For a digitally picture perfect moment

If all you dream about is getting the perfect shot, and framing it just so, these digital photo frames and camera may be just right for you, writes Shayne Rana.

Digital Photo Frames (DPFs) don't just offer a way to view your favourite photos; they also let you watch videos and play music. Here's a look at Kodak's latest offerings: the SV811 and the SV710.

Form

First off, the SV811 has an 8-inch TFT active matrix display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio. (Most digital cameras by default capture images in a 4:3 ratio which explains the black bars on those images ).

The SV710 has a similar 7-inch display with a 480 x 234 pixel resolution. Screen size apart, both have the same chic design.On one side behind the screen, you'll find the power switch and memory card slots. Both DPFs accept Secure Digital (SD), Multimedia Card (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), XD-Picture Card (xD), Compactflash (CF) and Microdrive (MD) type cards.

On the other side is the DC-in socket for the power adapter, a 3.5 mm earphone socket, volume control, standard USB v2.0 port for connecting pen drives, and the mini USB port for PC connectivity. The best part about these DPFs is the extendable stand. Both come with full function remotes and also have wall-mounting slots.

Features

The larger SV810 comes with 128 MB of internal memory. They're both compatible with MOV, AVI, MPEG 1 and 4 video formats, and JPEG and EXIF image formats. They also support mp3 audio files. Although they have inbuilt speakers, these are merely to add effects to slide shows, not for full-length movie viewing.

Performance

The clarity is simply superb, thanks to Kodak's brilliant Light Management Film. They both have a contrast ratio of 300:1 which is not bad at all. There's also an option to fit the image to the whole screen to avoid the black bars; but that evenly expands the image, causing it to losing bits around the four edges. These DPFs also have zoom options.

Files can be copied quite easily by dragging and dropping them into the SV811's internal drive or by using memory cards to do the same in the same DPF. The SV710 will show an external drive in the menu from where you can easily access your files.

All features can very easily be accessed via the wireless remote control.Other features include setting a specific time for the device to switch on and off automatically and compatibility with PictBridge for printing. The biggest issue with the frames is that they don't have any provision for internal battery packs to provide power. So you have to place the frame in a place that is close to a power socket.

Verdict

Aside from the fact that the SV811 and the SV710 both lack internal power sources, their displays are the best I've seen so far. The SV811 and SV710 cost ₹7,999 and ₹5,999 respectively, and I think they are quite worth it.

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