Digital Photoframe Recommendations...

[Lone_Par]

As the title says....

Mother in law is getting the father in law one for Xmas but doesn't really know what kind to get and neither do I!

Budget is up to £300 but if she spends less on this he will get other stuff!

Recommendations?

Cheers.

Gaz

[andrewparker]

My parents have a Sony one. I've no idea what model it is but it's a really nice bit of kit.

At £300 you might as well buy an iPad Mini though!

[RedRobin]

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Subscribed....

I am thinking I'd like to buy one for my daughter for christmas.

So what can folks here recommend, please? They're not all ~300 squid are they!?

[Lone_Par]

I told her not to be daft and spend £150 max on a frame!

[Kregiel]

Guys,

Before you take a plunge I bought one for my parents a couple of years back and it's never on when I visit them. What seemed to be a good idea at the time now I wish I had never bought it. The issue is power consumption as you need to have cables connected to it all the time hence you can't hang it on a wall. At night time nobody wants to have it turned on due to light it creates but it's a hassle turning it on during a day and off at night hence nobody bothers using it at all! A real pic in a nice frame or even a calendar with family pics can't be beaten based on my experience

Buy a real pic in a frame and spend the balance on the mods!

Paul

[garrardrj]

Guys,

Before you take a plunge I bought one for my parents a couple of years back and it's never on when I visit them. What seemed to be a good idea at the time now I wish I had never bought it. The issue is power consumption as you need to have cables connected to it all the time hence you can't hang it on a wall. At night time nobody wants to have it turned on due to light it creates but it's a hassle turning it on during a day and off at night hence nobody bothers using it at all! A real pic in a nice frame or even a calendar with family pics can't be beaten based on my experience

Buy a real pic in a frame and spend the balance on the mods!

Paul

Depends how old the parents are , i bought mine (77) a digital photo frame . It was on the dayit was opened and since been in a cupboard . Their photos are taken with a digital camera but printed out ! They don't have them on computer so little point in having one .

[RedRobin]

^^^^
At first reading Paul's post above I'm a bit put off buying one for my daughter. However, since being at uni she has found she has a talent for photography (obviously inherited from Dad) and she is studying textile design and works a lot on her 17" MacBook Pro. I can see her loading a photo of her boyfriend in a digital photoframe and also other images which may or may not be study related. She took some great pics in Italy last Summer for example.

I bumped into a friend in town this morning who has a computer related shop business and he said he used to stock digital photoframes but they have come right down in price and the profit margin isn't worthwhile for him. He suggested that places like Curry's and PCWorld have plenty which I could see in the flesh and that spending ~£100 should get a good one. Sony have a good reputation.

An iPad with 3G/4G would be more use to her after she has left uni.

[Lone_Par]

I wouldn't buy one either, but its what she wants to get him for some reason!

[RedRobin]

^^^^
The concept of a digital photoframe is a good one but people need to think hard about exactly how and when it would be used. Many people don't think that hard about it and get seduced by the idea. It's always going to better suit those who spend a lot of time using computers and similar gear.

Can you load images which change automatically on a user selected time setting?

[Lone_Par]

Yes, think you can mate.

[rich83]

Can you select an OFF period with these... ie OFF @ midnight and ON @ 09:00 ??

[RedRobin]

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Hmm, I'm beginning to think that I want one for myself as well as a chrimby pressy for daughter.

I'm gonna go and see some in the flesh in a store and report back but probably not until next week - 'scopes' and I have the 2013 forum calendar to sort out.

[chrisr763]

Can you select an OFF period with these... ie OFF @ midnight and ON @ 09:00 ??

Doubt it... But use a timer on the plug and that should work a treat!

[Kregiel]

The one I bought did not have the off selection which could be set up at a certain time. It shuffled pics at certain predefined speed. It was 3 years ago and technology moved as well so I am pretty sure better solutions are available.

Also my parents are not very techy minded which did not help either.

I thing RR it might suit your daughter pretty well as new models can be used as an external display as well connected to a computer if need be

Paul

[Greeners]

We've had one for years, loaded the pics and had it on for a day or two max!

And as for spending £300 on one!!    No way, buy an iPad for them instead!