Samsung's Odd Serif TV Is Now Available In The US

Most TV makers these days are touting how their products have barely no borders and are so thin that they seem to actually blend into the wall. In short, they are trying to make TVs "disappear", visually speaking, of course. While Samsung is indeed part of that "most" crowd, for at least one model it has decided to go in the opposite direction. Unveiled last September was the Serif TV that shouted borders all around, supposedly inspired by the Serif font for the letter "i". Now that unusual design of a TV is finally available in the US, almost a year later, but only from the Museum of Modern Art.

It is, perhaps, not so surprising that Samsung would choose to make the Serif TV a MoMA exclusive. Given some Internet comments, it's unlikely to be one that will have mass appeal like a regular TV. And given its nod to typography, it will truly be at home with the other works of art in the museum.

The Serif TV almost represents a sort of counter-revolution against the current TV industry, which makes the TV invisible and simply a part of the wall in most cases. Here, Samsung's TV is more in your face and becomes a fixture in the room. Literally too, as the frame can double as a shelf as well.

Strip away that frame and you actually still get a decent modern display. Although there are three sizes and matching resolutions for the Serif TV, MoMA only carries the 40-inch UHD model. That model also includes features such as HDR (according to the product listing), a quad-core processor, Dolby Digital Plus Audio, and other amenities of modern Smart TVs. And although you can't hang this on a wall, the Serif TV does have four removable legs so that you can prop it up on its own instead.

The Samsung Serif TV, which is available in white or blue, carries a $1,499 price tag, which isn't surprising considering how it's being sold as an artistic masterpiece.

SOURCE: Museum of Modern Art