Philips 7-Inch LCD Digital Photo Frame (Black)

by Philips

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 10.3 x 3.1 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0012ZO3F0
• Item model number: 7FF3FPB
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer

How many digital pictures are hidden on your PC? See, share, organize and relive your memories with Philips PhotoFrame, the easiest way to share your memories by displaying your digital photos in stunning quality - without a PC.

Philips 7-Inch LCD Digital Photo Frame Highlights

ImagEn for sharp and vibrant color ImageEn is exclusive Philips photo enhancement technology that automatically analyzes your photos to correct color and adjust for optimal contrast: ImagEn separates colors to avoid "crosstalk" adjusts brightness distribution for great visual contrast and corrects Gamma for color accuracy.

Add new glow to old memories with RadiantColor RadiantColor is an exclusive Philips technology for displaying smaller photos in the optimal 4:3 ratio by extending the color on the edges of a less-than-full-screen photo to the sides of the screen, eliminating black bars and aspect ratio distortion.

SmartContrast: Optimized contrast for visual clarity SmartContrast is Philips technology that analyzes the contents you are displaying, automatically adjusting colors and controlling backlight intensity to dynamically enhance contrast for the best digital images and optimum contrast for more entertainment fun when viewing videos or playing games where dark hues are displayed; when you select the Economy mode, contrast is adjusted and backlighting fine-tuned for just-right display of everyday office applications and lower power consumption.

Play slideshows, single photo, thumbnails or show clock Flexible display modes give you the freedom to display your photos one image at a time, in thumbnail mode for quick, easy searches, or to create a slideshow of your most treasured photos.

Memory Card The digital photo frame has a small amount of built-in memory (10MB) that stores a few of your favorite pictures directly onto the frame. The purpose of the small internal memory is to store a few pictures in order to display them on your frame when you do not have a memory card inserted into the frame. The internal memory on your digital photo frame is a fixed amount and cannot be expanded. However, you can increase the amount of pictures that can be displayed by using memory cards with a larger memory capacity. The digital photo frame features two built-in memory card readers for easy viewing and sharing of photos stored on the memory cards.

View USB flash drive photos without a PC A USB connector for easy viewing and sharing of photos stored on USB flash drive.

Auto turning display on/off at preset times for power saving A timer turns PhotoFrame on and off at the hours you select, reducing energy consumption for the sake of our environment saving up to one third of your PhotoFrame energy costs. Three programmable timeslots: weekday, weekend and every day. Giving you the flexibility you need to fit your personal schedule.

Have fun with collages: display mutiple photos in one view It's a slideshow effect to show photos in collage form that automatically and randomly compiles different photos together to avoid unattractive borders that may result from photos which are smaller than screen size.

View photos directly from memory cards - no PC required Two memory card readers are built-in for easy viewing and sharing of photos stored in memory cards. One memory card slot accepts Compact Flash I (CF) cards while the second accommodates Memory Stick (MS), SD Card and Multi Media Cards (MMC).

Intuitive User Interface (UI), 5-way-keypad for easy navigation and operation The UI includes a minimum of buttons with clear and intuitive guiding text and graphics and logically designed on-screen-menus that help you to instinctively enjoy all the features of the product without hassle or long-time learning.

What’s in the Box
Digital photo frame, AC-DC adapter, USB cable, stand, quick start guide, user manual.

Specifications:
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Panel resolution: 480 x 234
Contrast ratio (typical): 300:1
USB: USB 2.0 Host, USB 2.0 Slave
Card reader: Built-in (2x)
Buttons and controls: 3 buttons, 4-way navigation key and enter
Photo edit: Copy, Delete, Rotate, Zoom and Crop
Photo effects: Black and White, Frames and Sepia
Screen background color: Black, White, Gray, Ambient color, Auto-fit
Setup function: Brightness adjustment, Language, Status, Beep on/off, Set time and date, Clock display enable/disable, Alarm, Auto on/off
Plug and play compatibility: Windows 2000/xP or later, Mac OS x

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Things to know when shopping for a Digital Photo Frame:

Screen Size
Similar to monitors, the screen size of a digital picture frame is measured in inches diagonally from corner to corner. The screen size should be the size of the visible display and not include the surrounding frame.

Resolution
The resolution is the number of pixels that a digital photo frame can display. The higher the resolution the crisper the image. A high resolution is most important on large screens in order to avoid a blurred or pixilated display of your pictures.

