Sound Advice: Picture this – a frame that works as a speaker

Samsung has seen great success with its Frame TVs, which display art when not in use as a television. The effect is quite convincing, especially with the included flat wall mount and single thin cable that runs to the television. I have recommended them to friends, and they have been very enthusiastic about them.

That being said, it’s a different kind of Samsung frame product I am highlighting this week, a brilliant concept with much to offer to both music and home theater lovers.

Samsung’s Music Frame Smart Speaker is a box frame about the size of a vinyl LP jacket that holds printed artwork. It is also a three-way stereo speaker with Dolby Atmos music and sound.

When I first saw it demonstrated, I thought of how cool it would be to have a pair of Music Frames, each displaying a different favorite album, as an unobtrusive music system for a bedroom or office.

I got an email from someone who wants to set up surround sound but their other half does not want more speakers in the room. The Music Frame offers a way to keep everyone happy. It functions as a surround speaker with 2024 Samsung televisions and soundbars with Q-Symphony. Put your TV and soundbar on one end of the room and a paired Music Frame at the other for full surround sound.

You also can put a Music Frame on either side of your TV to serve as a sound system. My living room Samsung TV and soundbar are from 2019, so I can’t connect them to the Music Frame, but when I upgrade, the thought of getting rid of two stands and the surround speakers attached to them is very appealing. (samsung.com)

Q: I was saddened when I found out Best Buy does not sell movies in-store any longer. Do you think they will bring them back, and where else can I go to buy Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray movies?

Retailers will vary by region, but on a national scale Target keeps a decent inventory of Blu-rays on hand, though they lack some of the quirky and offbeat titles you could find at Best Buy. Amazon is an obvious online choice, and you can find almost anything there. Shout Factory (shoutfactory.com ) has an excellent catalog of titles including many cult classics, as does Kino Lorber (kinolorber.com). Orbit DVD (orbitdvd.com) is well-loved by film buffs. Finally, don’t forget about used media retailers like Half Price Books (www.hpb.com).