Customer Reviews

Philips 7-Inch Digital Photo Frame (Clear & Black)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I'm familiar with this type of product having used a couple of others from other manufacturers in the past.

Having read some of the reviews, I will say I'm very computer-savvy, and didn't run into some of the problems others have mentioned.

The picture quality was nice; not terrific, but I'll get back to that in a moment.

There's plenty of on-board memory. According to Windows Explorer, about 8 megs. The key to using that judiciously is to size your pictures before storing them to memory, using photo software like Photoshop Elements or better, as if you were prepping them for the web. The native screen resolution is 720X480, so I sized all my pics to stay within those parameters, and I typically ended up with a file size of somewhere around 40 - 80 kb, and you can stick 1 or 2 hundred on this device at that file size. Further, they'll fit the screen without distortion from the frame firmware trying to adjust your pics to the display. Additionally, you won't eat up all the memory trying to store full 2-Meg Jpegs -- 4 of those and your memory's full -- that really won't look any better here than they would on your computer display looking at a web page. Save those for prints.

The downside to this is that picture quality suffers a bit because of the smaller file size, and because this is an LCD display there's also some artifacting in shadow areas (a fact of life with LCDs). But let's face it: you're not going to use this device for professional presentations. This is so you or your Mom can see all those cool pictures you have.

Now, the biggest drawback to this is the TERRIBLE user interface. This thing isn't at all intuitive as far as operating it. There's a row of tiny buttons on the top behind the frame, and it's always pretty much guesswork as to what switch makes the device perform which action. The written instructions are totally useless in trying to figure this out. Trial and error is the only method available, for all intents and purposes.

I had no trouble copying in pictures from a folder on my Desktop using Windows Explorer (I operate in an XP environment, so I can't speak to Vista. I hate Vista). I used Edit > Select All > Copy then just pasted them into the folder on the device. They all copied in perfectly.

So, a middle of the road grade based on my experience with other brands, which seem to be easier to operate.

(Incidentally, for those who have problems deleting the sample pics that came already loaded. In Windows Explorer, I had absolutely no problem deleting all the sample photos in the folder.)

This is my first digital photo frame, even tho I've looked at them and thought they would be neat to have. I love the black and clear frame and the frame stand is classy. The whole frame looks elegant.

It took me a while to figure out the setup and how to work the controls to get where I wanted. It has settings for brightness, language, alarm clock, time and date, and auto on/off. After I got it set up I put a 1gb SD card in my PC and installed photos on it and then put the SD card into the photo frame (it also takes other types of memory cards). Fortunately all my photos are JPG and that's the format that's used. As soon as I inserted the SD card the photo slide show started; it was so cool! I ended up changing the brightness to mid way because some of the photos looked too bright. Smaller photos are framed in a letterbox and they look good to me.

I'm excited to show off our photos on Thanksgiving and Christmas when the family is here! :-)

Strange as it seems, I often find myself pricing digital photo frames when at local big-box retailers. They seem like such a great gift idea, but I'm hard pressed to spend $130+ to display my photos.

This frame, while in the $90 range, is certainly more affordable, but not quite the performance-for-bargain I was hoping for.

Though I have one digital frame at home (a Westinghouse), I was keen for a second to put on display downstairs.

For argument's sake, let's say I'm the type of person who doesn't like to read directions. That being said, I fidgeted with the frame's interface for about five minutes before I figured out how to move through all the menus, change the clock, delete the 'Philips' photos and set my photos to a slide-show mode. It was a little awkward, but not unbelievably difficult.

What I like most:

~The frame's actual design. It's very sleek looking and compact, which is a huge improvement on some of the bulkier frames out there (like my Westinghouse).

~Also, I'd have to say this frame's SmartPower feature is its one stand out feature as I'm a conscientious power user and like that this frame will only turn on during the time when someone is around to see it.

What I liked least:

~I am disappointed that the resolution isn't as crisp as my other frame, nor are the colors as vivid. This despite Philips Imagen promise for automatic photo enhancement.

In general, this frame's very basic in that ALL it does is display and play through photos, as compare to other frames out there that have additional fancy options such as video and music.

Overall, this may be on the pricey side if you simply want to have a few of your favorite digital photos cycling through when guests come over. However if you're looking for a little more in a frame you might find Philips' design and power saving feature all the extras you want.

The Philips 6.5 digital photo frame is a great mid-level photo frame. The frame itself (I have the clear version) is attractive and does not look cheap - it looks very stylish. It is of average size and would be nice for the office or a desk at home; I would not use as a wall-mounted frame.

I was able to organize some pictures onto an SDHC card and install that into the Philips. I find this method easier than connecting the frame to the computer. If you do not own a computer, you can still use this frame by inserting a memory card from your camera directly into the frame. If you do own a computer, the benefit of hooking up to the computer is you can adjust the orientations (portrait/landscape) of some photos the digital frame may display wrong. You can also take advantage of the onboard memory of 16 MB.

The LCD screen resolution (800x480) is excellent - especially considering the price point. The viewing angle is very good. I was impressed with the automatic slideshow transitions that are added. You can also view your images as thumbnails or use it as a clock. Another great feature is the timer functionality, so you can program the device to power on and display photos during certain timeframes.

So why is this mid-level? Some of the newer digital frames have internal speakers and allow playback of videos that you may have recorded, or MP3 songs. The additional features of some frames are great - but may not justify the higher price for a lot of consumers. The Philips is a nice, middle-of-the-road and well-priced digital picture frame with an excellent LCD screen. I definitely recommend it for the average consumer who will be happy with the basic functions. I've given only four stars because I would have liked to see a remote control included to supplement the control buttons on the back of the frame.

