What To Look For In A Digital Frame
 Digital
photo frames come in a dizzying array of sizes and features.
While all display JPEG photos, some can show multimedia files
such as movie clips recorded in a digital camera's movie mode,
MPEG video files, and MP3 audio, even text files. The simplest
digital photo frames simply display the photos, either one-by-one
or as a slide show, while others can load pictures from photo
sharing sites like Flickr and Picasa, send photos to a printer,
and connect to a Wi-Fi router for easy uploading from a computer.
Finding the digital photo frame that’s right for you—or
for the recipient of it as a gift—involves a number of
factors. Here are some basic guidelines to help you find the
perfect digital picture frame.
Don't buy on brand name alone
Digital Photo Frame quality can vary even within products put
out by the same company. While you may recognize the names Kodak,
Coby, Philips, and ViewSonic, and they all make high quality
products, so do manufacturers like Ceiva, LG, Pandigital, and
Digital Spectrum. Look for the features that are important to
you and read reviews for recommendations.
Get the highest resolution you can afford
Low prices can make a digital photo frame look attractive,
but be certain to check the screen resolution. Most 7” and
smaller models display images at 430x234 pixels, which can be
too low to display details so the image looks “rough,” fuzzy,
and pixilated. We recommend that you look for frames with a resolution
of 640-by-480 or higher.
Decide on an aspect ratio
Photo frames generally come in one of two aspect ratios—4:3
or 15:9. Since most digital cameras take photos in 4:3, a digital
photo frame with the same aspect ratio will be a great fit for
them while a 15:9 digital photo frame will either crop the top
and bottom of the photos so they fill the screen or leave black
panels on the sides. Some 15:9 digital photo frames stretch the
image so it fills the screen, which results in noticeable distortion.
Look at more than just the images
Having a high quality image is important, but it may not be
the most important feature to you. Ease of use and functionalities
like photo sharing to web sites, printing from the frame, battery
power so there’s no cord except when charging, and
Wi-Fi are just a few of the features you should consider, weighing
which are important to you. |