Katarzyna Petru
Another competitor has appeared in the television market for the popular Samsung The Frame – this time from the brand iFFALCON. If you're hearing this name for the first time, that's no surprise. It's a sub-brand of TCL, one of the largest television manufacturers in the world, which specializes in more budget-friendly yet still well-equipped devices.
The new model is called iFFALCON Mural and is an attempt to respond to the recently fashionable "gallery TV", meaning televisions styled as paintings. It’s about a device that doesn’t look like a classic television, but more like a photo frame. It’s meant to hang flat on the wall and, when you’re not watching a movie or series, display digital artworks. Sounds familiar? Because that’s exactly what Samsung The Frame does – but for a significantly higher price.
Design like a picture, art like from a gallery
The iFFALCON Mural is designed to operate very similarly. When you're not watching television, you can switch to 'art mode', which displays classic works of art (available in the art store), generative art created by AI, or simply your own photos. This visual element is crucial for all such models – they need to look aesthetically pleasing without ruining the interior with a large black screen.
Interestingly, even though the Mural is budget hardware, its specifications do not suggest that at all.
What's inside? A lot for such a price
The television is equipped with a QLED 4K UHD panel that covers up to 93% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. It also features a refresh rate of 144 Hz and supports AMD FreeSync Premium, which means it's suitable not only for watching art but also for dynamic gaming. In comparison, the basic The Frame only has 120 Hz, while the Mini-LED model (which is The Frame Pro) is a significantly greater expense.
iFFALCON hasn't skimped on HDR formats either – Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, and HGIG are onboard. It's worth adding that Samsung – even in more expensive models – still does not support Dolby Vision.
The system is Google TV, so access to Netflix, YouTube, HBO, or Disney+ is standard. In terms of sound, it's also impressive – we have Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which is really solid for this price range.
Price that makes a difference
And here we come to the key point. Mural TV is significantly cheaper than The Frame. In the USA, the prices are as follows:
55 inches – 565 dollars (~848 AUD)
65 inches – 749 dollars (~1,124 AUD)
75 inches – 1,129 dollars (~1694 AUD)
In comparison, Samsung The Frame in the 65-inch version costs 1,499 dollars (~2,249 AUD). The difference is clear – iFFALCON offers equipment that is almost half the price, and in some aspects even better.
But not everything is that beautiful…
It’s worth noting that Samsung still has the best digital art store on the market. The company has signed exclusive agreements with several global galleries, which allows it to offer works that you won’t find anywhere else. And this could be an argument for those who are buying such a TV more for its decorative function than its technological one.
Meanwhile, there’s also the Hisense S7N Canvas TV on the market – also a “picture” type of TV, but significantly more expensive than the Mural. The 55-inch version costs 899 pounds (around 1210 dollars), so iFFALCON again comes out more favourably priced.
So do we have a competitor to The Frame, or not?
iFFALCON Mural is an interesting alternative to The Frame – cheaper, and in some aspects even better. It's a proposal for those looking for a TV styled like a painting, but who don't want to overpay for a brand. Of course, if you're mainly interested in access to the greatest works of art, Samsung is still the leader. But if you're looking for a good panel, support for all modern formats, and decent design at a good price – iFFALCON could be a perfect fit.
Source: hdtvtest.co.uk
