Digital Picture Frame

If you are new to the digital LCD frame marketplace and are overwhelmed by all the features that are provided by these digital LCD frames, or if you are not even sure what some of these features are (resolution?  Doesn’t that mean firm determination or something?), then you have come to the right place.  I’m a techie myself, and maintain several tech related blogs, and I have written down in plain, simple English, 11 things that you must look for in a digital LCD frame.  So I hope that I have done a good job of it and that you have benefited from this article. 

Things to look for when shopping for a digital LCD frame:

1. Screen size.

The screen sizes for a digital LCD frame currently varies from 5 inches to 19 inches.  This is measured diagonally from from the top corner to the bottom corner of the screen.  The screen size does not include the surrounding frame.
 
2. Resolution.

The resolution is a number that represents the number of pixels that can be displayed in a given area.  You want to go for the higher resolution, as this means a better picture quality. 

3. Aspect ratio.

The aspect ratio of a digital LCD frame is the ratio between the width and the height of the display.  HDTV has an aspect ratio of 16:9 for example.  That means that for every 16 units of width, there are 9 units of height.  Regular TV aspect ratio, and digital cameras use aspect ratio of 4:3.  In other words, the 16:9 aspect ratio is wide screen while 4:3 is “regular” screen. 

4. Shows photos AND videos AND plays music?

There are a few digital LCD frames out there than can show videos and play MP3 songs.  This comes in handy and it might be the wave of the future.

5. Does the digital LCD frame have Wi-Fi (wireless)? 

Wi-Fi digital LCD frames are new in the market, and while it is not an absolute must to have Wi-Fi, it sure opens a lot of doors for some creative fun!  For example, one can use a digital LCD frame to subscribe to an RSS feed or a flickr.com account and as new photos are added, they are displayed on your digital LCD frame instantly!  How cool is that?

6. Supported external memory cards.

This is an important feature to look for if you own a digital camera.  There are several different kinds of memory cards and it is HIGHLY IMPORTANT to look for a digital LCD frame that supports the memory card that you use in your digital photo camera.

7. Internal memory card size:

 While the prices of external memory cards have dropped sharply over the months and years, this option might not be as important.  Currently Best Buy sells a 2GB SD card for $10.  So does it matter if the internal memory in a digital LCD frame is 1GB or 128MB?  It hardly matters, so better choose the right digital LCD frame based on other criteria, such as image resolution and price.

8. Touch screen controls?

This feature is not as important as the others, but for those of us who like to have the latest gadgets in the market, then it’s a must.  Some, not all, digital LCD frames have their controls in the screen itself.  Others have the controls on the back of the digital LCD frame or on the sides. 

9. Multiple viewing modes.

Digital LCD frames all have neat features that can add to your fun and photo viewing experience.  Some will show you one picture at a time, while others will show you a photo collage or fade the pictures as they change, etc.  If these tricks are important to you, make sure to check out what viewing modes the digital LCD frame that you have in mind can support.

10. Support of different formats.

You will find that there are a vast number of formats out there and some digital LCD frames support a few formats whereas others support a lot more.  For example, a digital LCD display can show a picture of JPEG or EXIF formats, while others can show only JPEG.

11. Auto on/off.

This feature comes in very handy.  With the Auto on/off feature, your digital LCD frame will automatically turn on or off at your requested time.  This not only saves you money, but it will prolong the life of your digital LCD frame as well.