Plain old picture frames are so last century. After all, they don’t do much more than show off one shot. Snore. Digital photo frames, on the other hand, let you create slide shows with cool transitions to display all of your vacation pics. Some of these handy devices integrate video, audio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth , and a host of other features, too. The best part? LCD technology is finally becoming affordable enough for these frames to be had at reasonable prices.
If you’re interested in picking up a digital photo frame, you can still consider yourself a pioneer. The product category is relatively nascent, with heavy hitters like Sony and HP taking first stabs at devices. We’ve recently reviewed a bunch of digital photo frames and have found that you can land a great bargain on an excellent one; but you need to know what to look for. So here are our rules for picking the perfect digital picture frame.
Rule 1: Don’t Buy Based on Brand Name Alone
We had high hopes for HP’s first digital photo frame, the df750, for example, so we were surprised to find that the company built it around a dismal LCD riddled with scaling problems that produced jagged, grainy images. This frame also has a hard-to-maneuver menu system making it difficult to recommend.
On the flipside, the lesser-known Pandigital used an excellent display in its 8-inch Pantouch touchscreen-enabled frame that delivered the best images of the bunch. Our tests showed images with terrific color accuracy, and the device offers picture adjustments for brightness, contrast, tint, and color for fine-tuning almost any photo to perfection. The bottom line: Always read reviews before you buy! (And as luck would have it, we’ve listed links to several below.)
Rule 2: Never Settle for Resolution Below 640-by-480 Pixels—No Matter the Price
Rockbottom prices on some frames, such as the $79.99 Cenomax F7024B 7-inch Digital Photo Frame, may deem them mighty attractive, but beware of subpar images. This frame’s resolution of 480-by-234 pixels is too low to display details, so most of its images looks boxy and pixilated—no bargain! Only consider frames with a resolution of 640-by-480 or higher.
Rule 3: Select Your Aspect Ratio
Photo frames typically come in one of two aspect ratios, 4:3 or 15:9. By default, most point-and-shoot digital cameras take photos in 4:3. So a frame with an aspect ratio of 4:3 will be the best fit for your photos, as 15:9 frames will have to crop a piece of the top and bottom of your photos in order to fill the image on the LCD screen. On the other hand, a 15:9 aspect ratio gives your images a pleasing “widescreen” feel, which might be a better bet for some. One of our highest-rated frames, the Sony DPF-V900 9-inch Digital Photo Frame displays in 15:9. That, together with its slick design and intuitive software, makes it look and feel like a mini-HDTV.
Rule 4: Images Are Only Part of the Picture
Superior image quality isn’t the most important feature to everyone. Sure, you want to see your pictures clearly and sharply, but ease of use and additional functionalities are also something to consider. For instance, the Kodak EasyShare EX811 and Pandigital 8-inch PanTouch have easy-to-use menu systems and integrate Wi-Fi, so that you can send pictures to the frame over a home network. In addition, these frames let you view images from online photo sites. Simply set the frame up at your grandparents’ house, upload your pictures to the Web, and your family can see them. For those who want to pass the photos around at parties, the Viewsonic’s DPX702 might do the trick. The frame features an internal battery, which allows up to one hour of cable-free photo viewing.
And there you have it. So start by reading the reviews mentioned below, and be sure to follow our rules as you shop for a digital photo frame.
Tags: Digital Photo Frame
