How does a digital picture frame work?
A digital picture frame offers a unique and attractive way to share your favorite moments & memories with your loved ones. Many of the top digital picture frames let you create multi-frame control groups and bulk manage all the frames in the family. Digital picture frames can easily replace the need for printing and framing photos – and offer a ton of useful features to enhance how you share and connect.
Most digital picture frames have a 7 to 15-inch display and internal storage space to keep all your photos & other media. Some frames can play videos in slideshows and can even play music or radio stations over slideshows. Digital picture frame slideshows are where most of the magic happens. You can play a customized & personalized selection of your favorite photos in versatile slideshows.
With top digital picture frames like the Pix-Star, you have plenty of control over how slideshows play. From controlling the play order & frequency in which photos are shown, to using unique transitions and changing the style & speed of the slides – you can get slideshows for almost any situation, theme, or occasion.
Many premium digital picture frames have Wi-Fi and cloud capabilities that let you send/receive photos from anywhere in the world. This is often done through connected mobile apps and/or web interfaces. You can send several photos to several digital picture frames at the same time. It’s a great way to pull families together and take the stress out of photo sharing. Digital picture frames are versatile and fit effortlessly into modern homes & families, cater to elderly users, and add a ton of personality to your home!
What is the best digital picture frame?
While there are tons of options on the digital picture frame market at the moment – not all frames are created equal. Much like buying a smartphone or computer, there’s no perfect digital picture frame. There’s always a little give-and-take at play – some digital picture frames focus on what matters most – without sacrificing essential features, quality, or real-world performance.
Pix-Star’s digital picture frames are arguably the most versatile and robust frames on today’s market. They’re packed full of handy features, come with free-for-life cloud storage, video & audio playback support, extensive Wi-Fi functionality, and can receive photos from anywhere in the world.
The Pix-Star Snap mobile app lets you send up to 250 photos to several of your family’s digital picture frames at the same time. You can select entire folders & collections to send to your loved ones in bulk – and have them automatically display on their Pix-Star digital picture frame.
For families, Pix-Star’s digital picture frame is a fantastic choice. You can manage & control up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames via the supported web dashboard. Here you can remotely control all of your digital picture frames to start & manage slideshows, make changes to local & cloud storage, change the frame’s settings, update their firmware, and much more.
Pix-Star’s stunning display offers versatile slideshows. The play order & frequency of photos is easy to adjust. Slideshow settings can be changed without needing to leave the slideshow and the whole setup is super-elderly friendly. Pix-Star’s digital picture frames cater to the whole family, effortlessly connect you with your loved ones, and make photo-sharing easier than ever before.
Pix-Star’s digital picture frames slip into your home & family life with ease offer reliable and enhancing real-world performance – all at an excellent price point. Browse Pix-Star’s digital picture frames here and find the perfect frames for your home & family!
What to look for in a digital picture frame for grandparents?
Digital picture frames for grandparents & non-tech-savvy users need to be very carefully chosen. You might be tempted to go for the cheap and simple digital picture frames that claim to be easy to use – but there are better options. We almost always advise going for a premium digital picture frame as they include features like Wi-Fi & cloud storage, the ability to remotely control the frame & send photos from anywhere in the world, and much more.
Web album support is an essential feature. Web albums are only found on a couple of the best digital picture frames like the Pix-Star. This feature lets you view photos from your favorite social media & photo-sharing sites like Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos, and more. With some digital picture frames, you can link these albums to several of the family’s frames and have them automatically synced. This saves you a ton of time and lets your grandparents view your latest photos without needing to lift a finger.
Another essential feature is a mobile app that lets you send photos directly to the digital picture frame. You should be able to add several frames to the app and send pictures, videos, and audio messages – no matter where you are in the world. Mobile apps are great as anyone in the family can send special pictures to your grandparents’ digital picture frames; they can even be set to automatically display the moment they’re received.
One final essential feature is remote control capability. You should be able to remotely manage & control their digital picture frame’s settings, slideshows, and storage. This feature is found on premium digital picture frames with Wi-Fi like the Pix-Star. You can remotely start customized slideshows, change their settings, manage local & cloud storage, link web albums, and more – from anywhere in the world. It’s a great way to ensure your grandparents never get stuck and are always involved & in touch with the rest of the family!
