[David C]

I’m curious if anyone is using digital photo frames in their Museums. We would like to purchase at least one (maybe two) for our Museum. If your Museum is using digital photo frames, do you have any recommendations on brands, specifications, etc ?

Our Museum is not wired for computers nor do we have WiFi, although we do have a computer (Windows XP). Anything we get will need to use a “thumb drive” or an SD memory card.

Thanks

David Cranston, Curator
Hadley Lake Luzerne Historical Society
52 Main St – PO Box 275
Lake Luzerne, NY 12846-0275

[Kaela Nurmi]

David,

I am reaching out to some experts and I will hopefully get back to you soon!

Best,
Kaela

[Kim R. Du Boise]

Hi David,

Apologies for taking so long to get back, but here are some of the questions that need to be considered when purchasing a digital frame. Any of this info that you can give will help Roy Canizaro, the electronic & time based media conservator on his recommendations for companies and a range of frames for your consideration.

Things to consider or decide for best recommendations:

-Maximum size of frame
-Room to be used in & light level for display (how large is the space & where located for viewing)
-Number of images or videos (sizes) will be displayed at any session on the frame
-Is electricity near where you plan to use the frame or do it need to be battery operated
-You mentioned flash drive or SD card, what about one with on-board memory loaded direct from your computer?
-Do you need motion sensing to start the program (sustainable)
-Do you wish to have auto on/off feature (energy saving)
-Do you wish to operate the frame by remote control or email functions
-What color for the front of the frame (edge)
-What range is the budget for the frame(s)
-You mentioned a possibility of two frames to purchase. Depending on the budget & other factors above, there may be options with some companies to discount additional frames.
-Does the frame have to play audio (music/voice) with the images

You can answer directly at labs@photoartsimaging.com or here on the thread.

All the best,
Kim Du Boise & Roy Canizaro

[David C]

Hi Kim,

I have repeated your questions below with my responses in parenthesis.

-Maximum size of frame (Probably no bigger than 15″, nor a viewing area smaller than 7″).
-Room to be used in & light level for display (Most of the rooms we would use it in are about 12’x15′. One room is brightly lit, like an average Living room. The other is very dim with dark wall paper. Hopefully we may be improving the lighting in that room within a year).
-Number of images or videos will be displayed at any session on the frame (Most images are currently about 4″x6″ although they have been scanned at 600 dpi so larger images might be possible. We currently have about 2000 scanned images, but all of them would not be shown. Probably not more than 25 at a time, then repeat the 25 images).
-Is electricity near where you plan to use the frame or do it need to be battery operated (Electric is nearby).
-You mentioned flash drive or SD card, what about one with on-board memory loaded direct from your computer? (On-board memory is okay provided it can be loaded from a USB. We use an old XP computer).
-Do you need motion sensing to start the program (Motion to start is not needed, but might be helpful).
-Do you wish to have auto on/off feature (Helpful, but not needed).
-Do you wish to operate the frame by remote control or email functions (Remote control yes. E-mail no. We have no internet access).
-What color for the front of the frame (Black, but silver or wood tone is acceptable).
-What range is the budget for the frame(s) (Very hard to say. We are a small organization with an operating budget of about $9,000 per year. Probably no more than $100-120 for one frame).
-You mentioned a possibility of two frames to purchase. Depending on the budget & other factors above, there may be options with some companies to discount additional frames (Would be nice, but our Board would probably not want to spend more than $120 total).
-Does the frame have to play audio with the images (Since we do have a few audio files, it would be the icing on the cake. Not needed if the final price is too high. Images would be our first priority).

[Kim R. Du Boise]

Good Afternoon, David.

Roy checked out the offerings of frames that meet your specs or most of them. He has found two that he feels will fit your needs, or any museum’s needs for smaller frames similar to your situation. One has a remote control, one does not.

These frames can be found on Amazon’s site, and you can look for these at local stores that carry these types of items. The other thing about Amazon is that you can get extended warranty for a small additional amount. This can be invaluable in case there is a problem. Tight budgets need to have some security when making an equipment purchase for public areas.

They are (in no particular order):

1) Nixplay Original 15 (15″ frame)
2) Mecca 15 Neo (15″ frame)

We do hope this helps you out & anyone else that may be thinking of getting a digital frame. Should you have any further questions, please let us know.

Happy Shopping!
Kim

[Author]

Posts