We’re over memory-card-only digital picture frames. The D-Link DSM-210suck down photos over Wi-Fi. An Internet connection grabs your latest images automatically from RSS feeds or a picture-publishing service. Even friends and relatives can upload pictures from anywhere.
However, this big-picture idea is problematic.
With a digital picture frame, bigger isn’t always better. The 10-inch screen size initially sounded like a boon for the DSM-210. But because of the 800-x-480-pixel resolution, object edges can look fuzzy up close. At least photos look bright and crisp from about 4 feet away, making this Wi-Fi frame ideal for a wall or distant desk corner.
Initially, we used the included remote to configure the frame for our wireless network. The free www.framechannel.com service added our RSS feeds and accepted manual photo uploads. You can also invite friends to directly email pictures, which is fun—as long as you trust their taste.
The pictures lacked color vibrancy, but they generally looked good. However, the 16:9 aspect ratio doesn’t match any standard cameras; DSLRs fill most of the space with their 3:2 aspect ratio, while most point-and-shoots will waste the sides unless you zoom or crop. And we had to reconfigure our FrameChannel details after unplugging the DSM-210.
The D-Link works better online but trades the CP1’s image clarity and the frame looks good from a distance but loses some of its luster on closer inspection.
Large screen size. Interchangeable white and black bezels. Optional, wired Ethernet connection. Plays MP3s. Online photo management.
Moderate resolution shows fuzzy image edges up-close. Weak scaling blurs images that are bigger than the screen resolution. Iffy touch-sensitive controls.
