The Frame Pro / LS03HW
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: SAMSUNG Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Tizen Model year: 2026
This review is an English translation of the Polish original. Read the original on Wybierz.tv.
Samsung's The Frame Pro from the 2026 model year is already the second version of this TV we've had a chance to test. Compared with the regular The Frame, the manufacturer focused here primarily on two things. The first is the wireless One Connect module, and the second is Mini-LED backlighting, which is why Samsung classifies this model as part of its Neo QLED lineup. So we checked what the manufacturer changed in this year's version, whether anything was actually improved, and how The Frame Pro stacks up against the regular The Frame.
7.3
Overall rating
The Frame Pro 2026 makes the most sense when you want a TV that looks good in the living room and isn’t just another large black slab on the wall. And here Samsung still does something most manufacturers can’t match. Flush mounting, interchangeable bezels, Art Mode, a matte finish and the wireless One Connect mean that when The Frame Pro is hung correctly it can really look more like a piece of decor than AV equipment. In our view, it’s the best-executed TV of this kind on the market. Importantly, you don’t entirely pay for the looks with everyday performance. The Frame Pro is bright, the matte finish handles reflections very well, so it works really well in a brightly lit living room. Colors are vivid, motion is handled very well, and there are surprisingly many gamer-friendly features for a TV that’s primarily meant to “look better.” More questions arise when you consider the “Pro” badge and the fact it’s labelled as a Neo QLED screen. From that you might expect a large jump in picture quality over the regular The Frame, but in practice it isn’t that big. The TV uses Mini-LED backlighting and local dimming, but the zones are located at the edges of the screen. That’s a completely different approach than in more advanced Mini-LEDs, where the backlight works across the whole panel. That isn’t a major issue in bright, colorful scenes. It becomes more noticeable in the evening, especially in films with many dark scenes. Then you can see that black levels and backlight control are clearly weaker than in the best Mini-LED TVs. This is where it becomes most clear that “Pro” doesn’t mean top-tier picture quality in this case. An interesting alternative is the Samsung S99H. It has a strong design focus, but in terms of picture it really goes further. Of course it also costs significantly more, so it’s not a direct replacement but rather an option for someone who wants to combine both worlds with fewer compromises. So is it worth buying The Frame Pro 2026? We think yes, but only if you know what you’re paying for. The TV’s biggest strengths are its looks, Art Mode, very good performance in a bright living room, and the wireless One Connect. If that’s what you’re looking for, The Frame Pro is a very appealing option. If the main reason to pay extra is significantly better picture quality, we’re less convinced. It’s simply a better, more refined The Frame, not a full-fledged rival to the best Mini-LEDs.
On-wall picture styling: interchangeable frames
Rich accessories: wall mount and Wiralles One Connect included
Art Store: the best art scans on the market
Matte screen finish, no reflections
High brightness: 850-900 nits
Wide color gamut (QLED)
Many gaming features: VRR, ALLM, up to 240Hz refresh rate, Game Motion Plus
Smooth and clear motion: relatively low motion blur for a VA panel
Tizen OS with many modern features
Poor black levels for a Neo QLED screen (edge-lit backlight)
Art Store requires a monthly subscription (you can work around this by uploading your own photos 😉)
Poor viewing angles (they could be improved for a better on-wall picture effect)
High input lag when using the Wireless One Connect wireless module
Movies and series in UHD quality
6.8
Classic TV, YouTube
6.5
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)
6.9
Gaming on console
8.9
TV as a computer monitor
8.4
Watching in bright light
6.5
Utility functions
7.7
Apps
9.3
Sound quality
6.4
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HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 5 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Other inputs: USB-C, Micro-HDMI Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Premium
Stand type: Legs
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Height adjustment
Flat design: Yes
Accessories: Stand, Wall bracket, One Connect Box
In terms of appearance The Frame Pro still sticks closely to the idea that has defined the whole series from the start. It's meant to be a TV that, when turned off, looks as little like a traditional television as possible. The housing is simple, flat and fairly slim, and the front is dominated by the distinctive, even frame running around the screen. On a regular TV such a wide border might look a bit old-fashioned, but here it has a clear purpose — the screen is meant to resemble a picture hung on the wall as much as possible. And The Frame Pro was designed for exactly that kind of installation. The set includes a special wall mount that lets you hang the TV very close to the wall. The back of the housing is practically flat, so once mounted the whole setup looks really neat and much better reflects the idea behind the The Frame series than placing the TV on a cabinet.
