Gift Ideas – Pix-Star Blog

Finding the Perfect Digital Picture Frame for Large Families!

Brice Delmotte — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 09:04:16 +0000

What is the best digital picture frame for large families?

The Pix-Star is one of the best digital picture frames for large families because it has a remote configuration feature that allows users to control the frame remotely through the Pix-Star web interface. Here you can remotely manage up to 25 Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world, adjust their settings, start slideshows, manage cloud storage, and more. This is useful for grandparents or those who are not tech-savvy but still want to share and view photos with the rest of the family.

Pix-Star’s frame is also easy to use, with simple and easy-to-navigate menus and a variety of options for sending media to the frame, such as email, mobile apps, and syncing with social media. The frame also can display the most recent pictures and videos more frequently, so grandparents won’t miss any updates.

Pix-Star’s frames offer video and audio playback support, letting users send audio notes, songs, and short video clips with sound to any of their frames. You can play music from a connected USB or memory card, play videos in slideshows alongside photos, and more. This can help families feel more connected even when they are not able to be together in person.

Pix-Star’s digital picture frames offer advanced features such as free-for-life cloud storage, a great mobile app and web interface, a simple elderly-friendly interface, and much more. Despite its large feature set – and unlike many competing frames – Pix-Star does not charge recurring subscription fees to unlock any features. All of its functionality is unlocked once you connect the frame to Wi-Fi, register it at the web interface, and add its email to the Pix-Star Snap mobile app!

Do digital picture frames for large families charge monthly fees?

Most digital picture frames do not charge monthly fees. The Pix-Star digital frame is one such example, offering a variety of features, including free-for-life cloud storage, video and audio support, and a mobile app and web interface.

Some popular frames, like the Skylight and Nixplay frames, do require a subscription to access certain features or to use the frame at all. These subscription-based frames can be more expensive in the long run and may not offer as good of a value deal as frames like the Pix-Star.

Digital frames with monthly fees typically require a subscription to access all of their features and functions. These subscriptions often come with an upfront cost, in addition to the cost of the frame itself. The Skylight digital frame is one example of a frame that requires a subscription to access certain features, such as access to expanded cloud storage, their mobile app, custom playlists, video and audio support, and more.

We don’t often recommend choosing a digital picture frame for large families that is subscription-based. Their limited feature set and high lifetime costs keep them from competing well against non-subscription-based digital frames, particularly in their price-to-performance ratio.

What to look for in a digital picture frame for large families?

When looking for a digital picture frame for a large family, some key features to consider include the ability to share photos easily using Wi-Fi & the cloud, the option to remotely control multiple frames, the ability to create multi-frame control groups, free-for-life cloud storage, and several other functions designed specifically for families such as web albums, video messaging, and large displays.

It’s also helpful if the frame has a supported mobile app & web interface, or the ability to send photos via email, as well as the ability to customize and manage slideshows manually. You should be able to include audio or written messages with photos. For many families and modern homes, digital picture frames that can be mounted on the wall and switched between orientations is very convenient, especially if they use a motion sensor to turn the display on as people walk into the room!

One final point worth noting is that we generally recommend avoiding subscription-based digital frames. They rarely offer good value for money and have a much higher lifetime cost when the price of the subscription is factored in. With so many frames offering competitive features without subscription fees, it’s hard for subscription-based options to compete effectively.

Do digital picture frames for large families need Wi-Fi?

Digital picture frames for large families do not necessarily need Wi-Fi to function, but it is necessary for certain features. Wi-Fi is important for setting up the digital frame, connecting to various platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) to import photo albums, sending and receiving media, and using features such as radio, weather, updating, and updating web albums. You also need Wi-Fi to remotely configure your frames, adjust their settings, start slideshows, and more – all done through the connected web dashboard.

However, the most popular premium digital frames for families have many features that are available offline, such as slideshows and general settings. Some digital frames may require a constant connection to the internet to use any of their features, so it is important to be aware of the offline capabilities of the frame before purchasing.

For instance, Aura and Skylight frames need Wi-Fi at all times to function correctly. On the flip side, digital frames like the Pix-Star only need Wi-Fi for certain features and have many of their features available offline. As such, they’re often better suited to large families and seniors.

Can I load photos to a digital frame for large families via USB or memory card?

Yes, it is possible to load photos to a digital frame for large families via USB or memory card with the Pix-Star digital picture frame. Pix-Star’s digital picture frame for families offers unlimited USB/SD card support and a plug-and-play feature, allowing users to easily connect and view slideshows from a USB flash drive without having to copy its content to the frame’s internal storage first – giving you virtually unlimited storage space for your photos and other media.

Pix-Star automatically saves all incoming photos and media send via email, the mobile app, and web albums from the web interface to its internal storage. You can access these photos while the frame is offline, start them as slideshows, move files around, and more – making these some of the best frames for offline use in today’s market!

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Finding the Perfect Christmas Photo Frame for the family!

Brice Delmotte — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 08:55:07 +0000

Finding the perfect Christmas photo frame for your home and family is a meaningful and affordable gift for your loved ones. You’ll be able to share photos to any of their frames from anywhere in the world, relive your favorite memories, and connect with loved ones at any moment. We explore what features you should look for, how to get value for money, and which photo frames are the best in today’s market.

Is a Christmas photo frame a good gift?

A Christmas photo frame is a meaningful and easy-to-use gift for families and seniors. You can share photos with any of your digital photo frames from anywhere in the world. Many of the best Christmas photo frame brands have supported mobile apps and web dashboards to let you send photo albums from your phone, sync them from social media & photo-sharing sites, and much more.

Several trusted digital photo frame brands offer robust feature sets and good value for money. We recommend buying a digital frame that offers both Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity to make wireless photo-sharing easier and more senior-friendly. Many of the top digital frames support USB and SD cards to share photos in bulk, with some even offering a plug & play feature for playing slideshows directly from the connected USB/SD card.

Photo frames for Christmas such as the Pix-Star offer several family and senior-friendly features. You can share pictures via the mobile app, set incoming photos to display in the current slideshow, manage your frames remotely, import photo albums from social media, and much more.

It’s worth noting that some Christmas digital frames charge optional subscription fees. You need to pay these extra fees to unlock the frame’s full feature set – something that many competing frames offer without charging extra. Subscription-based digital frames include the Nixplay frame and the Skylight frame. Make sure to investigate which features are offered for free, and which are locked behind the subscription paywall.

What is the best Christmas photo frame for families?

