Two digital photo frames that try to do more

The creep of convergence—that is, of devices that take on extra tasks once done by separate, standalone units—has now reached the digital photo frame, with mixed results. Yesterday, we blogged about the Sony DPF-V700, $189, a decent-performing 7-inch frame that's also a fine slide-show player for your HDTV. Today's post covers two more attempts to integrate a digital photo frame with another device: the SmartParts SP8PRT, $279, an 8-inch frame with a built-in printer, and the GE 27956FE1, $130, a 7-inch frame with a built-in cordless phone.

Both are the first of their kind that we've seen and tested in our labs. And an electronic picture frame that does more than just show off digital photos might sound cool—and a seemingly perfect gift for Father's Day or recent graduate.

Unfortunately, neither the SmartParts or the GE digital picture frame fulfills the promise of convergence.

The Sony DPF-V700 digital photo frame: A great slide-show player, too

If you've ever fed images from your digital camera to your HDTV, you've probably been disappointed at how they looked on the big screen. That's because most cameras can't output images in high-definition. Enter the Sony DPF-V700, $189. (Click on the image, right, for a closer look.) In our latest tests of digital photo frames, this decent-performing 7-inch frame proved adept at turning an HDTV into a megasized photo frame of superb quality.

On its own screen, the frame produced very good image quality overall, although it scored slightly lower in one image attribute, contrast, than in the others, color rendition and clarity. Its greatest distinction (besides being one of the first frames from Sony, whose HDTVs typically score very well in our Ratings of plasma TVs and Ratings of LCD TVs) is that it's one of the few frames with an HDMI output for connecting directly to an HDTV.

When connected to an HDTV via HDMI cable, the DPF-V700 successfully transmitted 1080i resolution images that looked as good on the big screen as on the device's own smaller display. That's an unusual achievement since most frames output only at low, VGA resolution, which invariably yields dreadful images on an HDTV.

As a slide-show player, the DPF-V700 has minor drawbacks. Most digital photos have either a 4:3 or 3:2 aspect ratio, squarer than the 16:9 aspect ratio used by HDTVs. When you view photos on a TV set, then, you generally must use the menu system on the frame to either zoom in and crop off images' edges or live with a letterbox effect-black bars framing the edges of your photo. Also, high-res viewing requires an HDMI cable, an extra that costs about $20.

The bottom line: This Sony is well-priced and performs decently as a photo frame, though it falls a little short of the very best models in our Ratings of digital picture frames (available to subscribers). But it's worth serious consideration if you're a slide-show aficionado who wants good quality images, but can't display them directly from a computer, which is the only other way to enjoy them in their original resolution.

—Terry Sullivan

Digital picture frames: Models for Mother’s Day

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and if you're struggling to come up with the perfect gift idea, here's a suggestion: A digital picture frame. With prices for these frames dropping and more big-name players like HP and Samsung entering the market, now's a good time to pick one up for your Mom.

We recently tested 10 frames that measured 7 or 8 inches diagonally. The five best had very good picture quality. Among that group, our top picks include two newer models from major names—the HP df800, $140, a CR Best Buy, $170, and the Samsung SPF-83V, $190—along with the Smartparts SyncPix SPX8, $180.

[UPDATE: May 9, 2008: As one of our readers noticed, the price of the HP df800 (seen above) has changed to $170. Also, we've posted on ConsumerReports.org the complete, updated report on digital picture frames. Our latest Ratings (available to subscribers) contains information on 10 new models, including the HP df800. It's no longer a "CR Best Buy" due to the price change, but it remains one of our three recommended digital picture frames. (Also available to subscribers only.) —Ed.]

All have internal memory, so you can store photos in the frame and return the memory card to your digital camera, as well as a USB port for transferring pictures directly from your computer. Each works with a wide range of memory-card types. The HP and Smartparts include a remote control. With its WiFi feature, the Samsung allows you to view pictures wirelessly from a networked computer. The Smartparts uses a motion sensor to automatically turn on and off.

To see your photos at their best, look for a frame that's eight inches in size and has a resolution of 800x600. Avoid widescreen frames as they may distort your images. Also watch out for frames with glass over the screen, which can create glare.

Online subscribers can check our full Ratings of digital picture frames and other CR-recommended models, both of which we'll be updating soon to reflect the new models.

