Review: Turtech 7" photo frame
While running errands today, Chris and I came across the $45 Trutech Digital Photo Frame at Target.
The unit is packaged in environmentally conscious packing. All the packing materials are either paper based or #4 plastic wrappers. As a bonus, unlike the way Dell tapes their plastic bags, TruTech wraps the tape over itself at the ends to create a nice flap to pull on. An eager person would be happy with the amount of time needed to unpackage and set this frame up on a table. Loading up an unused 16GB SD card that I received from a digital camera took over an hour, but the resulting slideshow is worth it. The picture is clear. Portrait-oriented images are scaled to fit centered on screen, although some taller photos become hard to discern across the room (beyond 15'). Landscape photos brillantly fill the screen. Transition effects include fade-ins, sliding in many directions, and no transition.
As much as I'm pleased with the product, there are several features I would like subsequent models to change. The controls are clunky unless you use the remote since the directional arrows are single file. Additionally, setting the year *requires* usage of the remote. When in calendar mode, the date remains stationary which can cause burn-in.
For $45, this product is thus far solid and supports SDHC, however some reviewers report product failures past 90 days. Depending on the frame's longevity, I would buy another as a toy. I would pass on another picture frame if I wanted a screen larger than 9" as Netbooks are more cost effective and versatile.
The unit is packaged in environmentally conscious packing. All the packing materials are either paper based or #4 plastic wrappers. As a bonus, unlike the way Dell tapes their plastic bags, TruTech wraps the tape over itself at the ends to create a nice flap to pull on. An eager person would be happy with the amount of time needed to unpackage and set this frame up on a table. Loading up an unused 16GB SD card that I received from a digital camera took over an hour, but the resulting slideshow is worth it. The picture is clear. Portrait-oriented images are scaled to fit centered on screen, although some taller photos become hard to discern across the room (beyond 15'). Landscape photos brillantly fill the screen. Transition effects include fade-ins, sliding in many directions, and no transition.
As much as I'm pleased with the product, there are several features I would like subsequent models to change. The controls are clunky unless you use the remote since the directional arrows are single file. Additionally, setting the year *requires* usage of the remote. When in calendar mode, the date remains stationary which can cause burn-in.
For $45, this product is thus far solid and supports SDHC, however some reviewers report product failures past 90 days. Depending on the frame's longevity, I would buy another as a toy. I would pass on another picture frame if I wanted a screen larger than 9" as Netbooks are more cost effective and versatile.