The Pix-Star frame is arguably the best photo frame for families to buy this Christmas. The frame has one of the best feature sets, doesn’t charge recurring subscription fees, offers Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity, and a host of elderly-friendly features such as remote configuration support, automatic slideshows, and much more.

Pix-Star’s frames are quick and simple to set up. You can control multiple frames from a single user account, manage the cloud storage for all frames from a single computer, and even start slideshows (and adjust settings) remotely. Pix-Star’s frames can mount on the wall and displayed in either orientation.

Using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, you can send up to 250 photos to several Pix-Star frames at the same time. Send short 2-minute video clips and audio messages from your phone and even share entire folders and collections to any of your frames in just a couple of moments.

Pix-Star’s frames also have a web interface that lets you remotely control and manage any of your Pix-Star frames. Here you can link and sync web albums to any of your frames. Web albums are photo albums imported from a dozen external sources including social media, photo-sharing sites, your computer, and even cloud storage platforms. Set web albums to update automatically whenever you add new photos for easier automated sharing.

Can seniors use a Christmas photo frame?

Pix-Star’s Christmas photo frames are designed for both seniors and families, with features supporting bulk photo-sharing, remote configuration, automatic slideshows and sharing, and modern features such as mobile apps, etc.

Pix-Star’s interface is designed for one or two-click slideshows from the home screen, easy-to-navigate options, and quick adjustable settings. You can adjust slideshow settings without leaving the slideshow, change the orientation of the photos, delete pictures, and more.

Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature is one of the best features for seniors. A multi-frame control group feature lets you manage up to 25 Pix-Star frames from a single user account. Here you can adjust each frame’s settings, start and change slideshows, manage cloud storage, update the frame’s firmware, and much more. It’s the perfect way to get grandparents and non-tech-savvy users involved in sharing photos and videos with the rest of the family – and a fantastic photo frame as a Christmas gift.

Do Christmas photo frames play video and audio?

Pix-Star’s Christmas photo frames can play 2-minute video clips and audio recordings sent via the Pix-Star Snap mobile app. Note that while 2-minute clips might not seem like much, it’s more than most competing frames offer – and doesn’t require users to pay extra subscription fees. For instance, Skylight and Nixplay lock video playback and extended playback behind their subscription paywall.

Unlike many other top Christmas photo frames, Pix-Star’s frames let you include videos in slideshows alongside photos. You can set videos to play muted by default or not play in slideshows at all. Once sent to any of your Pix-Star frames, video clips are saved to both the cloud and locally on your frame’s internal storage.

P.S. Pix-Star photo frames can play audio files from a connected USB or SD card over slideshows. The USB or SD card needs to stay connected at all times and the audio files need to be in a supported file format.

Do I need to pay a subscription for a Christmas photo frame?

Pix-Star’s Christmas photo frames do not charge any recurring or extra subscription fees. All of Pix-Star’s features are unlocked when you buy your Pix-Star frame. Note that you still need to connect your frame to Wi-Fi, add its unique email address to the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, and register the frame via the Pix-Star web dashboard to start using all of its features (e.g., web albums, remote configuration, cloud storage, etc.).

Some competing Christmas photo frames including Nixplay and Skylight are subscription-based. To unlock all of the frame’s features, photo-sharing, mobile app access, and more, you will need to purchase the recurring “Plus” subscription. It’s worth noting that these frames charge a similar upfront price to non-subscription-based frames like the Pix-Star – but lock many of their best features behind a subscription paywall.

The post Finding the Perfect Christmas Photo Frame for the family! appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Digital Photo Frame for Grandparents – What to Know First!

Brice Delmotte — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 03:15:15 +0000

What is the best digital photo frame for grandparents?

The Pix-Star frame is arguably the best digital photo frame for grandparents in today’s market. Pix-Star packs a full set of important elderly-friendly features such as free-for-life cloud storage, remote configuration support, a simple interface, intuitive slideshows, support for wall-mounting, video and audio support, and much more.

You can send pictures to any of your Pix-Star digital photo frames from anywhere in the world for your grandparents to see. Send pictures using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, along with 2-minute video clips and audio recordings. Use the Pix-Star web dashboard to send photos from a dozen social media and photo-sharing sites to any of your Pix-Star frames. You can set these albums to update and sync new photos automatically.

Pix-Star’s frames fully support USB and SD cards – an essential feature for grandparents. With Pix-Star, there is no limit on the maximum size of the attached USB or SD card. You simply need to insert the USB or SD card into the frame and play slideshows right away. Alternatively, you can copy the USB or SD card content to the frame’s internal storage.

Pix-Star offers a robust remote configuration feature that lets you manage each of your frame’s settings from anywhere – using the Pix-Star web dashboard. Here you can adjust your frame’s brightness and slideshow settings, start slideshows, manage cloud storage, update the frame’s firmware, and even adjust how the motion sensor works.

When you combine Pix-Star’s affordable price point – especially for their larger 15-inch digital photo frame – with modern features such as remote configuration, social media imports, a great mobile app and web interface, and a simple interface, Pix-Star is probably the best digital photo frame for grandparents on the market and the money!

Can grandparents use a digital photo frame?

Many digital photo frames are made with grandparents in mind. This is seen through features such as the ability to remote control and manage a frame over Wi-Fi from anywhere in the world, one-click slideshows, simple navigation (usually using a handheld remote), and more.

There are a couple of important features to look for in an elderly-friendly digital photo frame. Wi-Fi and cloud support are both key features as they enable advanced functionality to let you remotely manage your grandparents’ frames’ slideshows and settings, send photos from anywhere, and manage their cloud storage effortlessly.

Another must-have feature is USB and SD card support and at least 4GB of internal storage. This ensures that your grandparents can use their digital photo frame while offline. You can simply load photos to a compatible USB or SD card, insert them into the frame, and slideshows can play automatically.

Make sure that the frame does not charge recurring subscription fees. These types of frames aren’t very common outside of the higher end of the market. Examples of subscription-based digital photo frames include Skylight and Nixplay frames.

For comparison, top digital frames for grandparents such as the Pix-Star frame offers most of the same features – and more – without charging any extra fees. The upfront cost is similar for most of the top digital photo frames – except for Aura’s pricey ambient display.

Do digital photo frames for grandparents need Wi-Fi?

Digital photo frames for grandparents ideally should use Wi-Fi and cloud storage to maximize their helpful features – but it’s not essential. Some of the top digital photo frames for grandparents such as the Pix-Star use a combination of Wi-Fi/cloud and offline features.

