What is the best digital frame with Wi-Fi for families?
What a family needs from a digital frame with Wi-Fi are very different from the individual user. This is where many digital frames peel off in their effectiveness. For example, Aura’s frames are decent frames for the solo user, but terrible for families. They don’t interconnect or offer any remote configuration support, there are no web albums, and sending pictures is limited to just a couple of methods.
When it comes to families, none do it better than Pix-Star. Their frames are affordable, versatile, and are one of the only top frames that cater to families and elderly users. They’re available with either a 10-inch or a large 15-inch display.
Perhaps the most unique feature Pix-Star offers is its multi-frame control groups. These are excellent for families because you can manage & control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from a single account. It’s done easily through the web dashboard and gives you access to Pix-Star’s remote configuration support and web album feature.
The remote configuration feature is arguably the best in the market. Use Pix-Star’s web dashboard to adjust your frame’s settings, start and manage slideshows, manage local and cloud storage, update the firmware, link new web albums (more on this below), and much more.
You have nearly the same level of control over your frame(s) that you would in person. This feature is ideal for families as you can start slideshows, manage photos and settings, and more – no matter where you are in the world (which is also great for not-so-tech-savvy elderly users).
Pix-Star’s web album feature is one of the strongest selling points for families. Here you can link and sync photo albums from social media, photo-sharing, and online storage platforms. These web albums are synced and saved to any receiving Pix-Star frame’s internal storage.
Manage your web albums remotely via the web dashboard, start slideshows from them no matter where you are, and more! Supported platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Google Drive & Photos, Dropbox, Flickr, and many more. You can even create and sync a folder full of photos from your computer to your frame(s).
To share photos with all the connected Pix-Star frames in the family, simply link them to the same folder or web album. Drag and drop the photos you want to share and Pix-Star will take care of the rest. Set web albums to automatically stay up to date. When you add new photos, they’ll be synced to all linked frames the moment they’re added. This automated photo-sharing makes the whole process effortless.
There are no other digital frames with Wi-Fi on the market that compete with the Pix-Star effectively for families. Sharing is simple and quick. The setup process is straightforward and you can manage your frames from anywhere in the world. With Pix-Star’s frames, grandparents can get involved again. You’ll feel closer to your family, and can relive your favorite memories with immersive slideshows and a highly customizable viewing experience!
Does a digital frame need Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is an essential feature for any modern digital frame! Without Wi-Fi, you’d be stuck with offline photo transfers (via USB/SD card). You’d need to be in the same room to share and view photos – something that’s not ideal for the modern home & family.
That being said, offline functionality is still important – particularly for families and elderly users. You don’t want to depend on a constant 24/7 Wi-Fi connection to view photos, manage settings, and access your frames.
Pix-Star’s digital Wi-Fi frames offer great offline usage. They support USB/SD cards without limiting their maximum size. If you run out of internal storage (which is unlikely), you can use a connected USB/SD card – granting you unlimited storage space for your photos, videos, and audio files. Pix-Star also has a plug & play feature that lets you play slideshows directly off the connected USB/SD card. You don’t need to copy the content to the frame’s internal storage first.
Many top digital frames don’t offer great offline functionality. We suggest avoiding those frames as you take on a bigger risk. For example, Skylight frames don’t have internal storage or USB/SD card support. Nixplay’s frames have internal storage but don’t support USB/SD cards or offline use. Aura’s frames don’t have internal storage or USB/SD card support either. These frames rely on monthly subscription fees and/or a constant connection to the cloud servers. If those servers go offline, you can’t view your photos, manage your storage, etc.
How to send pictures to a digital frame over Wi-Fi?
The best Wi-Fi digital frames offer several photo-sharing methods. With Pix-Star’s frames, you can use the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, sync web albums from social media via the web interface, send pictures over email, and more. As for offline methods, Pix-Star supports USB/SD cards. A plug & play feature lets you start slideshows directly from a connected USB/SD card. You don’t need to copy anything to internal first.
Pix-Star is more versatile than almost all other digital frames for photo-sharing – both online and offline. It’s also worth noting that competing digital Wi-Fi frames like Nixplay and Skylight charge monthly fees to unlock most photo-sharing methods. These frames aren’t worth their long-term cost and limited feature set.
How to connect the Pix-Star digital frame to Wi-Fi?
Connect your Pix-Star digital frame to Wi-Fi during the initial setup process. The setup wizard will guide you through the whole process. Make sure to choose a Wi-Fi network that you have the admin login credentials for. You can’t connect to Wi-Fi networks that require web browser authentication (this is the case with almost all digital frames with Wi-Fi). Read our quick guide on how to set up your Pix-Star frame for step-by-step instructions.
Can I play videos on a digital frame without Wi-Fi?
Few digital frames with Wi-Fi can play video and audio files. In almost all cases, video clips are limited to just a couple of seconds. For example, Skylight’s digital Wi-Fi frames only let you play 15-second video clips. If you choose to pay for the Skylight Plus monthly subscription fee, you can play 1-minute video clips. The case for Nixplay is the same. Aura’s digital frames don’t support video or audio files.
Pix-Star’s frames are some of the most versatile for video and audio playback. You can play 2-minute clips (longer than almost all premium digital Wi-Fi frames) and audio files. Note that, unlike Skylight and Nixplay, Pix-Star doesn’t charge any monthly fees or hidden costs. Send videos to your Pix-Star frames via the Pix-Star Snap mobile app or USB/SD card.
Pix-Star’s frames can connect to external speakers/headphones for more immersive slideshows. Include videos in slideshows (set them to play muted by default if you’d prefer) and you can play audio files over slideshows from a connected USB/SD card. Few other digital frames offer these features and multi-media functions.
