Best Digital Picture Frames

Five great tips to help you find the best digital photo frame



If you love to display photos of family, friends and memorable moments, but do not want to clutter your home with dozens of traditional photo frames, then consider going digital.  These beautiful picture frames can display up to thousands of your favorite photos.  Best of all, they are easy to use and more affordable than ever.  But with so many different makes and models on the market, finding the right one can be a little overwhelming.  Here are five tips on how to find the best digital picture frame:

Tip #1 – Consider who it’s for
Whether buying a digital picture frame for yourself or giving one as a gift, it is important to keep the end user in mind and consider if they are comfortable with technology.  Feature wise, some digital photo frames do little more than display pictures and that makes them more suitable for novices, while others have a host of advanced, built-in features like internet access, streaming radio and web browsers that can add to the complexity of operation.

Tip #2 – Look beyond the brand name
While it is tempting to limit your search to well-known brand names like HP, do not ignore lesser-known ones like Pandigital, which offer high quality, feature rich digital picture frames and often at significantly lower prices.

Tip #3 – Never skimp on resolution
Sometimes it is necessary to make compromises in order to stay within a budget, but one thing never to skimp on is the resolution.  When looking for the best digital picture frame, always go with one that has a resolution of at least 640 by 480 pixels.  Other digital picture frames with lower resolutions like 480 by 234 leave precious photos looking blocky and pixelated.

Tip #4 – Choose the right aspect ratio
Most digital picture frames use an aspect ratio of 15:9 or 4:3.  This is important to keep in mind because most digital cameras shoot in 4:3. If you try to display them in a 15:9 digital frame, the tops and bottoms of the photos will be cropped.  On the other hand, if you are planning on displaying panoramic photos or want that attractive, widescreen look, then go with a frame that uses a 15:9 aspect ratio.

Tip #5 – Extra features
The best digital picture frames today do far more than simply display your cherished photos.  When shopping and comparing different models, be on the lookout for extra features like accelerometers, which automatically rotate photos so they can be displayed in portrait or landscape mode.  Other digital photo frames support video and music playback or can be programmed to display slideshows of your favorite photos.