Philips PhotoFrame 8FF3FPW

Featuring photo enhancement technology that analyses and autocorrects colour for optimal contrast, the PhotoFrame 8FF3FPW is Philips' latest 8in digital photo frame. Although the LCD does a relatively good job, the poorly implemented controls and slightly overzealous pricing will turn off many buyers.

Philips models manage to stand out in the overpopulated digital photo frame market thanks to their sleek and stylish designs. The 8FF3FPW is no exception, featuring a gloss white bezel and chrome stand that is both well-built and attractive. This model is also available in a black finish, so it should suit most modern decor.

Included in the sales package is an AC adapter, a USB cable, a quick start guide and a digital user manual on CD. Using the frame is as simple as plugging in the AC adapter, screwing on the stand and turning the unit on. Unfortunately, the stand isn't adjustable, so you can't have the 8FF3FPW sit at different angles — though we found the angle fine in most instances, but this will depend of course on where you place the frame.

Philips offers support for all the major memory cards including SDHC and Memory Stick and includes the option of using a USB flash drive as a source thanks to a side mounted USB port. Unfortunately file formats are somewhat limited, with JPEG the only image file format supported. Files of up to 10MB in size can be displayed, and this model is fairly future-proof as it can display images of up to 20 megapixels.

Unfortunately, there is no speaker, so the option of playing music to accompany a photo slideshow isn't available. The only sound present is in the form of an alarm that can be set daily, or for specific days of the week. It's not overly loud, however.

The critical component of a digital photos frame is its display, and the 8FF3FPW's doesn't disappoint. Once turned on, it automatically begins a slideshow of the default pictures on the built-in internal memory. The 800x600 resolution LCD is excellent; in addition to bright colours and a fairly crisp image, both vertical and horizontal viewing angles are above average.

The colour accuracy of the 8FF3FPW is notable, largely thanks to a technology called ImagEn. Philips claims it analyses and then adjusts photos to display correct colour in order to produce optimal contrast. It's not necessary to tweak any settings, but there are options to rotate, zoom and crop any photos, while the RadiantColour setting ensures photos that don't have the optimal 4:3 ratio are displayed without black bars or distortion.