Digital Photo Frame - How to Choose the Right One

Recently, we once again faced the problem of choosing a birthday present. Although this birthday (as a fact) was not unexpected, but, as always, came suddenly. So I had to rush over the choice of a gift in a hurry, and then to erase the heels in his search. Since the birthday boy lives in another city, and we do not see each other often, we would like to give him something that might remind us. After much thought, they decided on a device called a digital photo frame. We decided that it would be possible to upload many of our photos into it, and in the slideshow the birthday boy would look through them and remember us.

The decision is accepted, hurray! It remains our idea to implement. "There is nothing easier!" We thought. And what? We open the price-navigator of goods in our region on the Internet, go to the appropriate section, select the model, then the store, in which this model is cheaper, and voila! It turned out that not everything is as simple as we thought. The first hitch was in the choice of the model. Here we had to include a "price filter", having previously determined the maximum amount that we could spend on the acquisition of the gift. In the price range we are interested in, there was a series of digital photo frames, each of which had to be studied (on the Internet) separately. Having seen several options, we realized that apart from the price they differ for a number of very (and not so) significant factors, namely:

- Colour;

- Screen size;

- screen resolution;

- A variant of a food (independent or from a network);

- Supported formats (photo, video, audio);

- Presence of the remote control;

- availability of additional functions;

- the menu language and its quality;

- Presence of own memory;

- the ability to connect external storage devices and much more.

Immediately make a reservation that it is finally possible to find out which of them and how to choose and what to look for, only after buying at home test. The test for us was somewhat disappointing, as a result of which the issue of choosing a gift (albeit already different) arose again. Therefore, in order to prevent the disappointment of others and facilitate the process of choosing a digital photo frame, I hasten to share some of my considerations on this issue.

Let's start with the simplest color. Here everything is simple. The basic color solutions for digital photo frames do not have much to choose from black, white or silver one color - not difficult.

As the saying goes: "More - more!". The size of the screen (which is the same as in TVs, monitors, laptops, mobile phones ... measured diagonally and shown in inches) is very important because it is he who, in general, influences the overall impression when perceiving a picture. Existing frames today have screens from 1.5 to 10 inches. Clearly, 1.5 or even 3 inches is not enough! Such dimensions are comparable with the average screen sizes of modern mobile phones, which you usually look at from the distance of the bent hand. And the frame is usually placed in places near which the person is at a distance of one or even two arms outstretched. So the frame needs to be taken more. Since we are offered ten-inch, they probably need to be taken? Yes, ten inches is already good, that's just the price of such a framework some will seem a bit biting. After all, not everyone can spend a hundred dollars on a gift. So we roll back to seven or eight inches. This is the golden mean. The diagonal is the least by 2-3 inches, and the price is less than twice!

Then the next question arises: what is the screen resolution of these seven or eight inches? For those who do not understand the meaning of the term "resolution" (with respect to the screens of all kinds of photo or video equipment), I remind you that this is the number of pixels (pixels) in the vertical and horizontal that make up the displayed image. Than these points are larger (higher resolution), so the picture is perceived better. In the smallest frames (1.5 inches), the resolution is usually 128x128, the largest (10 inches) - 1024x768, the average (7-8 inches) can be 480x234 or 800x600. Based on my experience (albeit bitter) of a similar gadget, I will say that at 480x234 the picture looks sad and unnatural, so you need to choose 800x600.

As for the option of food, then everything is simple. If the frame has a built-in battery, then that's good. If there is not one, then there must be an adapter that allows you to work from the network, which of course worsens the aesthetics (the presence of a dragging wire) a little and hinders the freedom of transferring the device, but it's not scary.

The possibilities of digital photo frames from model to model also differ and here it is necessary to understand what you want from it so as not to pay extra money for what you will not use. So, with a minimal set of functions, the digital photo frame can display pictures of different formats (jpeg, bmp, png ...) and as an additional function to have, for example, an alarm clock and a calendar. More "advanced" frames allow you to watch videos (certain formats) and listen to music (also of certain formats). You can come across models with built-in radio.

The presence of the remote control may seem superfluous for such a device at first glance, but in practice it proves to be extremely useful.

Language menu - a very urgent issue, due to the fact that many gadgets of this kind are produced in China, and often not very high quality. So here is not very correct translation of menu items into Russian, although it does not reduce the functionality of the device as a whole, but it is very annoying (and in some cases also tiresome) when you set up and use it.

As for the built-in memory, it is quite natural that cheaper models do not have it. On the one hand, this is not a problem, because You can connect a memory card or flash drive. And, on the other - you need to buy additional memory, and this - additional costs. So if you have your memory, then it's good.

And, finally, if you have decided on the characteristics and chose the model corresponding to them, then go to the store, but not the online store, but the one in which there is a trading hall with live goods that you can see "alive" and even touch. It is advisable to select the frame you want to see and really, then to look for a store where it costs cheaper (in case of limited financial possibilities).

In general, all these achievements of science and technology in the form of modern gadgets do not have such warmth and warmth as old and good tape recorders, typewriters and other elements of the technology of the last century. Yes, take at least the same photos, about the digital framework for which we spoke! Where and how are they stored now? After all, many families already do not even have photo albums with prints, and all the photos are stored in the computer. Whether it's a good photo, printed in a large format, and even framed in the classic version of the framework. By the way, the classical variants of the frames of some formats (21x30 and 30x40) are now actively used to design all kinds of documents that are handed, as they say, on the occasion, in a solemn atmosphere. Some even manage to classify photo frames of such formats as a framework for diplomas, certificates and certificates. As for digital photo frames, it may be that they will soon be released in a larger format and handed in as a diploma about the completion of some courses. And what, conveniently, and most importantly - modern!