Review: Sony DPF-D80
Written on Dec 5, 2008 by MKowalski and filed under Reviews, Sony
Stop in at your nearest electronics store this holiday season, browse through their selection of digital picture frames, and you may notice something interesting. Nearly every frame manufacturer wants to talk up all the stuff their latest frames can do besides display images. From video playback to web content on the latest devices, it’s almost as if the idea of a digital picture frame as a place to centralize your snapshots has become a secondary concern.
The 8″ Sony DPF-D80 (and nearly identical 10″ DPF-D100) bucks this trend, with a back to basics approach to features and functions that keeps image display front and center. Without built-in speakers, wireless Internet capabilities, or loads of internal memory, Sony has put all of its technological eggs in one basket with the D80 in an attempt to attract buyers who value great-looking images over all else.
Sony DPF-D80 Specs
- 8″ LCD (800×600, 4:3 aspect ratio)
- 256 MB internal memory
- Supports SD/SDHC, MMC, MS, xD, and CF external memory
- Mini USB connection
- Clock and calendar modes
Build and Design
Sony enjoys a reputation for building gadgets that are a cut above what you get from competitors in terms of design and construction. You’ll get no argument from the D80 on this score, as Sony serves up another great looking product that will feel right at home in a modern living room or on an executive desk.
Unlike many of its direct competitors, the D80 doesn’t try to hide its “digital-ness.” It’s not styled to look like a traditional print frame; in fact, the frame bezel can’t even be removed from the rest of the assembly. No interchangeable frames, multi-colored mats, or displays under glass here (although there is a clear plastic layer over the whole front of the frame that serves both functional/protective and aesthetic purposes). Just a straightforward device that looks more like a small computer monitor than a photo frame.
Unless you don’t care for modern styling, what’s not to like about the D80’s looks? The truth is, not much at all. Some may find the illuminated Sony logo on the frame’s front a cheesy touch, but you can turn off the logo’s backlight in the menu if it bothers you. From a design perspective, this is about the most serious criticism that can be leveled against this great looking frame.
The D80 is built almost entirely from black plastic. It’s a nondescript material, and comes across as a little bit generic at the D80’s price point, but you could alternatively call it part of the frame’s “intentional minimalism” if that sounds better to you.
No, that’s not an antenna at the bottom of the D80’s back panel. It’s actually the D80’s unique take on a stand. Flip the prop into its ball-and-socket joint’s locked position and it’s ready to support the frame in either portrait or landscape mode. Although it looks unconventional, with its strong joint and rubberized tip, it actually does a better job of keeping the D80 anchored in place than most built-in frame stands, and while it looks flimsy, this design actually makes this frame essentially impossible to tip.
Behind the trim ring on the right-hand side as you face the frame, you’ll find the D80’s power and four basic control buttons tucked neatly out of view. Three card reader slots sit farther inboard on the same side.
On the opposite face, you’ll find power and mini USB connections, with a single button up top providing quick access to view mode changes.
Multimedia fiends take note: You won’t find speakers anywhere on the D80. As costly as it is, this Sony supports neither video nor audio playback. Sony has also dropped out the HDMI output that was in some of their previous generation frames.
Memory/Picture Sources
The D80 supports a full range of memory card types – SD/SDHC, MMC, xD, CF, and of course, every known type of MemoryStick as well.
Transferring files from an external memory source to the device’s internal storage space is simple. Call up the on-screen menu, select “Add to Album,” and the D80 transfers either a single image, a group of selected images, or the entire contents of a card to the frame itself.
You’ll also find a mini USB connection for hooking the frame up to your computer. Sony’s known for being a bit picky about drivers and controller software, but thankfully, the D80 is plug-and-play ready and shows up as a typical mass storage device whenever you connect it. Files are then easily transferred to or from the frame’s memory in the same way that you’d move them around on your hard drive.
I was disappointed to realize that the D80 doesn’t provide a full-size USB port for transferring files from portable flash drives. These thumb drives are cheap, seemingly everyone has one, and they provide a convenient way for moving files from computers to other devices. But alas, no such luck with the D80.
As for the frame’s internal memory, you get a somewhat underwhelming 256 MB of storage space. The D80 can be set up to automatically resize images as they’re imported, and it’s probably a good idea to go this route in order to make the most of what this frame offers in terms of storage.
Display Modes
Although it doesn’t have multimedia capabilities, the D80 features five basic image display modes: single, multi, clock, calendar, and a random setting that intersperses different view types. As mentioned above, a large button on to of the D80 can be used to cycle the frame through its various modes once images have been loaded to the internal memory or a card is inserted.
