Comparisons – Pix-Star Blog

Is the Brookstone Digital Frame Still Worth Buying?

Brice Delmotte — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 03:45:05 +0000

The Brookstone digital frame often goes unnoticed when compared with the most popular digital frame brands on the market – but does it have what it takes to compete? We explore these frames’ key features, how many photos they hold, what features to look for, how they work, how to share photos, and more. You’ll learn how to get the best value for money and a digital frame that’s right for your home and family!

How many photos can the Brookstone digital frame hold?

The Brookstone digital frame is available in several different variations and versions, some with 16GB of internal storage, and some with 32GB of internal storage. The large storage capacity digital frames are typically the higher-resolution frame. The higher-resolution photos take up significantly more space and Brookstone doesn’t apply much compression to stored images.

Brookstone digital frames claim to support storing more than 5,000 photos – a relatively competitive number when compared with other premium (and often cheaper) digital frames. Brookstone’s frames do support USB and SD cards but require you to load photos to the frame’s internal storage before viewing them in slideshows.

For comparison, some premium digital frames like the Pix-Star have extensive USB and SD card support. You can use any size of USB/SD card and play slideshows directly from them on the frame. This, in essence, gives you unlimited storage space as you don’t have to copy anything to the frame’s internal storage first and aren’t limited by its maximum storage capacity.

Bear in mind that the number of photos a digital frame can hold is heavily impacted by the size, resolution, format, and type of picture. This number is further reduced when video clips are held in internal storage as video tends to take up significantly more storage space than photos.

We recommend sending photos to a digital frame in its native resolution – or getting a digital frame that automatically crops the photos to their optimal frame-ready size.

How does the Brookstone digital frame work?

The Brookstone digital frame works by offering internal storage space and Wi-Fi for photo-sharing. You can share photos over the internet using their mobile app and send photos as messages through Twitter and Facebook Messenger. While these features are rather limited – especially when compared to similarly priced frames like the Pix-Star – it’s better than non-Wi-Fi-capable frames.

Brookstone digital frames do support sharing photos by USB or SD card but require you to copy their content to the frame’s internal storage first. Most of Brookstone’s newer digital frames have 16GB of storage space, which is enough for around 10,000 photos.

Brookstone digital frame can play short video clips sent via the mobile app. Note that you’re limited to short clips no longer than a couple of seconds. Digital frames aren’t designed to be multi-media friendly, and digital frames like the Pix-Star (with 2-minute video clips) are the exception rather than the rule.

Brookstone’s frames play slideshows from the files and photos stored in the frame’s internal storage. These slideshows offer a handful of adjustable settings to control stylistic and speed elements.

In terms of additional settings and functionality such as remote configuration support and importing photo albums from social media (directly). These advanced features are typically limited to a handful of the top digital frames on the market.

Is the Brookstone digital frame worth buying?

The Brookstone digital frame is a decent mid to high-end option. While there are still several important features missing from their frames, the screen resolution and internal storage space are both above average. Important missing features include a way to remotely configure the Brookstone frame from anywhere in the world (usually via a web interface) and no way to sync/import photos directly from social media and photo-sharing sites.

When you start to look at Brookstone’s more premium frames, they struggle more to compete. This is mainly due to their high price tag thanks to their higher resolution screen and larger storage. As a result, other key features – as mentioned above – are sacrificed to keep the frame’s price competitive.

Compared with some of the subscription-based digital frames like Skylight and Nixplay, Brookstone’s frames hold up well. They offer similar feature sets when the paywalled features aren’t factored in while offering a relatively similar price point. Compared with other popular frames like Pix-Star and Dragon Touch, Brookstone is arguably still a little behind the pack.

How to send photos to the Brookstone digital frame?

There are 3 main ways to send photos to the Brookstone digital frame. The most popular – and recommended – method is with the mobile app. Select photos from your phone’s gallery and send them to any of your Brookstone frames. Note that there are limits to the number of photos and frames you can send at the same time.

The second and most elderly-friendly way to share photos is via email. Emailing photos is great for sending a handful of pictures to different frames from any device and is easy for less tech-savvy users. It’s more limited, slower, and further limits how many photos can be sent.

Finally, a least-used method – sharing photos using Twitter and Facebook Messenger. These aren’t much different from what the mobile app offers but are slightly slower and more limited. There’s arguably more compression applied to images, which is a common complaint about sending media over Messenger.

Brookstone brand this feature as sharing photos from social media – similar to what competing frames like Pix-Star offer. In reality, it’s a feature that lets you send photos from your phone’s gallery, or via your computer using Messenger or Twitter chat.

Final Thoughts

While the Brookstone digital frame isn’t a bad choice, there are still several features that similarly priced competing frames offer. Brookstone’s strengths lie in its relatively high-resolution displays and large internal storage space. Its weaknesses lie in Brookstone’s very limited feature sets and few advanced functions such as remote configuration and updates, web album support, and free-for-life cloud storage.

With competing frames like the Pix-Star offering a great user experience, family and elderly-friendly features, and excellent value for money, Brookstone digital frames aren’t excellent value for money – and they aren’t bad either. We recommend thoroughly inspecting each frame, comparing its features with the best, and spending time going through user reviews and FAQs to get the best possible frame for your home and family!

The post Is the Brookstone Digital Frame Still Worth Buying? appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Is the Dhwazz Digital Photo Frame a Flagship Killer?

Brice Delmotte — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 09:26:40 +0000

Does the Dhwazz digital photo frame need Wi-Fi?

The Dhwazz digital photo frame is a non-Wi-Fi frame. As such, you can’t use Wi-Fi to share photos or videos with your frames. We don’t often recommend buying non-Wi-Fi digital photo frames as they have very limited feature sets and aren’t great matches for the modern home and family.

Without Wi-Fi, Dhwazz digital photo frames don’t offer features like sending photos from your phone to your frames, creating multi-frame control groups, remotely configuring your frame, importing photo albums from social media, starting slideshows remotely, saving your photos to the cloud, etc.

These are typical features found exclusively among the top digital photo frames on the market. For example, Pix-Star’s frames let you share photos from anywhere in the world using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app. Additionally, you can remotely adjust your frame’s settings, start and manage slideshows, make changes to local and cloud storage, import photo albums from Facebook and a dozen other external sources, and more.

None of these features are available on the Dhwazz digital photo frame. The only way to share photos with the frame is via a USB or SD card. You’re limited to using a 32GB or smaller USB/SD card.

How to send pictures to the Dhwazz digital photo frame?

