If you are concerned about the quality of the image display of any particular digital frame, there are some important factors to consider.These include the resolution of the screen, its aspect ratio, any options for brightness and contrast, the depth of the color and the degree of the viewing angle.
Screen Resolution.
Screen resolution is measured by the number of pixels (smallest item of information) a screen is capable of displaying. As a general rule, the higher the screen resolution (or the more pixels that can be displayed), the better the image display quality will be. A good rule of thumb is that for any frame over 7″ never accept a resolution below 640×480 pixels.
Aspect Ratio.
The aspect ratio of an image is the relationship between an image’s height and width. Digital frames usually come in one of 2 aspect ratios: 4:3 or portrait or 16:9 (close to those numbers) or widescreen. Most digital cameras use the 4:3 aspect ratio. Therefore, a digital frame with an aspect ratio of 4:3 may fit your photos the best. One of the problems with aspect ratios of 16:9 is that in order for an image to be displayed, it may have to be cropped at the top or the bottom which could lead to poor image display quality. However, this ratio may work very well for photos of landscapes.
Brightness and Contrast.
In order to get the best image display quality possible, it is always best to choose a frame that gives the user the ability to control the brightness and contrast. A higher standard of image display quality occurs when a bright screen has a high contrast ratio of the brightest color to that of the darkest color. If the ratio is too low, the photos may look faded or washed out. A contrast ratio such as 300:1 is good while 400:1 or more is excellent.
Depth of Color.
The depth of the color also greatly affects the image display quality of a digital frame. Without getting too technical, the number of colors and shades of gray that can be displayed on a screen are determined by the number of bits used to represent each pixel. 256 different colors or shades of gray can be displayed on an 8-bit screen. A 24-bit display can exceed 16 million different colors. The ideal screens are those that support a 30-bit or higher display.
Viewing Angle
The viewing angle is also important for optimal enjoyment when viewing pictures on a digital frame. Select a frame that can display images from all different angles, not just when standing in front of the screen. Except for very small frames, do not accept less than a 65 degree viewing angle so that your photos can be enjoyed from anywhere in a room.
