From the April 30 DIGITIMES comes this news about OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) digital photo frame orders:
“In view of the estimated global demand for 20 million digital photo frames in 2008, many makers in southern China have offered lower prices to compete with Taiwan-based makers for OEM orders, but their disadvantages in inferior quality and inability to secure supplies of small-sized TFT-LCD panels renders them unattractive to international brand vendors including Phillips, Sony, Toshiba, and ViewSonic, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
Most makers in southern China used to assemble digital music and/or DVD players and thereby are familiar with image processing and modulating technologies, the sources pointed out. AS the technological barriers for stepping into making digital photo frames are not high, makers have quoted prices 5-8% lower than Taiwan-based makers to compete for OEM orders.
However, compared with leading Taiwan-based competitors such as Lead Data, Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry) and Qisda, China-based makers are significantly less competitive in terms of quality, production capacity and ability to procure enough TFT-LCD panels (mainly 7- and 8.9-inch) partly due to competition from low-costs notebook PC’s and handheld devices, the sources analyzed.
Consequently, it will be hard for china-based makers to land OEM orders from leading international vendors for the time being, the sources asserted, and so the makers are currently focusing on winning orders from second-tier and small vendors, white-box brands, as well as retail channels, the sources noted.
Currently, leading Taiwan-based makers each ship 200,000 - 300,000 digital photo frames a month while the average monthly shipment volume for China-based competitors is below 100,000 units, the sources indicated. Of the estimated global demand for 20 million digital photo frames in 2008, Taiwan-based makers may collectively account for as much as 90% of shipments with China-based makers making up the remaining 10%, the sources forecast.”
Phillips has a great digital frame that’s pretty unique. The frame, with a 7″ screen, will display your digital photos alongside an on-screen clock, calendar, and alarm clock. Not only that, the frame comes complete with a built in FM radio. Now you can wake up to your favorite song and your favorite pictures!
I can only imagine this frame with wireless capabilities in the future, allowing you to use FrameChannel in order to wake up to news headlines, traffic, weather, and your favorite songs and photos. It’s only a matter of time until more digital frames have wifi, and this is one frame that would benefit from all of FrameChannel’s content.
Over on Media Post, Adrienne W. Fawcett has an article about how digital technology has not only revolutionized the way people take pictures, but has also revolutionized the way people are viewing those pictures. Hence: the evolution of the humble picture frame.
“This spring, digital picture frames took off like nobody’s business,” says Liz Cutting, senior imaging analyst at the NPD Group. According to NPD’s Retail Tracking Service, digital picture frames grossed nearly $12 million, selling more than 112,000 units, during the week before Mother’s Day.
The May week’s sales were just as strong as Christmas, and beat the week of Black Friday. The trend is expected to spike again during June’s holiday troika of graduation, confirmation, and Father’s Day. . . .”
“Price, novelty and availability are driving the category. Last year, according to NPD, 54% of the digital picture frames sold were 5.6 inches in size, with an average price of $148.00. From January through April of this year, 54% of the digital picture frames sold were seven inches and went for an average of $102.00. The average selling price of a seven-inch frame dropped from $139.00 last Mother’s Day to $81.00 this year.
The novelty factor is helping to drive the trend this spring. Digital picture frames include an LCD screen with multi-media capabilities; it’s like having a mini-Power Point presentation on the living room mantel. Consumers can program the frames or simply pop the memory card from their digital camera into a slot.”
(If you have a wireless frame, your possibilities are even greater!)
Read the rest of Adrienne W. Fawcett’s post right HERE.
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Just in time for Mother’s Day, Phillips presents this special edition digital PhotoFrame. This high resolution 7-inch LCD Phillips frame is the perfect present for Mom and Grandma! The kids and grandkids’ pictures can be displayed in this frame with crisp, sharp colors, and viewing the photos can be customized by selecting between landscape or portrait display and setting personalized transitions for the slideshow images.
It’s easy to download photos to this special edition frame, too. Just load them directly via any memory card or flash drive, or connect the frame directly to your PC via a USB connection. Load it full of the kids’ pictures before you wrap it up for Mom or Grandma so the frame can be turned on the very minute it’s unwrapped. Don’t worry about looking for an electrical outlet; this frame is powered by a rechargeable battery.
Hang it on the wall or display it on a table; either way, this Phillips digital picture frame will be Mom and Grandma’s favorite gift of all. It comes with four interchangeable frames, all classy.