For example, Pix-Star’s frames use Wi-Fi to load photos to the frame, remote configure settings and slideshows, manage cloud storage, etc. Pix-Star also has 8GB of internal storage and extensive USB and SD card support. You can use any size of USB or SD card, and play slideshows directly off them without copying photos to the frame’s internal storage first – giving you limitless storage space for photos.

In summary, digital photo frames for grandparents are ideal when they combine Wi-Fi and cloud features with traditional offline functionality with USB/SD card support and internal storage.

How to remotely control a digital photo frame for grandparents?

Pix-Star offers a remote configuration feature that lets you manage any of your grandparents’ digital photo frames from anywhere in the world. You can set up the remote configuration feature using Pix-Star’s web dashboard and connect/manage up to 25 Pix-Star frames from a single user account.

Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature lets you manage each of your frame’s settings and slideshow controls. You can manage their cloud storage, make changes to what’s saved, and – by extension – manage local storage. You can control how the motion sensor works, update the frame’s firmware, import and manage web albums (from social media and photo-sharing sites), and much more.

Does a digital photo frame for grandparents stay on all the time?

Pix-Star’s digital photo frame for grandparents has a motion sensor that automatically wakes the frame up when movement is detected within its range. This ensures that the frame uses energy optimally and improves the longevity of the frame’s display.

Pix-Star’s motion sensor is easy to manage via the settings page – or remotely via the motion sensor configuration settings using Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature (via the frame’s web dashboard). You can adjust the period on no motion detected before the display sleeps and more. It’s ideal for wall-mounted frames as your grandparents don’t need to manually wake the frame up when they walk into the room.

Is it worth buying a digital photo frame for grandparents?

A digital photo frame is a thoughtful gift for grandparents. It’s easy to set up and use, keeps you grandparents, and the top frames include a host of modern features that extend to everyone in the family. These features include linking and syncing photo albums from social media and photo-sharing sites (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos & Drive, etc.).

Other key features such as a supported mobile app, photo mail, remote configuration, multi-frame control groups, and free-for-life cloud storage make digital photo frames great for both elderly users and big families. Top frames like the Pix-Star offer robust feature sets and ease of use – along with value for money and no extra recurring fees or subscriptions!

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Is the Skylight Digital Photo Frame Worth the Money?

Brice Delmotte — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 06:40:15 +0000

What size is the Skylight digital photo frame?

The Skylight digital photo frame comes in two sizes. The first and more popular is Skylight’s 10-inch frame. It has a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 1280×800 display resolution, and dimensions that measure 12” x 8.5” x 0.9”. On Skylight’s online shop, the 10-inch digital photo frame is priced roughly around US$160, though the exact amount can vary depending on promotions and discounts.

Skylight’s larger digital frame has a 15-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 1920×1080 resolution. The Skylight 15-inch frame measures 15.8” x 9.9” x 1.4” and is quite a bit thicker than their 10-inch digital frame. On Skylight’s online shop, the 15-inch digital photo frame is priced roughly around US$300, an amount that can vary depending on promotions and discounts.

Both of Skylight’s digital photo frame sizes use touch displays to control and navigate. Additionally, Skylight’s frames can mount on the wall and rest on a flat surface like a coffee table in either landscape or portrait orientations.

Is there a monthly fee for the Skylight digital photo frame?

Skylight has an optional monthly subscription plan called Skylight Plus. Each Skylight frame comes without the Plus subscription by default, but can be activated quite easily. Skylight Plus costs around US$39 per year.

Skylight Plus adds several important features to a Skylight frame. It enables sharing short 1-minute video clips with any of your Skylight frames. You can also add text captions to your photos. Skylight Plus comes with cloud storage and backups. Other Plus features include online access to view and manage some photos through a web interface, access to Skylight’s mobile app, and the ability to organize photos into albums.

The main complaint against Skylight Plus is that it doesn’t offer anything unique. For instance, Pix-Star – a competing Wi-Fi digital photo frame – offers almost all of the same features (and more) without charging extra fees. You can play 2-minute video clips, each frame has free-for-life cloud storage and full access to both the Pix-Star web interface and mobile app.

Skylight and Pix-Star digital photo frames charge similar prices for their 10-inch frames, and Pix-Star’s 15-inch frame is significantly cheaper than Skylight’s 15-inch frame – yet Pix-Star doesn’t charge any extra fees or subscriptions.

What aspect ratio does the Skylight digital photo frame have?

Skylight digital photo frames use a 16:9 aspect ratio on both their 10-inch digital frame and the larger 15-inch frame. Most popular digital photo frames use either a 16:9 aspect ratio or preferably, a 4:3 aspect ratio.

While 16:9 digital frames are arguably better for video playback, 4:3 digital frames are better suited to photo slideshows. Since most smartphone cameras have a 4:3 sensor, it makes it easier to load photos to the frame without mass editing and cropping them first.

A digital frame with a 4:3 aspect ratio will show more photos without having to zoom, crop, distort, or surround photos with black bars to fill the unused space. Digital frames with a 16:9 aspect ratio will usually zoom into photos to fill unused space, but many photos still display black bars around the sides of each photo – making the display feel smaller.

Is the Skylight digital photo frame the best frame?

Skylight digital photo frames are among the most popular frames on the market at the moment, along with Nixplay, Dragon Touch, Pix-Star, and Aura digital frames. Among these popular digital frames, only the Skylight and Nixplay frames are subscription-based. Aura and Skylight frames are online-only frames, meaning they don’t work without Wi-Fi, don’t have internal storage, and don’t support using USB or SD cards.

Nixplay’s frames can work offline but only offer limited functionality. Since Nixplay’s frames – just like Skylight – are subscription-based, you have to pay extra to get full access to all of its features. Aura’s frames are more expensive than almost every other 10-inch frame on the market, all while offering fewer features and functionality than competing frames – though they aren’t subscription-based.

Dragon Touch and Pix-Star frames are among the best value-for-money digital photo frames. They can work online and offline, offer internal storage space, and there are no recurring subscription fees. Pix-Star’s frames offer more features than Dragon Touch and both frames have similar upfront costs.

For families and modern homes, Pix-Star’s frames are arguably the best on the market. You can control each Pix-Star frame remotely, start slideshows, manage settings, and much more. You can manage up to 25 frames from a single account. Using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app and web interface, you can share photos from social media, your phone, email, and more – no matter where you are in the world.

While Skylight frames are by no means bad digital frames, they do struggle to compete in some respects with other top frames due to their high long-term cost (as they are subscription-based). Without paying for Skylight Plus, you don’t have access to essential features that make Skylight a top-spot competitor – all while some competing frames like Pix-Star do so without charging extra fees.