Still, Samsung also includes the classic feet. They're small, plastic and set fairly wide, so they do the job, but it's hard to call them a particularly attractive element of the design. To be honest, for such a distinctive TV they could even be omitted. One of the most important features of The Frame Pro remains the ability to change its appearance. You can fit additional decorative bezels in various colors over the stock bezel. That lets you match the TV much better to the room's decor. Unfortunately they're sold separately, which is a pity, because only with one of those bezels does The Frame really start to deliver on its idea of "a picture instead of a TV."
The wireless One Connect module also plays a big role here. Most devices and cables are connected to it, which is why you won't find the usual cluster of HDMI ports, an antenna input or Ethernet on the back of the screen itself. You can hide the module in a cabinet or place it a few meters from the TV, and video and audio are transmitted wirelessly. For a TV whose main selling point is a clean wall-mounted look, this solution definitely makes sense. Interestingly, the screen itself isn't completely devoid of ports. On the back you'll find, among other things, a Micro HDMI with eARC support and a USB Type-C port.
Overall The Frame Pro is therefore one of those TVs where appearance really is a major part of the product, not just an add-on to picture quality. The wall mount, flat housing, interchangeable bezels and wireless One Connect best show what the The Frame series was actually created for.
Select size:
5.3/10
Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 24 (1 x 24)
Result
5,400:1
Result
3,250:1
Result
3,900:1
Result
3,750:1
Result
3,900:1
The Frame Pro officially belongs to the Neo QLED family, so it uses a Mini-LED backlight. But it’s not the same kind of Mini-LED we know from most TVs in that series. Instead of a large number of zones placed behind the panel, there is only a single row of zones at the edge. In practice, then, it’s an edge-lit design that simply uses smaller diodes. And unfortunately that becomes apparent fairly quickly in blacks. There is simply too little local dimming for the TV to handle more demanding scenes well. In our measurements, contrast most often fell in the 3000–5000:1 range, so it’s hard to talk about performance on par with more elaborate Mini-LED implementations. You notice it most when single bright elements appear on a dark background. A larger part of the image lights up with them, causing blacks to look noticeably shallower, even navy. A scene from the film Sicario 2 illustrates this well. Because of that placement of the zones, the TV simply lacks the precision to show it any other way. The Frame Pro uses Mini-LED, but its black-level performance is much closer to simpler designs. It’s a shame, because this was exactly the aspect we complained about most last year.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
6/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
834 nit
Result
536 nit
Result
545 nit
Result
460 nit
Result
668 nit
You can't deny The Frame Pro one thing: brightness. We measured a maximum of around 850 to 900 nits, so the TV already has enough power to render many HDR scenes really impressively. Bright, full-screen shots and more colorful frames look best here. In those scenes The Frame Pro can make a good impression because the image is bright, strong, and delivers the effect we expect from HDR. In our measurements some scenes reached over 800 nits, and even in trickier sections the TV maintained a fairly decent brightness level.
The problem starts when HDR relies on small bright elements shown against a dark background. Individual lamps, stars, or highlights can be bright, but very often the black level across much of the image also lifts. As a result, the bright point itself may look good, but the whole frame loses a lot of quality. That is why The Frame Pro shows HDR best in scenes that are simply full-screen. If a movie or series contains many such shots, the effect can be really enjoyable. In darker material the limitations of local dimming become much more noticeable.
