Kodak EasyShare EX-811 Digital Picture Frame
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co. Part number: EX811
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- While it has a few minor flaws, Kodak's Wi-Fi-enabled EX-811's strong feature set, good image quality, and online integration with the company's free EasyShare Gallery online photo-sharing service, make this frame a top choice in the digital photo frame category.
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CNET editors' review
Kodak EasyShare EX-811 Digital Picture Frame price range: $99.95 - $104.49
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: Philip Ryan
- Reviewed on: 05/29/2007
- Released on: 10/01/2006
The good: Built-in wireless connectivity allows you to tap into your home wireless network and stream images from your Windows PC or the Kodak EasyShare Gallery online photo-sharing service. The frame has a bright, relatively sharp 8-inch diagonal display, 128MB of built-in memory, plus slots for virtually all memory card types, as well as USB connectivity for computers and thumbdrives. The EX-811 supports MP3 and video playback (with sound), ships with a small remote control, and is compatible with PictBridge-enabled printers. Lastly, it's easy to set up and has a well-designed interface.
The bad: The built-in speakers sound very tinny; when transferring photos to the display's internal memory, images aren't automatically resized to the size of the display to reduce file sizes. Music playback controls could be more straightforward.
The bottom line: While it has a few minor flaws, Kodak's Wi-Fi-enabled EX-811's strong feature set, good image quality, and online integration with the company's free EasyShare Gallery online photo-sharing service, make this frame a top choice in the digital photo frame category.
We've had high expectations for Kodak's EX-811 8-inch digital photo frame ever since we got wind that the frame would have built-in wireless connectivity that would allow you to tap into your Windows PC, and more importantly, the Kodak's EasyShare Gallery online photo-sharing service. While the EX-811 is also loaded with features such as MP3 and video playback support, the real key feature is its Kodak Gallery integration, because that takes away the main competitive advantage of Ceiva's photo frames, which incorporate an online component to automatically push images onto your frame. The big difference is that Ceiva's service costs money, while Kodak's is free.
With some wireless photo frames, setup has been arduous, and we've run into trouble trying to connect them to our wireless network. We're happy to report that the setup for the EX-811 went smoothly. You first install the company's EasyShare Gallery software (it's a special version designed for Kodak's wireless photo frames) on your Windows PC, enable Windows Media Player 11 to share media, sign up for a Gallery account if you don't have one already, then fire up the photo frame, and run through the setup for wireless networks. The frame automatically detects nearby available networks and asks you for a security key if you're trying to connect to a secure network. You input the code via a virtual keyboard (we navigated the virtual buttons using the included remote control), and while it's a little tedious, it is a one-time setup.
After you've hooked into your wireless network, the frame will go out and look for compatible streaming devices and find your PC on the network. We tested the frame with a PC running Windows Vista, and everything worked quite well, but you can also run it with Windows XP so long as you've installed Windows Media Player 11. Streaming photos from our test PC to the frame worked flawlessly, and you also have the option of copying photos from your PC to the frame's 128MB of internal memory.
There are 12 slideshow transitions to choose from, and you can create slideshows from specific folders (albums) on your PC or from within the EasyShare Gallery. Additionally, you can share your online Gallery albums with other friends or family members who own one of Kodak's Wi-Fi-enabled frames. In this way, the frame offers similar functionality to Ceiva's subscription-based model. For example, you can designate one online album for sharing with friends and family, continually updating it with photos. After a short setup process, friends and family can then view that album on their frames and choose to copy the images to the frame's internal memory. Those images could then be printed out (you can connect the frame directly to a PictBridge-enabled printer) or transferred to a computer for storage.
You can also stream music (MP3 files) and select video file types from your computer to the frame. Files can be viewed or copied from all major memory card formats, as well as thumbdrives when using the included mini-to-normal-size USB adapter. A couple notes for Mac owners: currently, Kodak doesn't provide an application that allows you to stream photos from your Mac to the frame. However, the frame works on the UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) network protocol, and there are third-party UPnP Mac apps out there such as Twonkyvision MediaServer that are compatible with the frame (the same goes for third-party Windows and Linux-based UPnP media server apps). That said, if all you're interested in doing is streaming your EasyShare Photo Gallery to the frame, you don't have to worry what computer you have, because that functionality only requires an online connection, not a PC.
