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Thread ID: 124205 2012-04-12 02:20:00 Can you use a Monitor as Digital Photo Frame? phijoa (14702) Press F1
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1269563 2012-04-12 06:24:00 There are hardware digital media players, some that connect to external dives that should play on almost any kind of monitor. Amazon sells plenty. WD (www.gadgetadvisor.com) make them. Maybe get one that streams photo's say from Flickr and display on your monitor. Some do that for old laptops, converted and used as a digital frame display. kahawai chaser (3545)
1269564 2012-04-12 07:40:00 At my other workplace, we have a TV above the bar showing different jpegs advertising the drink specials, running on a loop. It plays off a USB. I'll find out what this TV is and let you know caffy (2665)
1269565 2012-04-12 07:41:00 Sorry forgot to add it's about 17" or so - is this too big for you? caffy (2665)
1269566 2012-04-12 08:16:00 OK so:
1) DVD player with HDMI will work if the monitor supports HDMI, so that's certainly doable. It may mean you have to use a CD / DVD for files instead of a USB Drive, not all DVD players have USB drives, but almost all from the last 5+ years ought to support playing back JPG files off a disc.
2) Like I said, it's mostly TV's that support USB directly, which isn't an issue coz most TVs also have a VGA port as well as HDMI on the back for inputs.

Either option ought to work though :) 		Chilling_Silence (9)
1269567 2012-04-12 08:22:00 You could connect a DVD to a monitor. If both have HDMI.

Or if both have VGA.

Or if both have DVI

Or any other video connector really. 		Agent_24 (57)
1269568 2012-04-12 08:42:00 You could connect a DVD to a monitor. If both have HDMI. Or buy something like this. (www.thewarehouse.co.nz) Its got a DVD built into it. Or buy a digital photo frame

Thanks - I hadn't realised TVs were so cheap. Yes - something like this would do the trick and then some! 		phijoa (14702)
1269569 2012-04-12 08:52:00 A digital photo frame would be the cheapest way to go. $60 - $250 or so depending on size. I cannot see why you would want to stuff around trying to reinvent the wheel :)

I figured if I was going for a larger size, that for the same price I could get a nice 24" monitor that could possibly do the same thing job but on a bigger scale and bigger is always better - right? ;-) 		phijoa (14702)
1269570 2012-04-12 08:59:00 Sorry forgot to add it's about 17" or so - is this too big for you?

No not too big - that would be great. I had ignored TVs but I just hadn't realised they were at such a good price point (haven't bought on for years). If they can read off a USB they sound like a great alternative to a photo frame! 		phijoa (14702)
1269571 2012-04-12 09:05:00 wouldn't using a small media device plugged into a tv through usb work stratex5 (16685)
1269572 2012-04-12 09:09:00 OK so:
1) DVD player with HDMI will work if the monitor supports HDMI, so that's certainly doable. It may mean you have to use a CD / DVD for files instead of a USB Drive, not all DVD players have USB drives, but almost all from the last 5+ years ought to support playing back JPG files off a disc.
2) Like I said, it's mostly TV's that support USB directly, which isn't an issue coz most TVs also have a VGA port as well as HDMI on the back for inputs.

Either option ought to work though :)

Thanks it looks like going for the TV with USB support would be easiest - now I realise they're so cheap. I liked the idea of a monitor potentially doing double duty as a photo frame and - well a monitor if need be, but the idea of a TV potentially doing double duty as a TV is also good. It makes digital photo frames seem quite limited really if that's all they do - and quite pricey! :-) 		phijoa (14702)
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