{"id":3071,"date":"2022-03-07T10:04:17","date_gmt":"2022-03-07T10:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pix-star.com\/blog\/?p=3071"},"modified":"2022-03-07T10:04:19","modified_gmt":"2022-03-07T10:04:19","slug":"the-only-nixplay-photo-frame-review-youll-ever-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pix-star.com\/blog\/comparisons\/the-only-nixplay-photo-frame-review-youll-ever-need\/","title":{"rendered":"The Only Nixplay Photo Frame Review You\u2019ll Ever Need!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How does the Nixplay photo frame work?<\/h2>

The Nixplay photo frame is a smart digital frame. It works through a combination of Wi-Fi connectivity, a connection to the cloud servers, and the Nixplay mobile app. You can send photos to the frame via the mobile app and email. Incoming photos are saved to the frame\u2019s internal storage after being saved to the cloud. It\u2019s worth noting that cloud storage is limited to 10GB. You can\u2019t delete any of these photos or access your Nixplay frame\u2019s cloud storage unless you pay for the Nixplay Plus monthly subscription.Nixplay\u2019s photo frames are subscription-based digital frames. Most features are locked behind the subscription paywall. These \u201clocked\u201d feature includes video & audio support, expanding cloud storage, access to the mobile app, online access to cloud storage, and more.This leads to a major issue with Nixplay\u2019s frames; namely, they don\u2019t offer many \u201cfree\u201d features. For example, you can only send a couple of photos by email to one Nixplay frame at a time. You can\u2019t edit or manage cloud storage. The frame offers minimal offline functionality and cloud storage runs out quickly. You\u2019ll learn more about the Nixplay Plus monthly subscription in the next section.Note that Nixplay\u2019s digital frames don\u2019t have USB\/SD card support. There is no way to load photos to the frame while offline. You can\u2019t edit photos or change playlists while offline. It\u2019s naturally not a great option for families and elderly users \u2013 especially when compared to frames like the Pix-Star. With Pix-Star, you get great offline features and slideshows, interconnectedness, and features built for both families and grandparents (and no monthly fees)!<\/p> <\/div>

Does Nixplay charge monthly fees for their digital frames?<\/h2>

Nixplay \u2013 along with other frames like the Skylight frame \u2013 charge monthly fees. It\u2019s an annual\/monthly subscription called \u201cNixplay Plus\u201d and is required to unlock features like cloud storage, the mobile app, online access to the frame\u2019s storage, custom playlists, video & audio, etc.This has become quite a contentious issue on platforms like Amazon. Many users weren\u2019t made explicitly aware of the subscription (or didn\u2019t pay enough attention to the fine print). After a couple of months when their 10GB of \u201cfree\u201d cloud storage fill up, they were left with no option. Either upgrade to the Nixplay Plus monthly subscription or stop loading new pictures to the frame.You can manage your cloud storage, delete photos, or move them around without paying for Nixplay Plus. You can only send photos to the frame by email (and only a handful of photos at the same time). The use of the mobile app is locked behind the paywall too.While you might think that 10GB is a lot of free cloud storage, in practice, it fills up very quickly. Nixplay only applies photos compression when syncing a photo from the Nixplay cloud to their frames. For example, a 10MB photo (which is quite standard for high-quality smartphone cameras) on the Nixplay cloud may be compressed to around 500KB when synced to the frame. This compression isn\u2019t applied to the cloud-based copy. If you send a take a lot of photos on your smartphone or camera, Nixplay\u2019s free 10GB cloud storage won\u2019t last long.We don\u2019t recommend buying these subscription-based Wi-Fi digital frames \u2013 especially for families and grandparents. Several other top Wi-Fi frames like the Pix-Star offer the same feature (and often better features) without charging a cent extra. Pix-Star\u2019s frames have the same base price as Nixplay\u2019s 10-inch smart frames, yet they don\u2019t charge any extra fees.For reference, Pix-Star offers free-for-life cloud storage. You get access to both a mobile app (Pix-Star Snap) and a web interface. Each Pix-Star frame is remotely configurable, can import photos directly from social media, and can send & receive photos from anywhere. Pix-Star offers better slideshow controls and offers extensive USB\/SD card support. You\u2019d get much better value for money \u2013 particularly in the long run \u2013 with Pix-Star\u2019s frames.<\/p> <\/div>

