Digital Photo Frames

Kodak Limited markets a wide range of imaging products and services and plays a leading role in developing and manufacturing new Kodak products for UK and worldwide markets. Kodak also markets digital picture frames. Here we are going to review Kodak’s EasyShare EX-811 Digital Picture Frame. There are two main features that make this digital photo frame stand out from the other models. The first one being 58Mbps wireless capability and the second one is its excellent screen display. This photo frame not only displays your pictures, but also has audio and video playback capability.

With Kodak EasyShare EX811 Digital Picture Frame, you can keep regularly changing the picture you are viewing. The photo frame can be set that the pictures can be constantly rotated. This Kodak model comes with the black and gold colour frames that will enhance the look of your photo frame to blend with your background.

Simple Design:

Kodak EasyShare EX811 8 inch digital picture frame lacks style and looks very simple and neat where as its competitors come with flamboyant looks. We have to keep in mind that it is the picture quality that matters the most and not the lines of a frame. Still, if you are not convinced, Kodak also offers you interchangeable faceplates in various colours and textures. This product has a very good build quality and its durability is evident. A little more concern could have been given to the flip-out stand as it seems to be on the tenuous side. The remote control groove that is included on the top of the screw hole for hanging the frame is also unconvincing as it is of no use when the photo frame is mounted on the wall. The unit also has a tripod mount. Several function buttons such as volume, power, play, stop etc are present at the rear side of the photo frame. This is very difficult until you get familiarise with the layout of the controls. The remote control that comes with the photo frame is small, thin and easy to use. This remote is surely better than the ones shipped with the other photo frames. This one has clearly labeled buttons.

One-time set-up:

Setting up the photo frame is extremely simple. In order to set up, you have to first load Kodak’s EasyShare Gallery software which is specially developed for Kodak wireless photo frames on you windows PC, enable the windows media player 11 to share the media and sign up for the gallery account. Then switch on the photo frame and set-up the wireless networks. The frame automatically detects the nearby available network and requests you for the security code if you want to maintain a secure network. You can input the security code using the virtual keyboard. The keyboard can be navigated using the remote control that is provided. Though this may seem to be tedious task for you, it is just a one-time set-up. The photos can be loaded onto the frames by loading from the memory card or sending it by the wireless Wi-Fi technology. When you want to initiate a slideshow, the process is rather very simple. All you need to do is, just switch on the system, insert your card, highlight the required icon press play and then trigger the slideshow. And much of all the controls have the same and simple routine.

Effective Display:

The display screen in Kodak EasyShare EX811 digital photo frame is an eight inch aSi TFT active matrix screen which certainly does its job excellently. This display offers a respectable resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9. Not many photographs are shot on the wide screen format and hence the frame will either crop the top and bottom of the images to get the full width of 4:3 aspect image on the screen which is not advisable or just display the image smaller. The display is clear and sharp and a good colour definition. This EX811 wireless digital picture frame uses Kodak’s Light Management Film which improves the colour and definition, enhances the viewing angle and also reduces the abnormalities.

Dual modes:

Kodak EX811 Digital Picture Frame can be used in two modes. The modes are the viewer mode and the music player mode. You can swap between these two modes by pressing the music toggle button. The source can be chosen as either the internal memory or the memory card. You can also choose between playing any single track or all of them. When in the music mode, the screen displays the title of the current track, its progress and also the title of the next track. The usual assortment of the controls that are available in an MP3 player is available both in the remote control and also the control panel in the unit.

Multimedia:

Kodak EX811 digital photo frame can also play videos that you have recorded in your digital camera. This digital picture frame can play videos of .MOV, .MPEG1, .MPEG2 and .AVI formats. It can play audio of the MP3 format in its pair of built-in speakers. Kodak provides 12 slideshow transitions to choose from. These slideshows can be created from specific folders/ albums available in Kodak’s gallery. These online gallery albums can be shared with your friends who have Kodak’s wi-fi enabled picture frames.

Software package:

This digital photo frame comes with a bunch of software. The Kodak’s EasyShare package covers most of the applications such as moving, manipulating and sorting your images. You can also get connected to Kodak gallery website which extends its services to online sharing, storing and printing which can be done using PictBridge. However, the files can be moved effortlessly if it is connected to a system and by just a drag and drop between the computer and the frame’s internal memory or the frame’s memory card.

Connectivity:

Connectivity is EX-811’s main selling point. The unit’s wireless capability is the feature that attracts the consumers the most. Kodak has adopted the technology by which, you can send pictures taken hundreds of miles away to Kodak’s wireless Digital Photo Frame. It also has a high-speed USB2.0 connection. The Wi-Fi uses the 802.11g specification which can operate at 2.4GHz and can offer up to 54Mbps transmission speed. This picture frame supports memory such as Secure Digital, Memory Stick, Micro Drive, XD-Picture card, Multimedia card and compact flash.

Kodak EasyShare EX-811 Digital photo Frame is definitely quite impressive with its most attractive Wi-Fi capability, sharp display, 128MB of internal memory and user friendly interface. If you are really not care about its plastic like looks, its strong feature set makes it a great picture frame in your living room.

Kodak EasyShare EX811 Digital Picture Frame - Technical Specifications

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