Digital Picture Frames

CNET updated its digital photo frames database in May 2009 with a flurry of reviews covering eight new frames. Most of the newly evaluated models earn middling ratings and no frames earn the site's top… rating of five stars, nor are any granted an Editor's Choice designation. Kodak frames dominate the top tier of scores on the site. Only a few reviews are directly comparative, but a product grid allows for easy comparison of ratings. CNET offers the largest and most diverse array of digital photo frame reviews.

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This blog-style website is an excellent resource for recent and thorough reviews of new digital frames. Frames are evaluated with a step-by-step assessment from the box to setup to final display, and are… meticulously chronicled by photographs and text. Reviewers offer pros, cons and a bottom line with a one-to-five-star rating and Editor's Choice awards. Unlike CNET and PCMag.com, DigitalPictureFrameReview.com offers no comparison chart or easy way to sort and compare ratings. While reviews are very good overall, there is some inconsistency in the ratings. For example, Sony's DPF-D80 earns an Editor's Choice nod with four out of five stars, while the identically-rated GiiNii Slope fails to win the designation.

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In an extensive and exceptionally thorough head-to-head, "Archer" compares six digital photo frames based on specifications, ease of use and display quality. The older article is illustrated with photos of… each frame, as well as comparative shots of the frames together. Pros and cons are identified for each and a best frame -- the AG Neovo -- is named (although the reviewer maintains that the Ceiva frame would be the best if not for the required subscription service). One downfall of this roundup is the confusing awards, which include Platinum, Recommended, Gold and Silver, with no easy manner of differentiation.

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Web User has reviewed eight frames in the past year. Not all frames covered by this U.K.-based site are available in the U.S. Each frame is rated on a five-point scale for features, performance, ease of use… and value, and then given an overall rating. Reviews are perfunctory, addressing specifications and summing up quality with subjective descriptions such as "very good." Ease of use is not addressed at all outside of the ratings. Gold, Silver and Bronze awards are granted to top performers. The Samsung SPF-105P earns the site's 2008 Gold Award.

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CrunchGear.com infrequently offers commentary on digital photo frames in a blog-like format, authored by a stable of tech enthusiasts of varying quality as reviewers. The best reviews on this site are… succinct but still address build quality, usability, features and specifications and offer well-supported conclusions. There is no rating or ranking system, and no easy way to compare frames. The Ipevo Kaleido R7 emerges as the frame with the most favorable conclusion.

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Buried deep in the miscellaneous subsection of I4U.com's reviews pages, alongside write-ups of sunglasses and wall art, are the four digital photo frame reviews that Shane McGlaun has penned in the last two… years. Reviews are succinct and address the basics of screen specifications, display quality and setup. Products are rated on a 10-point scale and top performers are awarded Editor's Choice status. The site's ratings methods are of dubious comparative value given that all frames rate a roughly equal 8.5 or nine, but McGlaun distinguishes himself by covering frames not always seen on other review sites.

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Technology retailer TigerDirect.com allows customers to submit reviews of products. As with all user-review sites, the quality of customer feedback varies wildly. Each contributor is required to submit an… overall rating for their product, along with ratings for value, performance, quality and features, as well as a narrative explaining their experience. Many digital photo frames have very high ratings, but the GiiNii GN-811DS stands out as a highly rated product that has also been reviewed by many (approximately three dozen) contributors. Most praise the frame's affordability and display quality. A few complain that the navigation menus can be difficult to use.

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