Digital picture frames have really taken off this year. Here we compare some of the cheapest and best digital picture frames that are currently available with regards to both features and value for money. We’ll also provide an explanation of all the features that these amazing gadgets have to offer.
Check here for a full selection of digital picture frames for sale or continue down to read our reviews and comparisons.
| Pandigital | Kodak | eStarling | Phillips | Portable USA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | 8″ | 10″ | 8″ | 6.5″ | 10.4″ |
| Resolution | 800 x 600 | 800x 480 | 800 x 600 | 720 x 480 | 640 x 480 |
| Aspect Ratio | 4:3 | 16:9 | 16:9 | 4:3 | 16:9 |
| Frame Style | Acrylic and black wood | Black Gloss | Black Piano Finish | Interchangeable | Cherry finish |
| Remote Control | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Not yet | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Memory Cards | 6 in 1 card Reader | MMC SD MS CF | MMC SD MS CF | USB | MMC SD MS CF |
| Internal Memory | 128MB | 128MB | |||
| Sound | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Plays Video | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Optional Batteries | Optional | N | N | N | N |
| Special Features | Built in clock, calendar and alarm | Print directly to any PictBridge enabled printers | turn-off automatically at night, email photos to the frame, text Messaging to Frame | Interchangable frames | |
| Price | $179.99 | $199.31 | $169.99 | $136.93 | $175.95 |
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You can see an explanation of all comparison points here.
Reviews of Digital Picture Frames
Pandigital Photo Frame with 8″ LCD screen
The Pandigital photo frame has been receiving some good reviews recently. They may not be as well known a brand as Philips or Kodak but they do look to know what they are doing in the digital frame department with excellent picture quality.
Pandigital Frames available for sale from: Amazon
Official Site: Pandigital.
Kodak Easyshare 10″
The Kodak Easyshare range of digital picture frames also benefit from great picture quality and use Kodak Color Science. The operation menus aren’t said to be the most straight forward but that’s what instruction manuals are for.
Various cheap kodak frames are available at Amazon from $100, more information on the official Kodak site.
eStarling E-Mail Enabled Wi-Fi Photo Frame
It was the eStarling frame that first got me the most interested in digital picture frames. It was the first one that I came across that incorporated wireless technology meaning you can easily update the pictures without have to use memory cards or lug your laptop about. You can also email picture directly to the frame making it a cool gift for Wi-Fi enabled grandparents.
The eStarling is available for sale at Amazon with both a 7 and 8 inch version.
Philips Digital Picture Frame
The Philips frame also boasts one of the best pictures which is crisp even at close range. It will automatically rotate a picture depending on its orientation. It does use a rechargeable battery so can be displayed lead free, however in slideshow mode the battery life is only around the hour mark.
You can get a full range of Philips digital picture frames from Amazon or check out the Philips site for further technical details.
Portable USA 10.4-Inch Digital Picture Frame
Portable USA is not a make I’ve heard of before but it offers frames at cheap and reasonable prices and overall the reviews that I’ve read have been very positive. The 10.4 inch screen is the biggest in our frame comparison, so if you are after the biggest frame this is the one to buy.
You can buy other sizes of Portable USA frames starting from around $120.
Digital Picture Frames Comparison Points
Screen Size
As with monitors the screen size of a digital picture frame is measured in inches diagonally from corner to corner. It should be the size of the visible display and not include the surrounding frame.
Resolution
The resolution is the number of pixels that a digital photo frame can display. The higher the resolution the crisper the image, higher resolutions look better on larger screen sizes.
Aspect Ratio
Aspect ratio is the displayed width divided by its height, they normally come in 4:3 or wide-screen. Pictures and photographs can be cropped to fit most digital photo frames.
Frame Style
A lot of the time your digital picture frame will be turned off so you want to ensure that the frame itself looks cool even when it isn’t displaying a photograph.
Remote Control
The remote control enables you to change the settings on a digital picture frame from the comfort of the sofa, like with a television remote control.
Wi-Fi
With a wi-fi picture frame you are able send pictures to the frame wirelessly. They make it easy to display an ever changing collection of pictures either from your home PC or a shared collection (like a Flickr account). Some wireless frames will also enable you to email photographs directly to the frame even from your cell phone. You will need to have access to a Wi-Fi access point to make use of this.
Memory Cards
Adding a digital memory card to a photo frame increases the number of photographs it can display. If you buy a digital picture frame that accepts the same memory card as your digital camera you will be able to swap the card between the two.
Internal Memory
Some frames come with internal memory, this means the frame can store the pictures without always needing the memory card to be connected.
Sound
Some picture frames are used purely for displaying images whilst others incorporate speakers which let them play music or other sounds.
Plays Video
As well as showing your photographs many of the newer digitial picture frames are also capable of playing video.
Optional Batteries
All the digital picture frames that we reviewed need to be connected to an external power supply. However some of them have rechargeable batteries so ones charged they can be hung on the wall without trailing wires (though they will need plugging in again when charging.)
Usual disclaimer: To the best of our knowledge all points in this comparison are correct but you are advised to read the manufactures specifications before making any purchase.
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