As digital cameras have rendered the "classical" film photography almost obsolete, digital photo frames have become increasingly popular during the past few years, as they allow users to view all their favorite memories without having to open the computer. Although most such items have relatively small displays, the people from Smartparts have decided to up the ante and launched in June 2007 the 15.0" Digital Picture Frame, a device that's almost the size of an older computer display.

Obviously, the most important selling point this device has to offer is the display and this is the reason why the company fitted the digital photo frame with the said whooping 15-inch diagonal, encased in a sleek and classy wooden frame. However, the screen is far from being "big and stupid", as it can provide a 1024 x 768 resolution, as well as a brightness level of 20 cd/square meter. The device has a contrast ratio of 350 :1, and displays the digital photos only in 4:3 aspect mode.

As most latest-generation digital photo frames, the device from Smartparts can be used for a lot more than simply viewing photos. Thus, the frame is also compatible with AVI, MP3, MPEG-1 and MPEG-4 files, which means that it can very well double as a portable media player.

Another important element is the case of any photo frame, represented by the connectivity options. The device from Smartparts offers what could be called a standard set of such options, including an USB port, as well as a card reader compatible with some of the most popular card formats available on the market, including SD, SDHC, MMC, CF, Memory Stick as well as xD Picture Cards.

The 15-inch "monster" digital photo frame from Smartparts will be available at various retailers for around 480 US dollars, which is a record price for such a device, although what we're dealing with here is a record-breaking item.

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