Is a digital picture frame good for families?
When you think of digital picture frames, you might have an outdated and irrelevant image in mind. Nowadays, premium digital picture frames like the Pix-Star are packed with features & functions designed with families in mind. You can share photos effortlessly using Wi-Fi & cloud sharing, remotely control the various frames in the family, and even create multi-frame control groups.
Of course, not all digital picture frames offer these features – they’re mostly limited to the top frames on the market. Digital picture frames like the Pix-Star offer features like free-for-life cloud storage and loads of functions for families (web albums, video messages, large displays, remote control functionality, and much more).
Even if your family is spread all over the state/country/world, digital picture frames have what it takes. You can share photos to any connected digital picture frame by email – and can even send photos, audio messages, and videos to several frames at the same time. This is often done through a supported mobile app but can also include a web interface or via photo-mail.
Many digital picture frames can be mounted on the wall and switched between orientations. You can rotate pictures, create versatile and personalized slideshows, include heartfelt audio or written messages with the photos your send, and more. The best digital picture frames like the Pix-Star let you manually select & manage which files & folders are the be included in slideshows – and this can even be done remotely.
In practice, with the right digital picture frames for your family, you can send photos in an instant & view them in customized slideshows suited to any situation. Large digital picture frames like the Pix-Star 15-inch frame can be wall-mounted in the living room and woken up by its motion sensor when somebody walks into the room. Digital picture frames like these a crafted & designed to suit families without sacrificing versatility for the individual, or ease of use for elderly (or non-tech-savvy) users.
Do digital picture frames have cloud storage?
Cloud storage is quite an exclusive feature that’s only found on a handful of the best digital picture frames. It’s an extremely versatile feature that enhanced the frame’s effectiveness for families and massively boosts ease of use. It’s worth noting that cloud storage isn’t always a free feature. In some cases (as with digital picture frames like the Skylight and Nixplay), cloud storage is locked behind a subscription paywall. On the other hand, top digital picture frames like the Pix-Star offer free-for-life cloud storage, and all related features are unlocked – no hidden fees or extra charges.
Cloud storage on most digital picture frames is usually backed up automatically. With frames like the Pix-Star, when photos & other media are received to the frame, they’re automatically saved to the cloud. This cloud storage is then easily managed through the web dashboard for your frame. Here you can perform bulk actions & make changes to your cloud storage – and even to local storage in some cases.
Digital picture frames with cloud storage often include secondary cloud-related features like web albums. Web albums are photos linked from external sources like social media, photo-sharing, and online storage platforms directly to your frame. Traditionally, you’d need to manually download these photos and send them to your frame via USB/SD card or email. With Wi-Fi digital picture frames with web album support (Pix-Star’s frames are a great example), you simply need to link all the family’s frames to the same album and load your photos there. They’ll be automatically updated and synced to each of the linked frames.
How to send photos & videos to a digital picture frame?
The best way to send photos to a digital picture frame in 2021 is by mobile app. Sadly, very few cheap and mid-range digital picture frames support mobile apps or receiving photos remotely via Wi-Fi or the cloud. Digital picture frames like the Pix-Star have a mobile app (Pix-Star Snap) that lets you send up to 250 photos to several frames at the same time. It’s done via email and only takes a couple of moments to show up on the frame.
Another popular way to send photos to a digital picture frame is by email. Simply load the photos as attachments (don’t drag and drop them into the body of the email) to an email. Send this email to your digital picture frame’s unique email address and the photos will be delivered. Some digital picture frames let you set the frame to automatically display newly received photos – so that your loved ones never miss a moment.
Most digital picture frames have USB/SD card slots that let you load photos, videos, and audio messages. This is the most commonly available method and is found on almost all digital picture frames. Make sure the USB/SD card is compatible with the frame and that the photos, videos, and audio messages are in supported formats. Many digital picture frames have a plug-and-play feature that lets you start slideshows directly off the inserted USB/SD card without first having to copy the contents across to the frame’s internal storage. This is a super-easy feature to use and is elderly-friendly – though it requires you to be by the frame in person.