The Frame Pro deserves praise for its color gamut coverage. The TV uses quantum dots, a solution known as QLED, which allows it to produce very well-saturated colors. In our measurements coverage of the important film color space DCI-P3 was about 94.5%, while the more demanding BT.2020 was around 72%.
Those are very solid results that in most scenes deliver pleasant, saturated colors. Of course, these values are not as striking as those in the latest displays using RGB backlighting, but The Frame Pro makes up for that with something else: color stability. Regardless of the scene, color saturation remains fairly consistent, and there is no situation where the TV loses a lot of color in more demanding shots.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 72.1% | 94.3% | 68% | 73% | 75% |
| Film measurements | 72.2% | 94.3% | 62% | 67% | 69% |
BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
When we evaluate The Frame Pro for how it handles reproducing very bright details, it’s worth approaching this two ways. In popular streaming content, especially material mastered for displays reaching around 1000 nits, the TV performs very well. In the scene from "Billy Lynn" you can see this in the fireworks; individual light sources are well separated and don’t blend into a single large bright blob.
It performs much worse with truly demanding material. A good example is the sunset scene from the film "Pan", where the mastering brightness reaches nearly 3000 nits. In such sequences The Frame Pro already struggles to correctly reproduce the brightest details, and you can see it beginning to run out of power. You can partially improve this by changing the tone mapping from the "Static" option to "Active". The TV then handles very bright material better, but this comes at the expense of accurate reproduction of content mastered to 1000 nits, which we encounter far more often. For daily use we therefore recommend leaving the tone mapping in "Static" mode.
HDR luminance chart:
The Frame Pro's tone mapping performs adequately on its own, but its capabilities are most evident when playing HDR10+ material. Dynamic metadata lets the TV better tailor brightness to each scene, so more detail remains in the brightest areas and the image less often looks blown out. It's also worth noting that HDR10+ is much more common today than a year or two ago, so its presence is becoming increasingly important. We regard the lack of Dolby Vision as a downside, but it's not as significant a shortcoming as it was a few years ago.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: HDR10+
5.5/10
In SDR material The Frame Pro in Filmmaker mode performs quite well, though it falls short of perfect. White balance is relatively even, but as brightness increases the blue component starts to drop, so brighter parts of the image can have a slightly warmer tint. A bigger difference is visible in the gamma, that is how screen brightness is managed. Across most of the range it runs below our reference point, which means the TV brightens midtones a bit. As a result the image can appear slightly brighter and less contrasty than it should. The color errors themselves are not huge, but they are visible enough that calibration can still make a substantial improvement. In HDR content the white balance looks similar: across much of the range it is fairly even, with larger deviations appearing only at higher brightness. The EOTF curve is more revealing. The Frame Pro follows reference values fairly well in the brighter parts of the image, but noticeably brightens the darkest portions. This stems mainly from the TV’s backlight design. That also affects colors. With less saturated colors the errors are still moderate, but they grow significantly as saturation increases. In ColorChecker measurements a large portion of samples already register high error values. The out-of-the-box HDR can therefore be considered decent, but it is definitely not an image we would call very faithful.
8.5/10
After calibration the biggest improvement is visible primarily in SDR content. White balance was evened out, but the more important change was the gamma correction, which before calibration had the greatest impact on the picture's character. After adjustments the gamma response is now very close to the reference, so the image is not as bright in the midtones and simply looks more natural. Color errors have also been noticeably reduced, so the effect of calibration in SDR is clearly visible. In HDR the situation is a bit more complex. White balance was improved and over part of the range the TV tracks the reference much better, but deviations still appear at higher brightness levels. The same applies to color reproduction, as some errors can be corrected but not all result from the settings themselves. This reveals the limitations of the TV's design and the way the backlight and local dimming affect the HDR image. That's why, for The Frame Pro, calibration makes the biggest difference for everyday content. Regular broadcast TV, YouTube, and SDR movies and series (mainly those from cheaper streaming tiers) can look noticeably better after calibration.
