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Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

post #1 of 10
12/10/07 at 10:22pm
Thread Starter 
Hi . I'm looking to purchase a digital photo frame for my wife for Christmas. I don't know much about but I imagine that some are better than others at just displaying a simple slide show. I'd like to be able to have it read multiple card types or have connectivity to a PC for downloading images.

Can anyone suggest brands/models from personal experience? Is this a dumb gift or are these worth the prices they are selling for?

Thanks for your help.
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post #2 of 10
12/11/07 at 6:14am

Re: Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

I don't have any personal experience, but I've been looking myself. I want something well under $200, and noticed that this one has been getting rave reviews at NewEgg. I might pull the trigger soon:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882714001
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post #3 of 10
12/11/07 at 9:17am

Re: Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

I was given a Memory Vue for Christmas last year and it quit working after about 3 or 4 months. I never looked for another. It was similar to this
model-->http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Spectr...7393234&sr=8-2
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post #4 of 10
12/11/07 at 6:46pm

Re: Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

I bought my wife a Polaroid IDF-0720 for Christmas last year. I looked on Amazon and they are asking $120 for it. These are the specs:
  • Digital Photo Frame
  • External Only Memory Storage Capacity
  • Supports JPEG
  • Resolution: 480 x 234
  • Compatible with MultiMediaCard (M), Smart Media Card, Memory Stick, Secure Digital Memory Card (SD Cards), Compact Flash Type I/II
  • Features Playback Function; Digital Mode
  • Brightness: 350 cd/m2, 16:9 Widescreen Viewing
  • Also Features Easy Set-Up, Lightweight Design, Easy to Use Design
  • 1.77 x 7.2 x 9.9 "
  • 300:1 Contrast Ratio
It also has a remote. I don't know why you would use it. It is not like you would sit across the room and watch it.

She is busy and not that computer handy. I don't think she has used it yet. The hang up is transferring the photos to the memory stick. This year I got her a photo printer so I will spend some time with her to teach her how to edit and resize the pictures.

As you can see by the 480x234 resolution, pictures need resizing. I just set it up while typing this and the picture quality is OK, but definitely not the HD we are used to seeing on our computer or theaters.

Quote:
Is this a dumb gift or are these worth the prices they are selling for?
I think it would be great for people who enjoy photo albums and looking at pictures.
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post #5 of 10
12/11/07 at 6:56pm

Re: Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

I think this is a great gift idea! My wife and I have been looking for one. My main concern is that they're still pricey. The more affordable ones have the "Resolution: 480 x 234" spec, which I think is too low.

Also keep in mind that you're not just buying an LCD display, but also the frame style. So look around to find both the hardware specs and price you want, but also the frame style to fit your decor.

If we were buying now, we'd get the Digital Decor 8" Digital Photo Frame from Target. Looks good in the store, has a reasonably high-resolution display, and has an attractive brown frame that suits our style.
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post #6 of 10
12/11/07 at 8:21pm

Re: Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

Downrezzing a digital photo to 480x234 is going to give you approximately 1/10 of 1 megapixel. 800x600 will get you about half a megapixel.

The key to looking good enough, in addition to contrast ratio, is the dpi. Since the digital photos you will be using will have a dpi exceeding that of the LCD screen, the higher the dpi you can get, the better the image will look...less jaggies. The larger the screen, the higher the resolution you will need.

For example 8" 4x3 800x600 pixel screen will have 125 dpi, which should be "good enough" for this kind of thing. Of course, the other key is how exactly the images are downrezzed by the viewer's software.
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post #7 of 10
12/11/07 at 8:42pm

Re: Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

I just stumbled into a good price on the Westinghouse DPF-0802 (8" model) at Best Buy this past Saturday because I got to use some 10% off coupons on 2 of these digital photo frames, plus it was also on sale (normally $150, marked down to $120, and the coupon got it down to $108). Unfortunately, like I said, I lucked into it as the price went back up on Sunday. I liked that the DPF had a 800x600 resolution, and would take a larger photo and resize it on-the-fly if needed (but I recommend resizing the photos and then popping them on a memory card to max out the capacity of photos stored on the card).

I got 3 of them for relatives because I have no idea what they need, but these DPF seem to be a good way to appeal to family-ness by the ease of displaying family photo slideshows on a regular basis. I will encourage them to pay the $20 for a 2-year replacement warranty plan since I'm not all that sure of the longevity of these DPFs in the long haul (I'm giving them the gift receipt - but wasn't about to spend even more than what I had on these DPFs if I could help it).
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post #8 of 10
12/13/07 at 5:54am

Re: Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

FYI, the 8" DPF I referenced above is back on sale this Sunday (and through next week) at the same store.
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post #9 of 10
12/14/07 at 1:33pm

Re: Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

You can go nuts with the high-end frames at PhotoVu.
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post #10 of 10
12/16/07 at 9:40pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Suggestions on purchasing digital photo frame?

Thanks for all of the replies. As DaveF suggested, I purchased the Digital Decor
http://www.target.com/Digital-Decor-...-%24199&page=1
as it included a lot of features for the price.

I recently ran across this frame http://www.buy.com/prod/GoldLantern-...206505822.html

I cannot find any reviews about this item but the price seems right, especially for a 12-inch screen. Does anyone have any thoughts on this item from GoldLantern?
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