Is the Pix-Star one of the best digital picture frames for grandparents?
Pix-Star’s digital picture frames for grandparents are one of the few premium digital frames designed specifically with elderly users in mind. It achieves this elderly-friendly design without compromising on the functionality and versatility for big families or individual users. This is an exceptionally hard balance to strike and Pix-Star arguably does it the best.
Through features such as a mobile app and web interface, Pix-Star’s users can send photos to their frames (and several other Pix-Star frames) from anywhere in the world. These incoming photos can be set to automatically display in slideshows as they are received, making sure your grandparents always have the latest and greatest photos without having to lift a finger.
Perhaps Pix-Star’s best feature for grandparents is their web album feature. Here you can link & sync photos albums from almost a dozen photo-sharing and social media platforms such as Facebook, Google Photos, Instagram, Flickr, Dropbox, and more. You can select the albums to sync to the connected frame so you don’t need to worry about sharing private pictures accidentally.
These web albums can be set to automatically update & sync any newly added photos to all linked frames. This automation is second to none and makes sharing pictures with everyone in the family effortless. Your grandparents simply need to have their frame on and connected to Wi-Fi to receive a steady stream of new photos from everyone in the family. Pix-Star’s web album feature makes it one of the best single features on the market and arguably the very best choice for grandparents and anybody that’s not tech-savvy.
Pix-Star has an excellent 4:3 display that shows most pictures using all the available screen space. You get an immersive viewing experience that makes you forget you’re looking at a digital display. The frames come in either a 10-inch or 15-inch version, offering a big and bright display that’s perfect for elderly users. These frames do well mounted on walls and rest on flat surfaces like tabletops and mantelpieces.
What to look for in digital picture frames for grandparents?
Make sure the frame has simple and easy-to-navigate menus. You don’t want deep menus that take you far away from the home screen. You should be able to start a slideshow with just one of two clicks from the main menu. Additionally, you should be able to adjust slideshow settings without having to leave the slideshow you’re in. Slideshows should automatically resume to where they left off when the display turns on. This ties in well with other features like auto-on/off and motion sensor-controlled on/off schedule.
Digital picture frames for grandparents should have some remote-control functionality. As with frames like the Pix-Star, you can remotely control up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames through the web interface. At a minimum, you should be able to remotely change important settings and start slideshows. There should be an option that lets you control the play order or at least the folders & files to include in the slideshows.
Make sure the digital picture frame you choose has Wi-Fi and cloud storage. This is essential as it paves the way for input-free use for your grandparents – especially when combined with features like remote control functionality. Wi-Fi and cloud storage let you protect your pictures and send/receive them from anywhere in the world. It’s an excellent feature for families that want to keep their elderly & non-tech-savvy users involved and engaged.
Do digital picture frames for grandparents need Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is a great feature that unlocks the ability to send pictures and other media to your digital picture frames from anywhere in the world. In many cases, you can also remotely control connected frames and import photos/sync pictures directly to the frame’s internal storage. None of these features are possible without Wi-Fi and/or cloud storage.
Without Wi-Fi or cloud capabilities, the only way to load pictures to your frame is by USB/SD card. If the frame doesn’t have internal storage space, you will have to leave the USB/SD card inserted at all times to view its contents in slideshows.
Wi-Fi is also essential for receiving firmware updates and remotely managing the frame’s storage (cloud & local). It also lets the frame connect and link in with a broader family of connected frames. For example, you can connect and manage up to 25 frames from a single user account with Pix-Star’s frames. This feature is Wi-Fi/cloud reliant and adds tons of functionality to how you control and share photos with your loved ones.
What’s the best way to send pictures to digital picture frames for grandparents?
The fastest and simplest way to send pictures to a digital picture frame for grandparents is through the supported mobile app. Note that only a couple of the top digital picture frames have mobile apps – and in some cases, you have to pay an additional recurring fee in the form of an annual subscription. Apps like the Pix-Star Snap are free and let you send videos & audio messages to any Pix-Star frames via their unique email address.
Another simple way to send pictures to a digital picture frame is by email. This is far more commonly offered than the mobile app method. All you have to do is load the pictures as an attachment to the email and send it to your frame’s dedicated email address. It’s a very user-friendly method that even elderly users are comfortable with – and you can send to multiple receivers at the same time.
Pix-Star invented the first digital picture frame with an email address and has pioneered the way since then. It’s an excellent choice for both ease of use and versatility that caters specifically to elderly users and big families.
How to set up digital picture frames for grandparents?
Decide whether you want to mount the digital picture frame on the wall or have it resting on a flat surface. We generally prefer resting the frame on a flat surface so that your grandparents can move the frame between rooms. They also don’t need to stand up if they want to change settings directly on the frame.
Start by connecting the frame to Wi-Fi and registering it on the web interface (for Pix-Star frames). Add the frame’s email address to the mobile app to make sending quick & simple. Finally, make sure the frame is online by sending a test picture.
Ensure you keep the frame out of direct sunlight and away from overly hot/cold areas. Avoid humid rooms like bathrooms and some kitchens (depending on the layout and size). Don’t mount the frame near windows that you like to keep open in the case of rains (though this is rarely an issue – just a worthy consideration).
