JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 17 September, 2018 – Interior design trends come and go and it’s not easy to ensure a home remains fresh instead of dated. Soft furnishings can only go so far in adding those ‘pops’ of colour so favoured by interior decorators. A splash of paint here and there can help spice up a room’s look, but it’s the layout of the room as well as the larger pieces of furniture that need to be addressed when it comes to keeping up-to-date.

One of the biggest problems in the past has been the ubiquitous television set. If it is wall mounted, then there are cables to contend with. If it sits on a shelf, table or TV unit so the cabling can be discreetly installed out of view, then that becomes yet another piece of furniture to manoeuvre and place.

Reginald Nxumalo, Director of Consumer Electronics for Samsung South Africa, says, “Not only are Samsung’s TVs highly advanced technically, we’ve also solved design dilemmas. Cables are simply not an issue any longer; the One Near-Invisible cable merges everything into one and allows you to place your TV wherever you want. Coupled with that, the One Connect Box gathers all your connections, with just the One Near-Invisible cable connected to the television.”

With cables out of the way, the next challenge comes up when the TV isn’t in use. Usually, when the TV is off, the black square simply doesn’t fit into the décor, unless of course it’s a black and white minimalist theme and even that’s debatable. Samsung’s Ambient Mode solves that as well – it elevates your television room or living space with decorative content, useful information, your own photographs or even by mimicking the texture of the wall behind it.

With greys still a popular base colour, but more moody and darker accents coming into play, the Samsung’s Ambient Mode feature can play a major role in introducing new colour into the room or creating a whole new style focus.^[i] For example, Pantone’s Ultra Violet is 2018’s colour of the year. If displayed on a television screen either as a block colour or an appropriately themed and shaded artwork, it could update a soft grey palette to a richer and more dramatically provocative style, in line with current interior trends. Much like Samsung’s drive towards innovation, Pantone’s Ultra Violet has been touted as communicating originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.^[ii]

“Only Samsung removes the black screen, allowing your TV to seamlessly blend into the room and enabling you to completely personalise your space,” concludes van Nxumalo.

Solving the issue of a blank screen dominating whichever room it’s in makes an immense difference to the way interior designers will view the television. In the past, it’s been about hiding the screen, but now it’s about how best to display it, integrating the TV into the décor theme and style. Additionally, connecting the television to a smartphone means a room’s ambience can be seamlessly changed to address moods and activities – from a serene image with soft background music to an invigorating scene with upbeat music to match; making the television an interior décor game-changer.

^{[i] http://www.idealhome.co.uk/news/home-decor-trends-2018-191244}

^{[ii] https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2018}

WHAT IF THE BEVEL COLOUR DOESN’T MATCH MY INTERIOR?  

There are three different bevel colours, beige wood, walnut and white – these are attached magnetically to a standard metal frame and are easily changed to suit your interior style.

CAN I CHOOSE HOW MY ART IS DISPLAYED OR DOES THE FRAME AUTOMATICALLY DO IT?

There are numerous templates for displaying your art as well as mounting colours. Art can be displayed in three styles: shadow box, no mount and modern. For photo displays, you can choose shadow box, modern, panoramic, squares, triptych and mixed. Mount colours are polar, warm, antique, neutral, black, sand, sea foam, sage, burgundy and navy.

CAN I UPLOAD ANY RESOLUTION PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS TO DISPLAY ON THE FRAME?

Images need to be at least 800 x 800 or they won’t display.

WHAT IS 4K UHD?

4K UHD means the picture quality is four times the resolution of a standard full HD TV.

CAN I CONTROL MY FRAME TV WITH MY PHONE?

The Samsung Smart Hub can be controlled through your smartphone, allowing you to easily select art and photos from your mobile to view on The Frame.

WHAT TYPE OF ART IS AVAILABLE IN THE SAMSUNG COLLECTION?

With 100 works of art, from 37 renowned artists in 10 different genres, there is something for everyone. From photography, digital works to drawings and paintings. But, if you’d like more, there’s a vast collection on the Art Store, where you can purchase artworks or opt for a monthly subscription, so your art collection is always fresh.

HOW DO I HANG THE FRAME ON MY WALL, WILL I NEED SPECIAL EQUIPMENT?

The no-gap wall mount allows The Frame to hang virtually flush with the wall, just like a real picture frame. The mount is easy to install and offers an adjustable tilt angle.

HOW DO I HIDE THE TV CABLE?

You don’t have to hide the cable; The Frame comes with a virtually invisible transparent optical cable. This connects to the One Connect Box, with integrates external device cables.

IF MY TV IS FLUSH AGAINST THE WALL, I CAN’T MOVE IT IF THERE’S A GLARE.

You won’t have to move your TV – the brightness sensor means that The Frame intelligently adjusts brightness and colour as the ambient lighting conditions change for an optimal viewing experience.

IS THERE A POWER-SAVING MODE ON THE FRAME?

The motion sensor ensures that The Frame automatically turns off to save power when you leave the room, and switches back on when you return.

I DON’T HAVE A LOT OF WALL SPACE AND MY CURRENT TV IS ON A STAND – CAN I PUT THE FRAME ON A TABLE OR TV STAND?

The Samsung Studio Stand is available – it looks just like an easel and is sturdy with integrated cable management. So, if you don’t have spare wall space, the Studio Stand will work perfectly.