—Donna Tapellini

PMA2008: Sony Deepens its SLR line

This morning, Sony held a press conference at which they unveiled a new high-end SLR, which will be launched by the end of 2008. The SLR, which they're referring to at the moment only as "The Flagship," will include a 24-megapixel "Exmor" CMOS image sensor. (Click on the image at right for a closer look.)

The sensor will also be a full-frame sensor. (My previous post about the Canon EOS 40D digitial SLR has more details regarding full-frame sensors in the "Sensor Size and Lens Magnification Factor" section.)

In addition, this sensor will be image stabilized using Sony's Super SteadyShot system, which resides inside the camera body itself and so should work with any lens. (Canon and Nikon incorporate image stabilization into their SLR lenses.) Additional specs and features are sketchy on this camera for the moment, but it appears that Sony's commitment to SLRs is deepening.

The company also recapped many of their new product announcements from recent months, including two new consumer-targeted SLRs, both with live-view capabilities and articulating, swiveling LCDs. The two new SLRs are the 10-megapixel alpha DSLR-A300 ($800 with kit lens) and the 14-megapixel alpha DSLR-A350 ($900 with kit lens). (Click on the images for closer looks at the A350, on the left, and at the back of the A300, lower right.)

In addition, Sony revealed that they'll be entering the digital picture frame market by announcing three new S-series photo frames: DPF-V900 ($250), DPF-V700 ($190) and DPF-D70 ($140) digital photo frame models.

—Terry Sullivan

PMA 2008 Preview: What's incoming in cameras and more

Each year, camera enthusiasts and pros wait to see what the major camera manufacturers will introduce at the annual Photo Marketing Association trade show (PMA), which will take place this year in Las Vegas from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. And while some companies opted to unveil some products at CES, just three weeks ago, most have chosen to stick with PMA08 to introduce not only cameras, but also lenses, printers, software, and photo accessories.

Starting Wednesday, I'll be at the show, posting the latest news about cameras and related products and services to this blog.

Although I expect a few surprises at the show, some developments and trends are already evident. Here's what I expect to see, by camera type or technology:

Digital picture frames infected with computer virus

Best Buy tells us that one of its Insignia brand digital picture frames has been contaminated by a virus. The only model involved is a 10.4-inch frame bearing the number NS-DPF10A. If you're downloading photos by connecting this frame directly to your computer, you may be putting your system at risk. Owners should contact the company by calling 877-467-4289. Best Buy will help you determine whether your frame is affected and will let you know how to proceed if it is. The model, which was sold over the holiday season, has been discontinued and is no longer available for purchase from Best Buy.

The virus is not a new strain, so if your system is protected by antivirus software, it should catch and isolate the infection. In addition, if you're loading photos using a memory card, the virus can't be passed along that way, according to a Best Buy spokesperson.

So far, the company has received about two dozen calls concerning this issue. Best Buy is still investigating the cause of the infection. If you have another model of Insignia frame, and notice that your antivirus software is picking up viruses when you connect the frame to your computer, call Best Buy and let them know. Continue checking the Insignia home page at http://www.insignia-products.com/default.aspx for further developments.

And for additional computer safety tips, including Consumer Reports' Ratings of the best computer security software and online protection tools, check out our online cyber-security center.

—Donna Tapellini

CES 2008: Puzzling Products

I've been at this longer than most product evaluators—and WAY longer than most bloggers—so when I see a new product, I look past the flashy demos and colorful brochures, and ask some fundamental questions: Does this product improve upon, or at least match, what has gone before? Does it fill a need—real or perceived—in its intended market? Does it have the potential to enhance one's quality of life? Is it good value for the money? Does it fulfill its claims? Is it environmentally friendly?

