I really like the idea of a digital art frame because of the high cost of art and most of us don’t want to look at the same pieces over the years. The product has a lot of potential since it could save a lot of money and time looking for a new artwork. However, new users will be concerned about the image quality and ease of use. Can the digital pictures replace physical ones? Let’s find out in the review of the Canvia Art Frame.
The Canvia Art Frame comes with only the frame and a power adapter. So, the first thing you need to do is mounting it on the wall and hiding the cord. There are two hinges on the top and side, so you can hang it in the portrait or landscape mode. For more flexible placement, you can buy a VESA mount to rotate the frame easier. At the moment, they are not offering a tabletop stand, so you will have to figure it out by yourself.
To start using the frame, you will need to set it up via the companion Canvia app which is available on Android and iOS. The process is straightforward but using the app is not that simple. It is quite confusing since I need to use the app to adjust the frame settings and choose a playlist but I will also need to use a web browser to add new artworks to the playlists; You can’t view and choose artworks from the app.
In terms of image quality, I was quite impressed with the frame as soon as I turned it on. I can only tell it is a digital frame when examining it up-close. It looks 80% like a real painting and you might not be able to tell the difference when looking at it from a distance. The frame uses a full-HD 24-inch screen and it looks much better than I expected. It looks a little darker from an angle but still totally acceptable, as you can see in the video above.
The frame features the ArtSense technology which dynamically adapts the painting based on the lighting condition. Therefore, it looks less like a digital screen with backlight and more like a real painting.
In terms of content, Canvia partnered with artists, galleries and art organizations to add thousands of artworks to their library. You will get access to abstract paintings, renaissance masterpieces, surrealist dreamscapes and iconic photography. They are curated and organized into themed playlists, so you will never run out of artworks to show off. All of them are free when you buy the Canvia and if you want pieces from famous and upcoming current artists, you can pay for the premium tier which costs $30/year. You can also upload your own photos to play on the frame.
Although Canvia is a promising product, it is still not easy to convince consumers because there are some similar products on the market and obviously, the price tag of around $500 is not competitive enough. If you like the convenience of a digital frame, you can check out Canvia here.
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