Digital Photo Frames

A digital photo frame (also called digital media frame) is a picture frame that displays digital photos without the need to print them or use a computer.

Digital Photo Frames Features

Digital photo frames are common in 7 inch (17.8 cm) to 20 inch (50.8 cm) sizes. Some digital photo frames can only display JPEG pictures. Most digital photo frames display the photos as a slideshow and usually with an adjustable time interval. They may also be able to send photos to a printer.

Other may support additional mulitmedia content, such as movie clips recorded in a digital camera's movie mode, MPEG video files and/or MP3 audio. Many can display text files.

Certain frames can load pictures over the Internet from RSS feeds, photo sharing sites such as Flickr, Picasa and from e-mail. Such networked models usually support wireless (802.11) connections.

Digital photo frames typically display the pictures directly from a camera's memory card, though certain frames also provide internal memory storage. Some allow users to upload pictures to the frame's memory via a USB connection, or wirelessly via bluetooth technology. Few are able to send photos with cellular connectivity. Some frames allow photos to be shared from a frame to another.

Most 7 inch (17.8 cm) models show images at 430 x 234 or 480 x 234 pixels. With some models the width of each landscape image is stretched to achieve an aspect ratio of 16:9, which results in noticeable distortion. Built-in speakers are common for playing video content with sound, and many frames also feature remote controls.

Digital Photo Frames Limitations

Because a digital photo frame's display ratio doesn't always match the original picture ratio, some pictures cannot be displayed in a satisfactory manner. For example they may be rendered too small, with black borders, or they may be automatically zoomed-in and randomly cropped. 

 This issue can be resolved by using photo editing software to crop the pictures before transferring them to the digital frame. Furthermore, Some substandard digital photo frames only last for a period of 90 days. And at other times consumers find out that a component does not work properly either because of manufacturer's error or poor device assembly.

Although, digital frames have their advantages and like all electronic devices also have their disadvantages, it is important to note that proper research is required to purchase a suitable and durable digital frame that would serve its purpose. A reliable site to visit for quality digital frames is consumer reports.