Buying Guide: Digital Photo Frame

The latest rage in digital tech (that seems to be doing quite well, as we see more and more companies, including bigwigs like Samsung, getting into it) is the digital photo frame market. The concept is not new, and we’ve reviewed a number of these devices already. While not too many variations are possible in a DPF's basic form factor, it can have an art deco style or a baroque look, come with changeable face plates, or have something else that makes it stand out.

With options galore, permit me to give you a few tips on what to look for if you’re planning to digitize your memories with a DPF.

Pricing
The only reason I’m talking about price before anything else is because of the vast range in technology. Since frames come in many screen sizes and resolutions, the price will obviously vary. Naturally, the larger the display the higher the price will be. Ranging from 7 inches to 10 inches, the display screens could have varying resolutions as well.

So fix a budget and you will find something that fits it. Naturally, the smaller the budget, the smaller the screen size and resolution. Features don’t differ too much, thankfully. The price ranges from Rs 4500 to Rs 10,000 and more, depending on the size.

Power Supply
One of the biggest issues you’ll have to deal with when selecting a DPF is the connectivity option for supplying power to the frame. Most DPFs are available only with DC adapters. Not only are some of these adapters an eyesore (think large and bulky), but the length of the wire is often too short. DC power means you will have to place the frame near a DC outlet in your home, which is restricting.

Unfortunately there are no DPFs that run on some form of internal power pack (batteries or such). In this case make sure you have a mantel or display location that’s convenient to place the frame, and ensure the wire is long enough so you have at least a bit of leeway.

Connectivity and Storage
Thankfully, most DPFs today come with inbuilt memory up to 1GB. That’s plenty of space to store a large number of pictures. If the frame you’ve chosen has internal memory, a USB port or card slot is not absolutely essential but then it's not altogether useless either.

Most DPFs have USB ports, not just for PC connectivity but for inserting a USB pen drive as well. They come with card readers too (CMF, MS, SD, MMC and XD), so you have nothing to worry about if you want to view images from any of these sources. It’s as simple as plug and play.

Another connectivity feature making its way into this segment is Wi-Fi. Many new advanced DPFs come with Wi-Fi that lets you wirelessly transfer data to the onboard memory, as well as connect to the Net for use with Windows Live Spaces for photo sharing etc. So you might want to see if this option is available, especially if your home is Wi-Fi enabled. The price will of course go up a bit.