When the idea of a digital picture frame first came up, I wasn’t quite sure why anyone would want that. You could easily show all your pictures from your laptop and PC or in a photo album. I can’t see many people changing a small 4″x6″ picture so frequently that they would consider buying a digital picture frame. However, these devices have proven to be far more versatile than I originally thought. Your standard picture frame doesn’t come with movies, it doesn’t play slide shows when guests are over and there’s no sound with them.

In addition to the above mentioned features, the SPF-85V comes with 802.11b/g allowing you to load pictures wireless from your home computer or from a guest. It also doubles as an 8″ mini-monitor, allowing you to focus on work with the primary monitor and leave a smaller window dedicated to applications like Twitter, media player, e-mail or instant messaging.

Finding actual complaints and flaws with the SPF-85V is like finding a needle in a haystack. The photo frame has just the odd weakness to it and they are more nitpicks than anything else: a slightly more controlled touch interface, actual 5-in-1 flash media support as CF is not supported by this device despite what the specifications say and improved location of the storage devices to be able to hide USB drives. The only place I’d like to see Samsung further develop is with the LCD panel, for a company with such strength in monitors and TVs, what happened to 1024×768?

Even with the odd needle, this haystack is still a gem. The SPF-85V is loaded with features and would make for a great gift to friends and family so they can relive past memories.

Advantages

• Sleek and simple looking, with a subtle design

• Shows photos, plays movies and songs
• Wireless connection available
• Doubles as a mini-monitor for your PC

Disadvantage

• No 1024×768 resolution

• Pricey at time of review ($200.00)

I’d like to thank Samsung Canada for lending us a sample for review.

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