Digital Photo Picture Frames - Digital Picture Photo Frame

A digital photo picture frame is a picture frame that displays digital camera photos without having to print them first.

According to various studies and surveys, only around 35% of all digital photos are ever printed with the remainder stored on memory cards and the like.

Most digital picture photo frames display the photos in a delayed slideshow format with some frames also being able to play MPG files and MP3 audio.

Up until recently, I must admit that I was not even aware that Digital Picture Frames existed. Indeed, it was only whilst adding news items to our Digital Camera Photography News Blog that I came across an article predicting that the Digital Photo Frame market would exceed some twelve million units by the year 2010.

Following some thorough research, it would seem that that a Digital Picture Frame will become one of those 'must have' gadgets even though the average consumer has probably never heard of them.

Digital Photo Frames or Digital Picture Frames have been in existance for a number of years but due to poor initial consumer interest coupled with high costs, they did not really become mainstream until 2005. Even then, availability was limited to the US market with very few models being seen here in the UK or Europe.

About Digital Picture Frames

Basically, a Digital Picture Frame is an electronic device that takes the form of a picture frame and allows users to store and display digital photographs in a slide show format onto an LCD screen - the screen being the 'picture' in the frame

As with most electronic 'gadgets', Digital Picture Frames are available in various styles each with its own feature set and specifications.

LCD Screen Sizes - Most LCD screen sizes are 5 inches by 7 inches although larger sizes are available. LCD screen size should not be confused with the actual frame size. The frame is larger than the screen.

Screen Type - The best type of screen is one called TFT or Thin Film Transistor. The viewing angle and also the ability to backlight the display should also be taken into account. The nature of LCD displays makes the images lose some contrast and also look gray and 'washed-out' as the viewer moves to the side. Normal viewing angle is around 130 degrees but can be up to 160 degrees depending on the type of display used.

Screen Resolution - This is the actual number of pixels and is normally 640 x 480.

Color Depth - This is the number of colors a screen can display. Some LCD screens will have 24 bit color depth whilst others may support 32 bit or higher.

Image Formats - The majority of Digital Picture Frames support JPEG images but there are also a small number that support MPEG. The Digital Photo Frame should support the format of the digital camera on which the photographs are being taken.

Memory Card Readers - The majority of Digital Photo Frames will accept Compact Flash 1 (CF)memory cards. Others also have multi slot memory card readers that will accept Memory Stick (MS), SD Card and Multi Media Cards (MMC). Again, the Digital Picture Frame should support the card format of the digital camera on which the photographs are being taken.

USB Connector - This enables the photo frame to connect directly to your PC or camera in order to view the photographs.

Number of Photographs - There are some Digital Photo Frames that have their own internal memory. However, that memory is usually limited which will restrict the number of photographs that can be stored and displayed. The only limit when using memory cards is the actual storage capacity of that card.

Aesthetics - Some frames posess the ability to interchange the actual frame (bezel) to suit different tastes or decor. Others have a range of styles within the same model range.

Remote Control - Allows the operation of the Digital Picture Frame much the same as a television.