As the Dhwazz digital photo frame is a non-Wi-Fi frame, the only way to share photos is by loading the photos to a supported USB or SD card. Insert this USB or SD card into the Dhwazz’s relevant port and transfer the photos to the frame’s internal storage. Note that there is a plug & play feature that lets you play slideshows directly from the inserted USB or SD card without copying the content to local storage first.

For reference, premium Wi-Fi-capable frames like the Pix-Star also offer extensive USB and SD card support. It’s not a feature unique to Dhwazz digital photo frames. With Pix-Star, and unlike Dhwazz, the maximum size of supported USB/SD cards isn’t limited. Since Pix-Star also supports a USB plug & play feature, you get essentially limitless storage space for all of your photos, videos, and audio files.

Is the Dhwazz digital photo frame battery-powered?

Dhwazz digital photo frames are not battery-operated. They need to be connected to a standard outlet using the provided power adapter at all times to function. Battery-run digital photo frames are not very common in today’s market as they often lack the battery life and power necessary to cater to the needs of the modern home and family.

Wi-Fi digital photo frames have extensive Wi-Fi and cloud features such as multi-frame control groups, mobile apps and web dashboards, remote configuration support, social media imports, and much more. Battery-operated digital frames struggle to power all of these features and provide an immersive and highly customizable viewing experience.

Does the Dhwazz digital photo frame have a touchscreen?

The Dhwazz digital photo frame uses a touchscreen, which isn’t a very common feature among many of the top digital frames. There are several reasons why many popular digital frames don’t opt for touch displays. First of all, they are far more prone to scratching than non-touch displays. This often leaves you needing to wipe away fingerprints after each use and is made even worse on glossy-finish displays.

Secondly, a touchscreen display is more expensive for digital frame sizes larger than 8-inches. The higher cost of the display often leads to features and functions being sacrificed to keep the frame competitively priced. It’s rarely worth losing key features like wireless photo sharing and remote configuration support to allow for a touchscreen.

Finally, many digital photo frames with touchscreen often struggle with long-term durability. These displays are often the first part of the frame to stop working or experience issues. While this isn’t a universal issue, it’s one worth keeping in mind when reading through verified digital frame reviews on sites like Amazon before choosing which frame to buy.

Can the Dhwazz digital photo frame play videos?

Dhwazz digital photo frames can play video and audio files. While this is a bit less common in non-Wi-Fi digital frames, it’s commonly found among many of the top digital frames. It’s worth noting that video and audio playback are not key features of the digital frame. Rather, they’re an “extra” feature that comes with various limitations.

For instance, Pix-Star’s frames let you play 2-minute video clips and audio recordings. You can include video clips in slideshows alongside photos, play audio files from a connected USB/SD card over slideshows, and send audio recordings from your phone. Pix-Star’s frames can also connect to speakers or headphones for a more immersive audio experience.

Note that some digital frames like the Skylight and Nixplay frames charge a subscription fee to unlock and expand video support on any of their frames. Frames like Dhwazz and Pix-Star include video playback without requiring any extra subscriptions.

Can Dhwazz digital photo frames mount on the wall?

The Dhwazz digital photo frame has two holes on the back of the frame to allow wall mounting. You can choose to either mount the frame directly onto two screw heads or hang the frame on a thumbtack. Note that many top digital picture frames like the Pix-Star include multiple wall mounting features including support for using a standard VESA mount and in-built dedicated hanging holes. Pix-Star supports both portrait and landscape wall mounting.

Does the Dhwazz digital photo frame have a mobile app?

The Dhwazz digital photo frame is a non-Wi-Fi frame and doesn’t offer additional features such as mobile a mobile app or a web interface. We highly recommend getting a digital photo frame with a mobile app as you can share photos directly with several of your frames at the same time – from anywhere in the world.

For instance, using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app lets you send up to 250 photos to several Pix-Star frames at the same time from anywhere in the world. These photos are saved automatically to the cloud and locally on the receiving frame’s internal storage.

Pix-Star Snap also lets you send 2-minute video clips and audio recordings using the mobile app. Additionally, Pix-Star’s robust remote configuration feature is coming soon to the mobile app, letting you remotely adjust your frame’s settings, start slideshows, update their firmware, and more.

Note that some top digital frames including Nixplay and Skylight lock access to their mobile app behind their premium “Skylight Plus” and “Nixplay Plus” subscriptions. If you don’t pay for this premium subscription, you can’t use the mobile app to share more than just a handful of pictures at a time.

The post Is the Dhwazz Digital Photo Frame a Flagship Killer? appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Comparing the Aura Mason Digital Picture Frame with the Best

Brice Delmotte — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 04:04:33 +0000

Can the Aura Mason digital picture frame work without Wi-Fi?

The Aura Mason digital picture frame cannot work without Wi-Fi as there is no internal storage, photo-email feature, or USB and SD card support. The only way to load photos to Aura Mason is through downloading and using Aura’s mobile app. Here you can send a handful of pictures to the frame’s cloud. Aura then streams these photos to the Mason frame for slideshows. Photos are not held locally on the Aura Mason digital picture frame.

This isn’t very common as competing frames like the Pix-Star offer extensive offline functionality. For example, Pix-Star offers 8GB of internal storage, offline availability of settings, photo-mail, and USB and SD card support. With Pix-Star’s frames, all incoming photos are saved to the cloud (Pix-Star offers free-for-life cloud storage) and to Pix-Star’s internal storage.

We generally recommend getting a digital picture frame that doesn’t work without Wi-Fi. If Wi-Fi connectivity drops for any reason or the frame’s servers are down, you won’t have access to your photos. Frames like the Pix-Star give you the best of both worlds with cloud functionality and offline slideshows, settings, file explorer, etc.

Can the Aura Mason digital picture frame play videos?

The Aura Mason digital picture frame cannot play videos or audio files. It’s worth noting that there isn’t any internal storage or USB/SD card support on Aura Mason frames, meaning you can’t store files locally on the frame, or source them from a USB drive – something that many competing frames offer.

For reference, several other high-end digital picture frames offer features like video and audio support. Pix-Star’s frames let you send and play 2-minute video clips and audio recordings. You can send these clips using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app. While 2-minute clips may not seem like much, it’s more than almost all competing frames. For instance, Dragon Touch only lets you play 30-second clips, and Skylight and Nixplay require a monthly subscription to play 1-minute video clips.

Do Aura Mason digital picture frames charge monthly fees?

Aura Mason digital picture frames do not have any extra or recurring fees, unlike Nixplay and Skylight frames, which charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual subscription fee. Nixplay and Skylight Plus subscriptions are required to unlock features like cloud storage, multi-frame control groups, video and audio playback, access to the mobile app and web interface, etc.

