The ViewSonic model provided to us for review was the 7-inch model, but the DPX range also has 8- and 10-inch variants. The 8-inch has a 4:3 aspect ratio, whilst the 7- and 10-inch models are 16:9.
Design
Plastic — that's the first word that comes to mind when unwrapping the ViewSonic from its packaging. The white bezel frame that surrounds the screen, along with the clunky grey buttons and the response elicited from the whole aesthetic experience all highlight the ViewSonic's AU$129 asking price. It may not seem like a small amount for a photo frame, but take into consideration other models on the market sell for upwards of AU$400 and more (albeit units with larger screens).
Conservatism (or economics) must have struck ViewSonic's design department when they came to draft the white plastic frame, given the initial reaction it incited. It's also a magnet for dust and specks given that just about everything will show up on a white surface.
Turning the unit around does little to rectify the situation. Buttons on the back of the unit all have a solid click to them, but do nothing to dispel the theory that this is a cheaply made unit.
Funnily enough, the included remote almost feels as if it's made better than the frame itself. Fortunately, despite these initial reactions, the ViewSonic managed to impress us with its compact footing, measuring just under 2.5cm deep. It's also incredibly light (without the power brick though), meaning it's ideal for carting around from place to place in the house, or taking to social gatherings.
Features
The ViewSonic accepts xD, Compact Flash, SD, MMC and Memory Stick cards at the back of the unit. Removing the cards is a little more tricky than inserting them, as they don't push-and-pop out like on many cameras and other readers. There's also a measly 128MB of internal storage packed inside the frame — then again, given the unit we tested was a 7-inch model, there's little point in storing the highest resolution images from your digital camera on it anyway.
Even though the ViewSonic lacks many of the whiz-bang features that other models on the market have (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, picture editing for instance), it does have a relatively high resolution of 800x480 pixels. Most of the pictures we displayed on the frame did look very nice, accurately saturated and well-represented. It was also difficult to discern the individual pixels on the screen, especially when displaying a bright, white subject.
Other functions that come bundled with the model include clock mode (it sounds more exciting than it is as it only displays the current time), calendar mode, music and video mode, and browser mode. The frame supports MP3 audio and MP4 video playback, plus there's also a USB-port that lets the frame act as an external device and card reader.
Performance
Traditionally, the on-switch for most electronics elicits some response from the unit to indicate it's actually turning on. Not so with the ViewSonic — we pressed the button, waited a couple of seconds for some sort of response, then thought we hadn't pressed the button properly so did it again. After a confusing to-and-fro session of button-mashing and head-scratching, five lengthy seconds later saw the frame spring to life with a graphical display. Subsequent attempts were far more successful though.
Images from the memory card we inserted showed up quickly, with little to no buffer time from the card itself — a good result considering the images were taken on a 10.1-megapixel camera and measured around 2MB each. However, the speed at which the images cycle through (even on the "slow" setting) was simply too fast; especially considering that most people will use a frame to show off pictures, rather than watch them flash by.
After about an hour of having the unit plugged in, the power brick became incredibly hot to touch — something to be wary about if kids are playing around with this one.
Conclusion
At AU$129 for the 7-inch model, the ViewSonic DPX704WH feels overpriced for what it is, but if you're looking for a simple, no-frills digital photo frame that displays photos and not much else, it's one to consider. Even so, the ViewSonic still feels more budget than bargain. There are far more elegant (and inexpensive) models on the market that perform better.
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