LG’s Gallery TV makes sense – it’s just late to the party

Luca Fontana

6/1/2026

Translation: Elicia Payne

In 2026, LG’s launching its own Gallery TV. But while the manufacturer’s new to the segment, Samsung already raised the bar last year with the Frame Pro. The timing’s going to make LG’s premiere difficult.

A Gallery TV is no high-end device for home cinema purists. Nor is it a digital picture frame that simply displays a few JPEGs as soon as Netflix is off. It’s aimed at people who don’t want a black hole on the wall, but also don’t want a glowing screen that’s quite clearly still a display despite the art motif. These kinds of «niche TVs» are more in demand than you might think.

So it makes sense that LG’s now entering this segment at CES 2026 with its own Gallery TV. In fact, it’s overdue. Samsung’s dominated this marketfor years, practically alone. And yet the announcement leaves a stale aftertaste. Not because LG has misunderstood the concept. But Samsung’s one step ahead – and has been for a long time.

What Gallery TVs are really about

The real trick to achieving the balancing act between television and authentic picture frame lies not in the content, but in the interplay between the surface, light and brightness of the display. Matt coating prevents reflections and automatic brightness adjustment prevents the picture from shining, instead ensuring the ambient light blends in.

This is what creates that amazingly real gallery effect – the moment you briefly forget that you’re watching a television. This is exactly what Samsung has perfected with the Frame. And it’s precisely this basic concept that LG is now consistently adopting.

Why OLED deliberately plays no role here

At first glance, it may seem paradoxical that LG of all companies – the biggest OLED advocate in the industry for years – is relying on mini-LEDs for its Gallery TV. However, the thinking behind this decision is rational, not defensive.

Static content over hours or even days is the worst possible scenario for OLED. Even in 2026, there’s a real, albeit now easily manageable, risk of burn-in. At least with moving images, anyway. It’s a different story with static images in art mode. Even sophisticated protection mechanisms do nothing to change the fact that OLED’s simply the wrong technology here.

It’s not like mini-LEDs and classic LED-LCDs are the worse choice here. They’re more suitable. They’re more robust, less sensitive and better suited to a television that spends most of its time not moving. This isn’t something you can blame LG for. The opposite, in fact: the concept’s well thought out.

The real problem: timing

The problem isn’t «what», but «when». Samsung already made developments to the Frame last year: with the Frame Pro. At the time, the market leader implied that Edge LED wouldn’t be enough in the long term. Direct LED with true local dimming provides significantly more contrast, better HDR capabilities and also makes the TV a decent display in the evening.

That’s why Samsung’s divided up its range:

• The original Frame remains the design statement. For people who place more importance on aesthetics than image quality.
• The Frame Pro, on the other hand, is aimed at all those who want both: art on the wall – and a TV you don’t compromise for in the evening.

This is where the new LG Gallery TV looks surprisingly cautious. Although LG talks about Mini-LEDs, it remains conspicuously vague on the question of how exactly the backlight’s been constructed. Industry media such as The Verge has doubts that it’s a Direct LED model with local dimming. If LG does indeed opt for a simpler solution, the Gallery TV would be technically closer to the original Frame than the much more ambitious Frame Pro.

Nothing wrong with that – but nothing advantageous either.

Tick box over statement

The LG announcement gives you the feeling that you’re attending a very well-prepared mandatory event. Everything seems right. Everything makes sense. But there’s no surprise.

Yes, LG understands the Gallery concept. LG relies on the right display technology. LG supplies interchangeable TV frames, a matt, anti-reflective display surface and its own art subscription with over 4,500 curated works of art (LG Gallery+, another subscription… sigh). But while Samsung is already thinking ahead in this segment, LG’s entry looks like a clean copy, nothing innovative.

After all, it won’t be the non-curated works of art that matter most. No, it’ll come down to the price and background light. If the Gallery TV is cheaper than Samsung’s Frame, LG has a chance. If it’s equally expensive – and technically less ambitious – it’ll struggle to be more than a stylish copy. That’s why I’m left with this one question: why now, LG – and where’s the courage?

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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