Compare: Samsung The Frame 2025 (LS03F) vs Philips OLED811

Samsung The Frame 2025 is a television unlike any other – and even though competition has emerged, it still does it best. The matte display, flush mounting with the wall, and a single thin cable thanks to the One Connect module make the device resemble a painting more than any other screen. The Art Store app continues to offer the best art scans on the market (even if they are subscription-based), and with interchangeable frames, we can adapt the TV to our interior almost like a piece of furniture. As for the picture itself, because we are also talking about an ordinary television, there are no significant changes, but also no disappointments compared to last year's LS03D model. The Frame still offers a high native contrast and solid brightness at 600 nits, which, combined with the matte finish, provides very comfortable daytime use. The colours are not as vibrant as in glossy screens, but against the backdrop of competing matte constructions – they perform the best. A novelty is the 144 Hz refresh rate, although in practice, mainly PC gamers will benefit from it. And indeed – in terms of gaming features, The Frame has almost everything: low input lag, variable refresh rate (VRR) support, auto low latency mode (ALLM), Game Bar, and a unique motion smoother designed for games. Unfortunately, not everything is as perfect as it might seem. Why? Well, because the HGiG mode is missing, which suddenly disappeared from the latest version of the Tizen system. And Samsung really should respond here because for many gamers, it’s a crucial aspect of choosing a screen. And we fully understand that. Even though LS03F The Frame 2025 does not bring significant revolutions, it remains a unique television that, aside from its appearance, offers a quite solid picture and extensive gaming features. It’s just a shame that year after year we also get new compromises.

[UPDATE] We have updated our tests of Samsung televisions from the 2025 range due to the release of software version 1131, which restored the crucial HGiG function for gamers.

Philips OLED811 is a mid-range OLED for 2026 that stands out from its biggest rivals mainly for one thing: Ambilight. The light that follows the picture and spreads across the wall can change the atmosphere of an entire viewing session. In the evening the screen seems to extend beyond its borders and watching simply gains extra charm. For some it will be a pleasant extra, for others a sufficient reason to choose Philips again. The picture itself is very comparable to what models such as the LG C6 or Samsung S90H offer when using the same type of panel. So you get deep, perfect blacks on which bright elements make a strong impression. The OLED811 can deliver powerful HDR and, importantly, after calibration the picture itself is close to the reference. There is no big advantage over the competition, but there is also no feeling that by choosing Philips for Ambilight you are sacrificing image quality.

There are also a few good changes for gamers compared with last year’s model. Thanks to the MediaTek Pentonic 800 chipset we finally have four HDMI 2.1 ports, so connecting several devices, for example consoles, a PC and a soundbar, no longer requires choosing which device will get the full capabilities of the port. Gaming itself is very enjoyable — the television responds quickly, supports variable refresh rates, and from a PC allows gaming in 4K at 165 Hz. It’s a pity that the new processor’s capabilities were not put to equally good use when processing lower-quality sources. The biggest concern, however, is the operating system. Titan OS replaced the popular Google TV and although it has clearly developed over the past year, it is still hard to call the change a positive one. The system runs more smoothly, has more useful features, and the app library already contains most popular streaming services. Nevertheless, the selection of apps is still much smaller than with Google or the competition, and in our view that remains the OLED811’s biggest drawback. People who use less popular services may particularly feel this difference.

Is it worth buying? Yes, if Titan OS meets your needs. In terms of picture and gaming capabilities the OLED811 has as much to offer as its rivals, but Ambilight gives it something others do not. So Philips both gives and takes. It adds a unique viewing atmosphere but limits freedom of app choice. If the apps you use are available, that compromise may be worth making.

The year 2025 promises to be quite interesting when it comes to lifestyle televisions. Why? Because Samsung has prepared two versions of the iconic model The Frame – one standard and the other with the addition of “Pro”. In this review, we take a look at the version without “Pro”, which – as we shall see shortly – is quite significant. The standard model LS03F lacks any local dimming technology, unlike its more expensive sibling. This is important because it affects not only the overall picture quality but, primarily, how this television handles black levels.

