Labs

Digital photo frames

This month, we're testing a wide range of digital photo frames to suit all tastes and budgets, from 5.5in and 7in frames to large, imposing and expensive 10in models - all of which offer a diverse selection of features and design attributes.

There are several crucial factors to consider before buying a digital photo frame. Image quality is the number one consideration, but there are the features and accessories to think about, too. We also look at prices, to see which frame offers the best value for money.

Image Quality

To find out how good your photographs will look on the frames, we choose a library of sample images that reflect the sort of pictures that are likely be displayed in such a frame. These include all sorts of picture types, from family snaps to stunning vistas.

We examine closely how each frame reproduces each picture, analysing vibrancy of colour, sharpness of edges and overall clarity - all essential attributes.

We use a selection of black and white pictures to test how well the frames cope with extremes of dark and light, and images of water to see how well they handle complicated patterns such as shimmering surfaces.

To find out how well the frames deal with sharp, well-defined details, we use a selection of pictures, including snaps of buildings, which are particularly useful as there's plenty of geometric detail present in the architecture.

And, of course, one thing these frames have to be good at is displaying pictures of people convincingly. Our bank of test images contain a varied selection of portraits and family group pictures, so we can see how realistically the frames reproduce this most common of photograph types.

Features & Design

We also test the extra features that many of the frames offer. Several of the products on review this month are capable of playing MP3s, which is ideal for giving your holiday slideshows some background music, so we gather together some MP3 files and test the manufacturer's claims. The depth of sound and clarity of tone are important, as is the maximum volume - no-one wants to be drowned out by backing music, but it does need to be audible.

Some digital photo frames can handle video playback, too, sowe test them with a range offile formats to see which is the bestat handling movies.

We also examine the kind of features that are built into the frames. The range of connections on offer is hugely important, as there's a wide variety of memory cards, hard disks and thumbdrives you might have at home. USB ports, for instance, can come in both standard and mini varieties, so we note which frames have these ports in our feature table. We also pay careful attention to how many different types of memory card the frames accept, and test each frame with a range of cards (from SD to MS, CF to xD) all supplied by Kingston, Corsair and SanDisk.

Some frames also come equipped with suites of software for your PC that enable you to organise and, in some cases, edit your pictures. We put these under the microscope to find out which is the most useful and which aren't worth the discs they're burnt on.

Last, but not least, we consider the aesthetic appeal of each frame. As they're likely to be sitting in a fairly prominent position in your house, it's essential they look good. This is a largely subjective judgement, of course, but we also reward frames that have good build quality and sensible design features, such as stands that allow portrait and landscape orientations.

Value for Money

Our Value for Money score reflects the frames' success in light of their scores for Image Quality and Features & Design. The highest scores here go to the frames that deliver all-round top-notch performance at a decent price.

It's no good buying a frame with decent image quality, for example, if it looks awful. Similarly, there isn't much point in purchasing one that accepts dozens of memory cards but makes your pictures look grainy and washed out.

Overall

The Overall rating is a straight average of the Image Quality, Features & Design and Value for Money scores. Scores may appear higher or lower than expected due to rounding.