I may or may not be in the minority in having mixed feelings about Samsung's Tizen 9 TV update, but one thing I didn't like about this release was that it gradually pushed Ambient Mode aside.I was worried Samsung might, in fact, force Ambient Mode into obsolescence to promote the subscription-based Art Store service as the superior alternative. Sadly, Samsung appears to be proving me right.The company recently confirmed that the Ambient Service is indeed on its last legs. Samsung issued an End of Service announcement through SmartThings, informing users that the Ambient Service will be terminated after August 1.The notice ends with the message: Thank you for your support and understanding. Sincerely, The Ambient Service Team. SmartThings menu – Source: Mihai Matei / SamMobile SmartThings Ambient Service notice – Source: Mihai Matei / SamMobile Samsung initially said Ambient Mode would become part of the Art Store experience. And for a while, it did.However, Ambient Mode started gradually disappearing in select markets. First, it was replaced in the TV's sidebar by the Art Store shortcut. The existing Ambient Mode content was moved to the Art Store itself. a And then, it was removed entirely.On Tizen 9 TVs and later, the only remnants of Ambient Mode's dynamic backgrounds now exist as backdrops for Daily Board. Whether those backdrops will survive the Ambient Service's discontinuation is unclear.With Ambient Mode gone, what are your alternatives?The most obvious alternative is the one Samsung wants you to choose: Art Store.Art Store is Samsung's subscription-based service that lets TV users display paintings and digital photos from a rich gallery containing more than a thousand unique pieces.Art Store is undeniably more content-rich than the old Ambient Mode, but it comes with a monthly fee and, despite its content imitating real artwork, it lacks Ambient Mode's dynamism.While Art Store aims to bring real artwork into the living room, Ambient Mode hosted dynamic, moving scenes complete with background sounds. They felt like immersive environments rather than static artwork.Fortunately, if you don't want to subscribe to the Art Store, there is a free gallery of curated artwork available through the Art Store's “Streaming” tab. But without a subscription, users have little to no control over how these curated pieces are shuffled.If the Art Store doesn't appeal to you, there's another option. You can create custom art galleries with SmartThings on your phone and display them on your Samsung TV. We wrote a quick guide if you want to explore this option.