What should I look for in a digital picture frame for grandparents?
Getting a digital picture frame for grandparents is a little different from your standard digital picture frames. First of all, grandparents aren’t as technically skilled as the younger generations. Secondly, they learn tech-related skills slower than the rest of us. This can be quite a frustrating process for everyone involved.
The first feature you should look for is remote-control capability. This feature lets you control the digital picture frame remotely through a web interface, from another frame, or through the related mobile app. The most common of these is via a web interface. Naturally, you need to make sure the digital picture frame you’re interested in supports this feature and is Wi-Fi compatible.
For example, Pix-Star’s digital picture frame can be controlled remotely through the web interface. All you need to do is register your grandparents’ digital picture frame on the interface and select “configure frame” in the corner. This gives you access to the settings, web albums, playlists, etc.
Another very important feature of digital picture frames for grandparents is the display itself. Try to get a display that has at least an 8 to 10-inch display. Some brands like the Pix-Star offer digital frames with large 15-inch displays. Make sure it has a bright display of around 300 cd/m² and a resolution of at least 800x600p. This gives them a clear and sharp image that’s easy to see in bright rooms.
You should look for a digital picture frame that syncs with your favorite web albums too. If you like to post all your travel and holiday photos to Facebook and Instagram, there’s a good chance your grandparents won’t see them. This is even more important if you keep your photos on Google Drive or Dropbox.
Many of the best frames let you connect directly to your social media and web-storage accounts, and display them automatically on your grandparents’ digital picture frames. This saves you a lot of time and avoids the hassle of trying to teach your grandparents over the phone how to download pictures from Facebook.
Some less important features include USB and memory card connectivity. If you see your grandparents every couple of weeks, handing them a USB or memory card with the last few weeks’ worths of photos and videos is sometimes the best solution. They’ll need a digital picture frame that has a USB or memory card port. All they need to do is plug it in and play – and all you need to do is give them new pictures every time you visit them.
Do digital picture frames for grandparents need Wi-Fi?
Generally speaking, yes. Wi-Fi is essential if you want to remotely control or set up the digital picture frame for your grandparents.
If their digital picture frame isn’t Wi-Fi compatible, they won’t be able to sync up with your social media accounts or web storage. It also means you can’t send an email with all your recent pictures. This is a big no-no for families that don’t see their grandparents often.
Without Wi-Fi, the only option is to give your grandparents a memory card or USB to plug into their digital picture frame – but just remember that if anything goes wrong, you won’t be able to fix it remotely.
Can a digital picture frame for grandparents be set up remotely?
Yes – but not all of them. Some frames like the Pix-Star give you complete remote control over the settings and content of your grandparents’ digital picture frame. You can choose which albums to display, slide transitions and length, screen brightness, and much more.
Setting up your grandparents’ digital picture frame remotely is key if they live far away from you – so make sure the frame you choose supports this feature.
How many photos can a digital picture frame for grandparents hold?
The number of photos and videos that digital picture frames for grandparents hold are usually about the same as normal frames. Internal storage for most digital picture frames is around 4-8GB. This is enough for ~30,000 photos – more than enough to keep your grandparents happy for a long time.
On top of this internal storage, many digital picture frames for grandparents accept USB sticks and memory cards. This can add another 8-64GB of storage depending on your card and what is compatible with your digital picture frame.
If your grandparents like to have lots of short video clips along with their photos, you might want to consider using a USB stick or memory card. Videos take up significant space and won’t leave as much free space for photos.
How to send photos/videos to a digital picture frame for grandparents?
Many of the best digital picture frames for grandparents have quite a lot of options for sending media. One of the most useful and common methods is via email. All you have to do is type in your grandparents’ digital picture frame’s email address and add the pictures as an attachment. It’ll show up on their frame after a couple of minutes. This is a great option for sending a couple of pictures or a short video.
Digital picture frames like the Pix-Star also have mobile apps for Android and iOS. You can take and send pictures directly through the app, or you can select photos/videos that you already have stored in your gallery. Most digital frames aren’t as versatile as the Pix-Star frame when it comes to sending & receiving photos. For example, see what the Ceiva digital photo frame can do here.
Some digital picture frames can also sync up with your online web albums and social media accounts. While not every frame has the same number of compatible choices, quite a few will work with Facebook and Instagram. For example, Pix-Star’s digital picture frame can sync up with over 10 social media networks and cloud storage platforms. While they aren’t all equally useful, you’ll save a lot of time and effort – plus you won’t need to teach your grandparents how to use Instagram!
Are digital picture frames for grandparents more expensive?
Digital picture frames that include special features like higher resolution or larger displays can be more expensive. This is also the case if you want features like remote control, or to be able to connect with a wide range of social media and cloud storage platforms (like Dropbox).
That being said, some digital picture frames for grandparents that don’t have Wi-Fi connectivity and come with smaller displays can be quite a bit cheaper. To see how cheaper and smaller frames like the Kodak digital frame compare with Pix-Star’s frames.