How to send photos to the Skylight digital photo frame?

Skylight digital photo frames support sending photos to any of your Skylight frames by email for free. To gain access to Skylight’s other photo-sharing methods, such as with the Skylight mobile app, you have to pay for the Skylight Plus recurring subscription fee.

It’s worth noting that, unlike many competing frames, Skylight does not support using a USB or SD card and does not have any internal storage. As such, there is no way to load photos to the frame without Wi-Fi, making it a little more difficult for big families and elderly users to share lots of photos.

For comparison, some competing digital photo frames (e.g., Pix-Star) support several photo-sharing methods. You can send pictures and video clips through the supported mobile app, sync photo albums from social media and photo-sharing sites with the web interface, email photos, load pictures via USB or SD card, and much more.

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6 Things to Look for in a Digital Photo Frame with Email Upload

Brice Delmotte — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 04:20:00 +0000

How does a digital photo frame with email upload work?

A digital photo frame with email upload lets you send pictures as attachments to an email to any of your digital frames from anywhere in the world. It’s a quick, simple, familiar, and elderly-friendly way to share photos without using mobile apps, USB/SD cards, or importing photos directly from social media.

With Pix-Star’s digital photo frames with email upload, each frame has a unique and dedicated email address. This address identifies the frame and lets you receive photos via email, mobile app, and from some other external sources.

To send photos to the Pix-Star digital frame by email, simply add the photos as attachments. Make sure to add the photos as attachments, as opposed to dragging and dropping them into the body of the email. With some email providers, this loads the photos as HTML and not as attachments – meaning the receiving frame can’t download the photos.

When you hit send, Pix-Star’s frames receive the photos via their dedicated email address. They’re saved locally to each receiving frame’s 8GB internal storage. Each of this photo-mail is also saved to the Pix-Star cloud. Each Pix-Star frame comes with free-for-life cloud storage. You can manage cloud storage and all of your saved photo-mail on the cloud using your frame’s web dashboard.

Once saved locally on each receiving Pix-Star digital photo frame, you can include any photo mail in slideshows. Pix-Star provides a media gallery with an internal file explorer. Here you can select which files and folders to include in slideshows, delete unwanted photos, move files around, create new folders and fill them with pictures, and more.

What is the best large digital photo frame with email upload?

Pix-Star’s 15-inch digital photo frame with email upload is arguably the most versatile large frame on the market today. Pix-Star offers free-for-life cloud storage, 8GB of internal storage, and a large 4:3 display with adjustable color and brightness settings. Pix-Star’s slideshows are highly customizable and don’t require Wi-Fi to work. Unlike competing frames from Skylight, Pix-Star doesn’t charge any recurring subscription fees.

With every Pix-Star frame, you get access to their mobile app, web interface, and full email upload feature. Pix-Star lets you send photos directly to any of your Pix-Star frames via email as attachments. These photos are saved locally on the frame as photo-mail and to Pix-Star’s cloud.

Pix-Star’s large 15-inch digital frames are one of the few premium frames that cater to both families and elderly users without sacrificing important features. You can remotely control and manage up to 25 Pix-Star frames from a single user account, adjust their settings, remotely start slideshows, manage cloud and local storage, and much more.

An internal file explorer lets you manage all of your local photo-mail, move them between folders, start slideshows from selected files and folders, delete folders or files, and much more. It gives you control over what you see in slideshows without having to shuffle through a random mix of all of your saved photo mail.

Do digital photo frames with email upload need Wi-Fi?

Pix-Star’s digital photo frames with email don’t need Wi-Fi at all times to work. Pix-Star offers extensive offline functionality by offering 8GB of internal storage and full USB and SD card support. You can connect a USB/SD card to the frame and play slideshows directly without having to copy anything to the frame’s internal storage first – a feature known as plug & play.

Any photos saved locally on Pix-Star’s frames can play in slideshows without Wi-Fi. This includes photos synced from linked web albums (from social media, photo-sharing sites, and cloud storage platforms).

Pix-Star’s digital photo frames need Wi-Fi to receive email uploads, photos, and videos from the mobile app (Pix-Star Snap), and web albums via the web interface, and to use the remote configuration feature. This is the ideal balance between Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi features.

For comparison, many top digital frames like Aura and Skylight frames need Wi-Fi at all times to work. Without Wi-Fi, you cannot play photos on slideshows. These cloud-only digital frames don’t have internal storage and don’t support using USBs or SD cards.

Do digital photo frames with email uploads save to the cloud?

Pix-Star’s digital photo frames with email upload automatically save incoming photos from the mobile app, email, and web albums linked from the web dashboard to the cloud. Each Pix-Star digital photo frame offers free-for-life cloud storage and access to Pix-Star’s web interface.

You can create multi-frame control groups and manage their cloud storage, settings, start slideshows, motion sensors, and more, from anywhere in the world. Changes made to the cloud provide the option to delete the locally saved copy too. This change will only take effect when the Pix-Star frame is reconnected to Wi-Fi to implement the changes locally.

Can I upload videos to my digital photo frame by email?

Not many digital photo frames let you send videos to the frame by email. Most email providers have strict limits on the size of attachments for emails – and videos can often be very large, especially when taken on DSLRs and modern smartphones. Video compression is another major concern as the video needs to be sized down as much as possible.

While some top digital frame brands support sending videos via email, we generally recommend using the supported mobile app or a USB/SD card.

How many photos can I upload to my digital frame by email?

Many email providers may limit the number of photos you add as attachments to an email; whereas others may limit the maximum size of the attachments (e.g., 50MB per email). Make sure to check your email provider’s limits before sending photos to avoid the process failing to only deliver some of the photos.

For bulk photo-sharing, we usually recommend using a digital photo frame’s supported mobile app or a USB/SD card. Pix-Star Snap lets you share up to 250 photos to several Pix-Star frames at the same time from anywhere in the world. Additionally, you can use any size of USB/SD card, fill it with photos, connect it to Pix-Star’s frame, and play directly play slideshows without having to transfer the content to the frame’s internal storage first.

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The 10-Inch Digital Photo Frame – 7 Things You Should Know!

Brice Delmotte — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 05:03:13 +0000

What is the best 10-inch digital photo frame?

Pix-Star’s 10-inch digital photo frame offers arguably the richest feature set and value among the top digital frames. Unlike competitors including Nixplay and Skylight, Pix-Star doesn’t charge any extra subscription fees – yet offers the same features and more. With features like free-for-life cloud storage, a mobile app and web interface, remote configuration and web albums, and other advanced features, Pix-Star’s 10-inch digital photo frame is one of the best deals at the moment.

