{"id":2432,"date":"2022-01-24T04:02:27","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T04:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pix-star.com\/blog\/?p=2432"},"modified":"2022-01-24T04:02:29","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T04:02:29","slug":"digital-picture-frame-skylight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pix-star.com\/blog\/comparisons\/digital-picture-frame-skylight\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the Digital Picture Frame by Skylight Worth the Money?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Can the digital picture frame by Skylight play video & audio?<\/h2>

The digital picture frame by Skylight supports both video and audio playback, but it\u2019s a feature that\u2019s locked behind the Skylight Plus subscription paywall. Even when active, Skylight Plus only lets you play 1-minute video clips on the frame.For comparison, Pix-Star\u2019s digital frames<\/a> don\u2019t charge any extra fees, yet they let you play 2-minute video clips, include videos in slideshows, set them to play muted, and more. Pix-Star also offers great audio support as you can play music (from a connected USB\/SD card) and radio over slideshows. You can even connect the frame to external speakers\/headphones via either the USB port or the 3.5mm audio jack.While Skylight digital picture frames let you play video and audio, it\u2019s not functional enough to be a practical choice for the modern home & family. We suggest going for a non-subscription digital picture frame like the Pix-Star. You\u2019ll get better value for money, a more robust feature set, and reliable and easy-to-use real-world performance.<\/p> <\/div>

Does the digital picture frame by Skylight have a 4:3 aspect ratio?<\/h2>

The digital picture frame by Skylight uses a 16:9 aspect ratio. This aspect ratio is not ideal for a digital picture frame<\/a> as it doesn\u2019t naturally match the aspect ratio that our smartphones and cameras capture photos in. While it might be the better choice for video playback, it\u2019s not a focus feature for digital frames.The issue with 16:9 displays is that almost every photo needs to be manually edited. If left unedited, you will have to deal with photos being surrounded by black pillar bars to fill the space around the picture. Alternatively, some frames automatically crop the photos (which rarely works well) or stretch them to fit the display.The best aspect ratio for a digital picture frame is 4:3. This matches most modern smartphones and does a far better job at matching the 3:2 aspect ratio of most cameras (note that 3:2 digital frames are very uncommon). You\u2019ll enjoy more immersive slideshows with fewer compatibility and display errors.<\/p> <\/div>

How does the digital picture frame by Skylight compare with Pix-Star\u2019s frame?<\/h2>

The main difference between the digital picture frames by Skylight and Pix-Star\u2019s frame<\/a> is the optional Skylight Plus subscription plan. Without this plan being active, Skylight\u2019s frame becomes no better than most cheap or mid-range frames. You can\u2019t remotely send photos, there\u2019s no video or audio support, no cloud storage, no online access or remote-control functionality, and no ability to create custom albums and folders.Pix-Star\u2019s frames offer all of these features \u2013 and extra \u2013 without charging a cent extra. You get free-for-life cloud storage, robust remote-control access, web album support, video & audio support, USB\/SD card support (with plug & play), extensive offline functionality, access to both a mobile app & web interface, and much more.Pix-Star\u2019s frames offer much better value for money and versatility \u2013 especially when you consider the overall cost over the frame\u2019s life (including Skylight\u2019s subscription fee). Pix-Star\u2019s frames are one of the few premium frames that cater specifically to both elderly users and families. Their 4:3 aspect ratio is far better suited to displaying photos taken on smartphones and cameras than Skylight\u2019s 16:9 display (which often leaves photos boxed in by black bars or cropped\/distorted).<\/p> <\/div>

Can the Skylight digital picture frame be remotely controlled?<\/h2>

Only some of the Skylight digital picture frame\u2019s features can be managed online (without needing to affect the changes on the frame in person). It\u2019s not the most robust feature as you can only share, view, and download photos online. It\u2019s a feature that\u2019s managed via the mobile app.Unfortunately, this online access is locked behind the Skylight Plus premium subscription plan. Without purchasing this plan, you don\u2019t have access to the Skylight mobile app, and you can\u2019t access your frame\u2019s content online.By contrast, Pix-Star\u2019s frames offer a robust remote-control feature without charging any extra hidden or recurring fees. You can manage and control up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames from a single user account. This can be done from anywhere in the world via your frame\u2019s web dashboard (or via your multi-frame control account). You can adjust your Pix-Star frame(s) general and slideshow settings, start slideshows and change their sources, update firmware, remotely manage local & cloud storage, import photos from social media & photo-sharing platforms, and much more.<\/p> <\/div>

Does the digital picture frame by Skylight charge a subscription fee?<\/h2>

The digital picture frame by Skylight is one of the handful of premium frames that charge an additional (optional) subscription fee. We rarely recommend choosing these subscription-based frames as several competing frames offer the same \u201cpremium\u201d features without charging a cent extra.The Skylight Plus subscription fee \u2013 while optional \u2013 is required if you want to send photos to the frame by email or through the mobile app. It\u2019s also required if you want to enable and access cloud storage and the ability to access your photos, storage, and some other features online. Both video playback and the ability to send videos are also locked behind this subscription paywall.For comparison, Pix-Star\u2019s digital picture frames are cheaper than the Skylight frame and they don\u2019t charge any extra or recurring fees. Pix-Star offer free-for-life cloud storage, automatic backups, USB\/SD card support (with the plug-and-play feature), web albums (importing photos directly from social media to your frame\u2019s internal storage), access to both the Pix-Star Snap mobile app and the Pix-Star web interface, Pix-Star\u2019s remote-control feature<\/a>, and both video & audio playback support (videos can also be included in slideshows).Other popular digital picture frames like Nixplay also charge these additional recurring premium subscription fees. When you consider the total overall cost of these subscription-based digital picture frames \u2013 over their entire lifespan \u2013 they\u2019re significantly more expensive than other premium frames. Even Aura\u2019s frames (some of the most expensive non-subscription digital frames on the market) are cheap by comparison.With several top digital picture frames like the Pix-Star, Dragon Touch<\/a>, and others, offering great feature sets and solid real-world performance, there aren\u2019t many reasons to choose subscription-based digital frames over them. You\u2019ll get better value for money, great versatility, and a digital picture frame that effectively caters to the needs of the modern home & family!<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Learn more about the digital picture frame Skylight sells here! We discuss features, value for money, subscriptions, and more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2433,"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