Compared to non-subscription-based digital picture frames like the Pix-Star, Aura’s frames are quite limited. Aura Mason doesn’t offer internal storage, USB or SD card support, multi-frame control groups, remote configuration support, photo imports from social media (usually referred to as web albums), video and audio playback, and more.

By contrast, Pix-Star’s frames offer all of the above features without charging any extra fees. When you consider that the Aura Mason is more expensive, smaller, and more limited than Pix-Star’s 10-inch frame, you can see why Pix-Star is so popular.

Does the Aura Mason digital picture frame support USB and SD cards?

Aura Mason digital picture frames do not support USB or SD cards. Additionally, Aura’s frames do not offer internal storage space. As such, there is no way to hold photos locally on the frame or to play slideshows from a connected USB or SD card. Other digital picture frames that don’t offer USB or SD card support include Skylight and Nixplay.

For comparison, digital frames like the Pix-Star and Dragon Touch do offer USB/SD card support. With Pix-Star’s frames, you can play slideshows directly from a connected USB or SD card without having to copy its content to the frame’s internal storage first. Pix-Star doesn’t limit the maximum size of compatible USBs and SD cards, giving you essentially limitless storage space for your photos.

Why is the Aura Mason digital picture frame so expensive?

Aura’s digital picture frames are widely regarded to be some of the most expensive frames in their size category. The Aura Mason 9-inch digital frames cost around US$179 (though this price may vary), compared to Pix-Star’s 10-inch frame which costs around US$155. It’s worth noting that some of Aura’s frames can cost as much as US$400, namely the Aura Smith frame.

Can I remotely update the Aura Mason digital picture frame?

A remote update feature lets you manage your digital picture frame from anywhere in the world via a supported mobile app or web interface to adjust their settings, start slideshows, manage cloud storage, etc. Aura Mason digital picture frames do not support remote configuration.

For reference, Pix-Star’s frames offer arguably the most robust remote configuration feature – and it’s getting even better. You can use the Pix-Star web dashboard for your single-frame, or the multi-frame control group to adjust each frame’s settings, start and change slideshows, manage cloud storage, update their firmware, import photo albums from social media, update web albums, and much more.

Currently, Pix-Star offers a remote configuration with their web dashboard only. This feature will soon be available with the Pix-Star Snap mobile app and is under development at the time of this writing.

Can the Aura Mason digital picture frame show photos from Facebook?

Aura Mason digital picture frames do not offer a web album feature that lets you import photos directly from social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, etc. With Aura frames, you have to download the photos to your phone and send them to Aura Mason using Aura’s mobile app.

Some top digital picture frames like the Pix-Star offer a robust web album feature that lets you import photos directly to your Pix-Star frames from a dozen external sources. Supported sources include social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, photo-sharing sites like Google Photos and Flickr, and online storage platforms such as Google Drive and Dropbox.

Pix-Star’s web albums save both locally on the frame and to the cloud. You can remotely manage these linked web albums using Pix-Star’s web interface, set them to update and sync automatically whenever you add new photos, and even start slideshows from saved web albums – no matter where you are in the world.

The post Comparing the Aura Mason Digital Picture Frame with the Best appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

What is the Aluratek Digital Picture Frame All About?

Brice Delmotte — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 02:58:58 +0000

Is the Aluratek digital picture frame any good?

The Aluratek digital picture frame is available in a variety of sizes, ranging from 7-inches up to 17-inches. We’ll be comparing the Aluratek 10-inch digital frame here as it’s the most common digital frame size on the market – especially in the higher end of the market.

In terms of price, the Aluratek digital picture frame comes in a little cheaper than most premium, high-end 10-inch frames. At under US$120, Aluratek’s 10-inch frame is cheaper – but at what cost? Longevity and durability may not be Aluratek’s strongest selling points, with some users claiming that the USB port stops working after several months.

Durability is a major issue in the digital frame market, with only a handful of the best digital picture frames producing high-quality frames. Aluratek’s frames use a touchscreen, which is generally known to not offer the durability of non-touch displays. This is why top digital frames like the Pix-Star don’t use touch displays.

For what you gain in modernity, you lose in quality, functionality, and often value for money. Touch panels are quite a bit more expensive too, meaning that cost needs to be recovered by sacrificing other areas of the digital frame’s feature set – or even the build quality.

Aluratek’s digital picture frames don’t offer cloud storage, instead saving all photos locally on the frame. While you can play slideshows from the frame’s internal storage and/or USB/SD cards, you have little to no control over their play order – which becomes a massive frustration when dealing with thousands of photos.

Aluratek’s 16:10 aspect ratio is another problem. Almost all smartphones capture photos in 4:3 by default, though they can often be set to 16:9 (with some zooming). Few phones and cameras let you take pictures at 16:10, meaning you’d need to manually edit and resize all the photos you send to the frame. If you don’t, you’ll have to deal with photos being cropped, zoomed, even distorted – or boxed in by black pillar bars.

In summary, despite being a little cheaper than most competing 10-inch digital frames, the Aluratek digital picture frame probably isn’t worth the money. We’d recommend paying just a little extra to get a more premium frame with a great build quality, a robust feature set, and that caters to the modern home, family, and elderly user (e.g., Pix-Star’s 10-inch elderly-friendly digital picture frame).

How to put pictures on the Aluratek digital picture frame?

With Aluratek digital picture frames, there are a handful of ways to send pictures to the frame. The most commonly used of these methods include the mobile app, email, USB/SD card, and Facebook or Twitter messages.

Aluratek’s mobile app is usable in most cases but is quite far off from the standard set by digital frames like Pix-Star and Aura. Setting up Aluratek’s app can be quite challenging – especially for elderly users. Even once set up, the app isn’t as versatile as competing apps. You can’t send as many photos and video sharing is limited too.
For example, Pix-Star’s mobile app lets you send up to 250 photos in several frames at a time, something that Aluratek’s app can’t do.

Aluratek’s photo email feature works relatively well. While you can’t send as many photos in one go as you could with the mobile app, it’s still a good choice for on-the-go photo sharing.

Transferring photos by USB/SD card is Aluratek’s best option for bulk sharing. This method doesn’t quite Wi-Fi, but you have to be in the room with the frame (or give the USB/SD card to the frame owner). Note that Aluratek does support plug & play, you can nearly zero control over the order and frequency in which photos display.

Finally, you can send pictures to the Aluratek digital frame in Facebook and Twitter messages. This feature isn’t too commonly used and some users claim it to be a little difficult and buggy to use. We would choose to use the mobile app in place of this feature as it offers more intuitive sharing – despite its well-known issues.

