Stop trying to make gimmick TVs happen

The lifestyle TV craze is getting out of hand. Years ago, Samsung had a very clever idea, looking at the TV, a centerpiece of most homes, as not just some electronics piece that takes up a lot of space, but as a piece of decor that should itself look as good as the images on screen. That inspired Samsung to come up with different ideas for TVs that fit particular lifestyle or decor needs, and other companies followed suit. Among the latest is a viral sensation, LG’s StanbyME, which might be the most specific, and in turn ridiculous, of them all.

I enjoy seeing these new gimmick TVs come out, wondering who in fact might want these and what kind of lifestyles truly crave them. They seem inspired by visions of the future, ideas that sound and look great in your head but lack substance when actually presented with them in person. As much as I want to see more ridiculous TVs on the market, it needs to be accepted that they just aren’t going to catch on.

The Frame set a standard that couldn’t be surpassed

The iconic lifestyle TV is the only worthwhile one

There is one lifestyle TV that stands above the rest, and it was the first one brought onto the scene. Samsung’s The Frame offered consumers a simple premise — what if your TV looked cool on the wall even when it’s not turned on? The slim design and unique frame, paired with an Art Mode that has access to countless images, turned out to be highly popular. It offers a sleek, more minimalist look in the home, especially when paired with Samsung’s innovations for cleaning up cords dangling from a mounted unit. The TV itself offered the latest screen technology along with plenty of attractive features, but it also looked impressive — yet unimposing — on the wall. As the name suggests, it also integrated a physical frame that added to its style, and that frame could be changed as well.

Since then, many companies have sought to recreate The Frame, or at least steal some of its thunder. Many new TVs have some kind of art or ambient mode, where you can access images that turn the TV into something more aesthetic when it’s not actually on. In addition, the ultra-thin design is increasingly popular, as consumers seek out models that can sit flush against the wall, as out of the way and discrete as possible.

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The Frame was innovative at the time, and it still makes a compelling case for investing in one. However, the lifestyle TVs that followed were less believable.

Lifestyle TVs are expensive

The price isn’t right

One of the barriers to widespread success for these lifestyle TVs is their relative cost. It’s not that they are all super expensive, it’s that you can likely buy a bigger and better TV for the same price, if not for less. A saturated marketplace with numerous companies, all vying to be the center of your entertainment experience (so they can sell you ads and collect your data), and an improvement in manufacturing processes, contribute to a decrease in price and overall better value for the consumer. That’s why super-giant TVs are such a big thing at the moment, which seems like a rebuke to the lifestyle market in general.

That means that lifestyle TVs are a harder sell. At the time of this writing, LG’s Posé TV, an OLED smart TV that sits atop a sort of easel so that it can be moved around and looks good in an open-concept space, retails for $2,000 for its 55-inch model. Meanwhile, a 65-inch model of the C4, an impressive 2024 OLED TV, can be regularly found for less than $2,000. The C4 is a better TV, so it can be hard to justify the investment in a lifestyle TV with such options available.

Lifestyle TVs are harder to manufacture and less common, so it makes sense they cost more. But, the increase in price can be off-putting.

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They struggle to be the entertainment focal point

Newer TVs are better at immersive experiences

Samsung

Most lifestyle TVs, except for the Frame, are likely to struggle as a central entertainment hub. Most are only offered in one or two sizes due to their unique designs, and few are large (Samsung’s Serif hits 65-inches), which means they likely aren’t suitable for enjoying immersive cinematic experiences in larger spaces. With so many TVs providing vivid, accurate colors and perfect contrast, it’s hard to invest in a lifestyle TV if you’re craving fidelity. There’s an issue of sound quality as well; these lifestyle TVs simply are not designed for the best audio, so you’ll need to consider connecting earbuds if you can or investing in a soundbar, which could ultimately subvert the essence of the lifestyle TV. It’s not going to be very portable or attractive if it has to be connected to a soundbar.

These TVs, as a result, seem like they’re supplementary. It’s hard to envision a household having only The Terrace, a TV designed for outdoor use, and no other option. So maybe you want a lifestyle TV, but you might need another option first.

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Who are lifestyle TVs for?

Niche models appeal to few consumers

The biggest question surrounding these expensive, niche TVs is, who exactly are they for? I certainly can see the appeal of some of these, but only if you have a fair amount of money to spend, and you believe that you will be using these TVs very often and specifically in the way they were designed. I’m confident there is at least one person out there who loves the idea of a suitcase smart TV that LG offers; I’m just not sure if there are that many more.

You really need to look beyond the aesthetic and consider how you will use a lifestyle TV in order to make the purchase worth it. And they aren’t some small investment — for example, if you aren’t using some new gadget, like a fitness tracker, as often as you think, it’s not a huge loss. These are larger pieces of electronics that take up space and cost a good amount, so you’ll really want to be sure you are going to use them. If you’re investing in Samsung’s Sero, you should be sure that you really like watching content in a portrait arrangement, which just seems like a big ask.

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Lifestyle TVs can be fun to consider and amusing to see in action, but the reality is that they are often superfluous. If you really want a cinematic experience at home, or if you don’t care at all about how a show or movie looks on screen, then these TVs aren’t for you. There are cheaper alternatives and better value in other TVs (and tablets and laptops), so think twice about incorporating a gimmick TV into your unique lifestyle.