The VA panel used in The Frame 2025 has a high native contrast – and this obviously works to its advantage. In the tested film scenes, details in the dark areas of the image were well visible, nothing blended together, and there was no formation of a uniform black/white blob. For the average viewer, this will be more than sufficient. But of course, not everything is perfect. The absence of local dimming means that the black levels on this television are not perfectly deep – they resemble dark navy rather than tar. Additionally, in our tested unit, we noticed slight blooming in the right part of the screen, but this could simply be the “quirk of the specimen” rather than a rule. Theoretically, one could try to improve the perception of black by backlighting the screen – for example, with an LED strip – but in the case of The Frame, this is rather impossible, as this television is meant to sit flush against the wall like a picture. So to achieve a better black visible to our eyes, we are forced to watch the LS03F with the lights on. That’s the charm of this technology.

Black and contrast are categories where the Philips OLED811 showcases all the benefits of OLED technology. Each pixel lights independently and can be switched off completely, so black is simply black. There’s no grey glow or haloing around bright objects. During evening viewings this produces a great effect: stars in the night sky, city lights and text on dark backgrounds remain clearly separated from a perfectly black surround.

It’s therefore hard to expect any improvement here over other OLEDs, because in terms of black depth and contrast the result is already exemplary. The OLED811 doesn’t need local dimming or a compromise between the brightness of a small object and the black around it. Even a single bright point can sit next to a completely switched-off pixel, giving the image outstanding depth.

It’s in scenes with extensive black that the advantage over Mini LED TVs becomes clear. Even the most sophisticated local-dimming systems control larger areas of the image, so in demanding shots they can create a glow around bright elements or dim them to preserve a dark background. The Philips OLED811 doesn’t suffer from this problem.

The Frame LS03F is a television that can surprise with its brightness. The maximum luminance reaches around 650 nits, which already looks impressive on paper. But as we know, laboratory tests are one thing, and real film scenes are quite another. When watching HDR materials in natural conditions, The Frame 2025 maintains very good results. In most film scenes, the peak brightness remained at around 550–650 nits. This is a sufficient value to feel the difference between standard picture quality and that of HDR – bright highlights, reflections on water, or moonlight are presented clearly and spectacularly.

It is also worth remembering that the LS03F is a QLED television, which translates into solid colour saturation. The coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space reaches about 92%, allowing for vibrant, intense colours in HDR content. This is not the level of top premium models, but for a lifestyle screen, the result truly deserves recognition.

Philips OLED811 uses a new generation of WOLED EX panels, also found in models such as the LG C6 and Samsung S90H. After calibration we measured around 1500 nits, which is a very good result for an OLED TV. You can see this clearly in films and series. All kinds of bright flashes have the right intensity, especially when they appear against a dark background. In such scenes the OLED811 can deliver truly impressive HDR. Of course, that does not mean you will see that level of brightness in every shot. When the screen is filled with a large amount of white or a wide explosion, brightness falls to around 600 nits. That is still a good result, but those scenes no longer have the same punch as small, bright elements on a dark background. This is a known limitation of OLEDs and the OLED811 is no exception.

Colours

Aside from HDR brightness, colours also matter and here Philips performs very well. It covers almost the entire DCI-P3 gamut, which contains most of the colours used in HDR films and series. You get saturated reds and lush greens, and when watching it’s hard to find major faults in that respect. It looks a little worse with the much wider BT.2020 gamut, whose most saturated shades are already out of reach for this panel. There is also the issue of the white subpixel that the WOLED panel uses to boost brightness. With very bright colours you can see a certain washout: the colour is bright but loses some of its intensity. It is precisely in such situations that QD-OLED panels from Samsung Display have the advantage. However, in most films and series this is not something that will immediately stand out.

