EDGE digital photo frame with MP3 player

We still think these need to come down some more in price before they really become commonplace, but $200 for a 5.6-inch digital photo frame with an MP3 player seems like a pretty good deal for those of us with our head 20 minutes into the future. The device comes complete with S-video and headphone connections, so you can also use it with a DVD player or game console if you were so inclined, but we know there's gotta be a ton of hacks you can do with this thing just waiting to be discovered.

[Via I4U]

[010111 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

i think the biggest problem i have with the various forms of fancy-pants LCD 'picture frames' is that they don't look anything like a picture. that is... they all emit light... real pictures don't emit light. a real picture hanging on the wall isn't going to light up a room at night. that makes it an *active* device. like a TV. it needs to move into the realm of a *passive* device in my opinion. where it sits there. changing pictures by itself automatically with a wireless connection to my iPhoto / PS Album collection. if i want to give a *real* active slide show i'd do it on an active device better designed for such a task... like say a TV or a computer. not a 5.6" LCD 'frame'. no thanks.

[Gabe @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

And I think that the next biggest problem with the various forms of fancy-pants LCD 'picture frames' is that THEY TEND TO SORT OF LOOK LIKE *CRAP*. I mean, can't they produce a frame that I would, like, actually BUY if I were in a frame shop?

Jeez...

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

DVD players with screens like this are in the sub-$200 range (even down to $149 at WalMart). If it's "just" going to show photos it should be cheaper - OR, some bright manufacturer (are you listening??) should add memory card slots and a USB host port for flash drives to a DVD player, those would sell pretty well I think. Especially the ones that have the drive slide out from the side and have a stand to prop them up... they're frame-like already.

[Marke @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

i'd like to know the resolution-- anyone?

[Wombat @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

A DIY attempt from a couple of years back (just don't look behind it..) http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/pictureframepc/

[eyad @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

I bought one of these digital picture frames about two years ago for my parents. IT SUCKED. They cheated on the resolution figures (ie. they posted something called "virtual" resolution, not the native one), it gets darned hot when operating, doesn't have a respectable internal memory, and the field of view wasn't impressive.

Don't know anything about this one tho.

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Sharp has a silicon-on-glass technology and they also have a license for Z80 circuit manufacture (Z80 is an 8-bit CPU chip for those youngsters). They've demoed a Z80 on glass - maybe sometime soon they will produce an all-in-one photo display with the CPU and the display all on the same glass substrate. That would bring the cost down a lot I think.

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

I went to the site to pick one up but, when you click on the rebate link there is no rebate listed for said item. Anyone know if there still is a rebate or not?

[webconnoisseur @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

I picked up one of these for my parents (for them to showcase their grandson) this Christmas. I have to say, I was quite impressed, with the multiple memory card slots, MMC, Memory Stick, CF, etc. Plus, the ability to play MP3s. Needless to say, they loved it! Hey I was even able to get rid of my old 28 and 32mb MMCs.

[Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

I bought a digital picture frame from the EDGE site a month ago for my grandparents for Christmas. While I've seen poor picture quality in older models from other manufacturers (for a lot more money, too), the picture clarity on the EDGE model is great, especially for the relatively low price. I liked it so much I picked up a second one yesterday - for my desk at work. Kudos to EDGE for coming out with a quality product in this category and at a good price. I've been waiting!

[Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

The rebate form on EDGE's site worked fine for me about 2 hours ago. Shows the rebate is still valid.

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Thanks for the heads up Dave. The rebate is back up on the Edge site, right at the top. If anyone cares, I found the same frame over at AVtech selling for $184.95 with free UPS ground shipping: http://avtechsolutions.com/he_photo_frames.htm. (Sounds better than $198.95 AFTER a mail-in rebate!)

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Of course, if you google it, you find it for $175 with an online coupon code and free UPS ground shipping over at: http://www.meritline.com/digital-photo-album-mp3-lcd.html

[Terrence @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

I bought the $175 version from Meritline. Not only is there a small crack in the frame, but the color is terrible (very green). Yuck! Hope they will take it back, but their website indicates I'm out the shipping cost.