget.
07:25I hope this video helped you out a bit.
07:26Would love to know in the comments your thoughts on the Hisense Canvas TV or Samsung Frame TV, or if you have any TV questions you might have in general.
07:35I'm going to post an unboxing of the Canvas on Instagram and TikTok at Tom's Guide.
07:39So be sure to go check those out.
07:41That's it for me. Thanks for watching.
07:43I'll catch you next time.