Labs

While the Kodak and ATMT frames in this group also feature all black designs, neither looks quite as good as the Varnam. Its styling may be simple, but the glossy plastic is effective, and the lower edge of the surround is the natural home for a discreet row of touch sensitive controls.

We found these easy to use, with a button to launch the menu and five navigational keys to work your way through the options. The menu system is

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quite extensive: there are facilities for selecting photo, videos, music or a combination of these, and even some basic image editing tools.

Convenience features include the ability to make the frame switch on and off at certain times, which is ideal if you want to leave it playing in the corner of a room without having to attend to it. The supplied remote control makes all of these functions available from the other side of the room, too.

Image quality was among the best we've seen. As with the AG Neovo, the 800x480 resolution packs as many pixels into eight inches as its 10 inch rivals can offer, and in the Varnam's case every pixel is used well, producing sharp edges and rich colour. It was only very close up that we noticed any pixellation at all. As well as photos, the unit will handle movie formats including AVI.

The combination of superb picture quality, stylish design and features make this our favourite photo frame in the group. The only reason to look elsewhere is if you want a larger size.