Is a large digital picture frame worth it?
A large digital picture frame is one with a display size of over 10-inches. You’ll find most large digital picture frames fall into the 12 to 17-inch size category. These large digital frames are worth it – more so now than ever before. Their large displays have broad viewing angles and further viewing distances, making them a better fit for modern homes & big families. You can all comfortably see the screen while huddled around the sofa or dining table.
Many large digital picture frames from top brands like Pix-Star complement the enhanced size with tons of useful features & functions. Slideshows are highly customizable and can even be started remotely via the web dashboard. You can manage many of the frames from anywhere in the world and can even make changes to cloud & local storage.
We’re so used to the large displays on our computers, tablets, and TV screens, that small displays (less than 8-inches) on digital picture frames appear outdated. Large digital picture frames are arguably better suited to 2021 and modern homes. They’re extremely versatile and when chosen right, can significantly enhance how you share special moments & memories with your loved ones. Check out Pix-Star’s large 15-inch digital picture frame here. They’re discounted and are arguably the most versatile and capable large digital picture frames on today’s market.
How to send pictures to a digital picture frame by email?
Pix-Star were the creators and pioneers of the idea of having a digital picture frame with email. Sending photos to your digital picture frame by email offers a familiar and intuitive way to share your favorite pics & memories. It’s arguably better suited to the older generations, with mobile apps being slightly more intuitive for younger users.
Digital picture frames like the Pix-Star have a unique & dedicated email address that’s used to receive photos via email, from the mobile app, and to identify the frame. Open your email client and add your digital picture frame’s unique email address. Note that you can add several frame’s email addresses and send the same photos to all of them simultaneously.
To avoid a common mistake, make sure to add the desired photos as attachments to the email. If you drag-and-drop them into the body of the email, they may be coded into HTML and won’t send. Adding the photos as attachments might differ between email clients, so give it a test to learn what works best.
Photos can take a little while to show up on the frame depending on the number and size of the photos send. On a side note, avoid sending photos to your frame that have a higher resolution than your frame’s display (e.g., sending a 1920×1080 photo to a frame with an 800×600 display). This just uses up unnecessary storage space and makes the sending process a little slower. It’s not a big deal, though is worth keeping in mind if you send pictures from high-resolution cameras to your digital picture frames.
Can a digital picture frame fit into a smart home?
Most premium digital picture frames can easily slot into a modern smart home. They can effortlessly link to several social media, photo-sharing, and online storage platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos, Flickr, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more. While this feature isn’t broadly available, the best digital picture frames with Wi-Fi & cloud storage like the Pix-Star offer extensive web album support.
You can link several of the family’s digital picture frames to the same photo albums. Alternatively, you can link the same frame to several different profiles & accounts on the same platform. In practice, this feature is a huge time saver and automates much of the photo-sharing process. It’s quick, simple, easy to use, and centrally controllable.
Smart digital picture frames like the Pix-Star can almost be fully remotely controlled. Use the web interface to control their settings & functions, start & manage slideshows, update the frame’s firmware, manage local & cloud storage, and much more. This is perfect for smart homes as you can set your digital picture frames to suit any mood, theme, or occasion – from anywhere in the world.
Other features like versatile slideshows, weather forecasts, listening to web music & radio, settings alerts & reminders, etc., further add the versatility these frames offer. These smart digital picture frames can slip into modern homes without being too complicated for elderly users and the rest of the family to use. It’s a tough balance to strike and very few frames do it right. That’s why we recommend getting a premium option like the Pix-Star 10-inch digital picture frame (there’s a larger 15-inch digital picture frame available too).
Can I view Facebook photos on a digital picture frame?
Linking and viewing photos from social media & photo-sharing platforms is known as web albums in the digital picture frame world. Pix-Star’s versatile digital picture frames arguably offer the best web album support on the market. You can link up to a dozen different platforms to your Pix-Star frames; including Facebook, Google Photos, Instagram, Dropbox, Google Drive, Flickr, and more.