Can the Aluratek digital picture frame import pictures from social media?

Aluratek digital picture frames do not support a web album feature. You cannot import photo albums from social media directly to the frame but can send photos via Facebook and Twitter messages (if you set it up correctly).

For reference, Pix-Star offers arguably the most robust web album feature on the market. You can link, sync, and save photo albums from a dozen external sources, including Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Google Drive, Google Photos, Dropbox, and more. These web albums are saved to Pix-Star’s internal storage and are available offline. Additionally, they can be set to automatically update when new photos are added to linked albums.

Compared with Pix-Star’s web album feature, Aluratek’s photo-sharing doesn’t quite have what it takes to compete. Adding in Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature (that lets you start slideshows remotely too) seals the deal.

Can I remotely control an Aluratek digital picture frame?

Aluratek digital picture frames do not support remote updates or configuration – a feature typically offered by only a handful of the best digital picture frames. All changes and interactions with the Aluratek frame need to be done in-person on the frame using the touch screen.

Pix-Star offers a great remote configuration feature, letting you manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world. You can adjust their settings, start and manage slideshows, make changes to local and cloud storage, and much more. Learn more about Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature here.

Do Aluratek digital picture frames play video and audio?

Aluratek digital picture frames only let you play video clips if they are shorter than 30-seconds. While these video clips can be looped when playback, you cannot include them in slideshows alongside photos.

For comparison, Pix-Star’s frames let you play 2-minute video clips and audio recordings. You can play video clips in slideshows alongside photos, set them to play muted by default, and even play music over slideshows (the music’s file source needs to be from a USB/SD card). Pix-Star’s frames can also connect to external speakers/headphones for a more immersive audio and slideshow experience.

The post What is the Aluratek Digital Picture Frame All About? appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Aeezo Digital Picture Frame – Is It Worth a Second Look?

Brice Delmotte — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 03:35:02 +0000

Is the Aeezo digital picture frame worth the money?

The Aeezo digital picture frame is a new generation frame that hasn’t been on the market for very long – especially when compared with industry leaders like Skylight, Nixplay, and Pix-Star. Aeezo digital picture frames use Wi-Fi to let you transfer photos from the 3rd party Frameo mobile app, storing them on the frame’s 16GB of internal storage.

Despite the Aeezo digital frame being quite a modern frame with a good display, it has several glaring issues. The most prominent of these is the build quality. You’ll immediately notice the light and plasticky feel of the frame. It doesn’t seem like the most durable or well-built – a common issue with many of these newer Chinese-sourced digital picture frames.

The Aeezo picture frame is not wall mountable. Where most competing frames come with a standard VESA mount and hanging holes, the Aeezo frame only has an attachable stand. This stand is not very sturdy as it’s off to one side – and the connector feels rather cheap, so we can’t speak too highly of its durability.

You can’t play slideshows directly from a USB or SD card on the Aeezo picture frame. You have to manually import all of the USB/SD card’s photos to the frame’s internal storage. This missing plug & play feature is offered by competing frames like the Pix-Star.

Additionally, there are no directories on the Aeezo photo frame’s internal storage. Unlike Pix-Star – and other top frames – Aeezo doesn’t offer a file explorer or library. You can only play all of the photos in one huge randomized slideshow.

Aeezo digital picture frames only support 15-second video clips and they can’t play in the same slideshows as photos. For comparison, Pix-Star’s frames let you play 2-minute video clips – which is more than almost every other top digital frame on the market.

Finally, Aeezo doesn’t offer cloud storage. All of the photos you send to the frame via the mobile app are saved locally on the frame. Given the issues related to accidental restarts and poorer build quality, your photos are more at risk. We prefer digital frames like the Pix-Star that store a copy of each photo to the cloud – though still have them locally on the frame.

In summary, Aeezo digital picture frames are not worth the money. While they have a great display and image quality, they miss too many essential features to compete with similarly priced digital frames like the Pix-Star. We recommend avoiding newer brands like Aeezo as they don’t have the experience and build quality that the industry leaders offer at almost the same price.

Does the Aeezo digital picture frame have a mobile app?

Unlike competing digital frames like the Pix-Star, Aeezo digital picture frames don’t have a dedicated mobile app. Instead, Aeezo uses the 3rd party Frameo mobile app. Several of the newer Chinese brands including Aeezo use this 3rd party app.

The issue with the Frameo mobile app is that it’s designed for many different digital frames. As an example – and for comparison – the Pix-Star Snap mobile app is made to perfectly complement the Pix-Star digital frame. Its features and functions fill all the voids to deliver a versatile and capable mobile app.

The Frameo mobile app only lets you send 10 pictures in one go. Pix-Star Snap lets you send up to 250 photos to several Pix-Star frames at the same time. Frameo only lets you send 15-second video clips, Pix-Star Snap lets you send 2-minute video clips and audio recordings.

The Frameo app doesn’t support remote configuration yet; whereas Pix-Star is adding its robust remote configuration feature to the Pix-Star Snap mobile app at the time of this writing.

The benefits of Aeezo’s mobile app – over competing frames like Nixplay and Skylight – are that there are no monthly fees and setup is very easy. These benefits aren’t unique to Aeezo though. Pix-Star’s mobile app is also exceptionally easy to set up and doesn’t require paying any extra recurring fees.

Can the Aeezo digital picture frame import photos from social media?

Aeezo digital picture frames don’t support any photo imports from external sources other than the Frameo mobile app (only sources pictures from your phone’s gallery) and USB/SD cards. Note that you have to import photos from the USB or SD card to Aeezo’s internal storage first as there is no plug & play feature.

If you want to import photos from your social media and photo-sharing sites, you have to manually download the photos, transfer them to your phone or USB/SD card, and load them to the Aeezo digital picture frame.

For comparison, Pix-Star offers a versatile web album feature that lets you directly import photo albums from a dozen external sources. These sources include Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Dropbox, Google Photos, Google Drive, your computer, and more.

Pix-Star saves web albums to the frame’s internal storage and lets you remotely manage them. You can start slideshows from synced web albums from anywhere in the world. Additionally, once a web album is linked, you can set it to automatically update to all linked Pix-Star frames whenever you add new photos.

Can I remotely control my Aeezo digital picture frame?

Aeezo digital picture frames do not support remote configuration – a feature that lets you manage and control one or more digital picture frames from anywhere in the world. Remote configuration is usually offered through a supported mobile app or web interface and is only found on a handful of the best digital picture frames.

For example, Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature lets you manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from a single user account – no matter where you are in the world. All you need is an online Pix-Star frame that’s been registered at its Pix-Star web dashboard.

With Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature, you can adjust each of your frame’s settings, start and change slideshows, manage local and cloud storage, update and link new web albums, and adjust the motion sensor (and auto-on/off feature), and much more.

Currently, Pix-Star offers remote configuration via each frame’s web dashboard (or the multi-frame control group’s web dashboard). Pix-Star is adding remote configuration to the Pix-Star Snap mobile app at the time of this writing. This makes the Pix-Star frame far more versatile and better suited to families/elderly users than the Aeezo digital picture frame – especially in 2022.

The post Aeezo Digital Picture Frame – Is It Worth a Second Look? appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Sony Digital Picture Frame Explained – Avoid These Mistakes!

Brice Delmotte — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 04:19:21 +0000

How to use the Sony digital picture frame?

The Sony digital picture frame is a very basic device. It uses USB and SD cards to transfer photos to the frame’s internal storage, which you can then view in slideshows on the frame’s display. Sony digital picture frames are typically small (7-inches to 9-inches) and have very limited feature sets.

To use the Sony digital picture frame, load your photos to a supported USB or SD card. Note that only a handful of Sony’s picture frames support SD cards; whereas most of them support USB drives. Insert the USB or SD card into the frame’s port and give it a few minutes to read its content.

Some of Sony’s more premium digital picture frames (US$100+) will let you play slideshows directly from the connected storage device. Most of Sony’s cheaper and smaller models require you to copy the USB or SD card’s content to the frame’s internal storage first.

Note that Sony doesn’t support USBs or SD cards larger than 256GB (64GB with their entry-level frames).

Sony digital frames don’t offer Wi-Fi or cloud connectivity. There are no ways to send photos to the frame wirelessly from your phone or social media. These types of features are typically offered by higher-end digital frames like the Pix-Star.

With Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity, you get features like a mobile app, remote configuration support, social media photo imports, and much more.

Why won’t my Sony digital picture frame display pictures?

Sony digital picture frames have a couple of well-known and common issues. One of these major issues is that the frame stops reading photos from a connected USB or SD card mid-slideshow. While not every Sony frame has this issue, it pretty much renders them useless (as there is no alternative way to load photos to the frame).

Another common issue with Sony’s frames is their display quality. Sony’s frames are mostly budget and low-end devices. They aren’t designed to last for several years – or even months for that matter. The display is usually the first part of the frame to stop working.

Sadly, the display usually stops working around 4-6 months of relatively consistent use. This is way past the eligible return/refund period, leaving you with a frame you can’t replace – and likely won’t be able to get fixed either.

Durability and build quality are two powerful reasons why we don’t recommend cheap or even mid-range digital picture frames. We recommend going for a premium digital frame, spending a little more upfront, and getting a digital frame that lasts for years.

You save money in the long run. Sony’s digital frames never have – and likely never will – compete with the best digital frames on the market (such as Pix-Star, Skylight, etc.).

How to load pictures to my Sony digital picture frame’s internal storage?

The only way to load pictures to your Sony digital picture frame’s internal storage is to transfer them from a connected USB or SD card. Sony digital frames don’t support Wi-Fi, meaning there is no supported mobile app or web album feature. Sony digital picture frames only work offline and can’t receive pictures or videos wirelessly.

Load the desired pictures to a supported USB or SD card (smaller than 256GB) and insert it into your Sony frame’s relevant port. Give the frame several minutes to read and process the content of the USB or SD card – maybe even more if it holds a lot of content.

Now you can transfer the USB/SD card’s content to the frame’s internal storage. This process may take a very long time as Sony digital picture frames don’t have very strong processing power.

Note that some of Sony’s digital picture frames have a plug & play feature. This lets you play slideshows directly from a connected USB or SD card without having to copy its content to the frame’s internal storage. If this is made obvious on your Sony frame (via popup or notification), it probably isn’t a supported feature.

Are Sony digital picture frames outdated?

Sony digital picture frames feel very outdated, especially when compared with many of the top frames on the market. First of all, almost all Sony frames have small 7 to 9-inch displays. Large bezels and narrow aspect ratios make pictures feel even smaller, and the viewing experience feels like 15 years from the past.

When you look at their features and functionality, Sony digital frames are objectively outdated. They don’t support Wi-Fi connectivity or cloud functionality. You can’t remotely control the frames. There’s no mobile app or web interface. You can’t import photos from social media, photo-sharing sites, online storage platforms, etc.

Sony digital picture frames only work offline by supporting USB drives and SD cards. This is something we saw commonly in digital frames from more than a decade ago.

Today, the best digital picture frames like the Pix-Star support extensive Wi-Fi and cloud functionality – while still offering traditional USB and SD card support.

With Pix-Star, you can share photos, videos, and audio recordings from anywhere in the world via mobile app, email, social media, photo-sharing sites, your computer, and much more.

Is the Sony digital picture frame the best 10-inch frame?

At just under US$350, Sony’s 10-inch digital picture frame is arguably the most expensive on the market – but the value for money on offer is awful. There is no Wi-Fi or cloud connectivity, meaning you don’t get access to a mobile app or web interface.

Sony’s 10-inch digital frame only works offline – a setup that shouldn’t exist at this price point. You can’t remotely access or control the frames. You can’t import photos from external sources like social media.

There’s no way to connect multiple frames. No cloud storage, no video support, and more make the 10-inch Sony digital picture frame one of the worst 10-inch frames available on offer.

Consider that the best 10-inch frame, namely the Pix-Star 10-inch frame, costs around US$150 – yet offers a host of Wi-Fi and cloud features designed for both families and modern homes. You get a 4:3 aspect ratio (better for photos taken on most smartphone cameras) and an immersive, highly customizable slideshow experience.

For a lot less money, you get far more features and functionality. Pix-Star’s 10-inch digital picture is a far better choice for families, modern homes, and elderly users – and is arguably the best value for money digital picture frame on today’s market!

The post Sony Digital Picture Frame Explained – Avoid These Mistakes! appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Aluratek Wi-Fi Digital Photo Frame – Your Questions Answered

Brice Delmotte — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 06:31:26 +0000

How to connect the Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frame?

To connect to the Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frame, you have to bind your phone to the frame using the Aluratek mobile app. Once your phone binds to the Aluratek frame, you can use Wi-Fi to transfer photos to the frame’s internal storage. Additionally, you can send photos via email, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter.

Note that the Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frame needs to stay connected to power at all times to work properly. These are not battery-operated frames, as many users wrongly assume.

Connecting the Aluratek digital frame to the mobile app is relatively smooth. Follow the on-screen instructions when you download the app to your phone.