Aspect Ratio
An image’s aspect ratio represents a comparison of its width to height. A few frames can display images in an HDTV aspect ratio of 16:9 but most use the TV aspect ratio of 4:3. This means for every 4 units of width there are 3 units of height. The larger the gap between the two numbers the wider the display is going to be. Some digital photo frames automatically crop pictures to fit the display’s aspect ratio. If you have a frame that does crop photos with an aspect ratio different from the screen's aspect ratio, two sides of the photo are cropped so the screen is filled by the central portion of the image. Keep in mind, if you display portrait oriented images on a screen with a wide aspect ratio, they will either be very small on the screen or heavily cropped.

Frame Style
A lot of the time your digital photo frame will be turned off so you want to ensure that the frame itself looks nice even when it isn’t displaying your favorite photos.

Memory Cards
Memory cards increase the number of photos the frame can display. The amount of pictures that can be displayed is limited to the size of the memory card. Try to find a frame that is compatible with the memory card you use in your camera. That way you’ll be able to switch your memory card between your camera and frame with ease.

Internal Memory
Internal memory refers to the space or number of pictures the digital photo frame can save and store without the help of a memory card. Usually, the amount of internal memory is small. If you are hoping to display a large (or even moderate) amount of photos on your frame consider looking into purchasing a memory card with a large amount of memory space.

Optional Batteries
Most digital photo frames rely on AC power to run. However, some frames have built-in rechargeable batteries. Frames with rechargeable batteries are ideal if you plan on hanging your frame on the wall. This means the unsightly trailing wires will be seen only when the frame is being charged.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I increase the memory size to store more pictures on my DPD?
No. The internal memory of DPD is fixed and cannot be expanded. However, you could switch between different photos by using different memory cards on DPD.

Why doesn't my Digital Photo Frame show some of my photos?
Digital cameras take photos and store them in JPEG format according to camera industry standards. Digital Photo Frame is designed to show photos following the same industry standards. Some images, such as web images, scanned images, or photos in RAW format from professional cameras, are not stored according to camera industry standards and therefore cannot be correctly displayed on Digital Photo Frame. Use PC applications to convert such images into standard JPEG format for Digital Photo Frame.

Is the LCD screen touch-enabled?
The LCD screen is not touch-enabled. Use the buttons on the back to control Digital Photo Frame.

Can I print photos from Digital Photo Frame?
No, it does not support direct photo printing.

Why doesn't my Digital Photo Frame go into Auto-off status after I set it?
First, make sure you set CURRENT TIME, AUTO OFF at, and AUTO ON at correctly. Digital Photo Frame will automatically turn off its display exactly at the AUTO OFF time. If the time has already passed for the day, it will start entering AUTO OFF status at the specified time from the next day.

Will the LCD screen be damaged if I keep showing the same photo for a long time?
No. Digital Photo Frame can display the same photo continuously for 1,000 hours without any damage to the LCD screen.

Product Description

7"photo frame analog 16;9 colorblack

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

204 of 213 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Phillips 7 inch LCD Photo Frame - Nice Middle of the Road Frame, May 6, 2008

By 

Mark "Technology, Music and Movies" (East Coast) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Philips 7-Inch LCD Digital Photo Frame (Black) (Electronics)

The Philips 7-Inch LCD Digital Photo Frame (Black) hit enough of my key needs to be worth the cash for me. If you're like me, the thought of a $150 digital photo frame is simply over the top. The cost of these guys hasn't really come down too much in general. That was the main reason it took me so long to pull the trigger on one of these.

PROS
+ Great advanced menu functions allow you to control your slideshow
+ Very nice variety of slide-show transitions and collage options
+ Nice memory card slot allows you to connect up a variety of memory cards
+ Memory card slots for Compact Flash I (CF), SD Card, Multi Media Cards (MMC), MiniSD, Memory Stick (MS), and XD Picture Card
+ Convenient timer option turns frame on and off at the hours you select
+ A USB connector for easy viewing and sharing of photos stored on USB flash drive
+ USB connection to your computer (to manage the internal memory)
+ Play slideshows, single photo, thumbnails or show clock
+ Nice looking frame design
+ 7 inch screen is acceptable in size

CONS
- Pictures must be JPEG (.jpg) and work best when in native 16:9 widescreen format
- Competing alternatives from Sony natively support other image formats (RAW, TIFF, BMP)
- No video playback
- Lacks MP3 music playback for slideshows
- The list price is a bit much; the prevailing price is also on the high side
- You should only be looking to get this on sale
- Many newer alternatives coming to market which use less power than LCD
- Philips quality control has been declining the last few years
- Definitely test this within your return period to make sure you don't have a dud

DISPLAY FORMATS

The frame is listed at a display ratio of 16:9. This means it's natively widescreen, but it is still compatible with standard format cameras, including my Nikon and almost all handheld Canon models. Those with wide-format digital cameras are spared the extra step of reformatting.

