THSCC Forums

Why can't "someone" make this:

A little "brain" that processes jpg images (and scales?). On one side of the brain is an SD card slot, on the other side is a DVI (or VGA?) output. Plug SD card into the little box, and the little box into a monitor.

Instant digital picture frame, without the excessive cost (think high-res, greater than 7" diagonal). I imagine the guts of a digital camera could do most of the work.

I don't know if a monitor can send any power out of the DVI port (there is a +5v pin in a DVI connector), but I award extra credit if the monitor could actually power my little device.

Scott

Most digital cameras already output composite and/or s-video. You only want something that can output DVI and thus higher resolution instead?

Wouldn't anyone who had that already have a computer on it? Or do you mean for people who have high end TVs but no computer nearby?

You can obviously do this with a pretty cheap used laptop, including some that are pretty small (especially if you're fine with VGA instead of DVI). I'm sure you could build something with one of the mini-ITX boxes (from Logic Supply and similar places) running Linux that would do this in a somewhat embedded fashion, but you're still not tiny nor battery powered (or on that scale of power, really).

Hmm, I gotta think on this some more. There's got to be something.


--Donnie

I have a spare monitor (or 3) and LCD monitors are now really cheap (compared to computers and digital frames). I don't want to have to use an entire laptop to drive a slide show (energy hog, and space hog, relatively speaking).

The composite output of digi-cams is just too low res to be good enough Some of the new digi-cams have HDMI out, and that would be adequate. Those cameras are still expensive though.



They may buy it too, or just get a TV that has an SD card slot (panasonic comes to mind).

Does an upconverting DVD player show photo CD's/DVD's at 1080p resolution or 480p?

Dell Axim $50-$100 used. Has VGA output.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/sys/731908635.html

+ VGA output cable $25?

http://forum.brighthand.com/showthread.php?t=226079

+ Resco photo viewer or comparable for Pocket PC $Free-$25

http://www.mobiletechreview.com/softwar ... Viewer.htm

This was based on a quick search ... there may be something more cost effective or simpler.

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Even better:

http://www.sourcingmap.com/portable-hdd ... -7297.html

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Good find.

This one is basically what I want, just too big and not powered over DVI (if that is possible).

http://www.sourcingmap.com/out-mmc-card ... 13858.html

They don't specify an output resolution, so I kind of suspect it is low. One of the fancier units is 800x600 (decent, but I'd like better). Their really fancy High def units do claim 1080i.

As usual, Mike is the shopping winner!

The only problem with those things is usually bad documentation and poor support for anything past pictures. They say they do different types of movies and such, but usually finding one that'll actually play anything you produce can be tougher. That's assuming they're similar to the cheaper digital picture frames.

But if you assume pictures are what you're after and anything else is a bonus, it may be pretty cool. Price is good, and the sidebar on that last page shows some other more interesting looking options.


--Donnie

http://www.californiaemart.com/datvphshcofl.html

$15 for TV resolution.

http://www.cherrypal.com

This thing is more expensive than what I really want, but the simplicity and power requirements are getting close (and affirming that what I want can likely be made on the cheap).

It would be cool if I could administer the machine remotely via the wi-fi.

Scott

I swear this didn't come up in searches for Mike and me:

http://www.precision-camera.com/product/9023

The only issue I see is that it is component output and I'd rather DVI/HDMI. It also requires a power brick (but that is to be expected). At least I can get VGA to component adapters.

Apparently, Kodak is in on this business too.

Hmm, I did not know there was such thing as a component to VGA adapter. Interesting. I looked at that precision camera link and thought, "well this won't work on a monitor".

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Well, there sort of is. You need a monitor that can support the YPbPr component signal instead of an RGB signal (or both). I'm not sure if I have such a monitor.

The alternative is a $60+ converter box which defeats the purpose of this experiment.

Scott

you could take an old laptop, strip the case and mount a picture frame to the screen. Load linux on it and a wifi card then VNC into the machine from elsewhere. You could then play anything on the computer easily.

A senior design project at NCSU last year even involved having a web based interface that could allow you to remotely log in to the "Frame"

I think there is an instructable on how to make one.

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1997 BMW M3 Sedan