This Stunning 4K TV Has a Secret Hi-Fi Upgrade

TCL’s Nxtframe Pro is a lifestyle TV that aims to compete with Samsung’s The Frame TV. The difference? Danish hi-fi.

Published August 6, 2024

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Updated August 6, 2024

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Samsung has been the biggest name in lifestyle TVs for the last several years. It makes quite a few different models, but its line of The Frame TVs is by far its most popular. Not only are they just excellent 4K TVs, but they’re quite unique — when not in use, The Frame TV disguises itself as a piece of art hanging on your wall and blending in with your home decor.

Well, it looks like TCL — one of the biggest names in affordable 4K TVs — is looking to get a share of the action, too. It just announced two lifestyle TVs of its own, the Nxtframe and the Nxtframe Pro, that look and work eerily similar the Samsung Frame TV — they rest flush against your wall and display art when not in use.

If there’s one big difference, however, it’s with the TCL’s higher-end model — the Nxtframe Pro — comes complete with a wireless soundbar and subwoofer. Both of which have been co-engineered by the Danish hi-fi giant Bang & Olufsen.

TCL Nxtframe Pro

Specs

Size	55", 65", 75" and 85"
Display	QLED Pro
Sound System	3.1.2 (soundbar and subwoofer)

$1,999.99 at TCL

A Hi-Fi Advantage

One of the big problems with today’s TVs is that because they’re so thin, they don’t sound very good. That’s why soundbars are super popular. And while Samsung recommends its own soundbars — sold separately — to upgrade the sound of its The Frame TV, TCL is making the decision-making process a little easier with its more premium lifestyle TV.

The TCL Nxtframe Pro comes with a matching Dolby Atmos soundbar and subwoofer — a complete 3.1.2 home theater system — that have been engineered by Bang & Olufsen.

The Danish hi-fi company makes several luxurious Dolby Atmos soundbars of its own, and the fact that TCL wants to leverage that expertise shows that sound quality is one way it can seriously separate itself from Samsung’s lifestyle TV.

Regarding placement, the TCL Nxtframe Pro’s wireless soundbar is meant to be mounted under the TV while the wireless subwoofer can be placed on the floor nearby. TCL will sell a movable floor stand withe detachable wheels (see in an above photo) and a table stand, both of which will hold the soundbar, but they’ll be sold separately.

Disguised in 4K

The main difference between TCL’s two new lifestyle TVs, the Nxtframe and the Nxtframe Pro, is the sound system that comes with the latter. Aside from that, they’re identical.

Both TVs have the same 4K HDR picture quality. They are powered by TCL’s proprietary AIPQ PRO processor and have the same QLED Pro display with an anti-glare finish. Both are primed for today’s modern gaming consoles; they support 120Hz/144Hz VRR refresh rate and have a dedicated Game Mode.

They also look the same. Out of the box, they come with an off-white bezel. If that doesn’t match your room’s aesthetic, each comes with a magnetic wooden frame that you can stick on and instantly change up how each looks on the wall.

Each has access to the same art library so you can disguise it as a piece of art. The both can work as a digital picture frame, if you want to show off your own photos when not watching TV, instead.

And they’re available in the same four sizes: 55-, 65-, 75- and 85-inches.

Price and Availability

For those thinking that since TCL is better known for affordable TVs, its Nxtframe and the Nxtframe Pro might be a cheaper alternative to Samsung’s The Frame TVs … that’s unfortunately not the case. In fact, they’re going to be a touch more expensive.

The TCL Nxtframe and the TCL Nxtframe Pro will start at $1,500 and $2,000 for the 55-inch models. So you’re paying $500 extra for the Bang & Olufsen soundbar-and-subwoofer combo — which actually seems like a pretty good deal.

Comparatively, Samsung’s 55-inch The Frame TV starts at $1,300.

As the TVs get bigger and bigger, TCL’s Nxtframe and Nxtframe Pro naturally get more and more expensive, but the gap between non-Pro and Pro gets bigger too — with the larger Pro models, you’re also getting a bigger sound system, too.

For example, the 65-inch models for the TCL Nxtframe and the TCL Nxtframe Pro will go for $2,000 and $2,700, respectively. The 75-inch models will go for $2,500 and $3,500. And the 85-inch models will go for $4,000 and $5,000.

TCL’s new lifestyle TVs will be available next month in September 2024.