Those with standard format digital cameras may want to look at one of the many standard format frames for full screen slide shows. Alternatively, this will show those standard sized photos fine if you make sure your frame is not set to "autofit." The autofit setting will stretch the pictures out to fit the frame, which is what you want to avoid for standard pictures. There are a number of options for borders to frame the extra space around your pictures.

SOFTWARE AND FEATURES

The included CD comes with a quick reference manual and Windows and Mac drivers. The CD also contains Windows compatible picture manager software. For a full PDF manual you will have to go to the website.

There's some kind of menu driven help manual on the CD as well.
But not all people will need a manual. The built-in menu is designed intuitively enough that you can find most settings by searching through it. Not all the settings are on the first screen, but with some searching you can find the buried settings to configure almost everything you need.

The optional clock display is another nice extra that makes this frame versatile. This doesn't totally make up for the lack of MP3 playback, but it's a nice feature.

The frame also has automatic orientation detection as an option, which rotates pictures from portrait to landscape. There are also collage and thumbnail view options.

This guy doesn't have the native image format support of some of the newer (and more expensive) frames from Sony. And I'm very nervous about Phillips spotty quality record of late. Mine has worked fine, but I've read too many complaints to not be concerned. Definitely put this through the paces before your return period expires. That way if you have any problems, you can get this guy replaced.

CONCLUSION

This unit is worth a look. This is a good product at a price I can accept for now. Hopefully this will come down over time.

This is at least a 3 star item, but the extra features bumps it just enough to hit 4 stars for me. Test it very well to make sure you don't have a dud.

Enjoy!

114 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not too good . . ., May 28, 2008

By 

A Gamer at Heart (Agoura Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Philips 7-Inch LCD Digital Photo Frame (Black) (Electronics)

The picture quality is OK, nothing to write home about. I bought this model mainly because of the sentence from the product description here at Amazon that says it has three timers to turn it on and off. Not only does it only have one timer (no weekend timer like advertised) but that timer initially would not work. Turned out after much frustration that and time that the english version of the manual has a translation error. Rather than simply saying "turn on" or "turn off" the settings say "start dim" or "end dim." And the meaning of those prhases are opposite their normal meaning. The one timer included in the settings does work though, but I would have preferred separate weekday and weekend timers as advertised.

One thing everyone should know about all digital frames is that you should resize all your pictures to the frame's native resolution - this one is 480x234. I used a free photo editing software called faststone - and not only does resizing make your pics fit the frame, but it drastically reduces the size. I fit 4000 resized pics onto a 2GB SD card and it barely used 500 MB. Just be careful not to replace your full size images. Copy all your pics to another directory and then resize them. As far as this frame goes, I will keep it but I wouldn't recommend it. I think it is over-priced.

63 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Awful, May 8, 2008

By 

Daniel Ertman (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Philips 7-Inch LCD Digital Photo Frame (Black) (Electronics)

I've bought digital photo frames before - even ones from Philips. I got this one for my mom for Mother's Day, and it is a huge disappointment.
Here's why:
1. The screen is 16:9. It doesn't automatically "letterbox" 4:3 pictures though - instead, most of them come out looking skewed. You have to do a lot of manipulation of the pictures to make sure they "work" before you can load them to the frame.
2. You can't access the frame's internal memory through USB (at least not on Win XP). It doesn't show up. See, the frame acts as a reader for the two memory card slots. They show up, but the frame's internal memory doesn't. This means in order to load pictures, you have to copy them to a card, stick the card in, and then either leave the card in or use the menus to copy the pictures into the frame, which brings me to...
3. The menus don't have "bulk" options. You can't say "copy all of the pictures from the card to the internal memory" - it simply isn't an option. You also can't delete all pictures in one shot. Basically you can't do anything in one shot.
4. If that wasn't enough to make the internal memory completely useless, this settles it: There's a Philips ad with a baby's face in the internal memory that you simply cannot delete. When you try, it says "Operation fail!![sic]". I called their support line, and the person, while nice, was utterly unable to help me delete the picture. So, unless you like long tedious times copying pictures and an occasional Philips ad in your slideshow, you can't use the internal memory at all.
5. The display looks pixelated in a lot of pictures. Much moreso than other frames I've used.

If this hadn't been for Mother's Day and Mother's Day wasn't so close, I would be returning this immediately and getting something else. As is, I'll see how mom feels about it. It's definitely the last Philips frame I'll buy.