Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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112 of 115 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Impressed I bought a Second One, October 17, 2007
I just bought one of these and was so impressed I bought a second one.
I'd been toying with the idea of getting one of these for a while and the 10" ones are now a reasonable price.
I didn't install any of the software: just copied images to a CF memory card and plugged it in. The frame detects this and starts to play images from the card.
First thing I did before any of this, was to get the latest firmware from Kodak website.
Unfotunately, the documentation is poor. It mentions nothing about optimal resolutions. I finally batch converted all my high res images (using BreezeBrowser) to 800x480 pixels, 300dpi JPG (100% quality). These resulted in files of about 5-6MB each. Quality is great and images are bright and vivid, even in normal indoor daylight conditions. I've been using digital cameras for 6-7 years and I work in the graphic arts industry, so I'm pretty picky about image quality and color. It would be nice if Kodak supplied an ICC profile for the device, so at least you can preview how they'll look in Photoshop, etc. or convert to the device color space.
A lot of reviewers complained about the remote control. It's a bit clunky, but it works. It's a picture frame after all, not a TV. I just use it to setup slide duration, transition, etc.
I'm buying a second frame one for all my protrait orientation pictures, as they are too small when displayed in the frame in landscape format. So, I'll have one frame with landscape pictures and one with portrait. This way, each image will use the maximal area of the screen.
I also use the "fit" option, not the fill. I don't want my pictures cropped.
One of my biggest bug bears is that there is no resume function. I have 200+ images on the frame which change every hour. The timer is set to turn the frame on at 6pm and off at 11pm (so 4 pictures). Problem is, when I turn it on the next day, I see the first 4 again. So I have to forward to ones I've never seen. For this reason, I'll need to leave it on 24/7.
Pros
Great picture quality
Easy to use
Cons
No fade transition (just wipes and bars)
Only one on/off schedule (would like one for morning and one for evening)
Poor documentation
Can't select a default slide show/folder on SV model (but it will play memory cards first - so just put everything you want on the memory card)
No resume - Always starts from slide 1
(I would strongly recommend some kind of batch conversion software where you can set the image size, resolution, quality, etc. Maybe the supplied software will do it, but I never installed it, as I already have something to do this.)
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141 of 152 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My life was indeed rich in activities!, October 13, 2007
I was really looking forward to receiving this digital picture frame in the mail. I was like a little kid (and still am) when I opened the Amazon.com shipping box, to reveal the colorful Kodak packaging with the long awaited digital picture frame in it.
The digital frame was well packaged, protected with its own wrapping within the box, and a thin transparent sheet protecting the screen. Nothing the postman could have done could have damaged the product during shipping.
The digital frame comes with a CD, for both Windows and Macintosh, and allows you to install in ten different languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, and Turkish. During installation, you will be prompted on whether you would like to check the internet for a newer version of the software. I found that a newer version was available, and that was automatically downloaded and then seamlessly installed.
The software is very easy to use and will automatically search your computer for all stored pictures. Within seconds (depending on how many pictures you have) you will have all your pictures neatly organized in one folder.
A remote control, with battery included, is also in the package. It has a separate stand that attaches to the back of the frame, making it convenient to store your remote control. The remote control is a must, and turns the digital frame into a user friendly product. In fact, I didn't even have to read the owner's manual. It is really very easy navigating the frame's menus and settings. It is much easier setting this digital frame than your DVD player or microwave! A few tips though: The remote buttons must be pressed hard and kept pressed for a good second; you must be within a straight line and not too far away from the frame. If you are experiencing problems, change the battery.
USB cables are also included to allow you to connect to your computer or directly to your digital camera. The USB cable will also allow you to upgrade the firmware on your digital frame.
In order to upgrade your firmware, go to www.kodak.com/digitalframesupport, choose your product, and then click on downloads and drivers. Once you download the new firmware, you must first unzip it on your computer, then connect your computer with your digital frame with the included USB cable, and transfer the unzipped `img' file by dragging and dropping it on your memory card (which is not included) inserted in your digital frame. Then it is a simple three step method of going to your frame's menu, then to `settings', and clicking on `upgrading the firmware'. Once the firmware is upgraded, you need to switch off your digital frame, wait 5 seconds, and then turn it back on. You should check every month for a new firmware for your frame and EasyShare software updates for your computer.
I noticed a few important improvements once the new firmware was installed. The pictures were clearer; there were no more any error messages while displaying the pictures, and more of the pictures were displayed when `fit to screen' was selected. I highly recommend you check for a firmware upgrade as soon as you receive your digital frame.
A unique feature is that you can also communicate wirelessly with your digital frame, allowing you to share your pictures with your home network. This is really a neat feature that is fun, convenient, and just simply cool! Your digital frame can also access the internet wirelessly and keep its internal clock set to the correct time. This is useful when you set your frame to switch on only at certain times. For example, you can schedule your frame to display pictures only during the day, and automatically turn off at night, only to resume displaying pictures again in the morning at a specific time you determine. This is a unique feature that is energy saving, and will give your frame a longer life than simply keeping it on all the time.
As mentioned above, no memory cards are included on which to record your pictures. The digital frame will accept the following memory cards: SD, MS, xD, MMC, CF, and MD. The frame has an internal 128 MB of storage, hardly enough for the savvy photographer.
The memory cards need to be formatted first before you record your images on them. I first formatted my Sony SD memory card using NTFS, but my digital frame was unable to read it. This was before I did the firmware upgrade. When I formatted the memory card using FAT32, the digital frame read my memory card and displayed the pictures. I am not sure whether future firmware upgrades would allow NTFS formatting, but this is not needed. Make sure you format using FAT32!