With the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, you can send up to 250 photos at once. You can also share 2-minute video clips and audio recordings. Pix-Star is currently in the process of adding remote configuration to their mobile app at the time of this writing.

A 4:3 aspect ratio and highly customizable slideshows, along with a useful media gallery/file explorer that lets you start slideshows from specific files and folders. It’s also where you’ll manage your frame’s internal storage, connected USBs and SD cards, and linked web albums (saved locally on the frame and not the cloud copy).

Pix-Star’s 10-inch digital photo frames support being mounted on the wall using a standard VESA mount (bought separately) or the frame’s inbuilt hanging holes. Mount the frame in either landscape or portrait depending on the room and the type of photos you want to display.

Do 10-inch digital photo frames need Wi-Fi to work?

Not all 10-inch digital photo frames need Wi-Fi to work, even among high-end digital frames. For instance, Pix-Star’s frames offer extensive offline functionality with 8GB of internal storage, an internal browsable media library, and full USB and SD card support. You can start slideshows and manage storage, settings, and more without connecting to Wi-Fi.

Some popular digital frames are Wi-Fi-only, including Skylight and Aura frames. These photo frames don’t offer any internal storage or USB/SD card support. Instead, they stream photos from their cloud services as needed, requiring Wi-Fi at all times to function.

We don’t generally recommend buying cloud-only digital frames as they are more limiting. If Wi-Fi connectivity drops or the frame is for your grandparent’s home that doesn’t always have Wi-Fi, hybrid Wi-Fi/non-Wi-Fi digital frames like the Pix-Star are the ideal choice!

Can I mount a 10-inch digital photo frame on the wall?

Pix-Star’s 10-inch digital photo frame can mount on the wall as they support using a standard VESA mount, offering a robust and secure setup. Each Pix-Star frame also includes built-in hanging holes on the rear of the frame, letting you hang the frame without committing to a standard VESA mount.

You can mount Pix-Star’s frames in either landscape or portrait modes, using both a standard VESA mount and the hanging holes. You can even rotate individual images within a slideshow 90 degrees at a time.

Is 10-inches the best digital photo frame size?

The 10-inch digital photo frame is the most popular frame size on the market at the moment. Most top brands offer a 10-inch digital frame and then offer additional sizes. For example, Pix-Star offers both a 10-inch digital frame and a larger 15-inch frame. Note that some top brands don’t offer large frames.

That being said, larger digital photo frames like Pix-Star’s 15-inch frames are rapidly becoming more popular. Many modern homes and families are now moving towards using larger digital frames, especially in larger and well-lit rooms like the living room.
None of this is to say that 10-inch frames are being phased out. Rather, they have a very well-established place on the market and aren’t going away for a very long time.

10-inch digital photo frames are still great for master bedrooms, standard living rooms, wall mounting in many cases, open-plan kitchen/dining rooms, and guest or entertainment areas. Larger 15-inch frames and similar sizes can work in all of these spaces but shine when used in big rooms, for wall-mounting, and for filling up space and breathing extra life into your room or home in general.

Can a 10-inch digital photo frame play videos?

Pix-Star’s 10-inch digital photo frames can play both audio and video. Send 2-minute video clips and audio recordings to any of your Pix-Star frames over Wi-Fi using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app. Video clips save to the frame’s internal storage and the cloud.

Unlike many other top digital photo frames, Pix-Star lets you include video clips in slideshows alongside photos. Many other digital frames force you to view them separately or don’t support including videos in slideshows.

Additionally, Pix-Star’s frames let you set videos to play muted by default or with their recorded audio. You can connect the frame to speakers or headphones for better quality and louder audio. You can also play audio files over slideshows from a connected USB or SD card. These features are not offered by many of the top 10-inch digital photo frames.

Is a 10-inch digital photo frame good for seniors?

10-inch digital photo frames are perfect for seniors as they aren’t bigger than necessary and offer an affordable price. Pix-Star’s 10-inch digital frames have a great feature set and are one of the only premium frames that cater both to families and elderly users.

Make sure the 10-inch frame for seniors supports remote configuration (managing the frame’s settings and slideshows from anywhere) and has a mobile app for sharing loads of photos easily. Many of the top digital photo frames with 10-inch displays offer several photo-sharing methods.

We suggest avoiding cloud-only 10-inch digital frames that don’t support USB or SD cards. This is an essential photo-sharing method for seniors and offers the only offline way to get photos onto their frames.

Is the 10-inch digital photo frame battery-powered?

Almost all 10-inch digital photo frames need to be powered via a standard outlet. Battery-run digital frames are rare in the 10-inch size category, though are a little more common among 7 and 8-inch frames.

We don’t recommend buying a battery-operated 10-inch digital photo frame as they don’t have the power or battery life to provide competitive features. These battery-run frames usually only support USB and SD cards without offering any Wi-Fi or cloud features. Additionally, battery life only lasts for 2 to 4 hours in most cases, negating much of their mobility advantage.

The post The 10-Inch Digital Photo Frame – 7 Things You Should Know! appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Why the 15 In Digital Photo Frame is So Popular Right Now!

Brice Delmotte — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 07:10:15 +0000

What is the best 15 In digital photo frame?

Pix-Star’s 15 In digital photo frame is one of the best value large frames on the market. There are almost no other large frames that can compete with Pix-Star’s 15-inch frame in terms of features and functionality at this price point. Pix-Star’s 15 In frame is also one of the only premium large frames that have a 4:3 aspect ratio, which perfectly matches the camera sensor on most modern smartphone cameras.

Pix-Star’s 15 In digital photo frame offers free-for-life cloud storage and both a mobile app (Pix-Star Snap) and a feature-full web dashboard. With Pix-Star Snap, you can send up to 250 photos to several of your frames at the same time, along with 2-minute video clips and audio recordings. Pix-Star Snap supports sending photo collections and folders right from your phone to your Pix-Star frame.

Pix-Star’s web dashboard hosts both its remote configuration and web album features. Remote configuration lets you manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world. You can change their settings, start slideshows, change slideshow sources, manage cloud and even local storage, and much more.

Web albums let you import photo albums from a dozen supported sources including Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Google Drive, Google Photos, Dropbox, and more. Web albums can automatically update whenever you add new photos to a linked album, syncing them to all connected frames. Web albums save to each linked Pix-Star’s 8GB internal storage, and you can manage them remotely using the web dashboard.