As we browse the tumult of hundreds of small companies' booths at CES, we have to quickly filter out those of interest, which I do by categorizing the featured products in about a second or two. If the process takes longer, it's often because my eye falls on something puzzling, usually because one of my fundamental questions pops out. Here are a few of the products and ideas I saw here at CES, that I struggle with trying to figure out "what were they thinking?" I don't mention brands, because in most cases, there is more than one manufacturer producing something similar. Go figure…

Mirrored TV screens. I first saw this in a superstore in London, where traditional home décor and electronics clash. Now it's in the U.S. Put your flat-screen TV behind a one-way (half-silvered) mirror, and it disappears when it's shut off. But when the TV is on, that mirror still reflects light-colored objects—walls, clothing, furniture—negating efforts by the TV maker to design a nice, high-contrast image with deep blacks. More, the silvered glass blocks much of the light, making the image dim. (Click on the image at right for a closer look at what I saw on while walking the CES exhibit floors.) You could watch in the dark, but if you're willing to do that, you might as well use a front-projection TV, which would also solve the problem of the screen being visible.

Wide-screen digital photo frames. Nearly all digital cameras take pictures with a "standard" aspect ratio, usually 4:3 or 3:2, nearly matching traditional film and photo shapes, as well as picture frames. So, why are so many of the new digital photo frames we're seeing have screens shaped more like HDTV's 16:9 aspect ratio? Set to use the whole screen, they chop off bit of the top and bottom of each photo. Set to show the whole photo, they have black bars on the sides. (If you have Flash software installed, you can view our recent online video review of new digital picture frames for good examples of this, as well as the "mirror effect" described above.) Vertical photos have even larger black bars and are smaller than they would be on a 4:3 screen of the same area.

Inch-diameter speaker cables made of exotic materials. If your speakers were hundreds of feet away from your sound system, heavy cables (click on image at right for a closer look) would make sense, as the resistance of thin wire causes power loss and can affect the sound. But, for home use, anything short of a 50-foot cable run needs only the thinner 14- to 16-gauge cable that sells for about 50 cents a foot at your local Radio Shack.

Proprietary protocols instead of standards. Standards for wireless connectivity—such as Wi-Fi and WiMax for mobile networking, HomePlug for power-line networks, and Insteon and Z-Wave for home controls—are developed for two main reasons. First, standards ensure that products from different manufacturers can be made to work with each other. Second, they help ensure that a standards-based device doesn't interfere with another standards-based device that may be operating nearby. Some manufacturers violate standards to gain a small edge in performance over competitors, but that edge usually only applies when working with other products from the same manufacturer, and often disappears in real world situations anyway.

10,000-watt subwoofer amplifiers for cars. Sorry, but I just had to include this one. Call me a curmudgeon, but a product that violates every one of my fundamental issues just begs mentioning.

—Dean Gallea, Senior Program Leader

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

Black Friday HDTV Deals from CompUSA, Staples

Black Friday ads leaked for computer chains CompUSA and Staples show that both stores will have a select number of TV deals available during special limited-hour in-store sales events.

CompUSA is running a two-day pre-Thanksgiving sale this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 16 and 17), during which you can get a 50-inch Zenith plasma HDTV (Z50PX2D) for $1,000 and a 19-inch Envision LCD monitor for $140.

The store will open on Thanksgiving for just three hours, from 9:00 p.m. until midnight, then reopen at 5 a.m. on Friday morning. Specials include the 37-inch Olevia 537H LCD TV for $600; this model did very well in our tests. Other electronics deals include a $500 Athlon-based HP notebook PC with 2GB of RAM, a 22-inch Envision widescreen LCD PC monitor for $150, a $45 7-inch digital photo frame, a $60 7-inch portable DVD player, and a $148 Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS.

On Black Friday, TV deals from CompUSA include a 47-inch 1080p LCD TV from LG Electronics for $1,500 after a $500 instant savings. While we haven’t tested this model, the LG 47LC7DF, another 47-inch LG 1080p TV did very well. A 26-inch LG LCD TV will cost $600 after $150 instant savings, and Sharp’s 46-inch 1080p LC-46D64U LCD set will cost $1,700 after $800 instant savings. Samsung TV deals include the 50-inch HP-T5044 plasma for $1,300—$100 less than at Best Buy's or Circuit City's Black Friday sales. We haven’t tested this particular model, but Samsung plasma TVs have consistently done very well in our tests. Samsung’s 46-inch LN-T4661F, CR’s top-rated 1080p LCD TV, will be $2,000.

You’ll have to be an early bird to get a deal at Staples’ sale, which runs from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Friday. If supplies last, you could walk away with an unspecified 42-inch LCD TV for $800, while a 32-inch model is $450. Both sets appear to be Envision models.

