Digital Picture Frames Show Off Your Photos

If you go shopping for a digital picture frame, you'll find a slew of brand names. Some you'll recognize; many more will be foreign brands you've never seen before. Kodak's 8-inch EX811 displays images via 802.11b/g wireless Wi-Fi from your PC, or via the frame's built-in memory card slots (The EasyShare EX1011 is a 10-inch version). This frame also lets you display seamlessly view content from Kodak's EasyShare Gallery online photo-sharing service. The screen looked great at its standard 800-by-480 pixel resolution. Latest Prices

With its wood casing, the Aluratek 11-inch Digital Photo Frame (model ADMPF311F) looks very solid and traditional. This model has an 800-by-480 pixel widescreen LCD panel, which means you can view images in either 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios, and includes a generous 1GB of memory built-in; plus, you can view images directly from memory cards. Aluratek's frame also features a built-in calendar with clock, auto-on and off, and support for a slew of audiovisual formats, including WMA, MP3, MPEG-1, and AVI. Latest Prices

The 15-inch Pandigital PAN15-B, first reviewed this past summer as the Pandigital PAN-150, offers a ginormous, gorgeous LCD that would be the center of attraction anywhere in the home. While picture frames are proliferating like Tribbles at the smaller sizes, the larger frames are offered by fewer companies, including Aluratek, Pandigital, and Smartpants. Digital Spectrum expects to offer a whopping 19-inch model in January. The 150-B's 1024-by-768-pixel screen did a lovely job rendering my images, delivering saturated colors and pleasing contrast. Also, the frame comes with two interchangeable frames: black and espresso Review | Vendor Pricing

We reviewed Pandigital's 8-inch black frame earlier this year and much about it remains the same, including the look (black wood, which can be changed out to clear acrylic). But Pandigital recently has changed the model number to PAN80-2 and added features. This high-resolution 800-by-600-pixel resolution screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio; images will auto-rotate to show horizontally or vertically. You can also program when the frame should display images. And, like the Aluratek ADMPF11F shown earlier, this one also has a clock and calendar. Full Review | Latest Prices

Wireless connectivity is the main thing that distinguishes Digital Spectrum's MemoryFrame MF-8104. Another factor: You can replace the included snooze-worthy gray frame with any 8-inch by 10-inch frame of your choice. This 10.4-inch picture frame has integrated 802.11b/g wireless, and can share pictures with PCs using the Windows Vista or the Windows XP operating systems. Not available yet, but planned is the ability to e-mail pictures to the frame and for the frame to receive pictures from Wi-Fi-enabled cameras. Features that may be added include the ability to access weather, RSS feeds, and stock quotes. Vendor Pricing

Hi-Touch Imaging Technologies bills its HiTi K65 photo frame as "high-definition." That's not quite accurate, but, at 800-by-480 pixels, it certainly offers much higher-resolution frame than much of its competition. The company says the frame's viewing area is designed to match a 4-inch by 6-inch photo print and show the 3:2 aspect ratio of digital photos with no distortion. This compact frame will blend into your work surface, with its clear plastic frame and silver gray bezel (white and pink models are also available). Vendor Pricing

According to The NPD Group, 7-inch frames, such as the Mustek PF-A702BM shown here, are the most popular size among shoppers. This particular frame has a 480-by-234-pixel display. Vendor Site

Mustek joins the companies providing high-resolution frames with its Mustek PF-D852AM. This frame's screen offers an 800-by-600-pixel resolution, at a 4:3 aspect ratio. The model comes with a black frame and white matte bezel, and, like many competing picture frames, can handle audio and visual playback. Vendor Site