Upside
Canon's new compact photo printer, the Selphy DS700's best trick is that it will connect to your widescreen TV so that you can run 16:9 slideshows of photos taken with your digital camera. You can then choose to print whatever shot you like onscreen using the printer's included remote control.
Canon claims that the DS700 will print a borderless 6 x 4-inch photo from a PC in 52 seconds (on Photo Paper Plus Glossy in draft mode). The print-head ejects 2 picolitre ink droplets and delivers a high quality of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi.
If you don't want to bother using a PC, the Selphy DS700 incorporates PictBridge technology so you can send images to be printed directly from a camera to the printer without hooking up to a computer. You can also connect your mobile phone via infrared (IrDA) transmission to print credit card-sized photos.
Paper is fed and ejected at the front, which allows the DS700 to fit conveniently into tight spaces as might be found in a typical home theatre set up.
With its included Easy-PhotoPrint software you can use either a PC or Mac to retouch portraits utilising its Blemish remover, Face Sharpener and Face Brightener.
Downside
It looks to be a neat little unit, so the only downsides we can think of before we put it through its paces in a full review are fairly picky. For starters, do you really want another remote control on your coffee table? Although it's tiny, there is no battery pack, so it really isn't a portable device. Also, if you set this up in your lounge sans PC, you will have to have a PictBridge-enabled camera, as there are no memory card slots built-in (you can, however, pay extra for a memory card adapter).
Outlook
Using widescreen TVs to view the family photo albums is certainly a concept that is gaining ground. In fact, it's one of the big selling points for vendors trying to push Media Center PCs into our lounge rooms. If you like the idea, but don't want to shell out the money for a PC and want to keep your equipment rack as uncluttered as possible, a tiny printer like the Selphy DS700 may be just the trick.
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wendyhancock
19/05/2008, 03:49 PM
rating
8/10
I have one of these printers but cannot remember how to put the photo paper in. Instructions have been lost. I know it goes in the front but where?
Pros: Handy little printer , if I can get the paper in!!
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