Other Staples deals include a $350 Intel-powered Compaq notebook computer with 1GB of RAM and a 17-inch Acer LCD monitor for $90.

—James K. Willcox

Digital photo frames, portable GPS join TVs as Black Friday doorbusters

TV deals on Black Friday generally garner the most attention, but the latest Black Friday ads on sites such as www.gottadeal.com and www.theblackfriday.com show that digital photo frames and handheld GPS devices are also being singled out for star treatment.

The best deals we’ve seen—so-called “doorbuster specials”—generally occur in the early-morning hours (typically starting at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m.) and last for several hours. The sale items are generally offered in limited quantities, which could be as few as 10 per store. Make sure you read the fine print in the ads to see if there’s a chance you can actually get one of these deals, especially if you’re not one of the apparently large number of people willing to camp out overnight to ensure a good place in line.

That said, here are some of the latest Black Friday leaks we’ve seen. It’s quite possible that these and other stores will add more late-breaking deals and web-only specials as we get closer to the Black Friday period.

Target
Target is closed on Thanksgiving, but it’s holding a two-day sale starting bright and early Friday morning and continuing on Saturday. Among the deals being offered: a 37-inch Olevia LCD TV (237T) for $549, a 22-inch Westinghouse flat-panel LCD computer monitor (LCM22W3) for $167, and a 19-inch TruTech widescreen LCD TV (PLV31199S1) with a built-in DVD player and PC inputs for $199.

Other deals include an Audiovox kitchen LCD TV with integrated DVD player for $199, an Audiovox portable DVD player with a 10-inch flip-down screen for $84, Magellan’s Maestro 3100 auto GPS system for $149, and a Magnavox 5-disc DVD home theater system with USB for $79. Also on sale is a TruTech 7-inch digital photo frame for $49, a Polaroid video camcorder for $69, and Kodak’s 8-megapixel MD853 digital camera for $89.

The store opens at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, and 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Kmart
Kmart’s Black Friday deals actually kick off on Thanksgiving Day. The store will be offering a 32-inch Olevia LCD TV (no model number specified) for $420, a 20-inch Sylvania LCD TV for $135, and a 20-inch Sylvania combination LCD TV/DVD/VCR for $250. Kmart is also advertising a 27-inch RCA TV model for $230, which appears to be a standard-def CRT model. Another blast from the past is a JVC VHS-C camcorder for $120.

Other items of note: Magellan’s Maestro 3100 GPS for $130 ($19 less than at Target), a $40 Nextar digital photo frame, an 8-megapixel Polaroid digital camera (A801) for $80, and Microsoft’s Zune MP3 players for $150 (4GB model and $200 (8GB model). The Zune players come with a $20 Kmart gift card.

The store’s hours on Thanksgiving are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Some specials are available only on Thursday.

H.H. Gregg
Befitting its status as a consumer electronics dealer, H.H. Gregg’s Black Friday circular is chock-full of CE specials. We counted 14 TV deals, including some on major brands such as Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba. Most ads don’t specify model numbers. Among the Friday-only specials: a Hitachi 50-inch plasma for $1,000 and a $600 37-inch 720p LCD set from an unspecified brand. There will be a total of 500 company-wide of each sale item, and prices are good only while supplies last (no rain checks).

The chain is closed on Thanksgiving but kicks off Friday morning with a 5:00 a.m. opening. Advertised doorbuster specials include a 19-inch LCD TV for $189, a $45 7-inch digital photo frame, a Jensen portable GPS for $100, a $10 progressive-scan DVD player from GPX, and a $150 DVD camcorder from Samsung. There will be limited quantities of each per store.

Less dramatic savings will be offered on major-brand TVs. For example, a 37-inch Sony Bravia will be priced at $800, while different 46-inch Sony Bravia 1080p LCDs will carry price tags of $1,040 and $1,600. Toshiba is well represented in the circular, with a 52-inch 1080p Regza LCD priced at $2,200, a 42-inch 1080p Regza for $1,250, and a pair of 32-inch Regza models, with different features, for $700 and $800. A 50-inch 720p Toshiba DLP rear-projection HDTV will sell for $900.