It’s important to note that you can only connect the mobile app to your Aluratek frame. There is no web interface for sharing photos wirelessly from your computer.

Unlike other top digital frame brands like Pix-Star, Aluratek doesn’t work with social media and photo-sharing sites. For example, Pix-Star’s frames can connect to and import photo albums from Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Google Drive & Photos, and many more. Read our comparison between Aluratek and Pix-Star to learn more.

What size is the Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frame?

The Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frame comes in several different sizes ranging from 7-inches up to 17-inches. All of Aluratek’s Wi-Fi frames use touchscreens, which is why they’re more expensive than almost all other similar-sized digital frames.

Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frames are available in the following sizes; 7-inches, 8-inches, 10-inches, 11.6-inches, 15.6-inches, and 17-inches. This size measurement refers to the frame’s display size measured diagonally from the top corner to the bottom corner.

Note that these measurements depend on the aspect ratio that the frame uses. Most of Aluratek’s Wi-Fi digital photo frames use a 16:9 aspect ratio – known for being wider and shorter. Other digital frames like the Pix-Star use a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is arguably much better for displaying photos (as most smartphones have 4:3 camera sensors).

Does the Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frame work with USB and SD cards?

Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frames support USBs and SD cards smaller than 128GB. Aluratek’s smaller Wi-Fi frames (namely the 7-inch and 8-inch frames) likely won’t work with USB/SD cards larger than 64GB.

Note that Aluratek does support USB & SD card plug & play functionality. This means that you can simply insert the USB or SD card into the Aluratek frame and play slideshows directly on the frame (without having to copy anything to the frame’s internal storage first).

For reference, Pix-Star also offers a plug & play feature with their digital frames. The main differences are that you can play audio files over slideshows from the USB/SD card and Pix-Star doesn’t limit the maximum size of USB/SD cards. You have access to unlimited storage space as you don’t need to store photos on the frame to view them in slideshows.

Do Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frames use touchscreens?

All of Aluratek’s Wi-Fi digital photo frames use touchscreens to navigate through slideshows, adjust settings, etc. Note that some of Aluratek’s frames come with a remote controller – but you’ll have to be close to the frame and point the remote directly at the sensor.

We rarely recommend buying a Wi-Fi digital photo frame with a touchscreen as they are less durable, more expensive – and as a result – often pack fewer useful features. This is the case with Aluratek digital photo frames.

If you look at competing Wi-Fi digital frames like the Pix-Star, they offer far more features, a better build quality, and more user/family-friendly functions. Pix-Star also allows remote configuration, allowing you to manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world. Here you can adjust their settings, start slideshows, manage local and cloud storage, and much more.

Does the Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frame have a mobile app?

One of the most important features of Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frames is the mobile app. You have to manually bind each phone or tablet (with the Aluratek mobile app installed) to each of your Aluratek frames. Once bound, you can send photos and short video clips wirelessly.

Aluratek also supports sending photos to their frames by email and through some alternative media like Facebook Messenger and Twitter.

While having a mobile app is an essential digital frame feature, Aluratek’s app is very limited. When compared to other top digital frame’s mobile apps like the Pix-Star Snap, you’ll notice several missing features.

Pix-Star Snap lets you send up to 250 photos to several frames at the same time (a lot more than Aluratek offers). You can send 2-minute video clips and audio recordings (Aluratek’s video clips need to be shorter than 1-minute).

Pix-Star is even adding remote configuration to the Pix-Star Snap mobile app. This will let you adjust your Pix-Star frame’s settings, start slideshows, and more – directly from your phone or tablet – from anywhere in the world.

Can I remotely configure my Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frame?

Aluratek Wi-Fi digital photo frames do not support remote configuration, control, or management. Many competing digital frames at similar price points such as the Pix-Star and Nixplay frames offer remote configuration to some extent.

Remote configuration is a feature that allows you to remotely access, control, and manage your digital photo frame over Wi-Fi. It’s usually offered through a supported web interface or mobile app, though some digital frame brands offer both. You can adjust your frame’s settings, manage storage and slideshows, and much more.

Pix-Star arguably offers the most robust and comprehensive remote configuration feature on the market at their price point. You can manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from a single user account. Using the Pix-Star web dashboard, you can adjust your frame’s settings, manage local and cloud storage, start slideshows, manage the motion sensor or auto-on/off, and much more.

Pix-Star is currently adding the remote configuration feature to the Pix-Star Snap mobile app. Soon, you will be able to remotely manage and control your Pix-Star frames directly from the mobile app – no matter where you are in the world!

The post Aluratek Wi-Fi Digital Photo Frame – Your Questions Answered appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Bihiwoia Digital Picture Frame – Don’t Make These Mistakes!

Brice Delmotte — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 04:15:20 +0000

Why is my Bihiwoia digital picture frame stuck on the loading screen?

Getting stuck on the loading screen is a commonly reported issue with Bihiwoia digital picture frames. The power button and the frame reset button don’t work once the freeze takes place. These frames often get stuck on the loading screen due to the software being out of date, faulty hardware, or a larger issue with the Bihiwoia digital picture frame.

To fix this issue, there are a couple of things to try. Try rapidly pressing the power button 3 to 5 times. This may start a frame reset. Once a handful of users report this method working for them.

Another potential fix is to unplug the frame from its power source. Once unplugged, hold down the power button to release any charge currently held inside the frame (this is a method many smart TV owners use when their TV freezes). Wait for 5-minutes before plugging the Bihiwoia digital picture frame back into its power source.

Finally, you could try holding down the Bihiwoia frame’s reset button. Note that the reset button is located inside the headphone jack and may be hard to find at first. You’ll need a tool that can reach the button and hold it down for around 5-seconds. No such tool is provided with the frame upon purchase.

If all of these methods fail, you should contact Bihiwoia’s support and try to get a refund or return the frame. Frozen displays and getting stuck on the loading screen are a common issue with many of the newer Chinese brands – and if often a result of cut corners, poor internal software, and/or hardware issues. It’s why we recommend sticking to digital frames with proven high-quality consistency like the Pix-Star digital picture frame!

How to send pictures to the Bihiwoia digital picture frame?

The only way to send pictures to the Bihiwoia digital picture frame is by using the Frameo mobile app. Like many other newer Chinese digital frame brands, Bihiwoia’s frames don’t have a dedicated mobile app – instead of relying on the popular 3rd party Frameo app for digital frames.

To send pictures to the Bihiwoia digital frame, connect to the Frameo mobile app. Once downloaded on your phone or tablet, follow the on-screen instructions to get the sync code. Inputting this code into the Frameo app will connect it to your Bihiwoia digital picture frame.