While wireless connectivity is the EX-811's key feature, it would have a solid feature set even without it (indeed, Kodak makes the step-down SV-811 if you don't need the built-in Wi-Fi). True, there are other frames out there with similar-size screens that offer playback of video and audio files. However, Kodak's done a nice job making the frame's interface easy to use, and while the frame isn't ultraslick looking, it comes in a simple, understated interchangeable black outer frame with a glossy black inner frame, which surrounds the 8-inch diagonal, 7.0 x 4.0-inch wide-screen LCD. Kodak says it will offer a selection of optional faceplates (outer frames) in various colors and textures, but at the time of this writing, pricing hadn't been set.
On the back, you'll find keyhole slots for mounting the frame on a wall, and a tripod mount if you want to set it up on a small tripod stand. The flip-out stand on the back allows you to prop the frame up horizontally--but not vertically--but one of the keyhole slots gives you the option of mounting the frame vertically on a wall with a single screw or picture hook (not included).
The 800x480 display has 128MB of memory built into it. On the side, you'll find slots for Compact Flash, SD, MMC, xD, and Memory Stick memory cards, which gives you the ability to display hundreds or even thousands of photos, as well as play back AVI, MOV, MPEG 1, and MPEG 4 video files, and MP3 audio files. As noted, you can choose to leave the images (or video) on the card or transfer however many will fit into the display's remaining internal memory. Another option is to upload photos from your camera or computer to the display via a USB cable.
When transferring photos to the display's internal memory, some photo frames, including the Philips 9FF2M4, automatically resize the images to the size of the display, reducing their file sizes in the process. However, this model doesn't do that--yet--so if you've shot images at a high resolution, you're going to eat the internal memory up pretty fast (with even snapshot cameras producing images in excess of 3MB per image, you're looking at only storing 40 photos or so on the frame). Of course, if you know you're shooting photos to store on the frame, you could reduce the resolution setting on your camera or, better yet, crop the images yourself before transferring them to the frame.
To test the frame's file playback capabilities, we loaded up an SD card with audio, video, and image files. We had no problem locating the various types using the included small remote control to navigate the menu system. The frame was able to play back the majority of AVI and MPEG 4 files we threw at it, and Kodak says it tried to make sure the frame was able to support video output from most major still cameras (many camera phone video formats are supported as well). Just don't expect the built-in stereo speakers' sound quality to blow you away. It's passable, but the EX-811 isn't designed to be a tabletop stereo.
As for the remote, it's one of the better ones we've seen ship with a photo frame, with clearly labeled buttons that activate key functions (there's a set of buttons on the top of the frame itself, but it's much more convenient to control the frame with the remote). We also appreciated that Kodak includes a plastic remote holder that snaps into the keyhole slots on the back of the frame (so long as you aren't using them for mounting purposes). Since the remote is small, it's good to have a place to store it when you're not using it so you won't misplace it. We should note that you have to point the remote directly at the IR sensor on the frame at fairly close range (within five feet or so) to get it to respond to your button pushes.
As for picture quality, we didn't have any major complaints. Images appear sharp and detailed with accurate colors and only a little stair-stepping in images where there are curved lines, such as the outline of a person's shoulder. In other words, those lines may not be totally smooth curves, but they aren't clearly jagged either (the "jaggie" phenomenon is due to lack of pixel density).
As noted, the display is a wide-screen LCD, with a resolution of 800 x 480. While some cameras can now offer a setting that allows you to take wide-screen pictures, most cameras still serve up 4:3 images that would fit perfectly on a 640 x 480 display. When you go up to 800 x 480, the display ends up cropping some of the image. Kodak claims its frame does this with utmost care to preserve as much of your original photo as possible, but inevitably some of it will be missing. You can choose to display your photo in native 4:3 aspect ratio with black bars on either side of the photo, but most people will find it preferable to fill the screen with their images, even if it means losing a little bit of the image (sometimes, of course, a little cropping is good).
In the final analysis, we were pretty impressed with the EX-811. While it may not be ultrastylish looking and may have a few minor flaws, it's got a strong feature set and offers good image quality. Obviously, its key competitive advantage is its online integration with EasyShare Gallery, but it also doesn't hurt that Kodak's done a good job making it easy to set up the frame to work with your wireless network and interact with your PC--as well as your EasyShare Gallery. Hopefully, with its next firmware update (yes, the frame is firmware-upgradable), the company will fix the issue of automatically resizing the images to fit the frame when copying photos to internal memory. If Kodak adds this feature, we'd feel comfortable awarding the frame an Editors' Choice.
Editor's note: Along with this 8-inch model, Kodak also makes a 10-inch Wi-Fi-enabled frame, the EX-1011 model, as well as two models without wireless connectivity, the 8-inch SV-811, and 7-inch SV-710
User reviews
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Excellent Digital Fram
by salockhart on December 26, 2007
Pros: Clear Image - excellent Wireless
Cons: 800x480 trims the pictures
Summary: Love this frame. THe WiFi has worked great. My family can upload their pictures to Kodak's web site for FREE and are downloaded automatically. Images are crisp and bright. ...
