Labs

Pictorea's offering is the largest frame this month by quite a distance: it's a 15 inch behemoth that dwarfs all the others on test. It also comes closest to resembling a proper picture frame,and a stylish one at that, with the light wooden surround and white insert giving it an airy, modern feel.

As a result, we started out really wanting to like the Pictorea. Sadly, it wasn't to be. The resolution of 1024x768 sounds

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high, but given its larger dimensions this unit has about the same number of dots per inch as most of the others, and it doesn't make the best use of them. The image didn't look as sharp, with small details lost to blurring. Colour reproduction wasn't brilliant, either, with the default settings making images appear slightly pale, and other options making colours far too bright.

The supplied remote control makes operation easier than fiddling with buttons on the frame itself, but the menu system leaves something to be desired compared to rivals; rather than dedicated software with a full range of options, it's reminiscent of the on-screen display you'd use to adjust a monitor, with only a tiny selection of settings.

Despite its size and initial attractiveness, we couldn't justify spending £200 on the Pictorea. Image quality and features can't compete with most of the other frames, and although the wooden surround looks great, you wouldn't have to spend much for the equivalent in IKEA.