9.5/10
In terms of the smoothness of tonal transitions, The Frame Pro performs really well. In most content there is no noticeable banding or ugly transitions between similar tones, and gradients look smooth and natural. Even in more demanding scenes with fog or dark transitions, issues appear very rarely. This is definitely one of this model's stronger points.
7.5/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
The Frame Pro uses the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor, so in terms of image processing it behaves very similarly to Samsung's other recent TVs. Upscaling works really well; lower-resolution material is sensibly sharpened and the image remains clear without overemphasizing edges. With regular broadcast TV or lower-quality YouTube clips, this can provide a noticeable improvement, although viewers watching much older material, for example from VHS tapes, may notice a slight left-side cropping (overscan).
It's a bit different when it comes to improving more heavily compressed images through noise reduction and artifact suppression for issues like posterization. The "Noise Reduction" function can improve weaker material, but fairly quickly it starts to interfere with the image and remove fine detail or grain. So it's best used sparingly and mainly when the source truly needs it.
7.9/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz: No
Brightness drop with BFI: 70%
The Frame Pro is equipped with a 144 Hz panel and, when connected to a PC, also supports 240 Hz at Full HD resolution. That’s, of course, a feature aimed mainly at PC gamers, but the TV also performs very well at the standard 120 Hz refresh rate we use for watching sports or playing on consoles. A big plus is its minimal motion blur. For a VA panel The Frame Pro does really well in this regard. You don’t see strong, dark trails following moving objects that are fairly common on TVs with this type of panel. As a result, fast sports and dynamic games remain clear in motion. It also includes motion smoothing with adjustable smoothness, so for movies and sports broadcasts you can tune the motion character to your preferences. Our recommended settings can be found in the photo.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Image flickers in this mode
Blur (1080p@240Hz):
Also available is the "Clear LED Motion" feature, which is a stroboscopic BFI backlight. In theory it should further improve motion clarity, but in practice it causes severe image flicker. For that reason we do not recommend using this feature.
9.6/10
Function-wise for gamers The Frame Pro has a lot to offer. The TV supports 4K at 120 Hz, VRR, ALLM and correctly implemented HGiG. When you connect a PC you can also use 144 Hz at 4K, and even 240 Hz if you drop to Full HD. Samsung also adds its standard set of gaming extras: a robust Game Bar that lets you quickly view and adjust key settings, and Game Motion Plus, which can improve the smoothness of games running at 30 or 60 fps. There’s also the Gaming Hub and the ability to play in the cloud without needing to connect a console. The only real omission is Dolby Vision Gaming, which Samsung doesn’t support. Otherwise The Frame Pro offers practically everything you can expect today from a well-equipped gaming TV.
10/10
adasdsadddas
Input Lag Wirales One Connect (2-3 metry od TV)
SDR | HDR |
|---|---|
1080p60 Hz: 61 | 2160p60 Hz HDR: 71 |
1080p120 Hz: 39 | 2160p120 Hz HDR: 32 |
2160p60 Hz: 63 | |
2160p120 Hz: 32 |
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 13 ms | 2160p60: 13 ms | |
| 1080p120: 7 ms | 2160p120: 7 ms | |
| 2160p60: 13 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 7 ms |
8.4/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Good
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The Frame Pro performs well when connected to a computer. It supports full 4:4:4, 144 Hz at 4K and 240 Hz at Full HD. It also works with both NVIDIA’s G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync. However, it’s not ideal for working with text. From a normal viewing distance everything looks fine, but up close you can see minor artifacts around fonts and slightly less crisp edges. This doesn’t affect gaming or watching content much, but it can be noticeable during office work.
