Are Kodak Pulse digital photo frames still worth the money?
Kodak Pulse digital photo frames have a very recognizable name behind them – but this isn’t a reflection of the real-world performance & quality these frames offer. While they were designed to meet the need of the mid-range of the digital frame market, Kodak Pulse digital photo frames have since come crashing down.
Kodak Pulse digital photo frames are no longer supported by the company – meaning they can no longer connect to the servers via Wi-Fi. This unfortunate fact has rendered these digital frames almost useless. Before, you could send photos to the frame wirelessly via the mobile app or email. Now, you can only load photos to the digital photo frame via USB/SD card – something that even the cheapest digital frames can do.
For the mid-range price, you’re getting a digital photo frame that performs like the cheapest on the market. A small display, tons of missing features, no cloud storage, no Wi-Fi connectivity, no mobile app/web interface, all leave users of these frames wanting a lot more.
If you had already bought a Kodak Pulse digital frame in the past, you’re one of the unlucky ones. Chances are that your frame has already passed its warranty or return period, leaving you with a frame that almost nobody would buy. If you wanted a digital photo frame that can receive photos by USB/SD card, there are tons of better options that cost a lot less.
Today, Kodak digital frames struggle to compete with frames that cost less than half of their price. There isn’t much on offer aside from their 10-inch digital photo frame’s slightly larger screen. You’re getting a digital frame that feels like it should have disappeared about 10-years ago. The user interface is clunky, slow, and not very intuitive. The fact that you can no longer send photos wirelessly was the nail in the coffin for the already-struggling frames.
The premium digital photo frames range has a lot more pull for modern homes & families. They offer modern features like the ability to send photos, videos, and audio from anywhere in the world directly to your frame. You can use mobile apps, web dashboards, and email to get photos onto your frames, create multi-frame control groups, remotely adjust settings & start slideshows, and much more.
Kodak Pulse digital photo frames weren’t a great choice even before they cut Wi-Fi connectivity & cloud functionality. This was due in part to their limited feature set, 512MB internal storage (compared to 8GB on frames like the Pix-Star), poor slideshow personalization & customization, etc. Save your money and go for a more premium digital photo frame like the Pix-Star – but more on that below.
Are Pix-Star’s frames better than Kodak Pulse digital photo frames?
Pix-Star’s digital photo frames beat the Kodak Pulse digital photo frame without questions – even before support was discontinued (for the Kodak Pulse). Today, the gap between these two frames is wider than ever before – and constantly growing. Pix-Star’s digital photo frames can receive & send photos from anywhere in the world. The Pix-Star Snap mobile app lets you send up to 250 photos in one go to several Pix-Star frames at the same time.
The Pix-Star web dashboard lets you manage all of your frame’s settings, slideshows, storage, and more – remotely from anywhere in the world. Web album support means you can link photos directly from your favorite social media & photo-sharing platforms to your Pix-Star frames. They can be set to automatically sync & update any newly added photos – making sure you & your loved ones never miss another moment.
Pix-Star’s 4:3 1024×768 display offers a versatile and broad viewing experience. Slideshows are highly customizable and you have total control over how photos, videos, and audio are played within. Video clips with a maximum length of 2-minutes and audio playback are supported on Pix-Star’s digital photo frames. They can be sent via the mobile app or by USB/SD card. Pix-Star’s digital photo frames offer far better value for money than Kodak Pulse digital photo frames.
How do Kodak Pulse digital photo frames receive photos?
Since support for Kodak Pulse digital photo frames was ended, these digital frames can no longer receive photos via Wi-Fi. Previously, they could receive photos that were loaded to the cloud servers via the supported mobile app or by email. These frames’ Wi-Fi connectivity was only directly to the cloud servers and not general Wi-Fi functionality.
Since support was ended, Kodak Pulse digital frames can only receive photos by USB/SD card. It’s worth noting that the frames only have 512MB of internal storage, compared with the 8GB that frames like the Pix-Star offer. You’ll need to copy the contents of the USB/SD card to the frame’s internal storage before they can be viewed in slideshows.
Can Kodak Pulse digital photo frames work without Wi-Fi?
Kodak Pulse digital photo frames have lost access to the servers which granted them Wi-Fi access and the ability to receive photos wirelessly via the mobile app or email. Since these photos were first sent to the servers then synced to the frame, it means that these digital frames can no longer connect to Wi-Fi.
They can only work offline by connecting a USB/SD card to the frame, copying the contents to the frame’s 512MB internal storage, and viewing those photos in slideshows. Unlike most other similar-priced digital photo frames, there is no way to connect to Wi-Fi anymore. They are now totally offline digital photo frames with no cloud or Wi-Fi functionality.
Can Kodak Pulse digital photo frames play videos & audio?
Video playback & support is a feature that’s usually only found with higher-end digital photo frames like the Pix-Star. It’s seldom found in the mid-range and budget end of the market. That being said, Kodak Pulse isn’t the cheapest digital photo frame out there. Its price comes just under what you’d pay for a high-end digital photo frame – yet they offer the features & functionality of a low-end digital frame.
Video & audio playback are not supported on the Kodak Pulse digital frames. You can’t load videos by USB/SD card. If you want a digital photo frame that supports video playback, Pix-Star’s frames are balanced & versatile options, though you may need to save up a little longer –it’s well worth the wait.