I have to say - I love this frame. The quality of the display is excellent. I didn't expect my pictures to look so good! I had purchased a digital frame last year from a different manufacturer and I ended up returning it because the pictures looked distorted and the color was not that great. This frame really suprised me with the quality of the pictures and the vibrant colors that it displays.

I love taking pictures with my digital camera but I am not so good about getting them printed in a timely manner. This solves my problem because I can just snap some shots and then insert the memory card into the frame and enjoy my pictures instantly! It is also great because I can bring up old pictures that I haven't seen in a while and put them on display. There are so many possibilities!

This would make an excellent gift for a grandparent - you can either download photos or insert a memory card. I recommend giving the frame to a grandparent and then sending updated memory cards every so often for new pictures! It would also be great to put up on your desk at work so you can always have something new to look at.

The set up is so quick and easy - you don't really even need the directions (although if you do, they are very detailed). Great buy, can't go wrong with this one!

When I was emotional last month, I really wanted to give it only one star. Now I have cooled down and add one more star on it, because after all it provides high-resolution pictures when it works.

I purchased 3 of this Philips electronic photo frames. My choice was largely based on the 100+ good reviews. I wish some reviewers could have opened their eyes wider because some of the problems/shortcomings are always there, not because I had bad luck -

** The screen of my 2nd frame was out of order after 15min of use

** The frame cannot handle portrait ratio photos - some photos look ok, but in most situation, head and foot will be cut - and how much to be cut is not up to you

** The frame cannot handle reasonable number of photos. In each of my CF or SD card, I put about 200~250 photos (I made each photo as small as 100~200k). I found that after photo 100, the frame start to gradually "lose" photo - it couldn't open some of them. The problem becomes more and more serious - at 170 or later, no photo can be opened!

** No menu function at all. No matter how you arrange you photos in your card, they come out in a big pool from the frame

** When I purchased my frame, the product feature said it has an internal rechargeable battery - in fact it does not exist

I ask you to think about the problems before you purchase it. If any of the above points is mistaken, please point out in the comments section. Thanks.

PROS:
The images on this are clear and crisp with a good viewing angle.
You can drag and drop photos onto a card by plugging into your computer.
Good price for the quality.
Automatic transitions added.
Nice looking frame, clear outside would match any décor.


CONS:
Internal memory is tiny, you need a card to hold photos.
Menu hard to navigate.
No speakers for music.
Does not "turn" all the photos to the right orientation, although you can so this yourself in windows before dragging them to the frame.
Manual pretty much useless for figuring how to do things like change brightness, adjust timer etc.
Forgets what time it is if you unplug it.


Hints:
Took me forever to figure out how to get to the adjustment menu. All navigating is done with the buttons on top. You need to push the "down" button to get the gear like icon to select. Then you push the "check mark" button to go to the adjusting menu.


This is not a frame for your grandma (unless she is tech savy or you are going to do all the loading of photos and adjusting). It would be great for the office where it is going to stay plugged in (so it does not forget settings) and can be hooked up to the computer to download new photos.

This is the third digital photo frame that I've acquired, and so far it's the best of the lot. I've even played around and put all three side by side just to compare them. It was a slow day, okay?

Anyway, let's get the issue of cost out of the way first. Digital photo frames are not nearly as inexpensive as we would like to see. But do a little value analysis and you might discover that while it's pocket change, you're still doing fine with the Item being reviewed the Philips 6.5-Inch Digital Photo Frame. The beauty of the digital frame is that you can have vivid displays of as many photos as you can fit onto a memory card (I usually have at least 50 mid-sized jpgs on one like this); rotating from pic to pic in a nice tidy space. The alternative might be to paper your wall with 50 printed and framed photographs, a hassle in time, wall space and money. All of a sudden the digital option starts to look a little better, so then it comes down to comparing different brands.

Some people complain about the image quality, however I've found that any digital frame is dependent on the quality of the jpg file. The bigger the file (more pixels to work with), the better the image will work on the display. That then raises the question of how many pictures can you have? Well duh... if you're going to use the internal memory, you're picture inventory is going to be limited. Use a 2 gig memory card and you can cycle through a LOT of pictures. And remember what I mentioned before, in a side by side comparison with my other two digi-frames, the Philips was the best (using the same files).

The setup directions were fine for me, I didn't have any problems whatsoever. And one of the features that I like best is the SmartPower option to have it turn off after a prescribed amount of time.

Some of the other features like photo manipulation on the unit and a sound feature just don't appeal to me. I'll do all my image adjusting and cropping on the computer, and I'm not turned off by the black bars that my cropping might create. And as for music with my pictures? Forget about it! There's two much sound competition in my house already, why add to it?

Bottom line, I like this unit. I'd love to see it offered for sale under $60, but then again, I'd like to have a 100mpg car too.

We purchased two of the same frame for grandparents for Christmas. Neither one of them work right out of the box. Both screens would not come on at all. We have purchased the bigger sized version and love it. It was better quality no doubt.

I bought two of these (Philips 6.5 inch Digital Photo Frame) and I also bought a 2 gb SD memory for each. These were Christmas presents for grandparents in their 80's. It was simple to set up, just plug it in, then attach the usb plug between my computer and the photo frame and copy the photos from my laptop to the photo frame disk. Both households just love them - and now we are going to get one for our house.