Digital Picture Frames: The Wave of The Future

What is a digital picture frame? Think of a digital picture frame as a slide show of sorts for your picture. Like a flat screen TV, the digital picture frame is sleek, elegant and classy. You can buy a stand-alone reader that produces images from a memory card, or one connected to a phone line. The latter allows you to receive pictures sent from computers around the world.

Let's talk more about this modern innovation and how it may impact your life.

How A Digital Picture Frame Works

A digital picture frame, much like an ordinary picture frame, displays pictures. The difference however is this... a digital picture frame has an LCD screen. This screen can display many photos like a slideshow. Most digital picture frames connect to the Internet or a computer using a phone line. They then download pictures and display them.

Unlike a traditional frame most digital units do not have a glass barrier separating the picture from the user. Digital picture frames usually are about the same size as a traditional photo frame. Some digital picture frames contain a memory card to store photos. If you use this type of frame you don't need to connect to a computer to display images.

Some digital picture frames work by having you upload your pictures to a Website. Then the digital frame connects to the sight and downloads your photos. New pictures show up on their own as this happens. You can adjust the setting on your digital picture frame to produce a slideshow of pictures. Most frames allow you to adjust the speed with which images change.

If you do log into a Web site you may need to buy a subscription service. These are generally cheap, ranging about $10 a month and up. The price is worth it. Some sites will allow you to upload pictures and news, sports and other information to your digital frame. You can even order prints online through companies like Kodak.

Digital Picture Frame Choices

You can select many features for your digital picture frame. Here are some considerations when buying:

  • Number of Pictures - Some frames allow you to display an unlimited number of pictures. Others have an internal memory that allows a defined number of images to be stored and displayed. If you want to store many pictures, you might consider a digital frame with a removable memory card. This will allow you to store more images.
  • Portability - Some frames are smaller than others. You may buy a digital picture frame that plugs into a wall, or one that runs off batteries. Obviously a battery powered digital frame is more portable than a plug-in.
  • Resolution and Size - The larger your digital picture frame, the more expensive. Many display images 5x7 or smaller.

Most digital frames are compatible with JPEG images. There aren't many that support an MPEG, so check before you buy if you have MPEG formatted pictures. You should also be sure to check user options when selecting a digital frame. Some common user options include:

  • Choice to select the interval between images when in slideshow format.
  • Ability to rotate pictures to display them in different modes, like landscape or portrait.
  • Choice to change transition between images.
  • Sleep function to allow you to turn the frame off at appointed intervals.
  • Ability to alter the colors, contrast or brightness of images.

Some digital picture frames also allow you to upgrade your digital frame on occasion. Check to see if you can download improved software as a bonus feature for your frame.

Digital Frames For Young And Old Alike

One of the best features of the digital picture frame is its ease of use. You don't have to be technologically savvy to use a digital picture frame. They are in fact, the perfect gift for Grandparents, whether or not they have a computer. Remember that some digital picture frames use a memory card to display pictures.

The best way to explain the benefits of a digital picture frame is to show your family how it works. The first time your grandfather sees a slideshow of his grandson's first birthday party he'll understand why digital frames are so useful. They are simple to operate. All you need to do is plug them in a push a button to start your picture slideshow. Digital frames are especially beneficial for relatives that live far away. You can use them to keep family members updated on their children, grandchildren and more!

Rest assured, the age of the digital picture frame is upon us. In a few years, likely every household will have at least one digital picture frame. You should too!

About The Author:
Antigone Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of professional experience providing consumers with informative articles on such topics as cheap picture frames, collage picture frames and magnetic picture frames.

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

President-elect Barack Obama speaks about the economy at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.,  Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - Pushed by fellow Democrats, President-elect Barack Obama agreed to modest changes in his proposed tax cuts on Friday after inviting lawmakers to "just show me" ideas for fixing an economy shedding jobs at an alarming rate. Democratic congressional officials said that Obama aides came under pressure in closed-door talks to jettison or significantly alter a proposed tax credit for creating jobs.



Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich makes a statement  Friday,  Jan. 9, 2009 in Chicago, after he was impeached by the Illinois House on a wide array of offenses including criminal corruption and wasting taxpayers money. The two term Democrat becomes the first governor in the history of Illinois to be impeached. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached Friday by Illinois lawmakers furious that he turned state government into a "freak show," setting the stage for an unprecedented trial in the state Senate that could get him thrown out of office.



A Palestinian youth uses a sling-shot to hurl a stone from behind a burning tire barricade during clashes with Israeli troops at a protest against Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank village of A-Ram, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009. Israeli jets and helicopters bombarded Gaza Friday and Hamas responded with a barrage of rockets on two cities as both sides defied a U.N. call for an immediate cease-fire. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)AP - Israeli jets and ground troops hammered at Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and Islamic militants fired barrages of rockets at southern Israeli cities Friday, ignoring a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire after two weeks of combat.



AP - At least five people were shot Friday as spectators left a crowded basketball game at a high school on the city's South Side, scattering panicked students.

In this Sept. 28, 2007 file photo, former Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin listens during a panel discussion, at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York. Citigroup board member Robert Rubin, who has drawn heavy criticism for his role at the embattled bank, has resigned as a senior adviser.  (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, file)AP - Citigroup board member Robert Rubin, who has drawn heavy criticism for his role at the embattled bank, has resigned as a senior adviser.



This image taken from video, supplied by Magnolia Pictures, shows the Rev. Ted Haggard  preaching in the documentary film 'Jesus Camp'. Speaking out two years after being embroiled in a gay sex scandal, former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard said Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 his sexual identity is complex and can't be put into 'stereotypical boxes,' but that his relationship with his wife is stronger than ever. (AP Photo/Magnolia Pictures,File)AP - Speaking out two years after being embroiled in a gay sex scandal, former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard said Friday his sexual identity is complex and can't be put into "stereotypical boxes," but that his relationship with his wife is stronger than ever.



Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas is shown in this undated handout file photo released Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 in Huntsville, Texas. Thomas, who has a history of mental problems is being treated at a prison psychiatric unit after authorities said he pulled out his only good eye and ate it.  He similarly had plucked out his right eye before his trial in 2004. (AP Photo/Texas Department of Criminal Justice, FILE)AP - A Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye and told authorities he ate it. Andre Thomas, 25, was arrested for the fatal stabbings of his estranged wife, their young son and her 13-month-old daughter in March 2004. Their hearts also had been ripped out. He was convicted and condemned for the infant's death.



This photo released by Bruce Sherman of Rockport, Texas, shows a Pine Flycatcher photographed at the Choke Canyon State Park, Texas, Jan. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Bruce Sherman)AP - Birders with binoculars and cameras are flocking to a remote state park in search of a small yellow-chested bird that apparently crossed the U.S. border for the first time from its high-mountain habitat to the south.



In this Nov. 28, 2005 file photo, actor Patrick Swayze poses for the photographers, prior to the premiere of his new film 'Keeping Mum' at a Leicester Square cinema in central London. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, file)AP - Patrick Swayze has checked himself into the hospital for observation after contracting pneumonia, A&E President Abbe Raven announced Friday at a meeting of the Television Critics Association. Swayze was scheduled to appear to discuss his upcoming drama "The Beast."



AP - Baseball authorized nearly 8 percent of its players to use drugs for ADHD last season, which allowed them to take otherwise banned stimulants. A total of 106 exemptions for banned drugs were given to major leaguers claiming attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from the end of the 2007 season until the end of the 2008 season, according to a report released Friday by the sport's independent drug-testing administrator.

Smoke rises during Israeli's offensive in Gaza, January 8, 2009. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)Reuters - Israel pressed on with a punishing Gaza offensive and Hamas sent more rocket salvoes into southern Israeli towns in a two-week-old war that continued to defy international efforts to stop it.



Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin participates in a panel discussion about Poverty Alleviation at the Clinton Global Initiative, in New York, September 20, 2006. (Chip East/Reuters)Reuters - Citigroup Inc is in advanced talks to sell its Smith Barney brokerage unit to Morgan Stanley, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, in a move that would further dismantle the financial supermarket that has been bailed out by the U.S. government.



Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich speaks during a news conference in Chicago, Illinois January 9, 2009, as he points to Illinois residents that he clamed have been helped by the issues that are now being used as the Illinois House voted to impeachment him. (Stephen J. Carrera/Reuters)Reuters - The Illinois House of Representatives impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday for abuse of power, including a charge that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.



US President-elect Barack Obama speaks on the economy at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. US economic conditions are Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama and a key Democratic lawmaker revealed plans on Friday to overhaul the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund as a way to aid struggling homeowners and speed the flow of credit.



Reuters - Minnesota health officials issued a product alert for peanut butter on Friday after finding a jar that was contaminated with a strain of salmonella linked to an outbreak across the United States.

Employers slashed payrolls by 524,000 in December, driving the unemployment rate to its highest level in almost 16 years, a government report showed on Friday, suggesting that the year-long recession was deepening. (Graphic/Reuters)Reuters - The unemployment rate surged to the highest in nearly 16 years last month as a deepening year-long recession forced companies to axe more than half a million jobs, government data showed on Friday.



Voters fill their ballots during the U.S. presidential election in West Hollywood, California November 4, 2008. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it would consider a challenge to a central provision of the 44-year-old voting rights law aimed at preventing states and local governments from making it harder for minorities to vote.



A foreclosed home is seen in Stockton, California in this May 13, 2008 file photo. A top bank industry group said on Friday that it opposes an agreement between financial giant Citigroup Inc  (Robert Galbraith/Files/Reuters)Reuters - A top bank industry group said on Friday that it opposes an agreement between Citigroup Inc and Democratic senators that would rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, saying it could make home loans more expensive.



A relative of Palestinian journalist Ihab al-Wihedi and his wife mourns prior to their funeral in Gaza City. Tanks and warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday after Israel defied a truce order from the UN Security Council as the death toll from the two-week-old conflict against Hamas passed 800.(AFP/Mahmud Hams)AFP - Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip was set to enter its third week on Saturday, with both sides brushing off a UN appeal to halt devastating attacks that have claimed over 800 lives.



This US Navy photo shows the MV Sirius Star as it is observed at anchor by the US Navy. Somali pirates said Friday they had freed a Saudi-owned supertanker, whose capture nearly two months ago caused panic in international shipping and spurred the world into tougher anti-piracy action.(AFP/NVNS/David B. Hudson)AFP - Somali pirates said Friday they had freed a Saudi-owned supertanker, whose capture nearly two months ago caused panic in international shipping and spurred the world into tougher anti-piracy action.




Where to Find Cuckoo Clock Parts

In some places, one might be able to find old men bent... Read More

Nursery Room Decor

The nursery is your newborn's first room, his own little world: the... Read More

Contemporary Rugs Can Transform a Room

When tackling a do-it-yourself home decorating project, you can use rugs as... Read More

How to Wash a Down Comforter

Few things are as comforting on a cold winter night as a... Read More

A Look at Faux Wood Blinds

For those who want the warmth of wood, but are concerned with... Read More

Liven Up Your Walls With Decorative Plates

Decorative plates are often overlooked when decorating a home. Yet, it's the... Read More

How to Decorate Spaces for People

When it comes to decorating your home, forget about the empty, lifeless... Read More

Choosing the Right Wallpaper

There is literally thousands of different colors, different patterns even different types... Read More

Making Your Home Blossom is Easy

Having trouble getting a room in your home to have that certain... Read More

A Review of Popular Wood Stove Manufacturers

There are several world renowned wood stove manufacturers that make a wide... Read More

How to Decorate Ethnic

FIVE EASY STEPS TO DECORATING ETHNICNEW YORK, NY - With all that... Read More

Trash or Treasure: Assessing Your Possessions

One personal junk is another personal treasure. Never is that more true... Read More

Is It Time To Move? Change Your Home Into A House... Have It Staged!

