PhotoVu intros 22-inch PV2265w wireless digital photo frame

PhotoVu, the same outfit that delivered a 19-inch digiframe, is now upping the ante once more with the "industry's first 22-inch high-resolution, widescreen wireless digital picture frame." This behemoth features a 1,680 x 1,050 resolution panel, built-in software for displaying RSS feeds, 300 cd/m2 brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and a USB 2.0 port for connecting a flash drive or external hard drive. Swank though it may be, the PV2265w won't run you cheap, as you'll be asked to cough up a whopping $1,299 to get this bad boy to your door.

[ferguskane @ Oct 11th 2007 9:46AM]

Good good, more environmentally friendly, necessary gadgets. Clearly we all need a 19", mains powered picture frame!

[anonymous @ Oct 11th 2007 9:56AM]

the only reason they can demand $1299 is because they seem to be the only one putting out large sized wireless capable versions. I say we need more competition so the prices will come down.

[Spanky @ Oct 11th 2007 9:56AM]

why the hell would I pay 1299 for a monitor with a little bit of computer behind it, I'd rather pay 299 for the monitor and than use the soon to be available wireless video connection with a mini computer.

[tv @ Oct 11th 2007 11:04AM]

Very true Spanky.. or if you've got the $1300 to blow, get an iMac.

[anonymous @ Oct 11th 2007 12:07PM]

@ tv

why would I get an imac? I don't want an all in one on my desk. I want to hang it on the wall.

[nathan.wong @ Oct 11th 2007 10:18AM]

Spanky, wouldn't a monitor and minicomputer look kind of odd when it's hanging in the hallway? Maybe it's just me, but it would look wayyyy too geeky to have a monitor hanging on a wall and a mini-computer on the floor.

[Tarvus Domicus @ Oct 11th 2007 10:58AM]

That is the creepiest photo I have ever seen!!!!

The child looks like a very content alien has absconded its body and it's silently announcing, with that insane smile, the plans to slaughter every last human alive with the ease of discarding candy wrappers.

The mother looks chilled with fear, silently screaming as she has just realized this terrible alien truth and can no longer hold on to her own sanity yet somehow is still able to desperately point out to someone, anyone, watching that, "HEY!!! HERE'S THE ALIEN!!! STOP IT, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!" But, it's too late. No one can survive that kind of knowledge when it's that real and standing one foot from you. This photo was taken just before the mother's knees gave out. Her descent to the warm, comforting sand is coupled with death spasms of her now fully ruined mind. The alien glances at the frozen corpse and is truly pleased.

[Spanky @ Oct 11th 2007 11:12AM]

please note I said wireless video ( soon to be available ). this would allow you to have the mini computer on a stand somewhere in the vicinity but not necessarily right under the monitor or even able to be seen.

[mrnico @ Oct 11th 2007 3:12PM]

No, creepy would be a picture of Hillary Klinton with her fake disgusting smile.

[insertAlias @ Oct 11th 2007 9:06PM]

@Tarvus Domicus
I was going to make a very similar comment before I saw yours...I almost missed the story because I was trying to figure out what was wrong with the pic. Creepy.

[robert @ Oct 11th 2007 10:41AM]

I built one 20" wide picture frame mysqlef. Using a Samsung 205bw + an embedded mobo. Runs Linux. Can also be used as a (slow - it has a 500MHz AMD Geode LX CPU) kiosk. Cost me around 400 dollars. Why would anyone pay three times that much is beyond me.

[anonymous @ Oct 11th 2007 12:22PM]

@robert

if you have anything written down as to how you made yours, can you please send me an email?

you can send to sha_weet (the big symbol over the 2 key) yahoo (period) com

I have created this email addy for just this response so it will go away in a few days. I just hate SPAM...

[Fox McCloud @ Oct 11th 2007 10:46AM]

I hope it comes with that picture so I can pretend like I have a happy family with some blond lady and a shiney kid.

[Mitch @ Oct 11th 2007 10:54AM]

Is it just me or does that little girl remind you of a raptor from Jurassic Park?

[Wwhat @ Oct 11th 2007 11:16AM]

Now that you mention it, yeah she does.

[Mal F4cti0n @ Oct 11th 2007 1:11PM]

I was thinking of a zombie or something, she looks ready to eat my brains.

Mmmmm, BRAINS!

[Student Driver @ Oct 11th 2007 3:18PM]

Hah! Yeah, that's what it was. I couldn't think of what that creepy kid reminded me of. They both have those insane eyes. I only clicked on the comments to see if others wrote how strange the picture was. Sweet.

[Jared @ Oct 11th 2007 10:59AM]

I built one, added a wireless mouse, incorporated gesture based control, and an electronic eye so the display will sleep if no one is near it. Did it for sub $500. I even added display scrolling so I can see weather, sports, calendar, and todo's. The one thing I couldn't do was make it super slim like a picture frame, so right now it sits on a table, I could hang it on a wall, but with the VESA mount it would still stick out quite far. Overall, it's sorta pointless, I just did it to say I could. I'd much rather have a Chumby (http://www.chumby.com/) but those things seem like they will never come out.

I guess ultimately this thing is probably targeted towards the same folks who can afford those Kaleidescape systems.

[spam_from_engadget @ Oct 11th 2007 1:00PM]

I've also made one, and I'm interested in your "electronic eye"; presumably it's a passive-IR detector, as used in intruder alarms, right? Does it switch off if you sit in the same place for a long time (e.g. on the couch)? Do you shut down everything, or just the monitor?

[Jared @ Oct 11th 2007 3:56PM]

Yep, just used an off the shelf motion detector via serial. I used it to wake the monitor if motion was detected. The rest of the power management was handled through the OS, so I had the disks sleeping quite frequently, etc. With regards to your timeout question, I had it set to 30min, though that too was handled through the OS, so you could set it to whatever you felt was reasonable.

If I were to do it again, I'd probably forgo the hard disks all together, boot off of CF and run everything in ram. I'd also use the cheapest most efficient board I could find, something embedded like the VIA boards or Soekris.

[stuff @ Oct 11th 2007 12:08PM]

Why can I buy a 22-inch monitor with the same specs for $400, yet this thing is over a grand?

[anonymous @ Oct 11th 2007 12:24PM]

because you can't. this is not just a monitor but a monitor with a small processor and wireless capability that will autonomously display pictures, videos and mp3s. It also has memory card and USB slots to plug in external storage devices.

[stuff @ Oct 11th 2007 12:26PM]

I know...I know. I was too hasty to post. Sorry.

[Marke @ Oct 12th 2007 10:14AM]

$269.99 at dell-- not 400...

[stuff @ Oct 12th 2007 10:16AM]

Yeah, I was actually estimating high (way high, apparently).

[wrabbit @ Oct 11th 2007 12:15PM]

How about a nice, affordable, easy to use for even a grandma, normal sized digi-frame.

Not a lot of people should have their closeup displayed on a 22in screen, and yes I include myself in that list.

[Spanky @ Oct 11th 2007 12:26PM]

there are alot of affordable frames these days. you can get 7-10 inch ones for $59-$200 at all kinds of merchants including B&M stores

[Hannes @ Oct 13th 2007 11:50AM]

This product is definitely just for a very small customer group. I personally do not know a single person, who would be willing to spend so much money on a photo frame.

http://www.digital-photo-frame-market.info

[t-bone @ Oct 11th 2007 12:59PM]

As I was going through the specs I was getting really excited. This thing doesn't seem to skimp on anything. That good feeling disappeared when I saw the 4-figure price. How in holy hell does it cost that much? I could by a decent computer and good monitor that does everything this does and so much more for that price!

[TIMMAH! @ Oct 11th 2007 1:01PM]

Didn't we just see a pizzabox sized computer that fastened to the VESA mounts of a LCD monitor a few days ago in this blog? (I was trying to find the listing...)

[randy @ Oct 12th 2007 1:59AM]

Yeah, that was this thing:

http://www.smallformfactors.com/news/db/?8751

VIA has not announced a price for that, but I'm guessing it's just under a grand.

So, $300 22" + $900 VESA MiniPC = one ridiculously expensive photo frame

[TIMMAH! @ Oct 12th 2007 2:20AM]

Uh yeah, well that's still cheaper than this PhotoVu thing...

[paul.davis @ Oct 11th 2007 1:46PM]

ZOMG! Pay 200 more bucks and get a 50 inch 1080p Samsung DLP.. i'd rather put that on my picture stand.. LOL!

[jayeffaar @ Oct 11th 2007 2:04PM]

What I want to know is why are digital picture frames going widescreen? That's a great format for a TV, but completely inappropriate for still pictures. Most digital still cameras produce images with a 3:2 aspect ratio. Why would I want to display them on a 16:9 screen???

[Drew @ Oct 12th 2007 1:40AM]

There aren't many monitors with 1.5:1 aspect ratios. The typical 1.25:1 and 1.33:1 ratios would require cropping. More cropping, in fact, than a 16:10 monitor (TVs are typically 16:9, computer monitors like the 22" used in this frame are more usually 16:10).

[Darryl @ Nov 10th 2007 2:43PM]

The advertised wireless capabilities are a scam. I've owned a photovu for over a year and they constantly promise future upgrades to Wireless G, WPA (as long as you keep paying an annual upgrade fee). I'm stuck using Wireless B for the Photovu, while the rest of the house is wireless N/G.