Combined with the above features are Pix-Star’s motion sensor, auto-on/off schedule, highly customizable slideshows, weather and alerts, media library, and more. Pix-Star’s frames offer arguably the best value for money on the market. Unlike Nixplay’s larger frames, Pix-Star doesn’t charge any extra recurring subscription fees. You get one of the best feature sets at a hard-to-beat price!

Is a 15 In digital photo frame good for families?

A 15 In digital photo frame is an excellent choice for families as the larger display and ability to mount on the wall make them well suited to a big room, well-lit spaces, and modern homes and families. With 15 In digital frames like the Pix-Star, you can adjust the brightness and color mix to get the perfect image.

For families, there are several important features to look for in a large frame. The first and most important of these are the supported photo-sharing methods. Sharing photos via mobile app and through a supported web interface is a modern and versatile feature – letting you share your favorite pictures from anywhere in the world.
Other important photo-sharing methods include email, USB, and SD card, and importing photos from social media and other external sources (often referred to as web albums).

A 4:3 aspect ratio is a must-have feature on a large 15 In frame. Modern smartphones have a 4:3 camera sensor, so images sent to a 4:3 digital frame don’t need editing or cropping. You also won’t have to worry about black bars or space around the sides of your photos.

Finally, ensure the 15-inch digital frame offers Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity. While non-Wi-Fi frames are often basic and simple, they are too limiting to cater to the needs of families. Along with Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity, multi-frame control groups and remote configuration are important as you can control your frames no matter where you are in the world.

Can 15 In digital photo frames mount on the wall?

Pix-Star’s 15 In digital photo frames support using a standard VESA mount and offer built-in dedicated hanging holes for extra mounting options. Pix-Star’s frames have a broad viewing angle and a motion sensor that wakes the frame up when somebody walks in the sensor’s range.

Note that not all digital frames can mount on the wall. It’s typically better suited to larger frames that can fill a space with ease. Make sure the frame supports using a standard VESA mount or at least offers some type of setup to hang the frame on the wall.

How to remotely configure a 15 In digital photo frame?

Pix-Star’s 15 In digital photo frame offers a versatile and easy remote configuration feature. Use Pix-Star’s web dashboard to manage up to 25 frames from anywhere. Adjust each frame’s settings, start slideshows, manage cloud storage, import web albums, and more.

Pix-Star is in the process of adding remote configuration to the Pix-Star Snap mobile app at the time of this writing, giving you more options to manage all of your Pix-Star frames.

Note that Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature is one of the most versatile on the market and not many competing frames offer a similar feature. It’s rare to find remote configuration offered outside of the higher end of the large digital frame market.
When you consider Pix-Star’s 15 In digital frame has one of the most robust feature sets and arguably the most affordable price, a remote configuration feature is another reason to buy!

Do 15 In digital photo frames use touchscreens?

Large 15 In digital photo frames that use touchscreens are not very common – primarily due to the high price of large touch-capable displays for digital frames. This is why most touchscreen digital frames are smaller than 10 In.

We rarely recommend buying a touchscreen digital photo frame as they scratch more easily and have to be cleaned frequently because of fingerprints showing. Touch displays for 15-inch digital frames are quite a bit more expensive than non-touch panels. Their higher price often leads to other features and functions being sacrificed to keep the frame’s price competitive.

Can a 15 In digital photo frame run on battery?

Large 15 In digital photo frames rarely run on battery due to their extensive feature set, large screen, Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity, and large display. Battery-run frames are typically found among the cheap and mid-range frames. They tend to have a very limited battery life of 2 to 4 hours, needing frequent recharging, and the batteries don’t last for nearly as long as standard outlet-powered 15 In digital photo frames.

The post Why the 15 In Digital Photo Frame is So Popular Right Now! appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Finding the Perfect Amazon Digital Photo Frame!

Brice Delmotte — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 10:18:57 +0000

What is the best Amazon digital photo frame?

Pix-Star’s 10-inch is arguably the best Amazon digital photo frame. They offer free-for-life cloud storage, remote configuration support, web album support, auto-on/off schedules, motion sensors, highly customizable slideshows, elderly-friendly interfaces, and much more.

Pix-Star’s frames are known for being one of the only high-end digital photo frames that cater to both grandparents and families. This is seen through Pix-Star’s robust feature set and simple setup process. Each Pix-Star frame comes with access to the Pix-Star web interface and the Pix-Star Snap mobile app.

If you own several Pix-Star frames, you can easily manage them using Pix-Star’s multi-frame control groups, supporting up to 25 Pix-Star frames using just one user account. Here you can adjust their settings, start and manage slideshows, update their firmware, link and update web albums, and more – no matter where you are in the world.

Pix-Star’s frames use a 4:3 aspect ratio to best suit photos taken on modern smartphones and cameras. You don’t need to manually edit photos before sending them and slideshows won’t show black bars around photos. Pix-Star’s display offers a broad viewing angle and manually adjustable color and brightness settings.

Does Amazon sell cheap digital photo frames?

Amazon offers a host of cheap digital photo frames to suit different budgets and use cases. We generally don’t recommend buying cheap digital photo frames as they tend to offer poor feature sets without Wi-Fi or cloud connectivity, video/audio support, etc. Cheap digital frames on Amazon often have quality control issues that aren’t very clear when buying the frame. This is why it’s so important to read through as many verified reviews and Q&As as possible.

When you consider that premium 10-inch digital photo frames aren’t much more expensive than cheap and mid-range frames, it’s usually paying marginally more to get a host of improved features, build quality, and ease of use. We recommend looking at digital frames like the Pix-Star as they offer great value for money and don’t charge any extra recurring subscription fees.

Can I return an Amazon digital photo frame?

According to Amazon, if the product or category doesn’t offer a specific return policy or eligibility period, the standard 30-day return period will apply. Make sure to read through any frame-specific return policy amendments for the frame and make sure you don’t accidentally buy a second-hand or used digital photo frame.

Also ensure you keep all the original packaging, receipts, and accessories in good condition in case you need to return the frame to Amazon. Do as much testing as possible when first using the frame – and do so well within the eligible return period. Make sure you test all of the digital photo frame’s features and functions, and thoroughly inspect the build and display quality.

While quality control issues become less of an issue with higher-end digital photo frames, it’s still good practice to thoroughly inspect and use all of the frame’s features well before the eligibility period expires. Don’t let the frame sit for 2-months before unboxing and testing.

How to choose a digital photo frame on Amazon?