Heart and Soul Designs - Changing your Home into a HouseSpring is... Read More

Choosing Candles & Scents Part 1 - Candles for July

Deciding on just a few candles is rarely easy. With so much... Read More

Feng Shui Interprets Exposed Beams

What constitutes a balanced room according to feng shui theory involves not... Read More

Country Decorating Ideas - Create Warmth and Charm with Country Style Decorating Ideas

Country decorating ideas can help you create a home that is warm,... Read More

Preserved Flower Candles

Putting flowers in your candle will add a unique look, while preserving... Read More

Buying Down Alternative Comforters

When the frigid winds of winter arrive, many people turn to lavish... Read More

Update Your Home Decor Using Colorful Rugs

Retro, checks, black and white...looks like MOD is back. A color explosion... Read More

A Guide to Vinyl Shutters

Most people would agree that wood shutters are beautiful. They add class... Read More

Decorating Roll Up Bamboo Shades

Plastic or real bamboo roll up shades can be decorated with a... Read More

Interior Decorating and Home Decor With Inuit Art from the Arctic North

In order to help give a room a classier touch, interior decorators... Read More

Purchasing Framed Art For Your Home or Office - a Novel Way to Decorate

Framed art is an ideal compliment to any room of your home... Read More

Bathroom Vanity Lights: Tips Before Buying Vanity Bathroom Lights

Bathroom vanity lights are often overlooked in a bathroom. Artificial light from... Read More

A Kitchen Cart To Spruce Up Any Kitchen

Contrary to popular belief, the addition of a center island to your... Read More

How Curtains Can Change the Look of Your Home

The roles of curtains have changed. At one time they were used... Read More

Ceiling Fans: Past and Present

Philip Diehl first invented the ceiling fan in 1882, around the same... Read More

All About Closet Organizers

Most people like you love to keep everything in its place. They... Read More

Light Imitating Art - How to Use Lighting as a Decorative Feature

Lighting is often thought of as a necessity, which it is, but... Read More

Keep Things In Order With A Written Home Decorating Plan

Begin your written plan by choosing one room to start with. This... Read More

The Barkeeps Guide to Buying Bar Stools

Purchasing a bar stool is a very meticulous process that you do... Read More

Have You Considered These Space-Saving Bed Designs To Maximize Your Interior Decorating Space?

Vertical and functional space planning are two of the most overlooked areas... Read More

Color Psychology: The Joy and Pain of Yellow

Warm and luminous like sunlight, the right shade of yellow brings cheer... Read More

Decorate Your Home for Joy Using Design Psychology

What Is Design Psychology?Design Psychology exceeds "traditional" interior design practice by considering... Read More

An Introduction to Wood Stoves

Wood stoves are like small fireplaces. They are inexpensive and can be... Read More

Eastern Influences On Western Interiors: Japanese Décor - Part I of II - Color, Texture and Contrast

The topic of eastern influences on western interiors is a very broad... Read More

Black and White Themed Teen Bedroom Decorating Ideas

When we found out we were having twins, our teenage daughter volunteered... Read More

Decorating a Kids Room

The most important thing to consider when decorating a child's room is... Read More

Save Money & Time... Plan Home Decorating Projects

Why is planning home decorating projects important? Let's start by asking the... Read More

Craft Projects - A Home Decorating One Of A Kind Look

Have you been in a craft store or maybe gone to a... Read More

Furniture Placement Secrets

The easiest and most inexpensive way to invigorate the design of your... Read More

5 Tips to Preschoolers Bedrooms, on a Budget

Decorating on a budget can always be a challenge, but nowhere do... Read More

How to Create a Decorative Garden Window

If you have a sunny window in a room where you don't... Read More

Make Your Own Fishing Decor from Fishing Gear

Decorating with old, used fishing gear is fun, creative and inexpensive. It's... Read More

Beautiful Lighting Tips 101 - A Crash Course in Lighting Design

Many people cannot immediately identify why they may like or dislike a... Read More

How To Install Window Treatments Like A Pro

Tools needed: a battery operated screwdriver, screwdriver bits (Phillips and standard), hex... Read More

What are Water Softeners?

Soap scum. Stiff clothing. Clogged pipes. No matter what you try, it's... Read More