Which are the best big digital picture frames to get for 2022?
Pix-Star’s 15-inch frames are arguably the best big digital picture frames for the money at the moment. You get advanced features like free-for-life cloud storage, importing photos directly from social media, photo-sharing, and online storage platforms to your frames, and the ability to control & manage up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world.
Pix-Star’s frames are fantastic for families as you can send photos, videos, and audio messages – no matter where you are – to several Pix-Star frames at the same time. You can send pictures with the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, web dashboard via importing web albums (photos can be imported directly from your computer to your Pix-Star frames wirelessly), email, and by USB/SD card.
Pix-Star’s digital picture frames can play videos & audio files. You can connect to external speakers, headphones, or earphones for a more immersive audio experience. The 4:3 aspect ratio perfectly matches the photos we take on our smartphones and do a far better job at matching photos from DSLRs than 16:9 and 16:10 frames.
You can remotely control your Pix-Star frame to start slideshows, manage storage, adjust the frame’s settings (including brightness), change slideshow sources, import & manage web albums, update the firmware, and much more. They’re great for families and are one of the few premium big digital photo frames that specifically cater to elderly users – helping them to share & stay to date with minimal input required.
Are the best big digital picture frames worth paying more for?
Big digital picture frames are well suited to big rooms, well-lit areas, home studios, display artwork & professional photos, and for big families. While they’re slightly more niche than the ever-popular 10-inch digital frame, big digital frames are still an excellent buy. You get great value for money despite them being a little pricier. For that extra money, you get a very immersive display, alluring addition to your home, and a way to reminisce over your favorite memories with the whole family.
If you’re going to get a big digital picture frame, wall-mounting is probably your best bet. Just make sure to keep it out of direct sunlight and away from any overly hot or humid spots like bathrooms and small kitchens. Avoid getting a big digital picture frame with a touchscreen and make sure they can be remotely controlled from anywhere in eh world – especially if you’re buying them for families or elderly users.
Are the best big digital picture frames good for artists and photographers?
Big digital picture frames are great for artists and photographers, but they need to check a couple of important boxes first. A 4:3 aspect ratio is essential – especially when compared with the issues that 16:9 and 16:10 displays face when displaying photos. Since most of our smartphones capture photos in 4:3, and most cameras capture in either 4:3 or 3:2, displays with a 4:3 aspect ratio are the best choice. Photos will display using the whole screen (as opposed to being surrounded by black pillar bars or being distorted).
Another key feature is the ability to import photos from social media, photo-sharing, and online storage platforms. This feature is often referred to as web albums as is an extremely versatile feature for artists and photographers.
You can link photos directly from sites like Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos & Drive, Dropbox, Flickr, and more. Pix-Star’s digital frames arguably offer the most versatile web album feature (and all synced web albums are available offline too) on today’s market.
Wall mounts are also important – especially for artists. You want to be able to mount your big digital picture frame on the wall in either orientation. For reference, Pix-Star’s 15-inch digital photo frame comes with both support for using a standard VESA mount and built-in dedicated hanging holes that let you mount the frame in either portrait or landscape. Additionally, there’s an attachable stand that lets you rest the Pix-Star frame on a flat surface securely.
Do the best big digital picture frames play videos?
Many of the best big digital picture frames like Pix-Star’s 15-inch frame offer excellent video playback. It’s worth noting right off the bat that almost all digital frames place restrictions on the length and size of supported video clips. Pix-Star’s frames let you play 2-minute video clips in several formats (which is more than almost all other premium digital frames – and isn’t locked behind a subscription paywall).
With Pix-Star’s frames, videos can be sent via the Pix-Star Snap mobile app or by USB/SD card. Videos can be included in slideshows and set to play with – or without – their accompanying audio. Videos can be moved into their folders, or mixed in with photos & audio files. This lets you create unique and personalized slideshows that cater specifically to each situation, theme, or occasion.
Very few mid-range and cheap digital frames offer video playback in any effective manner. In most cases, you cannot send or play videos or audio on any frames outside of the premium range. Even in the premium large digital photo frame range, only a handful of frames offer effective video support (1-minute clips or longer).
Do the best big digital picture frames use touchscreens?
The best big digital picture frames shy away from using touchscreens. This is due in part to their lack of durability, proneness to scratching or damage – but mostly due to how expensive large touchscreen panels can be. This is the main reason that most digital frames that use touchscreen are 8-inches or smaller in screen size.
Touchscreens need to be frequently cleaned as the oil from your fingers builds up on the display. This is exponentially worse for touchscreen digital frames that use a matte finish display as the oil is extremely difficult to clean off without damaging the screen.
These digital frames don’t last very long and the first complaints in their reviews usually have to do with the touch display experiencing some issues. Non-touch digital frames like the Pix-Star are more intuitive, especially for elderly users. They last longer, offer better value for money and wind up being a lot less clunky. Features like the ability to remotely control your digital frames via a web dashboard from anywhere in the world make using a touchscreen rather superfluous.