How to send photos to Nixplay frames?<\/h2>

Nixplay\u2019s frame charge monthly fees to unlock most photo-sharing methods. If you choose not to cough up the extra cash for Nixplay Plus, you\u2019ll only be able to send photos by email. Sadly, it\u2019s a very limited feature. You can only send to one Nixplay frame at a time and can only load a handful of photos in one go. There\u2019s no way to send videos and audio files to Nixplay\u2019s frames by email.If you decided to pay for Nixplay\u2019s monthly subscription fee, you get access to the Nixplay mobile app. Here you can send photos from your phone\u2019s gallery to any of your Nixplay frames. The setup process is much slower than we\u2019d have liked. Unlike other top frames like the Pix-Star, Nixplay requires each user to create an account to use the mobile app. This is a major headache for big families and elderly users.For comparison, Pix-Star\u2019s frames let you send pictures to any\/all of your frames through several methods. Send photos over email to several receiving frames at the same time. Use the Pix-Star Snap mobile app to send up to 250 photos to several Pix-Star frames in one go. Import photo albums from external sources like social media directly to any of your Pix-Star frames.Insert a USB\/SD card loaded with photos, video, and audio files to your Pix-Star frame. Use Pix-Star\u2019s plug & play feature to play slideshows directly off the USB\/SD card without copying anything to internal storage first. Pix-Star offers all of these features without charging any monthly fees or extra hidden costs.<\/p> <\/div>

How many photos do Nixplay\u2019s smart frames hold?<\/h2>

Each Nixplay smart frame has 8GB of internal storage. This is standard for most premium digital frames and is enough for between 10,000 to 30,000 photos. Exact numbers depend on the size of photo files, photo resolution, pre-applied compression, aspect ratio, and whether or not you choose to store videos on the internal storage.Nixplay\u2019s main issue is its limited cloud storage. Without paying for the Nixplay Plus monthly subscription, you only get 10GB of cloud storage. Nixplay only compressed photos when they\u2019re synced from the cloud to the Nixplay frame \u2013 not when you load them to the cloud (via email or mobile app).For example, if you send a 10MB photo from your phone to a Nixplay frame, it will first be saved to the cloud \u2013 using up 10MB of your free 10GB allotment. This photo is compressed when synced to the Nixplay frame (~500KB), which is significantly smaller. In the end, you\u2019ve used 10MB of your cloud storage space, but only 500KB of internal storage. That initial free 10GB won\u2019t last long if you like to send photos taken on modern smartphones and cameras \u2013 making much of your internal storage space useless.<\/p> <\/div>

Can I play videos and songs on Nixplay digital photo frames?<\/h2>

Nixplay lets you play 15-second video clips for \u201cfree\u201d. To extend this video support, you\u2019ll need to pay for the Nixplay Plus subscription package. This is a monthly fee (that can be paid annually) that\u2019s required to unlock features like the mobile app, video & audio, cloud storage, custom playlists, online access to cloud storage, and more. If you choose to pay for the Nixplay Plus subscription, you can play 1-minute video clips. Send videos to the Nixplay frame by mobile or web app (requires Nixplay Plus) or by email.As for audio support, Nixplay\u2019s frames can only play the audio of video clips. There\u2019s no way to load audio-only files like songs or voice messages. A common way to do this \u2013 with other top frames \u2013 is by reading audio files from a connected USB\/SD card. You can play these files over slideshows or individually by browsing the inserted USB\/SD card.For comparison, Pix-Star\u2019s digital smart frames offer great audio and video support. They don\u2019t charge any monthly or annual fees, yet offer more extensive support. Send and play video clips with a maximum length of up to 2-minutes. Set these videos to include in slideshows (or not) and to play muted by default.Pix-Star\u2019s frames can receive voice messages from the Pix-Star Snap mobile app. alternatively, load the desired audio files to a compatible USB\/SD card, insert it into the frame, and play them over slideshows (or individually). You can even connect your Pix-Star frame to external speakers and headphones for enhanced immersion and improved audio quality!<\/p> <\/div>

