I am having trouble with HDMI inputs powered off, but Frame Pro does not auto switch to Art Mode. I was told by Samsung that it would do this prior to my purchase.
I have kids and guests that will gather in an area of my home and turn off the Xbox but leave the TV on. I wanted this TV, my wife wanted artwork. Can I have the best of both worlds without having to manually do this with the remote?
Unfortunately The Frame (and Frame Pro) no longer treats a ālost-signalā HDMI input as a trigger to jump into Art Mode. A quick tap of the TVās power button (or a discrete Art-Mode command issued through SmartThings / a home-automation hub) is still required. Samsung pulled the automatic hand-off in a 2023 firmware update and it hasnāt come back yet, so what the sales rep told you is out of date.
Below are three practical ways you can get as close as possible to the ākids switch the Xbox off ā artwork pops upā experience:
1. Teach the TV a one-button macro (fastest, no extra gear)
What you doWhat the family doesIn Settings ā¶ General ā¶ External Device Manager ā¶ Input Device Manager add the Xbox as a āuniversal remoteā device. Use the on-screen wizard to map the Xbox power STB code plus the Frameās short power press (Art-Mode toggle).Press the Xbox power button once. The TV receives the macro, sees the first CEC āstand-byā for the console, then immediately executes the learned āshort powerā IR code and falls into Art Mode.
Pros: Uses the native Samsung remote learning feature, no new hardware. Cons: If you also turn the TV on with the Xbox this macro will put it straight back into Art Mode; most people solve that by adding a 2-second delay before the TV command or by keeping the physical Samsung remote handy.
2. Let SmartThings do the job (no-code, cloud only)
Recent firmware (2022 sets on version 1622 or newer and all 2023ā25 sets) quietly restored the private WebSocket āArt Modeā API, which SmartThings now exposes as an Art Mode action in Routines and Scenes .
In the SmartThings app add the Frame to your room (if it isnāt already).
Make sure the TV is on firmware 1622 or later (Settings ā¶ Support ā¶ Software Update).
Create a Routine
IF āŗ Xbox smart plug (or HDMI-CEC āXbox is offā) Changes to Off
THEN āŗ Frame TV āŗ Set Art Mode On.
Give the routine an obvious name (āXbox Off = Artā).
Because SmartThings can subscribe to CEC power-state events, the routine fires in 2-4 seconds after the console sleeps and nobody has to touch the Samsung remote.
3. Go the DIY / Home-Assistant route (most reliable)
If you already run Home Assistant, Node-RED, or another hub:
Install the samsung-tv-ws-api integration (now updated for the resurrected Art-Mode channel).
Use a simple automation:
trigger: - platform: state entity_id: media_player.xbox to: 'standby' action: - service: media_player.turn_on # Wakes the TV if it had gone to deep-sleep target: { entity_id: media_player.the_frame } - service: samsungtv_ws.art_mode data: { entity_id: media_player.the_frame, mode: 'on' }
This survives firmware updates because it talks to the same WebSocket the SmartThings app uses. Your TV never sees āNo Signalāāitās yanked straight into Art.
A few settings worth checking
SettingWhy it mattersSettings ā¶ General ā¶ External Device Manager ā¶ Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) = OnLets the Xbox broadcast its power-state to the TV.Settings ā¶ Power & Energy Saving ā¶ No-Signal Power Off = 15 min (or shorter)As a fallback, turns the panel off completely if no HDMI signal is detected for X min. It will not enter Art Mode, but it keeps the screen from burning in.Art Mode ā¶ Sleep After = OffPrevents Art Mode from dropping out again once you finally get there.
Remote quick-press vs. long-press: a short tap of Power toggles TV ā Art; a 2-second hold is full standby ā black screen. That distinction is noted in Samsungās own user guide .
Bottom line
Today the Frame/Frame Pro canāt natively pivot from a dead HDMI source to Art Mode, but with one of the tricks above you can get a seamless hand-off that the kids and guests wonāt have to think about. If youād like help walking through any of the automations just shoutāhappy to talk you through the details.
