Review: SmartParts SPX8WF
Written on Dec 23, 2008 by Thomas S. and filed under Reviews, Smartparts
The SmartParts SPX8WF is an 8” digital picture frame with a wireless connection for receiving Windows Live Photo Gallery images, RSS feeds, and pictures via email. Offering an 800×600 resolution display in a 4:3 format this frame lets you enjoy pictures sent from friends and relatives without even having to plug in a memory card or attach it to a computer (if you don’t want to that is).
SmartParts SPX8WF Specs
- 8” LCD (4:3 aspect ratio, 800×600 resolution)
- 512MB internal memory
- Supports SD, MMC, MS, xD, CF external memory
- USB connections for photos stored on thumb drives
- 802.11B/G Wi-Fi for Windows FrameIt, RSS Feeds, and Picture Email
- Built-in stereo speakers
- MSRP: $149.99
Design and Build
The SPX8WF looks like a traditional picture frame with a thick black border, inner white cardboard trim, and a smooth glass cover over the picture (or in this case the screen). For the standard tabletop with an assortment of pictures the SmartParts frame blends in well, if not slightly larger than normal with the bigger screen. Cable management is not a problem since the power cord hides behind the border of the frame and with careful routing you can hide the power cable all the way off the desk. The supplied AC adapter could be slightly longer, for tables that might not have a wall outlet directly behind them.
The construction of the frame is in line with other models in the same price range. The paint on the frame takes mild abuse well, without chipping paint off. Smudges from fingerprints wipe away without discoloring the surface, and the glass cover over the display helps protect the LCD from wandering fingers.
The stand could be designed better since it doesn’t take much to push it off balance. The leg has a rounded foot, so if you knock it back slightly it has enough wiggle room to topple over. A flat tab might provide a more solid footing. The stand also lacks a wide range of tilt adjustment which prevents it from leaning back as far as other models.
Display
I am a fan of the 4:3 screen format since almost all digital cameras shoot images in that aspect ratio. Widescreen may be nice for movies, but on a picture frame that just means large black borders if the images are not properly cropped for the screen.
The display looks very nice with saturated colors and a bright backlight to overcome glare from open windows or lots of overhead lighting. Backlight evenness is average with some brighter sections near the edges, but this is only noticeable when viewing solid colors like the menu system, not when viewing pictures. Viewing angles were good with a broad horizontal range before the image was overcome with glare off the glass screen cover. Vertical viewing angles were more limited, with the screen starting to distort colors on steep lower angles. In normal use this would not be a problem unless your eye level was well below the height of the picture frame. Viewing from a very steep angle above the frame showed little color inversion, which is a plus if you normally have seven or eight foot tall guests in your home.
Memory/Picture Sources
The SmartParts SPX8WF offers a wide range of picture sources, including internal memory, USB flash drives, memory cards, online photo galleries, and emails sent to it from friends and family. Each source can be chosen from the menu in either the photo or music sub-category.
The internal memory is useful to store images sent through email, as well as loading on images from a computer. With this picture frame supporting email, the main use of the internal memory went to storing those incoming pictures. With 512MB of internal storage this frame can handle thousands of standard camera phone sized images.
A full-size USB port is included to read pictures off of a thumb drive, which is great if you want to take advantage of the low price of high capacity drives that are being sold today. Some sticks as large as 32GB are being sold for under $100, which can easily store every picture you have probably ever taken.
The memory card slots are used for viewing pictures directly from a digital camera, taking the need for a computer out of the equation.
The coolest picture source on this digital picture frame is the wireless connection that can be used to display Microsoft Live photo galleries, RSS feeds, and receive images sent by email. Each of these frames offer a unique email address that is used to send pictures directly to the frame. I gave the address out to a few of my friends and my family during the review and just had the send in random pictures. Being able to see pictures of household pets, holiday preparations, or even travel experiences really has a way of connecting you even if you live on the other side of the country. Only approved senders can email the frame though, so don’t fear frame SPAM.
Display modes
This frame only has a few basic display modes, including the basic slideshow, a screen saver clock and calendar, and an RSS feed mode which might display weather, traffic, or news feeds.
The slideshow is customizable, letting you change the length of time between pictures, then type of transition between pictures, and what order you want the pictures to display. The transition times span from 5 seconds to 60 seconds, with my preferred time at 30 seconds. The transition mode type lets you customize the type of transition between pictures, such as certain sweeping modes or other effects. I kept it set to “random all” to keep mixing it up.
This frame supports basic music playing capabilities during slideshows and in the background of other activities. Audio performance is good enough to fill a small room, but easily out powered by a small boombox. Bass and midrange are completely lacking with the small speaker size, leaving only high frequency tones. The best use is playing light music during a slideshow.
The clock and calendar come on as a screensaver option, where after a certain period of inactivity the mode turns on. I could not find any other way to display this mode outside of the screensaver option.
The RSS feed mode changes greatly depending on what the source is. The frame offers some presets which include a weather location for monitoring local forecasts, traffic conditions for certain regions, and local news clips. Of course there’s the integration with Microsoft’s FrameIt service as well, which offers customizable news, weather, traffic and other content.
Menu system
The menu system was very polished looking, with more thought put into it than some frames like the HP df1000. The layout was simple to follow with clearly labeled buttons and descriptions which led you to the correct area even if it was your first time setting the frame up. To access the menu you could use both the buttons on top of the frame or the remote, which is a step above some frames which require the remote to handle any setting adjustment.
Navigating the menu worked well enough under most circumstances, but if the frame started to lag you might find yourself stuck in an area you didn’t want to go into. This meant backing out of certain areas frequently if you were in a rush to change a setting.
The wireless connection setup was painless, with a simple process to find available networks. Once you chose the network you want to connect to it detects the type of encryption automatically if it is enabled, and gives you a full keyboard to entire the passkey. I was connected onto my home network within about a minute of powering it up for the first time.
Pros
- Great screen
- Can view pictures sent through email with the Wi-Fi connection
- Support for RSS streams to bring in weather, traffic, and news
- Support for Windows Live Photo Gallery
Cons
- Frame stand doesn’t provide that much support or adjustment range
- Menu system can feel laggy at times
Bottom Line
The SmartParts SPX8WF has a bright and vibrant 8” screen, a wide range of memory input options, and a wireless connection which opens up countless extra features. Without even attaching this frame to a computer it can accept pictures sent from a cellphone and save them to internal memory. For older loved ones who might not own a digital camera or use a computer, this enables them to enjoy pictures from family even if they are located across the country. The Windows Live support also lets this frame view weather or traffic conditions and stream the latest news headlines. With a retail price of $150, this frame is priced to fit into many budgets.
4 out of 5 stars
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