Nixplay vs Pix-Star: Which frame is better for the money?<\/h2>

The most immediate difference between Pix-Star and Nixplay\u2019s frames is that Nixplay charges monthly fees, Pix-Star doesn\u2019t. The Nixplay Plus subscription is required to unlock features like cloud storage (beyond 10GB), video playback (from 15-seconds to 1-minute clips), access to the mobile app and web app, custom playlists, and more. By stark contrast, Pix-Star offers all of this feature \u2013 along with many more \u2013 without charging any recurring subscription fees.With Pix-Star\u2019s Wi-Fi photo frames you get free-for-life cloud storage, video & audio (2-minute clips), USB\/SD card support, web albums (importing photos from social media directly), remote configuration support, more slideshow controls, and a more capable mobile app & web interface.Pix-Star\u2019s frames are better for families thanks to their robust feature set and remote configuration support. Use the web interface to manage and control up to 25 Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world. You can adjust their settings, start & manage slideshows, update firmware, manage cloud storage, link new web albums, adjust slideshow settings, and much more. This is the ideal setup for elderly users and big families.Pix-Star\u2019s frames use a 4:3 aspect ratio; whereas Nixplay uses a 16:9 display. Since most modern smartphones capture photos in 4:3, Pix-Star\u2019s displays will face fewer cropping and distortion issues. You have more control over which files and folders are included in slideshows via Pix-Star\u2019s media library. You can even start slideshows directly off a connected USB\/SD card. Nixplay doesn\u2019t support USB\/SD card and as such, offer very limited offline functionality.Pix-Star and Nixplay have very similar upfront sales prices. Nixplay\u2019s frames are barely more functional than most mid-range frames without purchasing the Nixplay Plus subscription. When you factor in the cost of that subscription over the frame\u2019s lifespan \u2013 it becomes one of the most expensive frames on the market. By comparison, Pix-Star\u2019s frames are much cheaper, more versatile, and pack features better suited to the modern home & family!<\/p> <\/div>

Can Nixplay\u2019s Wi-Fi picture frames work offline?<\/h2>

Nixplay Wi-Fi picture frames offer very limited offline use. Even if you choose to pay for the Nixplay Plus monthly subscription package, most features don\u2019t work offline. Nixplay\u2019s smart frame has 8GB of internal storage. However, they don\u2019t support USB\/SD cards. This USB\/SD card support \u2013 along with internal storage \u2013 are the main requirements for offline functionality.For example, with Pix-Star\u2019s frames, you get extensive offline use. Insert a USB\/SD card loaded with photos, videos, and audio files into the frame\u2019s relevant ports. Pix-Star\u2019s plug & play feature then lets you start slideshows directly off the inserted USB\/SD card. You don\u2019t need to copy anything to the frame\u2019s internal storage first. You can read and play audio files over slideshows, along with videos and pictures. Pix-Star doesn\u2019t limit the maximum size of compatible USB\/SD cards, giving you access to unlimited storage space.With Nixplay, you can\u2019t change slideshows while the frame is offline. You\u2019ll need to start a slideshow while the frame is offline. You can then disconnect from Wi-Fi. The slideshow will continue without Wi-Fi. If you want to change the slideshow, edit pictures, or adjust several slideshow settings, you\u2019ll need to reconnect to Wi-Fi.Nixplay requires that all photos in slideshows need to be synced from the cloud. There\u2019s no way to load photos to the frame while it’s offline. This is also the case with the Skylight frame and the Aura frame lineup. We don\u2019t recommend buying a Wi-Fi digital frame that doesn\u2019t offer offline use. It\u2019s an essential feature for most homes. It\u2019s particularly important for grandparents and families that don\u2019t have constant Wi-Fi connectivity. It also leaves to less vulnerable to cases where the company servers go offline \u2013 or go out of business (something we\u2019ve seen happen with Meural\u2019s frames).<\/p> <\/div>

Is Nixplay different from Nix?<\/h2>

Both Nixplay and Nix fall under the \u201cNixplay\u201d brand umbrella. The Nixplay smart frame lineup is a Wi-Fi-capable digital frame range. The Nix lineup are all non-Wi-Fi frames. They work using only USB\/SD cards and internal storage. By contrast, the Nixplay Wi-Fi frame range doesn\u2019t support USB\/SD cards. You can only load photos to them via email (unless you pay for the Nixplay Plus monthly subscription).Nix frames can\u2019t receive photos wirelessly and don\u2019t charge any monthly fees. There\u2019s no cloud storage or online access. On the other hand, Nixplay\u2019s Wi-Fi photo frames don\u2019t work offline. There\u2019s a monthly subscription fee that\u2019s required to unlock features like cloud storage, video & audio support, access to the mobile and web app, etc.Nixplay and Nix can often get confused with Pix-Star and Nexstar frames. Pix-Star\u2019s frames are premium Wi-Fi smart frames. They don\u2019t charge monthly fees and all features come fully unlocked when you buy the frame. You get free-for-life cloud storage, a mobile app and web interface, web albums (importing photo albums from social media), remote configuration support, video & audio, and much more.Nexstar frames are not well-known frames. They\u2019re budget frames that don\u2019t feature Wi-Fi or cloud functionality. These frames have multiple quality control issues and don\u2019t have the features or real-world performance to compete with Pix-Star, Nixplay, or even Nix digital frames.<\/p> <\/div>

