Unlike traditional photo frames, the electronic ones display slideshows of lots of photos. And more and more are coming with added features. Consumer Reports tested 10 digital picture frames.
Some come with new features, like the Mustek's iPod docking station. But Consumer Reports says it's not exactly what you'd want to listen to your iPod on. It's small, it sounds tinny, and there's very little base.
To use most of those frames, you insert your digital camera's memory card. But there's an exception. The Samsung digital frame's claim to fame is its wireless connectivity. If you have pictures stored on your computer, it'll be able to access them wirelessly and display them on the frame.
How do the photos look? Head-on, pretty good. But if you're looking at an angle, you'll have difficulty seeing the picture.
And think twice about wide-screen frames. The 16x9 widescreen format can either leave black borders around the perimeter of the screen or it cuts off the edges of your photo. Frames with a 4x3 ratio are a better choice.
Consumer Reports recommends the HP df800 for $170. It's compatible with Windows if you want to take pictures off of your computer.
The SmartParts SyncPix SPX8 for $190 is compatible with Macs.
Both have very good picture quality.
And both of the frames that Consumer Reports recommends work with a wide range of camera memory cards.
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