Digital Spectrum Elite 7" Digital Photo Frame

Cheap Digital Spectrum Elite 7" Digital Photo Frame Review

After being dissapointed with my first digital photo frame experience, I did a bunch of research and decided to try out this frame.

I own the version that is called Nu-Touch, but it is this same frame, and even the owner's manual says "Elite" on it. Also, to preface this review, I am a serious photographer with a VERY critical eye for color and sharpness, so it is possible I would notice flaws that would not bother a "typical" user.

After about a week and a half of using the frame, I can say that it is a very good product. The 720 x 480 resolution on such a small screen, means that the gradients and transitions are so fine/smooth, that the images look very close to prints. Additionally, the LCD screen has very good brightness and contrast, and renders colors accurately, with NO perceptible flicker from screen refresh..... it is literally rock stable. There is also what appears to be perfectly uniform backlight brightness from edge to edge on the screen. Finally, at least in my case, I did not see a single dead or stuck pixel on the entire frame, which seems remarkable given my past experience with LCD screens in other applications (PC monitors etc.)

The display screen has an anti-reflective coating that is extremely effective. This frame is positioned under a tabletop lamp on my desk at work, and while there are a few small reflections of the bulb off the gloss-black frame, there are NO reflections on the image itself. This was a very nice surprise. The photos end up looking like good-quality matte finish prints, and this is aesthetically appealing in my opinion.

The user interface is simple to navigate, and I was able to figure out all aspects of setup without ever referring to the manual. The onscreen menu graphics are very refined as well, and this is a nice touch that makes the product a pleasure to use. If you do need the manual, it is concise and provides all required info to set up and use this frame.

I like the fact that the frame has a built-in Li-Ion battery, which allows you to unplug it and move it wherever you want while you are adding photos, working with settings etc. You can unplug it and hold it in front of you like a book, making it very easy to navigate with your thumbs using the cool "soft-keys" that light up a neat-looking blue while in use, but which disappear completely when the frame is left alone to display images. One added benefit of having no "hard buttons" is that the frame can be rotated 90 degrees to display "portrait" orientation images, and it will not look weird (i.e. with a bunch of visible buttons in a strange place).

The built-in memory should be able to store a large number of images that are sized to the screen's resolution of 720 x 480.

In general, the build-quality is excellent, including a nice and heavy metal desk stand that keeps the frame planted firmly in place.

The only negative I can think of about the frame, and it is a minor one, is that the gloss-black finish of the frame itself is prone to showing fingerprints. This is an issue since you have to touch this part of the frame when you are making adustments to settings etc. So keep some good-quality plexiglass cleaner around to use on your frame post-tweak to ensure that it looks its best. For daily use (i.e. turning on in the morning and off at night) this would not be an issue, since the power switch is on the back of the frame.

Also, the only reason I gave this product 4 stars instead of 5 is that I think the manufacturer should have written into the firmware the ability to set an automatic startup and shut off time for the frame. This would be very easy to do, and would have made this pretty much a perfect product in my opinion. Since the firmware that runs this frame, and apparently other frames by Digital Spectrum, appears to be user-updatable via downloads from the manufacturer website, perhaps this feature could be added in a future firmware update?

I only use this product for displaying still photos. I have not used, nor do I intend to use, the sound or video playback functions of this product, so I can't speak to those.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a small-format digital picture frame, this one should be at the top of your list.

Digital Spectrum Elite 7" Digital Photo Frame Feature

• 7.0 ¿ Digital TFT LCD Display 720x480 with LED Backlight
• Built-in Battery ¿ up to 2 hours battery life
• Illuminated Single Bar Touch Sensitive Navigation
• 128MB memory, 3:2 Aspect ratio, 5-in-1 card reader for CF, SD, XD, MMC & MS Memory Cards
• Built-in speakers, USB, clock/calendar

Digital Spectrum Elite 7" Digital Photo Frame Overview

The NuTouch sports a high resolution, bright 7¿ TFT screen that displays digital photos in vivid color. Set up as a slide show and play directly from a memory card. Includes a bonus audio slideshow function, so you can listen to music while a slideshow is playing. Equipped with 128MB of internal memory and a 5-in-1 card reader, there is no limited to how many pictures you can take with you. Navigation and management is a snap using the touch sensor array which illuminates when touched for easy use and disappears while a slideshow is playing. The NuTouch accepts CF/SD/XD/MMC/MS cards for maximum compatibility with major digital cameras. The unit is light, portable and easy to use. A great companion to your digital camera and an excellent way of showing off your pictures to family and friends.



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Apr 24, 2010 17:05:37