Once connected, you can select pictures from your phone’s gallery or take new pictures. Note that you can only send up to 10 pictures at the same time. This is one of the most common complaints against the Frameo app.

You can send short 15-second video clips to the Bihiwoia digital picture frame using the Frameo app. Note that you cannot include these video clips in slideshows alongside photos as they are saved to a different partition of the frame’s internal storage.

Bihiwoia digital picture frames are very limited when it comes to photo-sharing options. Competing digital frames like the Pix-Star offer several ways to share photos including a more versatile mobile app, a web interface, importing photo albums from social media, emailing pictures, bulk photo-sharing via USB and SD cards, and more.

Does the Bihiwoia digital picture frame support USB and SD cards?

While the Bihiwoia digital picture frame does have a USB port, it does not allow you to transfer photos from a USB or SD card. The only way to transfer photos to the Bihiwoia digital picture frame is using a 3rd party mobile app called the Frameo app.

We don’t recommend digital picture frames that don’t offer USB and SD card support. They don’t work well without Wi-Fi and are less elderly-friendly. Additionally, they aren’t great for bulk photo-sharing, especially when you consider that the Frameo app only lets you share a handful of photos at a time.

For reference, the Pix-Star digital picture frame offers full USB and SD card support. You can use any USB/SD card size and play slideshows directly on the Pix-Star frame (without having to copy the content to the frame’s internal storage first).

How many photos can the Bihiwoia digital picture frame hold?

The Bihiwoia digital picture frame can hold around 30,000 photos on the frame’s 16GB of internal storage. While this is quite a significant quantity, the frame doesn’t have a great internal file explorer.

This makes it very hard to organize the photos into files, folders, and/or playlists. You have very little control over which photos are included in which slideshows, their play order & frequency, etc.

Another issue here is that the Frameo mobile app (the only app that Bihiwoia digital picture frames can use) only lets you send 10 photos at a time. Since these frames don’t support USB or SD cards, bulk photo-sharing is extremely slow and frustrating. Imagine having to share 30,000 to 50,000 photos at only 10 pictures per batch.

Another important point worth noting is that Bihiwoia digital picture frames don’t support USB or SD cards or plug & play. Competing frames like the Pix-Star let you connect any size of USB/SD card to the frame and play photos directly to the frame’s display (without copying anything to internal storage first). This gives frames like the Pix-Star virtually unlimited storage space as you can use any size of USB/SD card.

Do Bihiwoia digital picture frames play video?

Bihiwoia digital picture frames can only play 15-second video clips. Note that you can only send these video clips to the frame using the 3rd party Frameo mobile app. Videos cannot be included in slideshows alongside photos and cannot be played from external sources like USBs or SD cards.

Popular high-end digital frames like the Pix-Star let you play 2-minute video clips along with their recorded audio. You can send these video clips to the frame via the Pix-Star Snap mobile app and by USB/SD card.

Unlike Bihiwoia digital picture frames, Pix-Star lets you include videos in slideshows. Additionally, you can set these video clips to play muted by default, play them in slideshows alongside your favorite photos, and more.

The post Bihiwoia Digital Picture Frame – Don’t Make These Mistakes! appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Aura Carver Luxe Digital Picture Frame – Buy or Not?

Brice Delmotte — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 07:24:28 +0000

How many pictures can the Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frame store?

The Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frame cannot store any pictures locally on the frame as it does not have internal storage. To counter this loss, Aura offers unlimited cloud storage for all of your photos. Here you can store 10,000+ photos directly in the cloud.

An important issue comes up here, as cloud-based digital frames aren’t very practical. Each slideshow requires that photos stream directly from the cloud, giving you little control over their play order and which photos are to be included.

To add to Aura’s problems, they don’t support USBs or SD cards. Many competing digital picture frames like the Pix-Star offer extensive USB/SD card support, letting you use any USB or SD card size, insert it into the frame, and play slideshows directly. This gives you unlimited offline storage and full control over which files and folders to include in slideshows.

With the Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frame, you need a constant and strong Wi-Fi connection to simply view your photos. If the Aura servers go offline or are taken down one day (as happened with Memento digital art frames), you’ll be left with a frame that doesn’t work.

It’s a key reason why we recommend digital frames with internal storage, extensive USB and SD card support, and a plug & play feature. We don’t recommend cloud-only digital frames like Skylight and Aura.

Currently, Skylight digital frames are subscription-based and don’t have internal storage or USB/SD card support. Who knows, Aura could switch over to this model in the future and you’d have no choice but to pay up in this hypothetical situation.

Is the Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frame worth buying for families?

Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frames probably aren’t the best frames for families. They are missing several crucial features such as multi-frame control groups, remote configuration & management, offline storage, web albums (importing photos from social media and photo-sharing sites), and the Aura mobile app isn’t quite versatile enough.

Families need to be able to share photos in bulk to several frames at the same time. Video and audio playback are bonus features that not all family-focused digital frames offer. Additionally, cloud storage should be automatic and the frame’s interface should be elderly-friendly.

For example, Pix-Star’s mobile app (Pix-Star Snap) lets you send up to 250 photos to several Pix-Star frames at the same time. You can send 2-minute video clips and audio recordings right from your phone from anywhere in the world.

Pix-Star then goes on to offer a great web interface. Here you can remotely manage and configure up to 25 Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world. You can adjust their settings, manage their local and cloud storage, update their firmware, import new web albums, and even start/change slideshows.

Finally, Pix-Star’s web album feature makes them arguably the best frame for families in 2022. Here you can import photos directly from a dozen external sources to your Pix-Star’s internal storage. They’re available offline and can be included in slideshows remotely.

Web album support includes Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Photos, your computer, and more. Once linked, a web album can automatically stay up to date, syncing photos to all linked frames as you add them.

When you combine Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature with their web album support, you get what’s probably the best setup for families on the market. You can automate photo sharing and control almost every aspect of all your frames from anywhere in the world.

Do Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frames play video?

Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frames cannot play video or audio in slideshows or individually. Aura does not support video and audio playback. Instead, Aura’s frames are designed to be ambient displays for photo slideshows, not media hubs or video-capable frames.

This missing feature makes the Aura frame one of the only high-end digital frames to not support video and audio playback. Skylight digital frames (subscription-based digital frames) also don’t offer video support with their free-to-use version. If you pay for the Skylight Plus subscription, you can unlock video playback support for video clips up to 60-seconds long.

If you want a digital frame that supports both video and audio playback, Pix-Star’s digital picture frames are an excellent choice. They’re quite a bit more affordable than the Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frame and let you play 2-minute video clips and audio recordings.

