GoKawiilDhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
Every tech enthusiast owns a closet full of old hardware that isn’t being used anymore. I’m much the same. Be it smartphones, old consoles, or other tech paraphernalia, this is usually tech that we aren’t quite ready to dispose of yet, but don’t have a use for either. In my case, it was a couple-of-years-old Android tablet that had become too slow for heavy multitasking and everyday use, but still possessed a gorgeous high-resolution screen. Rather than letting it sit until the battery failed, I decided to give it a second life as a dedicated, self-hosted photo display.
The best smart photo display you can buy probably isn't in a store, it's sitting in a drawer collecting dust.
Going in, I didn’t expect much. My previous experience with commercial digital photo displays has been abysmal, to say the least, and some of the newer models are way too expensive for my tastes. However, as I quickly found out, the DIY route gives you a result that is better than any smart photo frame you can buy at a big-box store. By pairing this so-called obsolete hardware with a powerful tool called Immich Kiosk, I created a privacy-focused display that actually looks like a premium product. It has no ads, no subscriptions, and gives me total control over every aspect of the photo display experience. I love it.
Do you use your smart display as a digital photo frame? 1 votes Yes, it's a primary reason why I bought it. 0 % Yes, but I don't like the experience. 0 % No, I've been looking for a better solution. 0 % No, I don't care for digital photo frames. 100 %
The problem with the modern smart displays and photo frames
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
If you walk into a Best Buy or any other retail store today, you will find a plethora of smart frames and displays from companies like Amazon, Google, and Aura. On the surface, they look like the perfect solution for the modern digital photography era. They have decent screens and promise to sync with your phone. Some, like the Aura, will even integrate with Google Photos, which is a big plus. But once you actually live with one, the inconsistencies in the user experience start to show up. The Amazon Echo Show, for example, has become an advertising billboard that happens to show a photo of your vacation every few minutes between suggested recipes and news alerts.
A five-year-old tablet often has a better screen than a brand-new $250 smart display.
Dedicated frames like those from Nixplay or Aura are slightly better but often come with their own set of issues. Some require a monthly subscription just to unlock basic features, like being able to connect storage accounts. Others rely entirely on a proprietary cloud service that could vanish tomorrow if the company goes under. There is also the glaring issue of screen quality.
... continue reading