Other notable TV deals include:
• 42-inch JVC 720p LCD for $900
• 47-inch 1080p JVC for $1,500
• 52-inch 1080p Mitsubishi LCD TV for $2,400
• 65-inch 1080p Mitsubishi rear-projection DLP for $1,700
• 73-inch 1080p Mitsubishi rear-projection DLP for $2,500
• 50-inch 720p Panasonic plasma for $1,400
• 50-inch 1080p Samsung plasma for $2,400
• 58-inch 1080p Samsung plasma for $3,360
• and a 52-inch Sharp Aquos with 120Hz technology for $2,800.

Several other retailers have announced Black Friday specials. Costco, for example, will have a 26-inch Magnavox LCD/DVD HDTV combo for $500 and a 42-inch Magnavox 1080p LCD HDTV for $1,000. The store is also lopping $300 off the price of Sharp’s 46-inch 1080p Aquos LCD HDTV. OfficeMax will have a dual-core Acer Aspire PC—with 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a 20-inch widescreen LCD monitor—for $600. Also on tap are an $80 8.5-inch digital photo frame from Mustek, an $80 6.2-megapixel Kodak digital camera (C613), a $100 7.2-megapixel Sony Cyber-Shot digital camera with a free printer, and a $100 Mio DigiWalker C220 GPS. The chain will have a 24-inch Soyo widescreen LCD monitor for $250. Even auto supply chain Pep Boys is getting into the act, with a $40 7-inch digital photo frame, Mio’s DigiWalker portable GPS for $80, and the TomTom One GPS for $140.

We’ll keep you updated on more Black Friday deals as they’re announced.

—James K. Willcox

Halloween “Black Friday” Ad Leaks Portend Some Scary Holiday Electronics Deals

Although it’s not quite November, it already appears that this year’s Black Friday shopping holiday will once again hold some great deals for those willing to brave early-morning hours and the sharpened elbows of fellow bargain shoppers. Those that do should be rewarded with special holiday prices on HDTVs, high-def DVD players, and portable electronics including MP3 players and digital cameras.

A number of Black Friday websites, such as gottadeal.com, dealtaker.com and bfads.net, have already started posting Black Friday retail ads. But one circular that will be hard to find early this year will be Wal-Mart’s. That’s because the company--which last year set the Black Friday pace with a deep price cut on a popular 42-inch Panasonic plasma--has preemptively threatened legal action against any site that post its ads before November 19th. We’ll be keeping track of how well that threat works.

So far, in fact, Black Friday ad postings have been spotty. One exception is Sears, whose Black Friday specials are now widely available on Black Friday websites. Many of the deals are “opening specials” that are available only from 5:00 a.m. until noon, and which can require both instant and mail-in savings. Among the Sears highlights we found:

• a 42-inch LG plasma (42PC5D) for $900
• a Samsung 50-inch plasma (HPT5044) for $1,400, and a 46-inch 1080p LCD (LN-T4665F) for $2,000
• a 46-inch Sharp Aquos LCD (LC-46D43U)for $1,000
• a Sony W-series 40-inch 1080p LCD (KDL-40W3000) for $2,000, and a 46-inch Bravia LCD for $1,500(unspecified model number)
• a 42-inch Sylvania 1080p LCD (LC420SSR) for $900
• a 42-inch Toshiba 1080p LCD (42HL167) for $1,250
• and a V32-inch Vizo LCD (VXLHDTV32) for $599

Also noteworthy is Toshiba’s HD-A3 HD DVD player fort $170. Other Black Friday specials at Sears include a Philips upconverting DVD player for $30, a $10 DVD player from Coby, a Zenith DVD/VHS combi player for $40, $200 DVD camcorders from Panasonic and Samsung, and numerous deals on digital cameras.

ACE hardware also has a few CE doorbusters, including an unnamed 7-inch digital photo frame for $50, and a 7-inch portable DVD player for $60. Macy’s ad shows a $60 Haier-brand 7-inch portable DVD player, and a $20 Haier progressive-scan DVD player, plus three Pandigital-brand digital photo frames, with 6-, 8- and 9.2-inch displays, for $70, $150 and $180, respectively.

Stay tuned to our blogs for regular updates on Black Friday deals and specials--and feel free to chime in with some of your own!

—James K. Willcox