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Digital photo frame

picture frame that displays digital photos

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionNov 5, 2025
Entity authorityQ1077487
Source-derived summary

A digital photo frame (also called a digital media frame) is a picture frame that displays digital photos without the need of a computer or printer. The introduction of digital photo frames predates tablet computers, which can serve the same purpose in some situations; however, digital photo frames are generally designed specifically for the stationary, aesthetic display of photographs and therefore usually provide a nicer-looking frame and a power system designed for continuous use.

Digital photo frames come in a variety of different shapes and sizes with a range of features. Some may even play videos as well as display photographs. Owners can choose a digital photo frame that utilizes a WiFi connection or not, comes with cloud storage, and/or USB and SD card hub.

History

The first generation of digital photo frames were introduced in the 1990s and included screens with the ability to accept memory cards directly from digital cameras. Widespread adoption of digital cameras in the 1990s left consumers with thousands of digital photos without a viable way to view them. Commercially available digital photo frames started to appear shortly after the introduction of digital photos but did not find market adoption until the mid 2000s when the number of digital photos exploded with the integration of digital cameras into cell phones. First generation frames enjoyed widespread market adoption. The market peaked in 2009 at over $1B worldwide, but the introduction of Apple's iPad started the market's slow decline.

Editorial summary

Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Digital photo frame” is picture frame that displays digital photos. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Digital, photo and frame, not as a finished interpretation.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—2009—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. For this dossier, Digital, photo and frame is the immediate research focus.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The phrase “picture frame that displays digital photos” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 5, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q1077487. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2009.

Critical limits

A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Digital photo frame”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Digital photo frame primary sources, Digital photo frame archive and Digital research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Digital photo frame”?
  2. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
  3. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Digital photo frame” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.