When it comes to image quality straight out of the box, even in Filmmaker mode, which is supposed to be the closest to reference, there were issues. We noticed clear deviations in white balance in both HD and 4K HDR content. The image was heavily skewed towards red and blue, giving the screen a characteristic pinkish tint. This effect was most noticeable in bright scenes – for example, in shots with a lot of white, where neutral light should naturally dominate. At such moments, the screen clearly took on pink tones, which is also visible in the attached comparison photo. As for the brightness characteristics – it wasn’t as bad as one might expect with such colour inaccuracies. The analysis of the gamma curve and EOTF showed a slight brightening of the image compared to the reference, but not enough to drastically ruin the viewing experience.

Film mode on the Philips OLED811 is sensibly set up straight out of the box. Most colour errors remain small, both in SDR and HDR, so you can sit down to watch without adjusting the settings first. There are no major inaccuracies that would immediately distract from the film. It falls a little short of perfection, though. The white balance shows a slight lack of red compared with green, so whites and greys can have a faint greenish tint. It is not a strong colour cast, but measurements clearly show it. There are also minor brightness deviations in SDR: some parts of the image are slightly brightened, and the darkest shades are not always reproduced evenly. In HDR the TV sticks much closer to the reference, although in places it gently lifts detail from the shadows. These are generally areas that could be improved. The factory film mode provides a good starting point, and calibration will reveal how much more can be gained from it.

After calibration, the movie mode has gained a completely new quality. The issue of the pink tint, which had been clearly visible before, especially in bright scenes, has been effectively eliminated. Colours now look much more natural, and the white balance no longer dominates the rest of the image. It is no longer the same exaggerated "box picture" – everything now has coherence and a cinematic character. Additionally, the tendency of the television to slightly brighten scenes, previously visible in the EOTF curve analysis, has been partially corrected. Of course, this is within the limits of what the design allows without local dimming – one cannot speak of perfect brightness management here. Nevertheless, the final effect was definitely closer to what one might expect from a mode called Filmmaker.

After calibration the Philips OLED811 produces an image very close to the reference. We managed to correct the white balance and eliminate the slight tint visible in the factory settings. Errors in the Color Checker measurements for SDR and HDR fell to around 1 to 2, and many samples are even below 1. That's a level at which differences from the reference image are hard to spot with the naked eye. We also improved the gamma, and only in the brightest whites is there a slight brightening remaining. In HDR the EOTF curve also tracks the reference closely, although the TV still tends to gently boost the brightness of small elements, such as stars or on-screen text. This gives the picture a little extra sparkle that shouldn't be there, but otherwise there's little to fault. It was already good out of the box, and after calibration we managed to refine most of the remaining shortcomings.

In terms of the smoothness of tonal transitions, the LS03F maintains a high standard – just like last year’s models. The television did not encounter any issues when testing more challenging film scenes, where noticeable transitions between shades of colour can easily occur. The colour gradation is very good here – both in the lighter and darker areas of the image. We did not observe the typical banding effect or other disturbances that could be distracting while watching films. If we were to nitpick, in the most demanding scenes – with subtle transitions and delicate gradients – minor imperfections can be detected. But only if one approaches the screen very closely and begins to analyse the image from a distance not intended by the manufacturer.

Compared with Philips' previous OLEDs the smoothness of tonal transitions has clearly improved. The biggest difference is visible in dark parts of the picture, which can cause WOLED panels a lot of trouble. On the OLED811 they have been smoothed very well, with tones transitioning smoothly from one to another without visible banding or contouring. That's a big plus, especially when viewing dark scenes.

Unfortunately, it's not as good in brighter scenes. That's where we have the biggest reservations: instead of a gentle transition between tones, in places you can see distinct boundaries, known as posterisation. It can be quite noticeable, and it's a shame that the improvement seen in dark scenes did not extend to the brighter parts of the image to a similar degree.

