Should I buy the Pix-Star frame or the Brookstone digital picture frame?
The Pix-Star frame and the Brookstone digital picture frames are similarly priced – but that’s about all that makes them equal. Pix-Star’s frame is much easier and quicker to use than the Brookstone digital picture frame. The user interface is smoother and significantly quicker to get used to. The Pix-Star frame has a richer feature set with quite a bit more functionality and versatility. With features like remote control capability and cloud compatibility, it’s hard to understand why these frames are priced the same.
Pix-Star’s user interface and mobile app are far easier to use. The Brookstone digital picture frame’s interface and app are clunky, slow, and very difficult to understand – especially when you’re setting up the frame. Pix-Star’s app has fewer limitations and you can send the same pictures to up to 25 frames at the same time. Brookstone’s digital picture frame only lets you send a max of 50 photos to up to 10 frames at a time.
The Pix-Star’s digital frame has unique features that you don’t get on the Brookstone digital picture frame. Arguably, the most useful of these is remote control capability. You can take control of a frame connected to your account via the web interface to adjust settings, update firmware, manage the frame’s storage, start slideshows, and more. It’s extremely helpful for grandparents and elderly users that aren’t very tech-savvy.
Another great feature that you don’t get on the Brookstone digital picture frame is cloud compatibility. You can link albums of pictures from social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram; as well as albums saved on photo-sharing platforms like Google Photos. There are up to a dozen different supported platforms and social media networks. These web albums can be set to update automatically when new photos are added to the linked account. All of this is done quickly and easily through the web interface.
Pix-Star further widens the gap with enhanced multimedia support and finer control over how content is displayed on your frame. You can play video clips of up to 2-minutes in length (compared to Brookstone’s digital picture frame’s 15-second limit), listen to the radio, play audio notes, and more. Pix-Star’s 4:3 aspect ratio is far better suited to photos while still being good for video playback. You can control slideshows much better on the Pix-Star than you can on the Brookstone digital photo frame. Pix-Star’s frame lets you control the order, play new photos only (or more frequently), and even randomize the order. You can also control the slide transition style and speed with more versatility than on the Brookstone digital picture frame (photos on the Brookstone can only be played in the order they’re uploaded).
The Pix-Star frame’s ease of use, cloud compatibility, smooth frame, mobile & web interface make it a much better choice than the Brookstone digital picture frame. You get a richer set of features, improved usability, more versatility, and significantly more value from the Pix-Star. It’s hard to justify the similar price point of the two frames – especially when you consider Brookstone’s slightly flimsy design and often lackluster customer support. Your money is better spent on the Pix-Star, especially if you want a frame for larger families and an elderly-friendly design.
What are the drawbacks of the Brookstone digital picture frame?
Brookstone digital picture frames have touchscreen interfaces. While this might seem like a step in the right direction, when it comes to digital picture frames – touchscreens aren’t the way to go. They’re more confusing for elderly users and are super-prone to fingerprints. You’ll find yourself having to clean the display after every time you touch it. You also have to be directly in front of the frame to make any changes. Frames like the Pix-Star have remote controls that let you control the frame without needing to stand or sit directly in front of it (or you can remotely control the frame through the web interface).
The Brookstone digital picture frame’s mobile app doesn’t have a great understanding of photo organization on iOS. The interface is slow and clunky to use. There is a 50-photo limit when sending to one or more frames through the app.
Unlike frames like the Pix-Star, photos from Facebook and Google Photos need to be manually sent via email. Pix-Star lets you set this up to be automatically synced. The lack of a web interface for Brookstone is also a big blow to its versatility and functionality. You have to manually install some parts of the frame like the white-inner lining just inside the bezels, and piece together the frame’s stand.
Other issues like the auto-dim function disabling slideshows and the lack of an auto-on/off function further separate this frame from top frames like the Pix-Star. Setting the frame up involves a lot of troubleshooting and is often way more than an elderly user can put up with. Combine this with the lack of control over the order and style of photos and limited video playback capability – and it’s clear why similarly priced frames like the Pix-Star are better-value choices.
Can the Brookstone digital picture frame play videos?
Brookstone digital picture frames support videos of 15-seconds or less. You cannot send videos longer than that to the frame. That being said, there are some reported issues where the frame rejects videos send through the mobile app and email – and even via USB (though this method is least likely to have issues).
Can I send photos from Google Photo or Facebook to a Brookstone digital picture frame?
The only way to send pictures from Google Photos or Facebook to a Brookstone digital picture frame is via email. There is no way to link entire albums or automatically sync photos from these platforms to the frame. Only top frames like the Pix-Star frame let you automatically link and sync albums from social media platforms and photo-sharing sites.
Does the Brookstone digital picture frame need Wi-Fi?
Like almost all Wi-Fi frames, Brookstone’s digital picture frames need Wi-Fi for setting up, sending & receiving photos, and updating the frame. Once photos are saved to the frame’s internal storage, you can view them without being connected to Wi-Fi – but you won’t be able to receive new photos. You can also view photos on a USB that stays connected to the frame. Unfortunately, when you reconnect to Wi-Fi, photos that were sent while the frame was offline often won’t show up.