Single view mode is a basic slideshow setting, in which one image at a time is displayed. Although you can’t add background music, the D80 has a nice range of slideshow options otherwise, with six shot-to-shot transition types and an interval setting that lets you hold images on the screen anywhere from three seconds to 24 hours.
You can also have the D80 display images in order by date shot or randomly shuffle them.
Multi view mode has the same basic list of options as single view mode, but in this case images are displayed in arrangements of two or three at a time.
Clock and calendar modes on the D80 provide a nice option for desktop use. Both are stylishly presented, with white lines on a black background and space for a single image on the opposite side of the display (the clock and calendar will alternate from the left to the right side of the display each time the image changes).
As with single view mode, you can specify the interval at which images are changed in these modes.
You can also view thumbnails of all photos from a particular card, or all images in the internal memory, by selecting “Index View” in the main menu.
Menu System
The D80’s menu system is clear, easily accessed, and easy to understand, putting the D80 light years ahead of some of its competitors in terms of usability. Most settings are handled through the basic on-screen menu, which pops up whenever you press the “Menu” button.
The options here are largely self-explanatory, mostly related to the slideshow settings for whatever view mode you’re in when you access the menu.
A few more general options can be found by selecting “Various Settings” from the main menu, which brings up a menu that’s almost identical in appearance to the main menu.
Some of the options in this list (”Slideshow Settings”, for instance) are entirely redundant, but this menu also provides access to some general performance settings, allows you to set the date and time and configure their display to your liking, and lets you configure the frame’s internal memory.
Since the D80’s two basic menus are both linear, down-the-page arrangements, navigating them using the up/down arrows and select button found on the side of the frame is easy enough. The D80 also comes packed with Sony’s basic frame remote, which makes moving settings adjustments even easier to handle.
Overall, while it doesn’t look especially flashy and has a few idiosyncrasies of its own, the D80’s menu system is, at its core, one of the better ones I’ve seen on a digital photo frame. In this case, simplicity is the key to success, with the D80 avoiding page after page of settings and options in favor of a menu that puts the few controls you really need for a digital picture frame right at your fingertips.
Display
The D80 and its sibling model, the D100, are the first Sony frames to move away from widescreen 16:9 aspect ratios in favor of a traditional 4:3 arrangement. Widescreen is the hip thing at the moment, but since the D80 and D100 are built exclusively for displaying images (remember: no speakers, and thus no video playback), the choice to go to an 800×600 display makes these devices fit much better with the one kind of content they handle.
As for the screen itself, the D80’s display is a thing of beauty. Images are sharp and punchy, with colors that almost jump off the screen. Side-to-side and top-down viewing angles are superior as well, meaning you’ll be able to see what’s going on on the D80’s screen from just about anywhere in the room (so long as you’re not looking up from floor level, that is).
Dig in to the “Various Settings” menu and you’ll find an option for “Screen Settings.” In this submenu, you can tailor the D80’s backlight and brightness characteristics, as well as change image and display orientation settings (the D80 will auto-detect both by default). What’s missing are contrast and tint controls, but to be fair, the D80’s display looks pretty darn good without any adjustment.
Extra Features
Not much to say in this category. The D80 really only does one thing: display images. Other than the previously noted clock and calendar views, the D80 is all about the slideshow. The ability to pull web content via WiFi might have helped spruce things up, as would video/audio playback capabilities, but lacking either of these, the D80 feels a little short on fancy features for its price.
Pros
- Great design and build
- Easy to use
- Fantastic 800×600 display
- Simple slideshow device with no useless bloat
Cons
- No A/V playback
- Price seems a little high
Bottom Line
The DPF-D80 is a “one trick pony” among photo frames. If you want a frame that looks good, has a great display, and doesn’t get in the way of showing off your images with useless features or terrible menus, the DPF-D80 is a great choice. Using the D80 is painless to the point that you’ll probably never even open the manual, and the images it displays look great – even better now that Sony has subbed in a 4:3 aspect ratio display instead.
There’s admittedly a lot that the D80 can’t do. Those looking for a multi-function home news and information station like some wireless frames provide should look somewhere else. In the same way, the D80 doesn’t waste anyone’s time pretending to be a video player (something most frames do poorly anyway).
If you want a frame that’s all about the images and don’t mind paying a little more for ease of use and a great screen, the D80 should be on your list.
4 out of 5 stars – Editor’s Choice
Have a comment about this article? Leave a comment in the DigitalPictureFrameReview.com forums.