LS03F has been equipped with the NQ4 processor, which is responsible for improving image quality – particularly in lower quality materials. In practice, this works surprisingly well, especially when it comes to older content and recordings with lower resolution. Activating the "noise reduction" function yields noticeable effects. The TV effectively smooths tonal transitions and removes digital noise that can appear in darker areas of the image. Compared to previous generations, there is a clear advancement – previously, this function often smoothed everything too much, including details that it shouldn't remove. In this year's model, smoothing still occurs, but in a much more acceptable manner. Textures of materials, skin, and fabric details are no longer subdued as strongly as before – the image retains more naturalness. However, this does not change the fact that film grain is still removed by the TV, which may not appeal to everyone. On the other hand, it is no longer as aggressive an intervention as in previous models. It is also worth mentioning that the LS03F may struggle with very weak signals – for example, from VHS tape recordings or low-resolution video. In such cases, we noticed slight clipping of the image at the edges – so-called overscan. This can lead to a situation where a small part of the image (e.g., subtitles at the bottom edge) gets cut off.

OLED811 handles lower-quality material reasonably well, though it falls well short of perfection. The "Banding reduction" function helps to smooth tonal transitions and on the low setting gives a fairly good result. It does not remove bands between shades as effectively as similar solutions from some competitors, but at least it does not introduce new artefacts in the process. This is a sensible setting for everyday viewing. There is still some dissatisfaction, however, because the MediaTek Pentonic 800 chipset used here can, in other manufacturers' implementations, cope with the effects of heavy compression more effectively even at similarly low settings. Much therefore depends on how a given manufacturer makes use of its capabilities. We have a few more comments about the upscaling to 4K. There is a lot of detail, but the overall image looks rather soft. Edges are heavily smoothed, which robs the picture of a bit of sharpness and clarity. This can be partly corrected with the sharpness slider in the menu, though that will merely accentuate outlines rather than recover detail. On the plus side, there is no overscan; even with an SD signal the TV does not crop the edges of the picture.

The new feature in The Frame for 2025 is a display with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Yes – in a television that is mainly associated with displaying works of art, you can now not only watch Van Gogh but also comfortably play on a console or follow dynamic sports events. This is a definite step towards greater versatility. In the case of Samsung films, as usual in models with a display rate of 120 Hz and above, it allows you to adjust motion smoothness according to your preferences. You can set a more cinematic reproduction while maintaining frame rate or opt for full motion smoothing. The range of options is broad, allowing you to tailor the effect to your own taste – whether the viewing experience is meant to resemble classic cinema or a show on a modern theatre screen.

*this part of the test refers to the LS03FAU model in sizes 55 and 65 inches, which is equipped with a 144Hz panel, while sizes 43 and 50 inches have 60Hz displays, and thus perform much worse in terms of motion smoothness.

In terms of motion handling the OLED811 performs excellently. At 120 Hz, which is useful for console gaming and watching sport, the picture stays clear and moving objects do not leave noticeable smears. The fast response of OLED pixels helps here; this is clear in the UFO test, even on dark backgrounds. There are also motion smoothing controls. For films you can adjust the level of smoothing to suit your taste, ranging from preserving a cinematic character to much smoother motion. A separate blur reduction setting is useful for fast-paced material such as sports broadcasts.

As we mentioned earlier – although The Frame likely displays images and artworks most of the time, Samsung has recognised that a Van Gogh enthusiast could just as easily be a passionate gamer. And it must be admitted that The Frame 2025 has almost everything to become a fully-fledged gaming television.

On board, we find support for ALLM (automatic game mode) and variable refresh rate (VRR) thanks to the implementation of one HDMI 2.1 port. The television handles lower resolutions at higher refresh rates without any issues and features an extensive Game Bar – already known from other Samsung models – which allows for quick preview and change of the most important gaming-related settings. For this, it earns extra points from us. It is also worth highlighting the custom motion smoothening technology, Auto Motion Plus Game, which – and it is worth emphasising – works without increasing input lag. Samsung remains the only manufacturer that has managed to implement this feature in a practically unnoticeable manner regarding delays. The result? Much better fluidity in games, especially those that struggle to maintain a stable 60 frames. This solution can genuinely improve the gaming experience in more demanding titles – particularly on consoles that do not always manage full fluidity, especially in AAA games.