With Pix-Star, you can send video clips via the Pix-Star Snap mobile app and USB or SD card. Pix-Star lets you include video clips in slideshows, set them to play muted by default, and play audio files (from a USB or SD card) over slideshows.

How much does the Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frame cost?

The Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frames cost just under US$180 on both Amazon and Aura’s online stores. This is quite a high price for a 10-inch digital frame, especially considering that Pix-Star’s frames are almost US$30 cheaper, yet offer a lot more in terms of features and functionality.

Read our comparison between Pix-Star vs Aura digital picture frames to help you get the best possible value for money on your next digital picture frame!

Aura’s digital frames are widely known to be some of the most expensive in their respective size categories. While they aren’t subscription-based like Nixplay and Skylight, they’re quite expensive for the features and functionality they offer – especially when compared to popular digital frame brands like Pix-Star and Dragon Touch.

Can I use my Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frame without Wi-Fi?

The Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frame does not support offline usage. For Aura’s frames to function properly, you need a steady and strong Wi-Fi connection at all times.

All of Aura’s digital picture frames are purely cloud-based. They have no internal storage, no USB/SD card support, and no way to send pictures to the frame while offline.

This means that without Wi-Fi, you cannot use the Aura Carver Luxe digital picture frame, view your photos, make changes to cloud storage, use the mobile app, etc.

We rarely recommend cloud-based digital frames that don’t offer USB/SD card support and internal storage for these reasons and several others. Learn more about cloud-only digital picture frames to avoid making a common mistake!

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Is a Digital Photo Frame with a Wood Finish Worth Buying?

Brice Delmotte — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 08:16:52 +0000

What is the best digital photo frame with a wood finish?

The best digital photo frame with a wood finish is the Aluratek Distressed Wood digital frame. Aluratek is the only popular digital photo frame brand that sells a wood finish on its frames, offering both a 10-inch model and a larger 13-inch variation.

Unfortunately, Aluratek doesn’t use real wood. Instead, the wood finish uses a plastic imitation to mimic the look. There is only a driftwood color option for the frame finish, with no options for an ebony or dark brown wood finish.

While the Aluratek digital frame may be one of the best with a wood finish, it’s far from competing in any meaningful way with the top digital frames. This Aluratek digital photo frame doesn’t offer Wi-Fi or cloud connectivity, cloud storage, mobile/web app, or remote configuration support. You can import photos wirelessly from social media, email, etc.

The only way to load photos to the frame is through an SD card or USB drive. Note that there is no internal storage, so you can’t hold photos locally on the frame. Leave the USB or SD card plugged in at all times to view its photos in slideshows.

In terms of features and functionality, these wood finish Aluratek digital photo frames perform like most budget digital frames. You can’t remotely access the frame, start slideshows wirelessly, manage storage remotely, import pictures from social media, send photos with a mobile app, etc.

These more advanced features are typically offered by more popular digital photo frames like the Pix-Star. You get to choose between several photo-sharing methods that include imports from social media, using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app & web interface, USB and SD cards, email, and more.

We don’t usually recommend buying a wood finish digital photo frame as they often miss too many key features. With Aluratek digital frames, you sacrifice too many important features and functions to justify the purchase.

With top digital photo frames like the Pix-Star, you get features and functions designed to connect families, modern homes, and elderly users – without all of the traditional roadblocks due to lacking tech-savviness, poor interconnectedness, and limited feature sets. Pix-Star’s frames are great alternative digital photo frame that doesn’t pump unnecessary cost into a “pretend” wood finish.

Does the Pix-Star digital photo frame have a wood frame?

The Pix-Star digital photo frame doesn’t use a wood finish – and for good reasons. Most digital frames that use a wood finish (such as the Aluratek Distressed Wood digital frame) sink unnecessary cost into the frame’s finish, leaving little room for important features and functions.

In most cases – including the Aluratek wood finish digital frame – these frames don’t use real wood. While the title may say “distressed wood finish”, it’s not. They’re almost always plastic imitations, glued to a plastic internal structure.

We don’t have an issue with plastic but don’t think it should be packaged (and priced) as wood. Many users don’t realize this until they get hands-on with the frame. They then have to return it to the manufacturer, who may or may not approve a refund.

Pix-Star’s frames use a neutral dark-grey finish on their frames, drawing attention to their fantastic 4:3 display. Since Pix-Star’s digital photo frames can mount on the wall and rest on flat surfaces, the neutral finish goes a long way to enhance immersion.

Pix-Star focuses more on features and functionality for families, modern homes, and elderly users. They’re one of the only high-end digital frames that focus intentionally on elderly users through features like remote configuration, importing photos wirelessly from social media, and a great mobile app (Pix-Star Snap) and web interface.

How long do digital photo frames with wood finishes last?

Digital photo frames with wood finished won’t last as long as traditional plastic or steel digital frames. If you leave the frame in a humid spot, in direct sunlight, or somewhere where the temperature fluctuates a lot, the wood can warp and separate from the frame. These real wood finish digital photo frames aren’t likely going to last for more than 6-12 months.

In cases where plastic is used to imitate a wood finish – as is the case with Aluratek’s distressed wood finish digital frames – they will likely last longer. If the plastic imitation is glued or painted on the surface (over the plastic beneath) then the wood finish will not be very durable (likely lasting only 3 to 6 months).

If you’re going to buy a wood finish frame made from plastic, make sure the plastic is molded and dyed to imitate the wood finish. Avoid plastic imitations that use painted surfaces or sticker-like covers to replicate the wood finish.

Can I replace the wood frame on my digital photo frame?

Some wood-finish digital photo frames let you completely remove and replace the frame. In some cases, you can alternate between plastic frames, steel frames, and even wood frames. These frames are typically very expensive and often lack the features and functionality to compete with standard digital photo frames.

With digital photo frames that don’t support interchangeable outer frames, you will have to do some DIY work. This involves measuring and cutting a frame to match the display size, choosing the right materials, and gluing or fixing (via screws/nails – done carefully) the frame around the display.

If you don’t have experience with this kind of DIY work, we don’t recommend it. You may damage the display or internal hardware, rendering the frame useless. If you’re technically inclined, you could always give building a DIY digital frame!

Do wood digital photo frames use real wood?

Very few wooden digital photo frames use real wood. In almost all cases, digital frames with wood finishes use molded and dyed plastic to imitate a wood finish.

We don’t recommend plastic imitations as they likely charge extra for the “wood finish” without offering functionality to match. To keep prices competitive, these frames often sacrifice features like Wi-Fi and/or cloud connectivity, leaving you with few photo-sharing options (namely USB and SD card support with limited internal storage space).

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