Amazon offers arguably the largest digital photo frame selection on the market, with frames spanning all price ranges and use cases. We generally recommend avoiding cheap and mid-range frames. Cheap digital frames frequently have inconsistent quality control, tend to not last long, and have very limited feature sets. Most cheap digital photo frames don’t support Wi-Fi or cloud connectivity, instead letting you load photos by USB or SD card.

When comparing digital photo frames on Amazon, make sure to pay attention to their reviews and the question/answer section. Read reviews spanning different star ratings to get a better idea of how the frame performs in the real world and delivers on its promises. Also, make sure to read through as many FAQs as possible to make sure the frame provides features best suited to your home and family. Top digital frames like the Pix-Star have thousands of reviews and hundreds of FAQs.

Can I remotely update an Amazon digital photo frame?

Pix-Star’s digital photo frames are arguably the best frames on Amazon for remote configuration and management. You can manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from a single user account using the Pix-Star web dashboard – no matter where you are in the world. Here you can adjust each frame’s settings, start and change slideshows, update firmware, manage cloud storage, link and update web albums, and much more. Pix-Star is currently in the process of adding remote configuration support to the Pix-Star Snap mobile app.

What is the best digital photo frame size on Amazon?

We highly recommend getting either a 10-inch or 15-inch digital frame on Amazon. With the 10-inch frame being the most popular size on the market, there are a host of premium established brands and frames from which to choose. 10-inch frames offer one of the best balances between price, features, and performance, especially with digital frames like the Pix-Star offering free-for-life cloud storage, video & audio support, immersive slideshows, Wi-Fi, and more – all without charging monthly fees or subscriptions.

15-inch digital photo frames are great if your budget is a bit more flexible and you need a larger or brighter screen. These digital photo frames are widely available on Amazon and offer broad viewing angles, robust feature sets, and wall mounts (standard VESA mount, hanging holes, etc.). We recommend taking a look at Pix-Star’s 15-inch digital picture frame. It’s currently on discount and offers arguably the best value for money on the market among high-end 15-inch digital frames.

Can amazon digital photo frames work without Wi-Fi?

Many cheap and mid-range digital photo frames on Amazon don’t support Wi-Fi or cloud connectivity, meaning they can’t receive photos or other media wirelessly. The only way to send photos to these digital frames is by USB or SD card.

Many premium digital photo frames on Amazon such as the Pix-Star frame offer extensive Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity. Pix-Star frames still work without Wi-Fi, letting you load photos by USB or SD card, save them to the frame’s internal storage, and even play slideshows directly off of the USB or SD card without copying anything to local storage first.

Note that some high-end digital photo frames on amazon don’t offer offline functionality. For example, Skylight and Aura digital photo frames don’t have internal storage or USB/SD card support. These frames need a constant Wi-Fi connection to stream and download photos to view them in slideshows.

The post Finding the Perfect Amazon Digital Photo Frame! appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

The Digital Frame for Grandparents You Don’t Want to Miss!

Brice Delmotte — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 02:20:09 +0000

What is the simplest digital frame for grandparents?

The Pix-Star digital frame for grandparents is one of the only high-end Wi-Fi frames made with both families and grandparents in mind. This is seen through features made for grandparents (remote configuration, automatic photo-sharing, simple interface, controls, etc.) and Pix-Star’s quick setup/ease of use.

Using Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature, you can manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world from one account, adjust their settings, start and change slideshows, change how the motion sensor functions, and much more.

Pix-Star’s web album feature lets you sync and save photo albums from a dozen external sources to any of your Pix-Star frames. Web albums are saved to internal storage and are available to access and view while offline. The most elderly-friendly part of Pix-Star’s web albums is their automatic updates. Once a web album is linked, set it to sync automatically. Each time you add new photos, Pix-Star will sync the new photos to all linked Pix-Star frames – automating the most time-consuming part of the photo-sharing process.

Together with Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature, grandparents can receive all of the latest photos on their frames, view them in slideshows, and more – all without having to lift a finger. It’s perfect for grandparents or any family members that aren’t very tech-savvy. They can share photos with the rest of the family using the simple Pix-Star Snap mobile and even send pictures over email! It’s so simple that getting your grandparents involved will be easier than ever before!

How to remotely control a digital frame for grandparents?

Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature is quite versatile when compared to what most competing frames offer. You can manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from a single user account using Pix-Star’s web dashboard. Here you can adjust each frame’s settings, start slideshows, manage local and cloud storage, import and update web albums, and much more.

Using Pix-Star’s remote configuration feature gives you control over most of the frame’s features. You can change and adjust slideshow settings (play order, frequency, transition speed, etc.), adjust how the motion sensor works, set auto-on/off schedules, and much more. You can start slideshows from specific web albums that have already been synced and saved on the frame – and change between them – from anywhere in the world.

Can a digital frame for grandparents work without Wi-Fi?

Pix-Star’s digital frame for grandparents offers extensive offline functionality thanks to its 8GB of internal storage, internal file browser, USB/SD card support, and USB/SD card plug & play feature. Pix-Star doesn’t restrict the maximum size of supported USB/SD cards, so you can connect any size of drive/card loaded with photos and play slideshows directly on the frame (without needing to copy the USB/SD card’s content to the frame’s internal storage).

With Pix-Star – and almost all other high-end frames – you need to connect to Wi-Fi to download pending photos, update web albums, and receive photos/videos from the mobile app and email. All incoming photos are saved to the frame’s internal storage and are available offline. Additionally, you can use a USB or SD card for potentially unlimited storage space.

How to send pictures to a digital frame for grandparents?

Using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, you can send up to 250 photos to several Pix-Star frames at the same time. This is ideal for grandparents as anyone in the family can send pictures to their frames from anywhere in the world. Family members can send entire collections and folders to make bulk-sharing simpler – and you can set your grandparents’ frames to display all incoming photos in the current slideshow as they’re received.

Other popular ways to share photos to a digital frame for grandparents include emailing photos (as attachments), viewing photos from a connected USB or SD card, and importing them as web albums from a dozen external sources including Facebook, Instagram, and Google Drive & Photos, and more.

Can a digital frame for grandparents mount on the wall?

Pix-Star’s digital frame for grandparents mounts on the wall with a standard VESA mount and additional dedicated hanging holes. Pix-Star supports both landscape and portrait mounting, with slideshows being able to play in either orientation. Additionally, you can rotate pictures within the slideshow by pressing the “Menu” button, navigating down to the rotate icon, and clicking to rotate the image 90 degrees at a time.