As for the downsides – the lack of Dolby Vision is already regarded as standard in Samsung televisions, so there's nothing to specifically complain about here. However, the issue is something entirely different. In the latest version of the Tizen system, the HGiG option has disappeared. Literally – it is gone. This is a significant hindrance when configuring consoles for proper HDR content display in games. It is hard to understand why such a decision was made, but one thing is certain – ~~this should be fixed as soon as possible.~~ ~~We are talking about a brand that has set standards for years when it comes to gaming on televisions. If HGiG returns – and we hope it will –~~ The Frame LS03F can confidently aspire to the title of a genuine gaming television. Not just as a wall decoration, but as equipment that truly provides enjoyment in gaming.

[UPDATE] We have updated our tests of Samsung televisions from the 2025 model year due to the release of software version 1131, which restored the HGiG function crucial for gamers.

OLED811 has almost everything you could expect from a TV for gaming. It supports 120 Hz at Full HD, 1440p and 4K, and when connected to a PC it can reach 165 Hz. It also has VRR, which helps prevent screen tearing when frame rates fluctuate, and ALLM, which automatically switches to game mode. So you don't have to dig into the settings every time you power up your console.

Another plus is that HGiG works correctly, so once HDR is set on the console the TV doesn't apply its own changes to image brightness. There's also a Game Bar to check signal parameters and quickly change settings useful while gaming. The list even includes Dolby Vision for gaming, but there is a significant catch, which you can read about below.

In terms of input lag, Samsung maintains a high level – and a very high one at that. The LS03F, like most of this year's models from the brand, achieves a score of 8 ms for 4K content, which is practically a reference value. This result allows for gaming even in the most dynamic titles without delays and with full responsiveness. Well done!

The OLED811 responds instantly. We measured 14 ms at 60 Hz and just 5 ms at 120 Hz, both in Full HD and 4K. Those are excellent results that let you comfortably play even fast online titles. Unfortunately, when Dolby Vision is enabled the situation changes dramatically: at 60 Hz latency rises to 157 ms, and at 120 Hz it is 57 ms. The first figure in particular already means a clearly noticeable delay between input on the controller and the on-screen response. For gaming, it’s definitely better to stick with HDR10.

The collaboration of The Frame 2025 with a computer is not a significant problem. Let's start with gaming, as this is where this model demonstrates its strengths – support for 144 Hz signal, low input lag, and compatibility with G-Sync technology (for NVIDIA cards) make it hard not to regard it as a fully-fledged gaming monitor. It is one of the more interesting "PC gaming" televisions available on the market in this category.

When it comes to everyday work, the situation looks equally good. The Frame handles chroma 4:4:4 without any issues, resulting in good font readability and overall user comfort. We only noticed minor problems with dimming very thin lines and dark details on a light background – this effect may occur especially when working with small interface elements. However, in practice, with a 55-inch diagonal screen and standard office working distance, it will be difficult to realistically notice this problem. Nonetheless, it is worth keeping this in mind if the television is to serve as a monitor not only for entertainment but also for precise work with graphics or text.

The Philips OLED811 works very well with a PC. The manufacturer has finally managed to implement 4:4:4 chroma correctly, even at maximum resolution and refresh rate. As a result, small text and coloured edges are legible, without blurring or rainbow artefacts caused by loss of colour information. Dark text on dark backgrounds also performs well, which is something TVs can struggle with. There are still minor imperfections related to the RGWB subpixel layout. Fonts are not as sharp as on a conventional RGB monitor, and white letters can show faint red outlines up close. From a normal viewing distance you hardly notice it, though sitting close to the screen at a desk makes it easier to spot.

The most fun, however, comes from gaming on a PC. The combination of 4K at 165 Hz, functional G-Sync and input lag of around 5 ms makes the OLED811 excellent for that. If you have a PC that can take advantage of such a refresh rate, it’s definitely worth connecting it to the Philips.

As could be expected from a VA panel, the viewing angles on The Frame 2025 are at best mediocre. The image loses saturation and contrast when moved off-axis. It's a pity because we are talking about a model that displays digital artworks in standby mode – and it is precisely in such moments that wide viewing angles would make the most sense, enhancing the experience of engaging with a real image rather than just its screen imitation.