Some additional nice features of this digital frame: the possibility of choosing different picture wipes and duration during the slideshow; brightness control; ability to print pictures directly from your digital frame; audio background during picture display; video display; and fit to screen feature.
This is really a great and very easy to use digital picture frame. It is so nice to watch all my travels, adventures, celebrations, parties, and gatherings that span a period of many years on one digital frame.
Time really does fly! And as your pictures will testify, life is beautiful.
Peace and love to everyone, God bless you all, and may you have a long and healthy life preserved in pictures for generations to come to enjoy!
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785 of 902 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
More than one year's worth of review, July 28, 2007
I am a professional photographer, and was looking or something to put on my desk to show a continuous slideshow of my work. After holding off on buying a digital frame for years, I thought the EX1011 would be just what I was looking for.
Unfortunately, it feels like a product that is not quite done. The WiFi transfer only works with Mac OS X if you buy a $39 3rd party app called TwonkyMedia (more on this later) and you can configure the unit to go online to retrieve photos off Kodak's EasyShare gallery which works OK. The image quality is fair, but disappointing for something from Kodak. The only adjustment is "Brightness" control which normally means white point, but in this case using this adjustment distorts the image. I had to put a color test pattern on a CF card and use this to calibrate the image which is WAY too much work, and there aren't enough controls to allow for a real calibration anyway:
The web-based EasyShare feature is kinda neat, and actually works pretty well. You'll need to go to Kodak's web site and download a firmware update otherwise you'll see that the images lose some resolution, somehow, going from upload to download, plus the photos end up being shrunk in size by about 15%. In other words, you upload a 800x480 image, and it ends up being 680x408 on the screen, and the colors undergo one more level of distortion and decrease in color depth. This was fixed with firmware update 2007.7.06.
Also, when the unit starts up, there is no way to have the unit default to the online gallery. The manual talks about setting an online gallery as My Slide Show, but having talked to Kodak customer support (don't ask how long THIS took to successfully accomplish) this feature was never implemented, so you can only use the default directory to function as My Slide Show (which is what the unit uses as a "Screen Saver"). You need to replace the photos in this default folder with your own. Be advised, when the unit shuts down and restarts (for whatever reason, including if you use the frame's auto timer), it will restart by going to a slide show in this default folder. Unless you want to watch Kodak's sample images all the time, you need to go in and change these photos to your own.
Plus plus: when you update the online gallery, the frame doesn't know this, even though it's connected to the online site. You need to shut the unit down then return to the online gallery in order to have the display update.
The unit is WAY too dependent on the remote control, and sooner or later the remote WILL be lost since it's really, really tiny. Sure, Kodak provides a little compartment for you to install on the back of the frame, but how many people are going to use this? Plus, if you hang the unit on the wall, you can't install the remote control storage compartment - it goes in the same holes used for wall mounting.
The way to get the unit to work with the WiFi file sharing is to download a program called TwonkyMedia (I'd include the link to the software but Amazon won't allow this - do a Google search and you'll find it), pay $39 to register, then open up ports TCP 9000 and UDP 1030, 1900, 9080 on the Mac's firewall. In addition, you need to find the Twonky configuration screen (an HTML file hidden in the Applications folder) to set up which folders you want to share with the frame. All in all, a pain in the rear, even for an Engineer like me. Once I worked through all this, though, I have to admit it's a cool feature, and one I have found myself using frequently. Also, THIS is what separates this frame from the others on the market, which is why I stuck it out until I got it to work.
The improve how the images look on the frame, save them in the highest resolution you can (> 200 dpi if possible) and crop them to a 16:9 aspect ratio. I also wrote a PhotoShop action that optimizes the appearance on the frame, including some sharpening, contrast and levels adjustments, and now they look much better.
All in all, though, it took a LOT of work to get this thing to work as it should have right out of the box. Admittedly, I'm a perfectionist, but just to get the online file sharing to work right requires a firmware update, and to get the WiFi sharing to work require s 3rd party app, then more finagling. Honestly, how many people are gonna go through all this, especially if buying the frame for someone else, who may be less technically adept?
Update 11/15/07: Just upgraded firmware to the 2007.10.09 version. Changed some of the user interface items, and gives a few more options than before (like auto-notice of firmware update availability) but the frame still doesn't recognize ANY video formats I use (and I've tried almost every possible configuration of Quicktime, .avi, .wmv, etc.). Also, still no wireless support for Mac, so you still have to use the glitch-filled TwonkyMedia 3rd party app.
I've noticed several WiFi capable frames come on the market in the past couple months in preparation for the Holiday season, so if I were you, and WiFi were important to me (especially if you're a Mac user), I would again advise you to look elsewhere for your digital picture frame. This unit is STILL not finished.
FINAL UPDATE 9/26/08: After just over a year of use, this produce simply stopped working. Admittedly, I had it on the internal timer to come on every morning and go off every night, but now it turns on and stays on for about 5 seconds then shuts itself off.
When I finally contacted Kodak (after they hung up on me twice), I found out the standard cost of repair exceeded the clearance price my local Costco is charging for this frame by $10.
Amazing. Makes me not want to buy another Kodak product ever again. In fact, makes me want to revise my review to be 1 star, but Amazon won't allow this.
In this day and age, you expect a modern product to last more the ONE YEAR, don't you?
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