Set up is easy. Photos can be copied to the picture frame in several different ways. A digital camera can be connected directly to the picture frame with a USB cable. Pictures can also be transferred from a card reader or a USB hard drive that is attached to the frame’s USB port. Last but not least, you can install the included software on your PC and transfer the photos directly from the PC. If you choose this last option you can use the included Digital Pix Master software to create entire slide shows that can be downloaded to the frame. You don’t, however, have to have a PC to use this frame. If you transfer the photos directly from a camera or USB drive, a slide show is created automatically. Once your slideshow is in the frame, you can delete images or change the timing, transitions and other slide show options by using the buttons on the back of the frame. Buttons on the frame can also be used to manually switch to the next image. There are also pause and reverse buttons, a brightness control, and a volume control.

I liked the 5x7 MemoryFrame that I looked at last year, but when viewed from different angles the screen distorted and darkened.   The screen on the 810S is much improved. The 10.4” TFT active matrix LCD screen displayed bright photos with an 800x600 resolution even when viewed from the side.

The pictures that I transferred to the MemoryFrame produced an outstanding slide show without any muss or fuss. At different times, I had more than thirty photos in the slide show. You don’t have to worry about sizing most photographs.   The frame automatically changes the pictures to the size it needs. The frame uses a 4:3 ratio aspect. If your photos use the same ratio (many do), the photo will be shown full screen. If the photos don’t fit this ratio exactly they will be shown slightly smaller with a color background. You control many different aspects of the presentation, including the choice of the background color.

This MemoryFrame has two other nice additional features to help you further customize your screen shows. The built-in stereo sound system allows voice and/or music to be added to the slideshows. The frame sounds pretty good on its own or if you choose you can also use the audio output port on the frame to add externally powered speakers. The text overlay feature allows captions to be added to the photos.

The MemoryFrame comes with an attractive wood frame, but you can easily remove that frame and add one of your own to quickly change the looks of the frame. The MemoryFrame can be displayed in landscape or portrait mode on a desk or shelf and can also be hung on a wall. It comes with its own power supply and even has a receptacle for attaching a lock to prevent theft.

Manufacturer:  Pacific Digital

Price:  $499