{"id":1612,"date":"2021-09-08T06:43:34","date_gmt":"2021-09-08T06:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pix-star.com\/blog\/?p=1612"},"modified":"2022-02-10T09:55:10","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T09:55:10","slug":"smartparts-digital-picture-frames","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pix-star.com\/blog\/comparisons\/smartparts-digital-picture-frames\/","title":{"rendered":"Are the Smartparts Digital Picture Frames Any Good?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are Smartparts digital picture frames better than Pix-Star\u2019s frames?<\/h2>

Smartparts digital picture frames<\/a> are aimed at the budget, low-end of the market. By contrast, Pix-Star\u2019s frames are some of the most versatile and premium digital frames available at the moment. These two frames aren\u2019t on the same playing field \u2013 but it\u2019s still a worthwhile comparison to make.The first crossroad you\u2019ll come across when looking for a digital frame is whether to buy a premium or budget frame. We almost always recommend a premium frame as they\u2019re so much more versatile and have features that cater to families more effortlessly.Pix-Star\u2019s frames have a 1024×768 display; whereas Smartparts digital picture frames only have an 800×600 display. Photos on the Pix-Star\u2019s 4:3 aspect ratio display are going to be clearer, more immersive, and suffer less from cropping and distortion. 4:3 displays naturally match most of the photos we take on smartphones and cameras, but 16:9 displays suffer from several issues.Pix-Star\u2019s frames offer much more versatility when you look at slideshows and sending pictures. Slideshows can be customized to let you include selected sources. Additionally, you can control the play order & frequency of the photos in slideshows. You can set the frame to include recently added photos more frequently, ignore small photos, and even only show new photos. Smartparts frames have only a fraction of the personalization that Pix-Star\u2019s frames do.The true difference is seen when you consider Pix-Star\u2019s free-for-life cloud storage. All of your photos are automatically backed up to the cloud. You can manage the cloud storage for all of your frames via the web dashboard. Here you can manage & control up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames from a single account. You can change their settings, start slideshows, adjust slideshow settings, manage local & cloud storage, and much more.Pix-Star\u2019s frames come with a mobile app called the Pix-Star Snap. This app lets you send pictures to the frame from anywhere in the world. You can send up to 250 photos to several frames at the same time. Additionally, the app lets you send videos and audio messages to any Pix-Star frame as long as you have its unique email address.Smartparts digital frames only have 128MB of internal storage; whereas Pix-Star\u2019s frames have 8GB plus cloud storage. Both frames can use USB\/SD cards to view slideshows from or to virtually expand the frame\u2019s storage space. Pix-Star then also has free cloud storage added into the mix.Pix-Star\u2019s frames are the more capable and versatile choice. They\u2019re better suited to 2021 and beyond. While Smartparts frames aren\u2019t bad for their price, that whole section of the market is rather outdated and not the best choice for families and elderly users. It\u2019s worth saving up a little longer and getting a premium frame like the Pix-Star.<\/p> <\/div>

How to send photos to Smartparts digital picture frames?<\/h2>

Since Smartparts digital frames don\u2019t have a mobile app or web dashboard, the only way to send and view photos on the frame is by USB\/SD card. The photos loaded need to match the frame\u2019s aspect ratio and resolution to avoid issues with cropping, distortion, and being boxed in. You can use both USB\/SD cards (avoid card or drives larger than 32GB) to add photos, videos, and audio files to the frame. Make sure the added media is in a compatible format to avoid any viewing issues.The OptiPix software lets you send photos to the frame via USB. This software is meant to optimize photos for displaying on the frame by adjusting their orientation, size, format, etc. In practice, this software is a little buggy and doesn\u2019t always get it right. You\u2019re probably better off getting a frame that naturally matches the aspect ratio of the photos sent from smartphones and cameras. Learn how to send photos from your phone to a digital frame here!<\/a><\/p> <\/div>

How to use Smartparts digital picture frames?<\/h2>

Plug the Smartparts digital frame into the power outlet using the power adapter. Manually turn on the frame (note that this can take few tries) and wait for the frame to start up. Many Smartparts digital frames have been reported to be dead on arrival. Make sure to keep the original packaging and accessories in case you need to send the frame back or have it replaced.Load the photos you want to view on the frame onto a USB\/SD card \u2013 make sure they\u2019re in one of the supported file formats. Insert the USB\/SD card into the frame\u2019s relevant port and wait for it to register the card\/drive. Now you can start slideshows on the photos on the USB\/SD card. Note that in many cases, you\u2019ll need to copy the files across to the frame\u2019s 128MB internal storage before they can be viewed in slideshows.<\/p> <\/div>

Can Smartparts digital picture frames play videos?<\/h2>

Smartparts digital picture frames can play both videos and audio files. These files can be sent to the frame by USB\/SD card, though you need to ensure they\u2019re in a compatible format \u2013 or they won\u2019t be read or accepted by the frame.Note that the display only has an 800×600 panel and videos won\u2019t appear very sharp. Make sure to manually resize and scale down the resolution of the videos to match those of the frame. If you don\u2019t, the frame might automatically zoom in or crop the video \u2013 or box it in with black pillar bars (depending on the photo-viewing settings you choose).Audio files can be played through the frame\u2019s internal speakers. The volume isn\u2019t very high and won\u2019t be able to fill a room \u2013 but it\u2019s a nice feature to have along with video playback. Note that videos can\u2019t be included in slideshows and that you can\u2019t play audio files over slideshows. There\u2019s also no way to connect the frame to external speakers for headphones like you can with the Pix-Star.<\/p> <\/div>

Do Smartparts digital picture frames come with a mobile app?<\/h2>

Smartparts digital picture frames don\u2019t come with a mobile app. It\u2019s very uncommon to find cheap or budget frames with a mobile app \u2013 so it comes as no surprise here. The OptiPix software lets you send photos from your computer to your frame, but this still needs to be done via a USB cable and isn\u2019t comparable with what a mobile app can do.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s how Smartparts digital picture frames hold up against other top frames. Learn more here!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n