Buyers Guides > Digital Photo Frames

Introduction

Digital photography is great, allowing us to take control of our images, via editing, cropping and other manipulation techniques, and, perhaps, most of all, allowing us to share those images, almost instantaneously, with our friends and relatives, by posting them to the Internet, or sending them by email.

But what if we want to share our pictures with loved ones who do not have a computer, or if we want to display them more prominently in our own homes, so that they are not destined to lurk, forever, on our digital cameras and computers? Printing, like traditional film prints, is an option, yes – the problem with digital photography is that, unless you have invested in a high-resolution digital camera, images simply do not contain sufficient picture information for anything but the very smallest prints, even with a photo printer – but, as an inexpensive, flexible, and hassle-free, alternative, many people are now turning to the Digital Photo Frame.

What is a Digital Photo Frame?

Basically, a Digital Photo Frame is a small, rudimentary computer – complete with CPU (“Central Processing Unit”) and memory – performing the dedicated tasks of downloading and displaying your treasured, digital memories, and incorporated into what appears to be a traditional picture frame. A Digital Picture Frame has a bright, high-resolution, LCD (“Liquid Crystal Display”) screen, for actually displaying your images, flash memory (either built-in, or supplemented by additional memory cards), capable of storing many (perhaps up to 80, or so) digital images – each of which can be displayed, individually, at will, or combined into a slideshow – and, typically, connections for digital cameras, computers and memory card readers, so it’s easy to get your pictures into the frame. Some Digital Picture Frames also allow sound to accompany an image – so if you want to add a calypso beat to your holiday snaps, or something more austere to your wedding photographs, the choice is yours.

Key Features

A Digital Photo Frame is, obviously, some thing that is intended to be looked at, so the size and characteristics of the screen are the most important factors to consider. In terms of physical size, screens are available as small as 1.5 inches (measured diagonally, in the same way as television screens, or computer monitors), and as large as 20 inches – with 7 inches (adequate for a standard, 6 inch x 4 inch “print”, with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels), perhaps, being typical. The resolution of the screen is a measure of the level of detail that you can expect in the displayed image, and all other things being equal, the higher the resolution figures the better. Other considerations include the brightness of the screen – so-called TFT (“Thin Film Transistor”), or “active matrix”, LCD screens will give the best results, particularly in environments that are already brightly lit – the colour depth (look for 24-bit, true colour, if possible), and the viewing angle – again the higher the better – which is a measure of how visible the screen will be from different positions around a room. The Dynamode Digi-FR7 Digital Photo Frame, for example, is a 7 inch model, with non-reflective TFT screen, and a maximum resolution of 480 x 234 pixels, or 12 megapixels.

If you’re worried about integrating a Digital Photo Frame into your existing décor, you needn’t be – Digital Photo Frames are available in a range of materials, and finishes, from, for example, plastic, to rich wood, and many have interchangeable facia, so that if you wish to change your interior design you can change the “look” of the frame as well. The Aigo 216 Digital Photo Frame, for example, is available in beech and mahogany finishes.

On a slightly more technical note, you will also need to consider the type of memory cards that can be accepted by your chosen Digital Photo Frame. These are typically CF (“Compact Flash”), SD (“Secure Digital”), “SmartMedia” or “Memory Stick”, but if you wish to download photographs from a digital camera, you will need to make sure that either the type of memory card used in the frame is the same as that used in the camera, or that, at least, an adaptor is available. The Dynamode Digi-FR7 Digital Photo Frame, for example, features connectivity for all these, and a number of other, memory card types, including MMC (“Multimedia Cards”).

Similarly, you may also need to consider how you intend to transfer images from a computer to a Digital Photo frame, although this should not be any great problem – typical choices include USB (“Universal Serial Bus”), Ethernet and wireless connection.

Once you get used to the operation of a Digital Photo Frame, there are a number of slightly more sophisticated features in which you may be interested, so it’s worth considering these, too, before you actually part with your cash. Whether you operate a frame from mains power, or from batteries, the facility to switch the frame on and off, automatically, at certain times, is useful, as are brightness and contrast controls, and the ability to adjust timings, and transition effects, during slideshows. In addition, you may also be interested in the inclusion of a remote control, or an integral MP3 player and speakers, allowing sound, or music, to accompany your pictures.

Conclusion

Digital Photo Frames are truly a breakthrough, in ease of use and flexibility, when it comes to displaying digital photographs. You can easily download your pictures, direct from your digital camera, and display single, or multiple, images in a variety of different and interesting ways, and, moreover, Digital Photo Frames make excellent, and innovative, gifts, allowing you to share your pictures with friends, relatives, clients, or whoever else, with no computer involved, whatsoever.

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