To link Facebook photos from selected albums to your digital picture frames, log into your frame’s web dashboard. Inside the dashboard, head over the “Web Albums” section or the “Import from External Sources” in the left-side panel. Note that these steps are specifically for Pix-Star’s digital picture frames – though your frame should have a similar process if it supports web albums.
Here you’ll see the list of supported platforms. Click on the Facebook icon and input the login credentials for the account your want to link photos from. You can link to several different accounts by simply repeating this process. Once you’ve logged into the account, you’ll see a list of all the photos albums & collections from the profile. Here you can select and link all desired albums.
If you want new photos to be automatically synced to all linked frames when connected, make sure to check the “Automatically update” box at the top of the screen. Whenever you add new pictures to this linked album, they’ll be automatically synced to all connected frames. It’s a great way to automate photo-sharing with all the frames in the family & make the process quick and effortless for all parties involved. Read our step-by-step guide with pictures here to learn how to view photos from Facebook on your digital picture frames.
Is the digital picture frame relevant in 2021?
While there are many outdated and irrelevant digital picture frames on the market in 2021, it’s a common misconception that all digital picture frames are outdated. Many of the top frames like the Pix-Star are extremely versatile frames that can suit most homes & families. They’re packed with useful features that cater to big families, elderly users, and tech-savvy individuals.
When chosen right, a digital picture frame can revolutionize the way your share & connect with your loved ones. They let you & your loved ones share photos in just moments from anywhere in the world. You can send pictures, videos, and audio messages in a plethora of ways. Mobile apps, photo-mail, importing web albums, and sending media via USB/SD card are just mentioning a few.
These digital frames let you view your favorite and most treasured memories like a standard photo frame – but let you store thousands. You can view these photos in versatile and highly customizable slideshows. With some of the best digital picture frames, you have incredible control over the order these photos play in – and the frequency at which they show up. For example, Pix-Star digital picture frames let you set the frame to show photos uploaded from the past “x” number of days more frequently – or exclusively. You can select the specific folders & files to start slideshows from and can even remotely control which sources (e.g., photo-mail, web albums, etc.) to start slideshows from.
Digital picture frames are fantastic & intelligent choices for 2021. They slip into modern, classy, and busy homes with ease. Digital picture frames like the Pix-Star effortlessly breathe new life into your home – both by their aesthetic appeal and how they pull your family together through smooth photo-sharing features. We always recommend getting a premium digital photo frame as they have the versatility it takes to effectively compete with all the other smart devices in our modern lives.
Do digital picture frames play video & audio?
Not all popular digital picture frames can play videos – and even fewer can play audio. Digital picture frames that can play both are typically found in the higher end of the market and seen among top frames like the Pix-Star.
It’s worth noting that almost all digital picture frames have limits on either the length or the size of videos. There are further format requirements that limit most frames to only a handful of the most common video file formats.
Digital picture frames like the Pix-Star can play both videos and audio. You can listen to the radio, web music, audio messages (sent via the mobile app), and even to songs. Music & radio stations can be played over slideshows and you have the option to include videos in slideshows (they can be set to play muted too).
With Pix-Star’s digital picture frames, you can play 2-minute video clips and audio messages. This might not seem like a whole lot, but it’s more than almost all other digital picture frames on the market. Additionally, Pix-Star doesn’t charge any recurring or hidden subscription fees to unlock video playback & support, cloud storage, use of the mobile app, etc. This is seen with other premium digital picture frames like the Skylight or Nixplay frames.
Can I listen to music on a digital picture frame?
Not many digital picture frames support audio playback. While it’s not a feature that’s strictly limited to premium frames, it’s rarely found among cheap to mid-range digital picture frames. One of the main requirements for audio support & playback is in-built speakers. Additionally, some top digital picture frames like the Pix-Star include support for connected external speakers, headphones, and earphones. You can connect them directly to the frame via the USB port or the 3.5mm audio input jack. This helps to enhance the audio quality as the frame’s speakers aren’t very loud – they likely won’t be heard from across the room or in a busy spot.