Summary: Love this frame. THe WiFi has worked great. My family can upload their pictures to Kodak's web site for FREE and are downloaded automatically. Images are crisp and bright. Since there is no monthly fees, it explains the slightly higher in price. I would definately recommend this fram to anyone.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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DO NOT BUY: WiFi unusable, even memory cards not really supported
by louisbclark on June 12, 2007
Pros: Sharp, nice display (from internal memory only)
Cons: WiFi basically can't be used due to lack of speed, problems with any .jpeg if not in memory
Summary: DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT GOT AN "8"
I bought this version of the digital picture frame because of its WiFi features. But that ...Summary: DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT GOT AN "8"
I bought this version of the digital picture frame because of its WiFi features. But that feature is essentially unusable, even if the frame is right next to the wireless router. Any .jpeg file NOT saved to the Frame's internal memory can randomly be flagged as "invalid file format" and the frame just hangs. I've gotten it to work on the 128 mb internal memory consistently (though even that mode hiccuped once and I had to reset the frame). Kodak's tech support has been absolutely NO HELP on this (I emailed 2x before I got a response, answered the questions in the response and since have heard NOTHING at all.(2 weeks))5 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Work Around or "Current File is Bad"
by pamh09 on November 8, 2009
Pros: Good picture quality. Easy to use.
Cons: See workaround below. Wireless implementation seems stupid (why would I want to have my PC on all the time just to feed the frame? I thought the wireless would let me add/remove photos periodically.
Summary: I copied a set of files to the frame and some of them would not display. The message was "the current file is bad". I resized the photos to 800x480 ...
Summary: I copied a set of files to the frame and some of them would not display. The message was "the current file is bad". I resized the photos to 800x480 but that did not help. Then I tried opening the iles in Adobe Elements 7.0 and selecting "Save for Web" with the quality at 100%. Now the frame happily displays all the pictures
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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great feature set
by stampy932 on February 18, 2008
Pros: lots o connectivity options, free integration with photo web site
Cons: images not auto-resized for the frame, response from remote sometimes seems a little slow
Summary: We bought 3 of these frames for family and friends. After getting through the setup process, we can now easily share photos across the world(some people live overseas). Normal ...
Summary: We bought 3 of these frames for family and friends. After getting through the setup process, we can now easily share photos across the world(some people live overseas). Normal operation is fine, sometimes response from the remote control seems a little slow. Another nice feature is the scheduler which lets the frame turn itself on/off certain times of the day.
If they add auto image resizing to minimize download times when connecting over the web, that would be almost perfect as far as the feature set goes. Of course everyone always wants a bigger view screen...1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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KODAK charges for their online storage now. DO NOT BUY
by vocalbass on June 11, 2009
Pros: it used to work fine. then they instituted their "pay $5/year or we delete your photos" policy. I will never buy KODAK products again.
Cons: I don't like that KODAK changed their policy to require users of their "free" kodakgallery webservice to pay a yearly fee in order to keep their storage.
Summary: The frame is alright, but you can only use it with kodak's proprietary web-storage, which is marketed as free, but they require you to pay $5/year to keep ...
Summary: The frame is alright, but you can only use it with kodak's proprietary web-storage, which is marketed as free, but they require you to pay $5/year to keep it going.
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Defective Product or False Ads? WORST tech support
by delta44j on December 29, 2008
Pros: Great idea with the wi-fi and linking it to Kodak Gallery
Cons: The automatic notification function did not exist on my product! I turned it on, but it never worked. This was the main reason I bought the frame. Tech support was wholly rude and useless, despite consuming HOURS of my time.
Summary: The main reason I bought this frame was because it was advertised as providing an automatic notification when users receive new photos through Kodak Gallery. Despite turning this function on, ...
Summary: The main reason I bought this frame was because it was advertised as providing an automatic notification when users receive new photos through Kodak Gallery. Despite turning this function on, I could never get it to give me the notification. I had to know that new photos had been shared and then navigate through the home screen every time to view them.
I spent hours trying to achieve online chat with tech support, but each time they would ask me the same generic questions. And, I swear, they were typing at a rate of about 0.5 words per minute. Ultimately, each time, they disconnected me. I moved onto phone support, and they different departments kept bumping me back and forth until they flat out denied that the frame was supposed to have the function of notification until I forced them to look at the picture on page 11 of the user manual showing a frame getting notification! Then they admitted the frame must be defective. This process took another several hours on the phone.