Perhaps in the future, manufacturers will decide to introduce special coatings or modified versions of VA panels that improve this aspect – because for lifestyle televisions, it would have real significance not only in terms of functionality but also aesthetics.

The viewing angles on the OLED811 are excellent and among the best on the market. Even sitting well off to the side, you still see an image with deep blacks and well-saturated colours. This is a big advantage over LCD screens, as you don't have to sit directly in front to enjoy good picture quality.

QD-OLED panels do even better, keeping colours truer at angles. On the Philips, at greater off‑axis angles white shifts slightly towards greenish hues, but the effect is so small that it is hard to find it bothersome during viewing. We'd even say that, in this respect, we've come across the best WOLED panel unit we've tested so far.

One of the most characteristic elements of The Frame is its matte display – and it must be said that Samsung has really refined this aspect. From our experience, it is one of the best solutions for suppressing light reflections, especially direct ones. If screen reflections can be irritating, it will be difficult to find a better display in this budget than the matte panel used in Samsung TVs. Of course, this comes with a certain compromise. In very bright sunlight, colours may appear slightly washed out, and the image loses a bit of depth. However, it is something we consciously accept when choosing a matte screen – something for something. In practice, the colours and contrast on Samsung's matte screen are still better than on Chinese designs such as the TCL NXT Vision or Hisense Canvas TV. If effective suppression of reflections and the desire to use the television also as a "digital picture" in bright rooms is a priority, then there is hardly a better choice.

The Frame achieves around 600 nits of brightness, which combined with the matte finish allows the television to perform well in brightly lit daytime conditions. It may not be at the level of flagship models, but in everyday use – in a living room with plenty of light – it handles it without any problems.

OLED811 copes with daytime viewing, though in a very bright living room it has its limitations. Maximum SDR brightness reaches around 600 nits, comparable to the LG C6 or the Samsung S90H, which use the same panel. That’s noticeably more than entry-level OLEDs and will be more than enough for most people. However, bear in mind this brightness is not sustained across the whole screen; it falls with large areas of white, and our average measurement was about 392 nits.

A bigger problem can be direct reflections from windows or lamps. The glossy coating suppresses them reasonably well, but they are still clearly visible on the screen, especially in dark scenes. It doesn’t diffuse them as effectively as matte screens, so placing the TV opposite a large window is not the best idea. On the plus side, blacks remain very good even during the day. In a typical living room the Philips will cope without major issues, but with strong sunlight falling directly on the screen you will want blinds.

Classic Television Features

In terms of classic features, The Frame does not stand out particularly from the competition. There are no options for recording to USB or PiP (picture-in-picture) functionality, which may be disappointing for some users. On the other hand, the television allows for simultaneous use of speakers and headphones, which can be useful – especially for older users. The EPG, or electronic programme guide, is quite readable, and despite the lack of conventional buttons on the remote, we were able to access teletext. In everyday use, the basic functions operate smoothly and without significant complaints.

Smart System – Tizen and Applications

The Frame 2025 runs on the Tizen system, which has long been regarded as one of the most refined Smart TV solutions on the market. This system is designed with the idea that devices are more than just a television – and it has been constructed with that spirit in mind. Tizen offers full integration with external devices – supporting both Apple AirPlay and Miracast. With the SmartThings app, it is possible to control not only the television but also other devices within the smart home framework. Since last year, Samsung has also been developing its own voice assistant with support for the Polish language, which significantly facilitates operation. However, the greatest strength of the Smart system in The Frame remains the Art Gallery application. Although access to it is paid (in the form of a subscription), it offers the best scans of works of art available on the market – referring to scans, not ordinary photographs. As a result, the effect of a digital painting hanging on the wall is markedly better than in any other lifestyle television.

Smart features: Titan OS

It's the Smart TV system that is the most controversial change in the OLED811. Philips dropped the user-favorite Google TV in favor of its own Titan OS. For many people this may be hard to accept, although Titan has been getting better every year and runs noticeably smoother. We have working AirPlay, screen mirroring from a computer, and voice search in Polish. System responsiveness has improved too, though minor delays still occur when navigating menus. We suspect the infrared remote is partly to blame, as it doesn't always register commands immediately. The biggest limitation compared with Google TV remains a smaller app selection. That doesn't mean it's empty — you'll find Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, CANAL+, and Apple TV was recently added to the library. If you mainly use popular services, Titan should be enough, but it's worth checking availability of lesser-known apps before buying (list at the bottom 😉).

