Agfaphoto AF7088MT 8 inch Multi Media Touch Screen Digital Photo Frame - Black

I bought this for my father in law to look at family photos and home videos and it does a great job. The charge lasts a couple of hours away from the mains and the image and sound are both clear. Simply snap in an SD or XD card and it automatically picks up the images or video files.

Issues....?

Firstly, the movies from my Sony videocam needed to be converted from tape to .wmv files on my PC using Windows Movie Maker. Then I had to convert the WMV file to an MP4 file for teh frame to use. Fairly straightforward using the utility 'any videoc onverter' which you can find on the web. Default setting of the AVC programme is to output the image for mobile phones ie. very low resolution. Suggest you reset to maximum resolution output for an acceptable quality on the Agfa screen. All in all a bit of a faff, but not a big deal.

Second issue is that the booklet instructions given with the frame are pretty sketchy. If you are used to technology / PC menus, it does work out OK, but you need to figure it out yourself.

Once you have worked out the menu and how to work it, it does a great job - I would happily recommend this to anyone.

I purchased this photo frame directly through Amazon.It was not held in stock by Amazon but they did advise an estimated delivery date.Amazon kept me advised of the progress and finally delivered it in advance of their first advised date.The product on delivery to me was as originally described,intact and nicely gift wrapped.
That is the good news.
THE PRODUCT;as presented by the Manufacturer is extremly lacking in instruction or guidance to its operation.
Whilst promising some abundance of features,it is proving very difficult to achieve them.A more detailed operation manual is sorely needed. The online manual is simply a copy of the one provided in the box.The advised web site as given for contact and update is as good as the provided manual,ie., not very friendly. I sincerely hope and trust someone will read this and send help.
S.O.S. JP.

Right, as people might be put off by the lack of instructions, I have put together my own to produce some clarity on any issues you may be having.

To access the basic menu either press the power button on the side of the frame for a second or touch the screen when the frame is displaying media. If you hold down the power button it will switch the power of the frame off and on.

Basic display:
*The slider on the left will alter the brightness of the screen (on the highest setting-the top of the slider, you will have to recharge the frame more frequently than if the brightness of the screen is lower)
*The slider on the right will allow you to zoom into or out of the picture, or if you are in movie or song mode it adjusts the volume.
*The double screen/clapper board/music note icon on the bottom left allows you to change the source of your media, whether you want to view media from the internal memory, a USB stick or an SD card.
*The fast forward/rewind icons allow you to either fast forward or rewind the movie/music or move onto the previous or next pictures-depending on the mode you are in. Also, in movie and music mode there are icons that allow you to jump to the next/previous film clip-these are the outer set of arrows with the vertical lines on the ends of them.
*The play/pause icon stops and starts films and songs or switches between the slideshow and screensaver modes.
*The two arrows (with the long tails) pointing right allow you to either view the pictures in order, or if you press the icon again and it changes to a twisted arrow; in shuffled mode.
*The music note icon brings up another menu and allows you to play your own music when you have selected the same external memory source as the music. It works in the same way, you flick left or right to change the track/song and you can also use the icons at the bottom of the screen which work in the same way as described above.

On the video, track and picture menus:
*To add photos (or songs or videos-it's the same process) onto the system memory you simply drag the files into the photo album (with the heart on it)icon.
*To delete photos (or songs or videos) from the system memory or external memory, you simply drag the files into the bin icon in the bottom right corner.
*To scroll through the pictures/videos/songs in the menus you swipe your finger horizontally across the screen in the direction which you want the pictures, videos or songs to move.
*To scroll through folders in the menus you slide the silvery bead like shape on the right hand side of the internal/ external memory selection panel up or down.
*The squares icon at the top left of the screen will change the way you view the picture menu from 'flickbook' style to a basic thumbnail list.

On the settings menu:
*The first sub menu displayed allows you to choose the style of screensaver (what is displayed on the screen when there are either no media or you have pressed the play button during the slideshow.)
From the top left working through them:
-The first icon will allow you to turn off screensaver mode-and media will be continuously shown.
-The second creates a slowly rotating and enlarging cube- repeating one picture on all sides.
-The third will sequentially rotate through all of your pictures turning half a revolution and then enlarging the next picture.
-The fourth shows six photos at once and goes through each in order, enlarging each one separately.
-The fifth does the same as the previous icon but displays five photos at a time.
-The sixth only seems to show one picture at a time- not as in the layout suggested by the icon.
-The seventh displays one photo only-and changes after the time period set.
-The last just shows a funky clock and no pictures.
*The next sub menu to the right allows you to set the time in 24 hr mode. (You scroll up or down to rotate the dials to the correct number/format)
*The one after that allows you to set the date and the date format in the same way as above.
*Next is the alarm, the blue bell means the alarm is on, the grey means it is off. Scroll up or down on the dials to change the time and alarm sound (the only way to preview the sound is by setting the alarm to the next minute for example if you are setting this up at one o'clock in the afternoon you turn the alarm on and set it to one minute past one, so that the alarm goes off- this is a bit awkward I know.)
*The power sub menu allows you to set what is displayed when the frame first turns on, pictures, videos or both.
*The next menu with the red triangle allows you to reset the frame-and REMOVE EVERYTHING from the frame including settings and media- Use with caution. It may be useful however if you have installed an update from the agfaphoto website and the frame encounters problems when functioning after the update as it will remove updates.
*The next screen will determine:
-which side you want your pictures to rotate to (portrait/landscape/inverted portrait/inverted landscape)
-The time you want each picture to be displayed for(5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 1 hour, 3 hours or 24 hours).
-how each picture or film changes into the next picture or film (random effects/no effects/blinds effect/checkered effect/ push picture left/squeeze picture outwards/expand outwards in all directions/pull picture up/blend/smooth over left/zoom out.)
-The size of the picture in relation to the screen (4:3 ratio/widescreen or fit image into frame/stretch [will expand photos out of proportion especially portrait ones if the orientation of the screen is set to landscape.])
*The next screen is to set up automatic switch-ons or shut-downs, sun/coloured icon is to appoint switch on times, moon/dark icon is to allocate switch off times- you cannot set both at the same time only one or the other. Touch the black rectangles to set half hour time periods. To have the frame on continuously either remove all grey blocks on the moon setting or highlight all green blocks on the sun setting.
*The final sub menu is to adjust picture settings using the sliders.
-The brightness of the pictures (up for brighter, down for darker.)
-The contrast between dark and light (Up for more contrast, down for less.)
-The colour of the picture (up for full colour/vividness, down for black and white or grayscale images.)
-The brightness of the screen can also be adjusted here by the right hand slider (up for brighter, down for darker.)

I have yet to try and convert some videos into the correct format to play on the frame but the ones that were the correct format already, look good. The film files have to be .AVI (as the file extension) or MPEG 4, and MP3 files work when playing music. Pictures are JPEGs, others may work but will probably compromise on quality. This is a great little frame and once you have the hang of it, it is very easy to use. The screen takes a few seconds to load after touches and sometimes doesn't register them-but this is not an Ipad or a galaxy tab, it is simply a photo frame. It looks smart and stylish in a bedroom, and is the perfect thing to show off the pictures I have recently taken on holiday, especially to family and friends as the battery allows it to be taken anywhere.

I think I have covered everything but if there is something missing or if you have any other questions, feel free to comment on this review and I will try and help you. By the way, I do not work for Sagemcom- I am just a customer trying to be helpful and therefore if you have any big problems then you will have to contact them.
Hope this helps! :)