Hisense S7 Canvas 50S7SG 49.5"

The Hisense S7 Canvas is a direct shot at Samsung's The Frame, and it mostly lands. The art mode and included frame look fantastic, and the smart platform is the best in the business. Picture quality is just okay, but if you're buying this for the gallery vibe, you'll be happy, especially if you find it at the lower end of its wild price range.

The smart features here are the absolute best right now, thanks to Google TV and a snappy interface that puts most competitors to shame. Connectivity is a standout too, with Wi-Fi 6 and four HDMI ports. The anti-glare Hi-Matte display does a solid job killing reflections, but the picture quality itself is mediocre, held back by an edge-lit backlight that can't compete with the deeper blacks of a full-array set. Audio is well above average for a flat TV, with the 40W 2.0.2 channel setup and DTS Virtual:X creating a surprisingly spacious soundstage. Gaming is middle of the pack, capped at 60Hz, though FreeSync Premium is a nice touch for casual players.

The obvious rival is Samsung's The Frame, which has a more refined art mode and a better matte panel, but costs significantly more. The Hisense fights back with a smarter Google TV platform and a frame included in the box, not sold separately. Against a traditional TV like the TCL QM7K, the S7 Canvas gives up a ton of picture quality and brightness for the sake of that flush wall-mount design. If you just want the best image for your dollar, a standard mini-LED set will crush this. But if the art mode is the whole point, the Hisense makes a strong case against Samsung's pricier option.

Value here is a moving target. If you snag this near the $712 low end, it's a steal for a dedicated art-mode TV that looks this good on a wall. At the $2693 high end, you're in serious OLED territory and the picture quality gap becomes impossible to ignore. The sweet spot is finding it closer to the lower end of that range, where the included frame and mount add real, tangible value you'd pay extra for with Samsung's version.

Hisense is coming for Samsung's lunch with the S7 Canvas, and honestly, they're not being subtle about it. This 50-inch QLED is built from the ground up to look like framed art on your wall, complete with a teak frame and a flush wall mount in the box. It's a lifestyle TV that wants to disappear into your decor when you're not binging the latest show, and at a price that can swing wildly from $712 to $2693 depending on where you look, it's aiming to undercut The Frame by a mile.

Skip this if picture quality is your top priority. The edge-lit panel can't touch the contrast and black levels of a good mini-LED or OLED set, and movie buffs will notice the difference immediately in a dark room. If you're a serious gamer, the 60Hz cap is also a dealbreaker when 120Hz panels are common at this price.

Buy this if you want a TV that looks like art on your wall first and a television second. It's perfect for a bright living room where you hate the look of a black rectangle when the TV is off. The smart platform is fantastic and the audio is a pleasant surprise. Just know you're trading picture quality for aesthetics, and that's a trade some people will happily make.