Ambilight

Ambilight is still one of the best reasons to consider a Philips. On the OLED811 it's three-sided — LEDs at the top and along the sides of the chassis light the wall with colors matched to what's happening on screen. In the evening it creates a great effect and can change the mood of the whole room, which is why we awarded extra points for this feature. You don't have to use dynamic picture tracking though. If you prefer calmer viewing conditions, you can set a steady white light. That's a nice option for evening sessions when you don't want to sit in front of a bright screen in a completely dark room.

Classic features

For regular TV watching the OLED811 performs well, although there is no USB recording or picture-in-picture (PiP). You can connect Bluetooth headphones and use them at the same time as the TV speakers. What bothers us most is the aforementioned infrared control. The remote itself is really interestingly designed: it has backlighting and a hybrid keyboard with a numeric section. It's a shame you have to aim it at the TV like with old remotes. For equipment at this level we'd prefer to just press buttons without wondering which way we're holding the remote. Hopefully Philips will fix that in future models.

During testing, we did not notice any major issues with playing files from a USB memory stick. The television handled both video materials and photos well. Of course, there are some exceptions – for example, a lack of support for the HEIC format (used by Apple devices) – but it is difficult to consider this surprising. One positive aspect is the full support for high-resolution photos – the television displays files with a high number of megapixels without any problems, which may be particularly significant for those looking to treat The Frame as a digital frame as well. However, during testing, we noticed a limitation regarding subtitles – the television only correctly handled files in .txt format. It is worth keeping this in mind and ensuring that the downloaded subtitles for films are saved in this format; otherwise, they may simply not display.

The USB player in the OLED811 handles most of the audio and video formats we test, so it's perfectly adequate for watching a film or playing music from a USB stick. However, our main reservations are about photos, specifically its oddly selective handling of their resolutions. The TV opened 8, 16 and 32MP files but couldn't cope with the rest. It's not that the photos are simply too large. The player can display a higher-resolution image yet refuse to open a smaller one. When browsing holiday snaps this can be simply irritating, because some of them will need to be converted on a computer first... or you could just mirror your screen remotely...😉

For such a slim television, the sound is quite good. It is full, sufficient for everyday viewing, but without much excitement – typical for flat constructions. There is little bass, although at times it can be heard. The speakers in a 2.0.2 arrangement have a total power of 40 W (in the 55+ inch version). Unfortunately, the television does not support the DTS format, so for films with that sound, one has to rely on external equipment, such as a home cinema. A soundbar can be connected, and thanks to the Q-Symphony feature, the television plays along with it. Samsung also offers visually matched models for The Frame like S700D or S800D, but they are sold separately. (This shouldn’t surprise anyone😉).

There have been a few concrete changes to the audio compared with last year’s OLED820. The rear subwoofer is gone, and the 4.1 speaker layout has been replaced by a 2.2 configuration. Despite these changes, the OLED811 still sounds good and fairly balanced. It can play louder, and the sound even seems a little fuller than a year ago. However, the bass has suffered. Although the sound has some weight, the low end lacks the depth of its predecessor. It’s easiest to hear this in films and music, when you’re waiting for a bigger punch. Still, this is well above average for built‑in TV speakers. If you want deeper bass and clearer spatial effects, it’s worth considering a soundbar or a system with an AV receiver. Philips gives plenty of freedom here: it supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS, and can pass Dolby TrueHD tracks over HDMI eARC to compatible equipment. So there are options if we decide to expand the audio setup in future.

Samsung The Frame 2025 (LS03F) vs Philips OLED811

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Colours

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Sound connection options

Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):

Senior accessibility

Classic Television Features

Smart System – Tizen and Applications

Smart features: Titan OS

Ambilight

Classic features

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements