Linx 8" photo frame - first thoughts

["Paul Gale" <groups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just got the 8=94 Linx photo frame (=A3109.99 inc VAT and free 512Mb
Kingst=
on MMC+ card) from www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk. Apparently no more stock now
u=
ntil after Christmas though but there may be a few suppliers left with a
fe=
w.

I've already got a Philips 7" frame which oozes quality. This isn't
bad for=
the price and is a little bigger than the Philips. It=92s basically a Chin=
ese copy in terms of looks with a few extra features.

The menus aren=92t as good though - took a while to figure them out (again
=
compared to Philips), although the Philips menus also took a bit of
getting=
used to but they have more on screen help. Remote was MUCH easier to use t=
han the units buttons and have more functions available. I wouldn=92t
bothe=
r using the unit=92s button =96 far too frustrating! My unit also had a
dod=
gy =91down=92 button that would only work occasionally.

The Philips frame is a lot quicker at loading the next picture and has
user=
selectable transitions - this one only seems to have a wipe from top (whic=
h could just be it displaying the picture as it reads it in).

Picture quality is pretty good - slightly lighter and is a little yellower
=
(with default settings out of the box). You can alter brightness,
contrast,=
hue etc unlike the Philips (IIRC). Skin tone on the Philips was better and=
more natural. Screen size is wider than the Philips and the unit has a def=
inite =91widescreen=92 feel to it.

Video and MP3 playback is the big difference though - I was really
surprise=
d how well it handled my first MPG copied over to a MS Duo (in adapter).
Fu=
ll size video was smooth although a bit pixelated and sound adequate
althou=
gh don't expect miracles from the small speakers mounted in the back of
the=
unit but volume was good. Subsequent videos were very hit and miss though =
=96 just copied over a random selection and some played, a lot didn=92t. I=
=92m sure this is down to CODEC and datarate etc though =96 once you find
t=
he right combination, it looks quite promising. So far I=92ve got MPG=92s
t=
o play but no DivX .avi=92s although it=92s supposed to play them. The
manu=
al didn=92t help much here and is pretty poor, written in pigeon English
fo=
r the most part (OK, ok, so mine isn=92t much better!). More detail on
scre=
en res and optimising video for the display would have been nice.

With video playback there=92s a time counter top left =96 looks like you
ca=
n=92t turn this off which is a bit disappointing. I also had the unit stop
=
responding properly a couple of times after trying video and it locked up
a=
few times in the middle of a video. Looks like it needs an update but not =
sure if that=92s likely/possible=85

Overall, it=92s not bad for a present, but I think I=92d pay the extra for
=
the Philips for support and piece of mind.

Paul.





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