Skip to main content

Digital Photo Frames are Way Cool!

Digital picture frames are an excellent way to see all of your digital photos without needing to get them printed on paper. Printing consumes paper and and chemicals. It's great to keep everything digital and more reusable (as long as the digital frame lasts for a long time).

Here are some I've tried. The number of different frames with skimpy specifications makes picking a frame confusing. And I'm leery of frames with TOO many features as well as ones with external dependencies that may require additional labor and expense.

--------------
The Smartparts SPX8 8-Inch Digital Picture Frame is a very good digital picture frame.

Pros:
- built in motion sensor turns off frame to save power when no one is around
- automatically copies and resizes photos into its own 256MB of memory (can hold about 3000 photos)
- crisp, reasonably large display size
- 800x600 pixels (4x3 ratio matches that of most digital cameras)
- mounts on wall or sits on desk in either portrait or landscape
- reasonable UI
- felt reasonably well constructed
- about $125 is a good price for it as of 8/7/2008 from Amazon.

Cons:
- can take a while to move and resize/optimize photos (other picture frames use photos directly from memory card so may require zero time to start display, but then need to leave card in the frame, yet cards are inexpensive these days).

Price on Amazon seems to go up and down somewhat. I can recommend this product because it works well. (Better than the other 2 digital picture frames I have -- see below). The Smartparts SPX8 was one of the frames recommended by Consumer Reports in their July 2008 issue.

The main remaining features I'm thinking about are an even larger display and possibly a WiFi connection that works easily to get more pictures to the frame automatically -- but I have not found a WiFi frame that works well for this yet.

--------------
The Philips 6.5-Inch Digital Photo Frame is a good picture frame.

Pros
- plug in a card with pictures and go!
- crisp, clear display (720x480 resolution is good match for frame size)
- reasonable UI
- felt reasonably well constructed
- $100 is a good price for it as of 8/14/2008 from Amazon.

Cons
- really requires you to leave a separate memory card in the unit (but at least gigabyte cards are large and cheap).
- to maximize image quality and space use, resize pictures to 720 x 480 ahead of time.
- no auto motion sensor to turn off frame when no one is around

I can recommend the Philips 6.5-Inch Digital Photo Frame because it works well and meets expectations. The cons are really missing features that other higher priced models such as the SPX8 may have.

--------------
Axion AXN-9701 7-Inch Widescreen LCD Digital Picture Frame is a poor picture frame.

Pros
- cheap
- pictures do cycle continuously

Cons
- disappointing resolution at only 480x234, not well matched to screen size
- really needs separate memory card
- must make a manual selection to start picture show

I do not recommend the Axion AXN-9701 at all.
--------------

Comments

Unknown said…
Digital picture frames are an excellent way to see all of your digital ... digitalframewifi.blogspot.com

Popular posts from this blog

The best way to dispose of dog poop

Based on my research, the best way to handle dog poop is to use a reusable pooper scooper and flush the poop down a toilet . Pros: - Sewer systems are designed to handle poop (yours and your pet's) safely and effectively (this was verified by calling the local sewage treatment plant in Sunnyvale, California) - The poop is treated and recycled fairly quickly and safely back into the environment Cons: - Need to carry the poop to a toilet - Need to purchase or make a reusable pooper scooper Here are other alternatives generally listed from healthiest for environment to least healthy. Use a flushable poop bag and flush down a toilet. Pros: - Sewer systems are designed to handle poop - The poop is treated and recycled - Easy to carry bag around to pick up poop Cons: - Flushable bags can "melt" in rain or other very wet conditions - Flushable bags should be kept sealed in another plastic bag before use - Flushable bags are a bit expensive and hard to find - Flushable bags smell

New Best Way to Handle Dog Poop

I've found an even better way to dispose of dog poop than the one I documented in 2008 at  http://ecopractice.blogspot.com/2008/03/best-way-to-dispose-of-dog-poop.html It works by using a funnel-like attachment on your sewer cleanout so you can drop the dog poop directly into your sewer line without necessarily using any water! Here is a picture of me doing this: This is neater and easier than putting the dog poop in a toilet to flush. Saves water too. The sewer cleanout accessory we use is the Doggie Doo Drain Dog Waste Sewer Line Attachment . The reusable device we now use to pick up poop on walks (instead of using a plastic bag) is  Nature's Miracle Jaw Scoop . It is easy to carry and holds the poop in the little bucket its jaws create. The medium size model can hold dozens of small poops or a couple of big poops from a big dog (we have little dogs). There is also a jumbo size if you need it. If the poop is solid and not sticky, no water is needed as the poop

No More Disposable Plastic!

Unfortunately the future is plastic because plastic lives just about forever and will be the death of much of our environment, and maybe us. If you have not already, please see Wall-E  for what our earth may eventually look like. We must do as much as possible to greatly reduce the use of plastic! Here is a seagoing bird that died from ingestion of plastic in the middle of the Pacific: From:  http://ecowatch.com/2013/05/28/california-plastic-pollution-policy-tangled-up-committee/ See also  http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/plastic-ocean/ and many other sources you can find by googling. And read the fantastic book  Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too . So my household is eliminating our need for plastic bags and other disposable plastic. No more hard copy newspaper with its plastic bag (see my separate post about my newspaper ). No more disposable plastic grocery bags (thank you for the local plastic bag ban -- now we must make sure it becomes