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.”
Mother’s Day is May 11, and if you haven’t already done so, that would be an ideal time to give your mom a wireless/digital picture frame. It would be even better if you load the frame with pictures beforehand, so when she opens the package, all she’ll have to do is plug it in and VOILA - pictures!
Viewsonic is introducing ten new digital picture frames, and just in time for Mother’s Day. The new digital frames vary in size from 7 to 10 inches, and no matter what size or type of Viewsonic frame you buy for your mom, it comes with several interchangeable bezels. It’s hard to buy a gift for a mom sometimes, because we don’t always know what kind of this or that they feel will go with their home decor. With Viewsonic, she’s got choices!
The Viewsonic digital picture frame above is the 10-inch Viewsonic DPX1002. If you’re wondering how good your pictures would look in this frame, let me just add that this frame has a resolution of 1024 x 600, and that’s an awesome number.
Pictures, video, and Mp3 capabilities? Of course!
If you’re looking for a smaller, less-loaded digital frame for Mom, you might try one of the smaller Viewsonic digital frames: the 8-inch DPX802 or the 8-inch DPX804WH, the 7-inch DPX802, the widescreen 7-inch DPX704WH, or the widescreen 10-inch DPX1004WH4:3 DPX804WH.
All of these new digital frames are now available, with prices ranging from $130 to $209.
Your mother wants one for Mother’s Day. She wants one really badly. She doesn’t want flowers or candy or jewelry this year. She wants a wireless/digital picture frame. Seriously, don’t get her candy.
Viewsonic added three new digital picture frames at CES this year. Their tagline is that the company intends to “set photos free from the hard drive and bring them to the coffee table,” and their 7 and 8-inch widescreen and standard screen 8-inch frames are certainly going to help do just that. All three frames have 128MB of internal memory and accept most memory cards and flash drives. Prices are low; the three frames will average around $99.00 - $119.00.
Viewsonic understands that most people, after uploading their digital pictures to their hard drive, never see those pictures again. With their three new digital frames, ViewSonic hopes to change that statistic.
“From wedding days and a baby’s ‘first’ to family vacations and birthdays, displaying personal moments through high-quality displays is a natural next step for ViewSonic,†said Jeff Volpe, vice president of marketing, ViewSonic Americas. “Expanding our portfolio of leading-edge display technology to include picture frames is the latest example of how we are meeting digital lifestyle trends and improving how people view and share content.â€
As with most digital picture frames, pictures can be uploaded via a USB cable, memory card, or flash drive.
The widescreen 7-inch DP701W4WH has an 800×480 resolution, 220 cd/m2 brightness and a 400:1 contrast ratio (typ) that are ideal for crisp and vibrant images. It creates a smooth progression from image to image, while the white acrylic bezel makes it a perfect fit within the modern decor of today’s homes and offices. The frames can display JPEG or BMP files and also include clock and alarm functionality.
The widescreen 8-inch DF88W-523 and traditional 8-inch DF87G-533 give photos more screen space and personality with audio and video capabilities. These frames display JPEG, BMP and M-JPEG files, and the DF88W also displays MPEG2 and MPEG4 files. Showcasing photos with accurate color, the DF88W offers 800×480 resolution and 300:1 contrast ratio while the DF87G offers 800×600 resolution and 500:1 contrast ratio (typ). With 250 cd/m2 brightness (typ), images are bright and clear. Both frames include an integrated speaker for MP3 sound, a remote control and clock, alarm and calendar functionality.
This post about the new ViewSonic digital frame originally ran on October 18. Because of an error, I am running the post again, with corrections. I apologize for the misunderstanding.
ViewSonic Corporation’s new DP701W4 digital photo frame is now on the market, and just in time for holiday shopping!
The 7-inch ViewSonic DP701W4, with its resolution of 800 x 480, its 44:1 contrast ration, its 128 MB of internal memory and a maximum memory of 1 GB, is an incredible deal for its RRP of only $199.00.
The frame is available in either glossy black or white, to further fit into and enhance your home decor.
Load this digital frame with a USB cable or your camera’s memory card. In fact, almost any kind of card or flash drive can be used with this frame; it includes multiple types of card readers. The frame can display both JPEG and BMP files.
ViewSonic country manager Australia and New Zealand, Brendan Frawley, says that “As a leading display technology provider, it is a natural progression for ViewSonic to expand our portfolio of products to incorporate current digital lifestyle trends.”
The trend is certainly towards versatile digital photo frames these days, so ViewSonic is right with it.
Next step: make it wireless! I’m betting it’s just a matter of time. . . .
