Why Are So Many Digital Picture Frames 16:9?

Written on Nov 30, 2008 by Brian and filed under Knowledge Base

We hit on aspect ratio in all of our reviews, but the issue of standard aspect (4:3) vs. widescreen aspect (16:9) is still confusing and as one reader emailed today, “What gives?” It’s an important feature to understand when selecting your frame and for many, a widescreen aspect ratio eliminates a frame from consideration right away.

Before we get more into the discussion, here’s the email we received today from Wayne:

Can y’all tell me why on EARTH so many new frames are 16:9? I hardly see ANY new cameras that are 16:9…and about, oh–say, 0% of my iPhoto library is in 16:9.

What gives?

Wayne’s email isn’t the first comment or email we’ve received on the topic, and like Wayne, we too often wonder about the purpose of 16:9 aspect ratios. When frames use a widescreen like that, it means you have to alter your photos to fit the display, as almost all photos are shot in standard aspect ratio. The easiest ways to do this are on-frame tools like cropping images, or zooming in to fill the screen. But neither option is ideal and in worst cases leads to heads chopped out of pictures and so on.

We think there are two possible reasons for the recent surge in widescreen digital frames. First, and most likely, frame makers are trying to make their product appear cool by appealing to the widescreen phenomenon that is taking place in the HD television space. But unlike DVDs and high-def content from television stations, our pictures are shot almost entirely in standard aspect ratio. So appealing to consumers by trying to seem hip isn’t very helpful.

Another reason we could be seeing certain size frames in widescreen has to do with cost. The panels used for displays in digital frames are the most expensive component. They’re also all stamped from single sheets, so the more panels you can get per sheet, the cheaper the unit cost will be for each. We’ve seen this in the notebook space where a manufacturer will make display decisions based on the number of panels per sheet. While this reason may be less of an issue than the one above, it’s still worth noting as a possibility. 

Whatever the reasons, frame buyers are better off going with 4:3 screens right now than the wiescreen alternatives. While Kodak, who is the largest player in teh frame space, still works with widescreen frames, we’re seeing some positive signs of change. Sony, who just released their second generation frames, switched from widescreen to standard, a big move for a company like Sony. 

As you shot be sure to consider screen aspect ratio and we’ll make sure to mention it it all of our reviews and in our product database.

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