Which is better for video playback between Pix-Star vs Skylight?
Video playback support is a key part of the Pix-Star vs Skylight comparison. To send and play videos on the Skylight frame, you need to pay for the Skylight Plus subscription package. With will enable their frames to play 1-minute video clips (that play muted by default).
By comparison, Pix-Star’s digital frames let you send and play 2-minute video clips to any Pix-Star frame – without any extra subscription or hidden fees required. With Pix-Star’s frames, you can include videos in slideshows, send them via the mobile app or USB/SD card (not possible on Skylight’s frames), or view them individually via the media gallery.
In terms of video and audio playback and support, Pix-Star’s frames are more versatile and capable. They’re better suited to families that like to send audio messages and quick video clips from anywhere in the world. Best of all, you don’t need to worry about extra costs or subscriptions with Pix-Star’s frames – giving you better value for money and a frame that’s well suited to the modern home & family!
Do Pix-Star and Skylight frames offer cloud storage?
Pix-Star’s frames offer free-for-life cloud storage on any Pix-Star frame you purchase; whereas the Skylight cloud-backup feature is locked behind the Skylight Plus subscription paywall. Without purchasing this annual subscription, you won’t have any access to cloud backups, the mobile app, videos, sending photos by email, and more. Pix-Star’s frames are the better choice for cloud storage and related cloud features (web albums, remote-control, multi-frame control groups, etc.).
Do Pix-Star and Skylight digital frames charge monthly fees?
Skylight digital frames charge an “optional” annual fee called the Skylight Plus. This plan is required to unlock and expand features like cloud storage, video support, access to the mobile app, remote access, custom albums, sending photos wirelessly via email, and more.
Pix-Star’s frames don’t charge any extra recurring or hidden fees, yet they offer the same – and better – features than the Skylight frame (with an active subscription). You get free-for-life cloud storage, video & audio support, access to the mobile app & web interface, web album support, remote-control functionality, and much more.
We don’t recommend choosing a digital frame that charges any additional fees. Several top frames offer the same features without charging a cent extra – of which the Pix-Star is arguably the best. It’s also worth noting that Skylight’s frames don’t offer USB/SD card support, so without the Skylight Plus subscription, there’s no way to send photos to these frames.
Which frame is better between Pix-Star and Skylight for 2022?
Skylight and Pix-Star frames are some of the most popular high-end digital frames on the market in 2022. In terms of real-world performance, value for money, and features, Pix-Star’s frames are the better overall frame. This is further supported by Skylight’s need to charge a premium additional subscription fee (Skylight Plus). Without this plan being active, Skylight’s frames are no better than most other mid-range options.
Pix-Star’s frames offer all the same features – and do so better in many cases – than Skylight’s frames without charging any extra fees. Pix-Star offers free-for-life cloud storage and access to both a mobile app & web interface; whereas Skylight requires a subscription to unlock and expand these features.
Pix-Star’s frame lets you send and play 2-minute video clips on their frames, include videos in slideshows, and play audio files over them. On the other hand, even if you purchase the Skylight Plus annual subscription, you can only play 1-minute video clips.
Pix-Star also goes on to offer several features that aren’t possible on Skylight’s frames. The most versatile of these is Pix-Star’s robust remote-control feature. Here you can manage up to 25 Pix-Star frames from a single user account from anywhere in the world, adjust their settings, start slideshows, manage storage (cloud & local), update firmware, and much more.
Another feature unique to Pix-Star’s frames is web album support. This feature enables you to import photo albums directly from external sources like Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos & Drive, your computer, Flickr, Dropbox, and more. These web albums are saved to internal storage and can be easily managed remotely. To get photos from these platforms to the Skylight frame, you’d have to download them to your phone and send them to the frame via the app.
When you consider the overall cost of Pix-Star and Skylight frames over their lifespan, you’ll find that Pix-Star offers much better value for money. They’re more versatile, capable, feature-rich, and suited to use in the modern home & family. Additionally, Pix-Star’s frames are some of the only premium digital frames that cater specifically to elderly users and anyone that’s not very tech-savvy.
Pix-Star vs Skylight: Which digital frame has better slideshows?
Both Pix-Star and Skylight digital frames are premium frames with advanced feature sets and real-world performance. That being said, Skylight’s frames are severely limited without the Skylight Plus subscription package is active. Even with purchasing this premium plan, Skylight’s slideshows aren’t nearly as versatile as those offered by Pix-Star.
With Skylight’s frames, you can’t adjust or control the play order, frequency, and speed of slideshows. This is rather disappointing as it’s a feature that many mid-range (and even low-end) digital frames offer. By contrast, Pix-Star’s frames let you adjust the play order, transition style, speed, and the frequency at which new/old photos show in slideshows. You can set the frame to show only photos that have been added within the past “x” days – or set them to display more frequently than older photos.
Additionally, Pix-Star’s frame lets you remotely start & manage slideshows from anywhere in the world. You can pick specific sources to start slideshows from and adjust slideshow settings via the web interface from anywhere. Skylight’s frames offer no such features. With Skylight, you can’t select specific files and folders to include in slideshows and you have very little control of the appearance of slideshows.
Furthermore, Skylight’s 16:9 aspect ratio is poor for slideshows as most smartphones capture photos in 4:3 and most cameras in 3:2. This leaves most photos being surrounded by black pillar bars. You need to manually edit all photos if you want them to display using all the screen’s available space. This can be a massive time-sink and isn’t something you need to worry about with Pix-Star’s frames thanks to the 4:3 aspect ratio.
