Digital picture frames have been hot sellers. Maybe you're considering giving one as a holiday gift. But before you head to the store, be aware,
Consumer Reports' latest tests show many are far from picture-perfect.
Consumer Reports tested almost two dozen digital frames—both seven- and eight-inch sizes. Some display short video clips, too. Prices on frames tested range from $120 to $250.
A couple of the frames have some new features. The GE, specifically, also doubles as a cordless phone. The phone can be set up to display who is calling you. But
Consumer Reports says for the money, you could probably buy yourself a good quality cordless phone and a good quality digital picture frame.
A couple of the frames tested offer wireless connectivity—a real plus. But testers found that the wireless option on the e-Starling frame was too limited. You can e-mail photos from your computer or cell phone. But the frame cannot access photos directly from your computer.
The new Smartparts frame lets you print out photos. But tests found the prints are expensive … and the quality isn't the best.
Consumer Reports says with any digital frame, what's most important is how your pictures look. Many manufacturers still haven't fixed the “sideways” problem: The picture fades when you look at it from an angle.
When all the tests were done, testers found the eight-inch Westinghouse DPF-0804 digital frame offers very good picture quality. It costs $120.
There are a lot of digital frames being sold that go for less than $100. But
Consumer Reports says those frames usually aren't large enough or don't have high enough resolution to adequately display photos from today's digital cameras, so you want to avoid them.
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