Customer Reviews

ViewSonic VFM1530-11 15-Inch 256 MB High Resolution Multimedia Digital Photo Frame (Ebony)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Would I recommend this frame to a friend? Yes. But one have to be aware of limitations! Good things first, though:

- The frame is BIG. But it still fits nicely on a bookshelf. At 14-15" range there's not much competition.
- 4:3 aspect ratio. 4:3 and 3:2 are standard aspect ratios on digital cameras. 16:9 is a more of a marketing thing, allowing manufacturers to specify larger diagonal, with equivalent 4:3 diagonal would be 22% smaller (thats almost 1/4)! With 16:9 you will always have black bars either on top/bottom or left/right for both portraits and landscapes.
- Adequate 1024x768 resolution. You can't see any grain on the image and menu looks crisp. Less would be awkward, more - nice, but not really needed.
- The frame reads H.264 videos - nice feature but see in cons

OK things:
- standard variety of connectors+USB
- mp3 playback during slideshow
- reasonable menu system, very simplified but adaquate
- gloss finish - better black, but prone to glare - keep away from windows.
- price on amazon is good, but don't expect wifi connectivity at this price


Now the real things:
- Viewing angles are UGLY. Especially vertical ones. Have to be eye-level and 30 degrees of at horizontal to see anything - this is generic for digital frames though...
- Video playback is very limited! Don't count on viewing HD clips on this frame. 720x480 (NTSC SD) plays back too slow, anything larger does not play at all, and I need to add letterboxing to avoid my HD videos being stretched vertically. Quicktime Pro is your friend!
- No shuffle mode - WTF?? And not info whether new firmware will ever be available.
- No combined video/picture slideshow. Have to go to menu and play either-or.
- Technical support treats every customer as an idiot who forgot to reset settings to default, which would apparently resolve all the issues. They still cannot tell me what video formats/sizes are supported!
- Included 2G SD card is cr@p. No-brand piece of plastic, sticker peeling off, don't ever trust your digital memories such a thing!

I was able to get around certain things: transcoding and downscaling video, randomly renaming pictures, putting frame in shady areas. Nothing can be done about the viewing angles though, but this is common among cheap LCD panels, such as used in all frames (AFAIK). C'mon, bring us some MVA/IPS panels at reasonable prices!

Works great for my needs. It came with a 2GB SD memory card in the box, which wasn't advertised! It has a nice large display that's more than adequate from 12' away, especially for single portaits, they look awesome. It supports video. I've only been able to try the videos from my Canon SD870 and they work right out of the box with adjustable volume.
Why not 5 stars? It doesn't have a random mode, so photos always display in the same order, as far as I can tell. Photo slideshows and video slideshows are separate and so you cannot have a single slideshow which displays your photos and then some videos, etc. I'm not sure why most frames don't do this! While the remote allows you to pause a slideshow and gaze at the current picture, it doesn't allow you to just move forward or backward thru the slideshow as it is going on. If you want a second look at the picture which just passed, then you need to hit menu, choose the picture and display it. The video playback was good but not quite as smooth as one would hope. Maybe the MPEG format might display a better frame rate. I'll update my review if I find this to be the case.
All in all, I'm very happy with this frame and highly recommend it for yourself or as a gift. Despite the cons mentioned above, it fulfills my needs as a big frame that can display my pics and videos.

I bought this unit to use for both my father's funeral and the wake afterwards. I put around 400 pictures (from all stages of his life) on a flash drive, loaded a bunch of Frank Sinatra/Benny Goodman MP3's, and Presto! A slide show with music to go with it! We were able to mute the sound using the included remote. The sound quality is quite good, but it does not produce high volume.

The menu system is definitely clunky. It takes a little fooling around with it to figure it out. If you use the buttons on the back of the picture frame to navigate the menu, it is more difficult. I highly recommend using the remote for the menu instead.

Because of the size of the frame, it weighs a bit. If you hang it on the wall, make sure you don't just put a screw into the drywall; it will need more support than that. Also, be aware that since it is corded, you will need to be near an electrical outlet. So if you have it hanging on the wall, the cord is going to show.

Overall, a beautiful picture, nice sound, and several storage options. Great unit for presentations or for setting on a coffee/end table.

The images are clear and bright, a very nice display.

The only issue I have is that the images are displayed sequentially and a random display does not appear to be an option. I have taken thousands of picture from all over the world and I prefer to have them displayed at random.

At first I was a bit disappointed that it did not support CF cards. The literature does not include it, but then, when I opened it, there is actually a separate slot for the CF card. I guess they though it is a given.

Also, the one I got is much better than what is pictured in ad, i.e. the hole in the bottom of frame is now covered with the canvas. It is also a more elegant, darker brown (ebony?) frame, which I prefer.

The only reason I give it 4 stars is that the instructions are not thorough. At first I could not go to the "Calendar" icon, until I discovered having to press other buttons first before you can jump to next menu screen.

There is also a BONUS 2GB SD card inside, which is not even mentioned in box or manual.

Finally, it has a great price!!! A black Friday price when I got it.

It is an attractive item but if you want the option of using the stand, forget it. It doesn't work at all. What could they have been thinking. You attach the stand in the back easily enough, place the frame on a firm flat surface and it justs falls backwards. I can't believe they haven't replaced the frame stand on this item. It is a major flaw and makes the photo frame useless (unless you want to hang it on the wall, which I do not). I called customer service hoping they were aware of the problem but weren't. It would be so easy for them to have a better designed plastic stand made and shipped out to owners of this frame. I have returned it and will look for a different make and will buy one in person so I can see how the stand functions. Such a disappointment!

The first thing I noticed upon opening the package was 4 small bits of black dirt/plastic shavings UNDER the glass. One is fairly large and in the white matted area around the outside so it is very noticeable. Next, upon powering up I noticed several red pixels stuck on. This digital frame is missing some basic functionality found on our other digital frames like: automatic scheduled turn on/off, ability to control video settings like brightness, contrast, color saturation, etc. Finally, the mount stand does not provide enough vertical adjustment to work where we need to place the frame. I will be returning this sorry excuse for a digitial frame.

This was my third digital frame that I had tried. The others either had poor picture quality or would not allow you to create folders for your photos. This one does it all and the picture quality is amazing. The one minus: it does not have a random mode.

I looked for awhile to get a good Digital Frame. Bought some frames and returned them until I came across this one. The 15" Hi resolution is the ticket of viewing pictures. So many more options that I need to try out.
No more downloading the pix on the computer and everyone huddling around it to view them. Many options to get the pixs to the Digital frame.
Overall.....Great digital frame. Best one I found so far.
PS...My family agrees with me. Recommend to anyone. Well Engineered product.

I bought this frame for a Christmas present and am very glad I did. I was always skeptical of photo frames and this fram took away all doubts about them. The frames appearance is beautiful and full featured. I rated the product 5 stars and the only negative I would have to say about it is that you do not have the ability to change which song is being played while in slideshow mode. I highly recomend this product for photo frame buyers.