Can I play videos on the Pandigital digital photo frame?
The Pandigital digital photo frame can play videos and their audio, but it comes with a host of issues. Many users report that videos seldom play. Many of them only play a small piece of the video. In other cases, the video plays at double speed, or with no audio. These are issues common to many cheap digital frames.
Cheap digital frames rarely offer video and audio support. In Pandigital’s case, it’s no surprise that video & audio support is finicky. It’s another reason why we recommend sticking to top digital frames like the Pix-Star. You get extensive video and audio support, radio and web music, and more. There is also 8GB of internal storage and unlimited USB/SD card support (with a plug & play feature). Pandigital’s 128MB fills up when sending video files and won’t leave much space for your photos.
How to load photos to the Pandigital digital photo frame?
The main way to load photos to the Pandigital digital photo frame is by USB/SD card. Note that there is no plug-and-play feature. This means that you have to transfer photos from the USB/SD card before viewing them. Pandigital’s frames only have 128MB of internal storage. It’s not enough space for a family or for storing several hundred pictures.
Pandigital supports a photo-email function too – but with conditions. Here you can send photos to their frame by email from anywhere. Unfortunately, it runs on a credit system. Here you have to buy the extra credits from their website. There is a long-standing issue that bugs this credit system, meaning you can get more credits. It renders the feature useless and leaves you with only the USB/SD card option.
Can the Pandigital digital photo frame connect to social media?
The Pandigital digital photo frame has no web album feature for importing photos from social media. You have to download the photos, send them to a USB/SD card, and transfer them to the frame.
For comparison, Pix-Star’s frames have one of the best web album features on the market. You can link and sync photo albums from a dozen external sources. Supported platforms include Facebook, Google Drive & Photos, Instagram, Dropbox, and more.
Pix-Star’s web albums can be set to sync any photos you add to the linked album in the future. It’s an excellent and automated way to share photos for families. It’s also great for elderly users as they can view all the latest photos without lifting a finger. Pix-Star’s web album feature pairs well with the remote configuration feature. This makes the Pix-Star frame one of the most versatile frames on the market for families & modern homes.
Is the Pandigital digital photo frame better than the Pix-Star?
The Pandigital digital photo frame and the Pix-Star are at opposite ends of the scale. Pix-Star’s frames are one of the best frames on today’s market; whereas Pandigital frames are entry-level, budget options.
Pix-Star offers extensive Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity to let you send photos from anywhere in the world. You can use the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, the web interface, and email. Pandigital’s frames let you send photos by email, but you have to buy credits first. Unfortunately, many users run out of credits and can’t get more. This may be a bug or because the company cannot support the service at scale.
Pix-Star’s digital frames can connect to your social media, photo-sharing, and online storage platforms. You can select and sync photo albums to any of your Pix-Star frames. We call these web albums. You can manage them from anywhere in the world, started as slideshows, and updated them.
Pix-Star’s frames offer 8GB of internal storage and great USB/SD card support. Pandigital frames are very limited with only 128MB of internal storage. There is no plug & play feature that lets you play slideshows off the connected USB/SD card. This makes Pix-Star’s frames better for offline use and elderly users.
In summary, Pix-Star’s frames cost more but offer a whole lot more value for money. If you want a digital frame for the modern home & family, Pix-Star has what it takes. They have far better ratings among users. Pix-Star supports multi-frame control groups to better help families stay connected. Save up a little longer and get a frame that can last for several years – not a few short months!
Is the Pandigital digital photo frame worth buying in 2022?
The Pandigital digital photo frame is a budget frame. Their feature set and build quality match the price. On paper, these frames seem great. They offer features that only more premium frames offer. Examples include video and audio playback and sending photos by email. In practice, this frame doesn’t deliver as expected.
The setup process is slow and complicated – despite what it says in the product description. Videos seldom play, often playing back at double speed, or cut off after a couple of seconds. Issues with photo support also exist. Many users report that all their photos were in the same format, yet only a handful played.
The display resolution is a little low and the quality isn’t great. Many users report that the frame stopped working after 3-months. This fell after the frame’s warranty expired. Other display issues such as a poor viewing angle and tinted colors affect your day-to-day use.
These Pandigital frames are cheap – but that doesn’t make them great value digital frames. Compared to other cheap frames, you get a good display with some slideshow controls. At the same time, you have to deal with all the issues caused by poor quality control. Customer service is difficult to deal with too.
We don’t suggest buying a cheap or even mid-range digital photo frame. Premium frames offer a huge jump in functionality and features – yet the price increase is small. A top digital frame like the Pix-Star offers much better value for money. You won’t have to deal with all the quality and compatibility issues either. They have versatile feature sets and are far more interconnected. This is thanks to extensive Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity.