Do Nixplay picture frames use touchscreens?<\/h2>

Only the newest Nixplay picture frame use touchscreens. Most of their older models use a combination of handheld remotes with onboard controls. We don\u2019t recommend buying a digital picture frame with a touchscreen. These touch panels are far more expensive when dealing with screen sizes larger than 8-inches. Since premium frames are almost always larger than 8-inches (usually between 10-inches to 15-inches), this leads to a much higher cost.To keep the frame competitive, these touchscreen digital frames often charge monthly fees. These monthly fees are used to unlock features like cloud storage, video & audio, mobile apps, etc. The main issue here is that many competing non-touch picture frames like the Pix-Star offer all the same features \u2013 without charging a cent extra.Touchscreens \u2013 especially those with glossy displays \u2013 scratch very easily. They\u2019re very reflective and difficult to see at an angle. The oil from your fingers leaves marks that smudge the display. You\u2019ll have to wipe the display after each use as these fingerprints are highly visible.Even a matte-finish touch display has unique issues. The oil and dirt from your fingers can be very hard to clean off, building up over time. This leaves you with an uneven display with darker and lighter patches \u2013 essentially ruining the viewing experience.Buying a touchscreen digital frame like Nixplay, that charges monthly fees, and has a glossy screen is not worth it. Competing frames like the Pix-Star have a great remote configuration feature that lets you manage and control all your frames from anywhere in the world via the web interface. These types of features make the touch-capable digital frame rather superfluous. You\u2019ll get better value for money from a non-touch premium Wi-Fi picture frame.<\/p> <\/div>

Are Nixplay\u2019s 10.1-inch digital frames battery-powered?<\/h2>

Nixplay\u2019s 10.1-inch digital frame needs to be plugged in at all times to function. This is the most common method for most top digital frames. Battery-operated digital frames are not popular in the premium end of the market. They don\u2019t have great longevity and rarely pack enough battery power to effectively provide Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity.Most battery-run digital frames are found in the cheap and mid-range of the market. This end of the market is notorious for offering very limited feature sets and poor real-world performance. Of course, the varies depending on the frame. Most battery-run frames have a battery life of 2 to 4-hours before needing recharging. They\u2019ll need to live near their charger most of the time \u2013 negating much of their inherent mobility advantage (which is their only primary advantage over standard digital frames).<\/p> <\/div>

Can Nixplay photo frames play slideshows directly from my social media profile?<\/h2>

You cannot import photos directly from social media sites to your Nixplay frame. You need to feed them to your phone first then send them to the Nixplay frame with the mobile app. Unfortunately, access to Nixplay\u2019s mobile app is locked behind a paywall. Without paying for the Nixplay Plus subscription, there\u2019s no way to send photos from your phone. You\u2019d only be able to do this by email. It\u2019s much slower and limits you to send only a couple of pictures at a time.By contrast, Pix-Star\u2019s frames offer a great feature for importing pictures from social media. This \u201cweb album\u201d feature supports a dozen external sources including Facebook, Instagram, Google Drive & Photos, Dropbox, Flickr, your computer, etc. They\u2019re imported right to the frame\u2019s internal storage and don\u2019t need to be synced elsewhere first. You can then start slideshows from these synced web albums, no matter where you are in the world (via the web interface\u2019s remote configuration support).<\/p> <\/div>

Are Nixplay smart photo frames worth the money?<\/h2>

When you take into account Nixplay\u2019s poor feature set, subscription paywall, awkward aspect ratio, and price, they\u2019re probably not worth the money. While Nixplay frames do have good quality displays, they\u2019re not very easy to use \u2013 particularly for families and elderly users.There\u2019s no way to import photos directly from social media or photo-sharing sites. You can\u2019t remotely configure your frames (as is offered by competing frames like the Pix-Star). You aren\u2019t able to start slideshows remotely or access cloud storage via a web interface. In summary, when compared with all else that\u2019s available on the market, Nixplay\u2019s frames don\u2019t offer enough value for money to justify in 2022.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We cover everything you need to know about the Nixplay photo frame! Learn if they’re worth the money with our ultimate guide to Nixplay!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3072,"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