Wall mounting a digital frame for grandparents is a great idea as they don’t need to worry about knocking the frame over. The motion sensor and auto-on/off schedule can easily be set to make sure the frame is awake when someone is at home or in the room. Pix-Star’s broad viewing angle, handheld remote, and remote configuration support (via the Pix-Star web interface) give grandparents and families all the control they need over their frame.

Do digital frames for grandparents play video?

Pix-Star digital frames for grandparents can play 2-minute video clips and audio recordings. Send video clips to any of your Pix-Star frames using the Pix-Star Snap mobile app from anywhere in the world. You need to select the video from your phone’s gallery. Audio recordings are recorded live within the app.

Unlike many other top digital frames for grandparents, Pix-Star’s frames let you play video clips in slideshows alongside photos. While 2-minute clips might not seem like much, it’s more than most other frames on the market in this price range.

Some digital frames even charge extra subscription fees to unlock and extend video and audio playback (e.g., Nixplay and Skylight frames). Aura’s frames can’t play video or audio, and Dragon Touch frames only let you play 30-second video clips.

The post The Digital Frame for Grandparents You Don’t Want to Miss! appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.

Does a Target Digital Photo Frame Have Everything You Need?

Brice Delmotte — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 02:12:20 +0000

Should I buy a Target digital photo frame?

Getting a Target digital photo frame might seem like an intuitive option because of the big brand name – but there are several important things to know. First of all, Target does not sell its own digital photo frame, but rather offers popular digital frame brands, much like Amazon and Costco do. With that said, Target does not have a wide range of digital photo frames available for sale, offering only one or two frames we’d consider to be “popular”.

One of the most important aspects of buying a digital photo frame is variety. You want to be able to compare the frame with several other similarly priced options – especially if you’re shopping for a higher-end frame that’s suitable for modern homes and families.

The only Target digital photo frame we’d consider competitive in the upper end of the market is the Aura frame. It’s not the best frame on the market due to missing features like internal storage, USB/SD card support, video & audio, remote configuration, etc. That said, Aura’s frames aren’t bad. They have quality displays and are rather aesthetic – but there’s a lot more to look for.

We don’t recommend shopping for a digital photo frame at Target. The lack of variety makes you think that the Aura digital photo frame is the only top-end frame on the market. In reality, several well-known digital photo frames compete directly with Aura, offering the features it lacks, and sold on other platforms that allow extensive comparisons – getting you better value for money!

Is the Pix-Star digital photo frame available at Target?

The Pix-Star digital photo frame is one of the many high-end frames not available at Target. One of the only premium digital frames available at Target is the Aura frame range. Pix-Star’s digital photo frames are available on Amazon and directly from the Pix-Star shop.

Pix-Star’s frames are one of the most popular digital photo frames on the market. It’s a versatile frame with loads of easy-to-use features and functions. Pix-Star is one of the only high-end brands that cater specifically to elderly users. To do so, Pix-Star doesn’t sacrifice many features and functions, instead offering arguably the most robust feature set in its price range.

Pix-Star’s frames offer free-for-life cloud storage and extensive Wi-Fi-enabled features. There’s a mobile app (Pix-Star Snap) that lets you send up to 250 photos to several Pix-Star frames at the same time. Pix-Star’s web dashboard lets you import and saves photo albums from social media, photo-sharing sites, your computer, and even online cloud storage platforms (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive).

There are several other great features including remote configuration, letting you remotely manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from one user account. You can adjust their settings, start slideshows, manage local and cloud storage, adjust the motion sensor, and much more.

Pix-Star’s frames are great for families and grandparents, as well as being capable additions to the modern home with their smart features. Pix-Star’s 4:3 aspect ratio offers an immersive, full-screen viewing experience that’s very hard to get with Target digital photo frames like the Aura frame.

What’s the best Target digital photo frame?

The Aura range of digital frames is probably the best Target digital photo frames. While they’re not the best on the market, Aura’s frames are decent choices with a great display and aesthetic designs.

The most prominent issue with Aura’s frames is their price. Aura’s frames are more expensive than almost every other premium 10-inch frame on the market, with the Aura Smith costing more than double any close competitors.

Despite this high price tag, Aura’s digital photo frames are still missing several important features and functions. Aura doesn’t offer internal storage, video and audio support, or USB/SD cards. They don’t work offline as they’re cloud-only digital frames. If you don’t have constant Wi-Fi, you can use Aura’s frames. This makes them less ideal for elderly users and even families in many situations.

In terms of the viewing experience, Aura’s higher resolution display is let down a little by its 16:9 aspect ratio. Since almost all premium smartphones have a 4:3 camera sensor, most pictures displayed on the Aura frame will have black bars around them. While you can zoom these in or crop, it’s an extra time-sink that scales with bulk photo-sharing.

All this isn’t to say that Aura’s frames don’t have their place on the market. If you’re willing to pay their higher prices and sacrifice the abovementioned features, you’ll get a high-resolution display and an aesthetically pleasing frame – though we don’t recommend getting this digital photo frame from Target. We’d suggest shopping at Amazon as you can compare Aura’s frames with dozens of other popular digital photo frames.

Should I buy a digital photo frame at Target or Amazon?

We don’t highly recommend shopping for Target digital photo frames due to their narrow range of frames and only offering a handful of mid-range and premium options. Amazon digital photo frames come in arguably the broadest selections on the market, with hundreds of frames and models from which to choose.

Not only is Amazon’s digital photo frame catalog larger but there is often more user interaction. You can read through hundreds of reviews across the 5-star rating ranks, along with hundreds of FAQs and questions & answers. Using these resources, you’re likely to find out how the frame performs in the real world and if it’s the right choice for your home and family!

Can Target digital photo frames work without Wi-Fi?

Target’s most popular digital photo frame is the Aura frame, which is widely known to be cloud-only. Aura’s digital photo frames require a constant and decent Wi-Fi connection at all times, enabling it to stay connected to the Aura cloud to sync, stream, and display the photos you want to view.

If for some reason, you lose Wi-Fi connectivity, or Aura’s servers go offline in the future, you will likely lose access to all of your photos and won’t be able to view them. This is due in part to Aura’s frames not offering internal storage or USB/SD card support.

For comparison, competing frames like the Pix-Star offer extensive offline support. You can use any size of USB/SD card and play slideshows directly off it without having to transfer them to the frame’s internal storage first. Pix-Star’s frames also have 8GB of internal storage. All incoming photo mail (via the mobile app, web albums, and email), is saved to the frame’s internal storage automatically.

The post Does a Target Digital Photo Frame Have Everything You Need? appeared first on Pix-Star Blog.