Now I am stuck with the decision of mailing the product to Kodak for "repairs" but perhaps the product never had this notification feature since the tech support is unsure as to whether it is even supposed to exist.
Another flaw with the product is that when you set the auto on/off feature, every time the frame turns back on, it defaults to the frame's internal memory pictures. So, if you have it set on pictures from your kodak gallery or network, every night when it turns off you will have to reconfigure in the morning. -
terrible product
by zbutton on November 30, 2008
Pros: I worked for about 6 months
Cons: After 6 months the digital frame became very fuzzy on the right side. In my opinon, Kodak did not stand behind their product.
Summary: After 6 months the digital frame became very fuzzy on the right side. After a run around I was able to send it in but then I was told it ...
Summary: After 6 months the digital frame became very fuzzy on the right side. After a run around I was able to send it in but then I was told it was damaged and the warranty was not valid. To the best of my knowledge the frame was never damaged.
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800x480 not 800x600
by UndrMediKated on November 23, 2008
Pros: Resonable price for what you get.
Easy setup.
WiFi iffy.Cons: Home photo's are not normally taken in widescreen format. You should look for an LCD screen that can directly accomodate the pictures. Most of my photos are 4x3. Many didgital cameras let you set up the size/ratio so it's not a big deal.
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Exceeded Expectations
by cortt on December 19, 2007
Pros: various memory card acceptance
Cons: tinny sounding speakers
Summary: I bought this for my computer-challenged Mom of 80+ years and it seems to be doing the trick. I preloaded jumpdrives so she can switch them back and forth- one ...
Summary: I bought this for my computer-challenged Mom of 80+ years and it seems to be doing the trick. I preloaded jumpdrives so she can switch them back and forth- one with videos and another with photos to slide-display. I also downloaded some MP-3 music to a SD card and left it in, so she can listen to music while the slide show is going. The resolution is outstanding. I will periodically give her new jumpdrives as new photos are taken and plan to scan a bunch of her old photos in a box via scancafe.com to create another. The gift that keeps on giving!
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Put Your Memories On Display
by http://www.idoo-dpf.com on September 18, 2007
Pros: bad style and outlook
Cons: PERFECT GIFT
Summary: A digital photo frame] has become the PERFECT GIFT for weddings, births, holidays, birthdays. . . every special event or occasion in our lives, in fact. People are even updating their digital ...
Summary: A digital photo frame] has become the PERFECT GIFT for weddings, births, holidays, birthdays. . . every special event or occasion in our lives, in fact. People are even updating their digital photo frames throughout the event or occasion, enabling family, guests, and participants to see an ongoing panorama of sentiment, as it is happening. Businesses are displaying their wares and policies on 5.6 digital photo frames set up in lobbies. Schools are displaying sports highlights, contests, academic bowls, virtual tours on digital photo frames set up in the office/sign-in areas. Restaurants are putting their menus on digital photo frames, enabling customers to see their dinners being prepared from beginning to end. Realtors are putting their listings on digital photo frames, and potential buyers are ’touring’ homes while sitting in comfort in a lounge. I have even seen digital picture frames on display in a funeral home, slide-showing flowers and various amenities in the building. I talk about the digital photo frame in my office, and how cool THAT was! http://www.idoo-dfp.com
0 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
- Part number: EX811
- Description: The new way to frame your pictures. Start viewing your pictures and videos right away - just insert a memory card or connect your digital camera and enjoy. Wirelessly add pictures and videos from your computer or the KODAK EASYSHARE Gallery using your Wi-Fi network and view your pictures on the high-resolution screen featuring KODAK Color Science for vibrant color and crisp detail.
General
- Device Type Digital photo frame
- Key Features Digital audio player, Digital photo viewer, Digital video player
- PC Interfaces USB, IEEE 802.11b
Display
- Display Type TFT 8 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
Memory / Storage
- Flash Memory Cards Supported Microdrive, Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, xD-Picture Card, CompactFlash Card
- Integrated Flash Memory 128 MB
Still Images
- Supported Still Images Formats JPEG
- Photo Playback Modes Thumbnail, Auto slide show
Digital Audio
- Supported audio formats MP3
- Audio output Built-in stereo speakers
Connectivity
- Connections Headphones - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, USB - Mini-USB Type B
Power Adapter
- Type Power adapter
Miscellaneous
- Direct Printing Specifications PictBridge
- Included Accessories Remote control
Manufacturer info
- Eastman Kodak Co.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Eastman Kodak Co. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.kodak.com/
- Address:
343 State Street, Rochester, NY 14650
