How do cordless digital photo frames work?
Cordless digital photo frames aren’t commonly found on today’s market. Inherently, battery-operated and cordless frames have a lot of issues that stop them from competing effectively against standard digital frames like the Pix-Star.
Most cordless digital frames work by showing slideshows from a combination of sources. The most common of these sources are USB/SD cards and in some cases internal storage space. These frames seldom have Wi-Fi connectivity and therefore don’t have access to features like cloud synchronicity, web album support, radio, mobile apps, and web dashboards. These are typically the features that separate low-end digital frames from higher-end models.
The main issue with showing slideshows from sources such as USB/SD cards is that you usually don’t have much control over the play order and frequency. The photos are usually played according to the order they were loaded onto the USB/SD card in – or the order of the file names. It’s worth noting that not all names read file names in the same order. This makes it complicated to guess which order the frame will read them in, cause playback issues and time-consuming photo sharing.
With cordless digital photo frames, you still have some control over the appearance of slideshows. You can usually control their speed, style, and type. In some cases, if you copy the files across to internal storage first, you can choose which folders to play slideshows from – though this isn’t a universally offered feature.
Finally, most cordless digital photo frames have relatively small displays to preserve battery life. You’ll find most models have an 8-inch display, though usually smaller. Brightness doesn’t usually go over 250cd/m2 and the display often doesn’t have broad viewing angles. All of these savings are made in the name of battery life – and to leave room for other more modern features on the frame; including motion sensors and Wi-Fi connectivity (in some cases).
Are Pix-Star’s frames cordless digital photo frames?
Like most other top digital photo frames, Pix-Star’s frames are not cordless. This is mainly due to the constraints of battery life and limited functionality. Standard frames like the Pix-Star have extensive feature sets and versatility that cordless frames simply can’t match.
This comes through in the form of extensive Wi-Fi & cloud features. Pix-Star’s frames let you send photos from anywhere in the world using email, the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, Pix-Star’s web dashboard, and by linked web albums from social media sites like Facebook, Google Photos, and many more.
Pix-Star’s frames offer free-for-life cloud storage that is automatically updated when new photos & other media are received. You can centrally manage this cloud storage via the web interface – where you can also manage up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames in a multi-frame control group. Cloud storage keeps your photos safe and offers excellent functionality for families with several frames.
Pix-Star’s web album feature links selected photo albums from social media and photo-sharing platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos, Google Drive, Dropbox, Flickr, and more. These selected albums are then synced to chosen frames and saved to their internal storage. Perhaps the most unique part of this feature is that web albums are automatically updated whenever new photos are added to any currently linked accounts. You can link one account to several different Pix-Star frames and link several accounts to multiple frames.
Secondary features like the ability to view weather forecasts, listen to the web radio & music, set alerts & reminders, and remotely manage cloud storage set the Pix-Star apart from cordless digital photo frames. Pix-Star’s remote-control function lets you manage and control up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world. You can remotely start slideshows, adjust the frame’s settings, manage both local & cloud storage, and even update the frame’s firmware. It’s an excellent choice for families.
The combination of these features gives standard high-end digital photo frames like the Pix-Star a huge leap in performance and versatility over what’s possible with battery-powered and cordless digital photo frames. It’s well worth saving up a little longer as the only tangible benefit of cordless digital frames is their mobility – a feature that’s more or less negated by limited functionality and poor battery life & longevity. Learn more about Pix-Star’s 15-inch digital photo frame here. It’s one of the best large digital frames on the market at the moment.
Are cordless digital photo frames any good?
Unless you are dead set on getting a cordless digital frame, your money is likely better spent on a standard digital frame. You’ll get enhanced performance, a more robust feature set, and better connectivity due to Wi-Fi and cloud capabilities. These features typically aren’t available on most cordless digital frames.
Cordless frames are rarely Wi-Fi or cloud-capable and can only receive photos from USB/SD cards. Internal storage is usually quite limited and you generally don’t have much control over the play order and frequency of photo playback in slideshows. What these frames gain in mobility they lose in versatility and features.
These frames might be a decent choice for individual users – though they’re not suited to families. With a battery life of 2-5 hours, you don’t get much screen time. We usually advise you to go for a more premium standard digital frame like the Pix-Star if you want better value for money.
Can cordless digital photo frames play audio?
Audio playback is rarely offered on cordless digital frames. Audio is usually played through inbuilt speakers. Cordless digital frames don’t have enough internal space for internal speakers and cannot often connect external speakers or headphones. Very few of these frames support audio files and don’t include features like web radio & music due to the lack of Wi-Fi capabilities. Here’s a quick guide on how to play videos on the Pix-Star digital photo frame.
How to set up a cordless digital photo frame?
If the cordless digital frame is Wi-Fi capable, start by connecting to Wi-Fi. This is usually done directly on the frame and only takes a few quick moments. Once you’ve connected to Wi-Fi, attach the frame’s stand. It’s usually attached to the rear of the frame and can often be attached in either landscape or portrait.
Cordless digital photo frames seldom come with wall-mounting options due to their limited battery life as you’d need to frequently recharge the frame’s battery. In some cases, you might get hanging holes on the frame’s rear or even a standard VESA mount. Just make sure not to block the USB/SD card port or the charging port when wall-mounting these cordless frames.
