If you are considering giving a digital photo frame to someone special, consider preloading the frame’s memory with pictures prior to wrapping it. This will allow your recipient to enjoy the gift straight from the box!

Digital photo frames have now become a mainstream consumer product. Whether choosing an electronic picture frame for yourself or as a gift, there are a few points that you need to consider to ensure that you’ll be happy with your purchase.

Ease of Use
Although digital photo frames can have many cool features, such as audio playback, video integration, Internet access, wireless technology, and many others, keep in mind that these features often need to be set up using complicated menus and setup screens, making them confusing to some people. If you don’t like to read manuals and follow instructions, you may want to opt  for a frame with simple functionality.

Screen size
When choosing the screen size, consider where the frame will be standing. Most inexpensive digital photo frames feture a display of about 5.6 inches diagonally. This size is usually good enough to look at pictures when sitting right in front of  the frame. If you are trying to view photos at an angle or from a distance, you may not be able to see much. You may want to consider a larger size. Frames are available in different sizes from the smallest digital keychains; popular sizes are: 7″ digital photo frame, 8′ digital photo frame; large picture frames measure 15″.

Resolution
Don’t save on resolution: 640×480 pixels or higher is best. Low resolution frames are cheaper, but you’ll be sacrificing quality of viewing. Resolution of 480 by 234 pixels is usually too low to display sharp details, so images may look boxy and pixelated! In my opinion, you should consider only frames with a resolution of 640-by-480 or higher.

Aspect Ratio
Photo frames typically come in one of two aspect ratios, 4:3 or 15:9. Most digital cameras shoot in a 4:3 aspect ratio and a frame with a matching 4:3 ratio is ideal. Frames with a 16:9 widescreen ratio will crop or stretch photos to fit the format to the screen, or display them in a letterbox to fit the image on the LCD screen. On the other hand, a 15:9 aspect ratio will give your pictures a widescreen feel.

Connectivity
Wireless connectivity is proudly mentioned in many product descriptions, but in reality, many people find configuring wireless features difficult. While wireless connectivity seems great in theory,even those who consider themselves computer savvy may have trouble getting wi-fi frames to communicate with a home wireless network. If you’re thinking of buying a frame as a gift, be sure to consider whether the recipient has a wireless network at home and their level of technical skills.

Memory-card compatibility
Although most digital frames support multiple memory card formats and have USB slots, confirm that the memory card you use is supported. A memory card adapter can be purchased separately, but it’s an additional expense.

Music and Video
Many digital picture frames can play MP3 files. Some play video files, but supported formats vary. Kodak frames play MOV files, others play AVI or MPEG4. However, when you read reviews, video and MP3 playback in general seems unreliable.

Read more about Digital Photo Frames and how to quickly transfer old pictures to digital format suitable for electronic picture frames.

Benefits of digital picture frames are obvious:

• Digital photo frames offer a convenient way to display pictures taken with your digital camera.
• Digital photo frames save space. Traditional photo albums take lots of space and are heavy to carry around. Digital picture frames can show slideshows of many pictures all in one frame.
• Digital picture frames provide a great way for long-distance relatives to stay updated with photos of your family.
• Electronic picture frames are not just for technology savvy people. Depending on the frame you purchase, you can upload pictuers onto your computer, and those photos will be transmitted to your relative’s frame, even if they don’t own a computer. All they need to do is register with a website to upload your photos and then plug the digital frame into a phone line to connect with the server that transports the photos.

There are so many different types of digital frames available on the market today that it can be tough to choose which one is right for you. There are even keychain digital photo frames and ones that you can even set up on your TV. This makes showing off your favorite images much easier than in a traditional frame or photo album.

Read more about Digital Photo Frames and how to Pick the Best Digital Photo Frame For Your Needs.  Also find out how to quickly transfer old pictures to digital format suitable for electronic picture frames.

With all these technological avancements, there is no excuse why our old pictures should be sitting in boxes and old envelopes, unappreciated and forgotten.

Still, although the technology is here, the process of digitizing old pictures, slides and film takes time and patience. It also requires familiarity with digital photo imaging software that not everyone has or wishes to acquire.

So, what is the solution?

Fortunately, a quick search on the Internet will provide you with information about companies providing digitizing services for affordable prices. They will scan your images and save them in digital format that is easy to view and share. As with all data, make sure you make a backup copy and store it in a safe place!

Using digital photo frames you will be able to show show off a large number of pictures at once as opposed to a wooden photo frame that will only show one, or a bulky photo album, that takes so much space on the shelf.

Using digitizing services can save you a lot of time and effort, and the result is well worth the money. You will be able to enjoy your pictures again. You can show off your memories in electronic picture frames or share them online with your friends and relatives. A digital photo frame pre-loaded with old family pictures will also make a great surprise gift for any member of your family. The electronic picture frame is perfect for the home or office or even a dorm room.

Read more about Digital Photo Frames and how to Pick the Best Digital Photo Frame For Your Needs.