3.4/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 72%
Viewing angles on The Frame Pro are mediocre, if not poor. The TV uses a conventional VA panel, and at wider angles the image loses quality fairly quickly. Brightness drops first and foremost, but color saturation also noticeably fades, making the picture look more washed out. That’s a bit more of a shame with The Frame Pro than with a regular TV. It’s a model that’s often meant to hang on the wall and double as artwork, so better viewing angles would be very welcome.
6.5/10
Panel finish: Matte
Reflection suppression: Very Good
Black levels during daytime: Average
During the day The Frame Pro performs quite well. SDR brightness stays around 600 nits, so the picture remains readable even in a brightly lit room. The biggest advantage, however, is the matte screen coating, which disperses reflections very effectively and makes lights or windows less noticeable on the screen. We did notice, though, that in this year’s model the coating affects the image a bit more. With more light, blacks become slightly brighter and colors lose some of their depth. It’s still a very good choice for a bright living room, but in that respect the screen isn’t entirely without compromises.
Panel brightness
Samsung The Frame Pro 2026 (LS03HW): 587 cd/m2
7.7/10
System: Tizen
System performance: Good
Tizen is, of course, responsible for the Smart TV features. The system runs smoothly and offers a wide selection of streaming apps. It also supports AirPlay, Miracast, and voice search in Polish. In that respect The Frame Pro isn’t particularly different from other new Samsungs; it simply provides the manufacturer’s extensive, well-functioning system.
Art Mode is, naturally, much more interesting, since it’s one of the most important features of the entire Frame series. When turned off, the TV can display paintings, photos, or graphics instead of a black screen and can actually do a pretty good job of mimicking a classic picture hanging on the wall. Samsung offers access to the Art Store, where the selection of works is really large and the pieces are provided in very high quality. The problem is that full access requires a subscription, and in our opinion that’s a significant downside for a TV whose main selling point is this feature. Fortunately, we aren’t limited to the Art Store. We can upload our own photos or graphics, so nothing prevents us from finding a high-resolution piece ourselves and displaying it on the screen. The automation of this mode is also handled in a very interesting way. The Frame Pro not only has an ambient light sensor, which can adjust the appearance of the displayed image to the room, but also a presence sensor. The TV can therefore detect that someone is in the room and automatically activate Art Mode.
When it comes to classic TV features, The Frame Pro offers a rather basic set of conveniences. It has DVB-T/T2, DVB-S/S2 and DVB-C tuners, teletext, an audio-only mode, and the ability to use Bluetooth headphones and the TV speakers simultaneously. However, it lacks USB program recording, PiP, and a more advanced remote, for example one with a numeric keypad. The remote operates via radio, so you don’t need to point it at the screen.
9.3/10
9.1/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
The Frame Pro handles playback of files from a USB drive well. Most popular video, audio, and photo formats work properly, so you probably won't need to connect a laptop just to play a movie or browse photos. The biggest omission is support for HEIC, the format commonly used for photos taken with iPhones. Apple users will therefore have to convert those photos to a supported format beforehand or simply stream them to the TV via AirPlay. Otherwise, the player works great.
6.4/10
89dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
The sound on The Frame Pro is adequate and has changed little compared with last year’s model. The TV handles dialogue particularly well, with voices that are clear and easy to hear. However, it lacks stronger bass, so movies and music don’t have much depth. Therefore, if you care about better sound, consider a soundbar when buying The Frame Pro. Models from the S series fit especially well here, their sleek design matching the look of the TV. Finally, it’s worth noting that The Frame Pro supports Dolby Atmos, so with a compatible soundbar or AV receiver you can enjoy immersive surround sound. It does not support DTS, which is worth keeping in mind when playing movies from your own library, e.g., Blu-ray discs.
Sound Quality Test:
89dBC (Max)
75dBC
Software version during testing: 1204
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: Mini-LED QLED
Founder and originator of the "ChooseTV" portal
Journalist, reviewer, and columnist for the "ChooseTV" portal
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