Digital picture frames: What to focus on

A digital picture frame is an intriguing gift idea for the digital shutter bug on your holiday list. After all, if they've gone film-less when it comes to taking pictures, why not go paperless when it comes to displaying their latest digital snapshots?

This year, there's a plethora of models from both familiar and unfamiliar names, some with wide-screens, some with digital video and/or music capabilities. While some models are priced under $100, our tests found you need to spend at least $125 or so to get a frame that displays images of sufficient size and quality to be pleasing.

We've tested some of these models--mostly those with 7- or 8-inch screens--for our latest Ratings report on digital picture frames. (Available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers.) Here are a few tips from our free buying advice on digital picture frames to help your holiday shopping:

• Resolution. - Look for a screen with a display resolution of at least 800x600 pixels. Images from high-resolution (6-megapixel and up) cameras tend to look better on screens with at least this level of resolution.


• Consider aspect ratios. - Like LCD TVs, some of these small displays are available in "wide-screen" (16:9) formats. But these screens will display the typical square-ish (4:3) format of most digital camera images with either black vertical bars along the sides or "stretch" (distort) the image to fit the wide-screen format.


• Don't skimp too much on price. - The 8-inch Smartparts SyncPix SPX8 is a top-rated (and a CR Recommended) model among the digital picture frames we tests. At $180, it offers Very Good picture quality (800x600 resolution), a wireless remote control, 256 MB of built-in memory, a motion sensor that automatically turns the display on and off, as well as other features. (Further model Rating information and CR Recommendations are available to subscribers.)
  

  Conversely, the $100, 7-inch Polaroid CPA-00711S was one of our lower-rated models with only Fair picture quality. And if you choose to save $80 compared with buying the SmartParts, you're also losing an inch of screen size and skimping on useful features, such as built-in memory. (That means you'll have to use your camera's memory card or buy an extra card for $20 to $100, depending on capacity.)

  A better option might be another 8-inch CR Recommended model, the Westinghouse DPF-0802, $125. It has a modest amount of built-in memory (128 MB) but the recommended display resolution of 800x600. And it's only $25 more than the Polaroid.

--Paul Eng

—Paul Eng