Samsung Frame TV Installation in Lexington, KY

Part of our complete guide: How to Mount a TV on Any Wall.

Samsung's The Frame is built to be mistaken for a framed picture when it is not being used as a television. That is the entire reason people buy it, and it changes what a good installation looks like. A standard TV can sit an inch or two off the wall with a cord hanging below it and still look fine. A Frame installed that way just looks like a TV with a nice bezel.

Getting the art effect right comes down to three things: a mount that holds the screen flat against the wall, a plan for where the connection box lives, and a single thin cable that nobody can see. Here is how each of those works in a Lexington home.

1. The Slim Fit Mount Is Less Forgiving

Frame sets typically ship with Samsung's Slim Fit wall mount in the box, and it is designed to hold the screen almost flush against the wall. That is what sells the picture-frame look, and it is also why the mount is less forgiving than a standard bracket. There is no gap to hide a wall that bows, a template set slightly off-level, or a stud that sits an inch from where you hoped.

Samsung supplies a paper template matched to each screen size, and the brackets go where the template says rather than where the studs happen to be. Where a stud lines up we use it; where it does not, the fastener is chosen for the wall behind it, whether that is drywall, plaster or something harder. Because it is your mount and it fits, we install it at no charge for the mount itself.

2. Where the One Connect Box Goes

Most Frame models move their inputs, power supply and processing into a separate box called the One Connect box, which is why the screen itself can be so thin. Your cable box, game console and streaming device plug into that box instead of the TV, and on the models that use it a single thin cable runs from the box to the screen carrying both power and picture. Which sizes use a separate box has varied by model year, so it is worth checking what came with yours.

The box needs a home within reach of that cable, and there are several good ones: inside a media console below the TV, on a shelf in a nearby cabinet, or in an adjoining closet with a longer cable. Samsung sells longer One Connect cables for exactly that reason. Wherever it goes, it needs some airflow, because a closed cabinet traps heat — our guide to heat and airflow behind a mounted TV covers what to watch for.

3. Hiding the One Thin Cable

With a One Connect model there is only one cable to deal with between the box and the screen, and it is thin enough to hide well. Where the wall allows, we run it inside the wall so it disappears completely. Samsung makes in-wall rated versions of the cable, and using the right one matters because the cable carries power as well as signal.

Where running it in the wall is not practical, a paintable raceway painted to match the wall is the next best thing and hides the cable surprisingly well. If the box ends up somewhere without an outlet, ask us about power when you book and we will tell you what that spot takes. Our guide to hiding TV wires in the wall shows how each option looks when it is finished.

4. Art Height or TV Height?

This is the decision most Frame owners wrestle with. Art is usually hung at standing eye level, with the center of the picture roughly where a standing adult looks. A television is most comfortable lower, closer to eye level when you are seated. On a Frame, those two instincts pull in opposite directions.

Our advice is to decide which role the screen plays more often. In a living room where it is watched every evening, seated comfort should win and the art will still look deliberate at that height. In a dining room or an entryway where it mostly shows art, a higher hang is reasonable. Our TV viewing height and placement guide has the measurements.

5. Walls That Need Extra Thought

A near-flush mount magnifies whatever the wall is doing. Plaster walls in older Lexington homes are often slightly wavy, which a standard bracket hides and a flat mount does not. Brick and stone around a fireplace need masonry anchors and a surface flat enough for the frame to sit evenly. Shiplap and paneling add their own depth to account for.

None of these rule out a Frame, but they are worth mentioning when you book so we arrive with the right hardware. If you are planning to put the Frame above a fireplace, the usual heat questions apply exactly as they would to any other set.

6. Bezels, Art Mode and Setup

The interchangeable bezels attach magnetically after the screen is on the wall, so choosing one does not hold up the installation, and you can change your mind later. Art Mode, the art library and the settings that decide when the screen switches between art and television are all set up in software once it is mounted and connected.

If you would rather not work through that yourself, our smart TV setup add-on covers getting the set onto your Wi-Fi, signed into your accounts and working the way you want. Our smart TV setup guide explains what that includes.

Pricing

Installation is priced by screen size: 32" $129, 43" $129, 50" $129, 55" $129, 65" $139, 75" $229 and 85" $279. That covers mounting the TV, leveling, basic cable management and all wall hardware. The mount is normally separate, but The Frame's own Slim Fit mount fits, so we use it at no charge. The add-ons that come up most on Frame installs are a powerline adapter setup at +$99, in-wall cable concealment at +$99 and smart TV setup at +$35; which of those your install needs depends on where the One Connect box ends up, and we will tell you before we start.

Lexington TV Guys installs Frame TVs throughout Lexington, Richmond and the surrounding counties. Mention that it is a Frame when you book, and where you are thinking of putting the One Connect box, and we will arrive prepared for it.