Large picture frame

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Peter Kinross
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Posts: 962
Joined: 09 Feb 2010, 00:33
Location: Patterson Lakes, Victoria, Australia

Large picture frame

Post by Peter Kinross »

I was fed up with the tiny picture frames on the market, so I set up my own.
  • 30" LED TV. Pretty cheap these days.
    Win 10 'stick' tiny computer. Ridiculously cheap, even in expensive Australia
    gPhotoShowPro.
I have been using an Android stick computer that tucks behind the wall mounted TV, but it can't access more than about 300 pics using a plugged in SD card. I tried all the Android slideshow apps - and there are a LOT of them - but all had that approx 300 pic limit. The only way to get them to work was to access my main computer via WiFi. But the Android slideshow apps are pretty fragile w.r.t. WiFi networking. Rebooting the main computer could cause the app to lose it's connection. It would then cycle through the 200 or so pics in its buffer. Takes a while to realize it isn't accessing the main computer. Very frustrating. Also the Android computer is nowhere near as easy to navigate as Win 10. So I took the plunge and bought the Win 10 stick computer. Same size as the Android one, and still tucks in behind the wall mounted TV.
Another frustration is that ALL the slideshow apps refuse to sort numerically, they all sort alphabetically. I have about 4,000 pics in the slideshow folder. If you want them to be in order, naturally you name them numerically. So none of the apps will show the pics in the correct order. I use Directory Opus (DO) and it lets you rename files easily. Using DO, I renamed the 4,000 pics as 0001, 0002 etc. Works a treat.
If you want short videos included in your slideshow you do need to ensure your app can play videos alongside pics. I needed the Pro version of gPhotoShowPro to enable videos.
The Win 10 computer takes a mini SD card that looks just like a disc drive in explorer (DO in my case). I can access this drive from my main computer, making additions a breeze. And there is no limit to the number of pics.
Avagr8day, regards, Peter

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DaveA
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Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:26
Location: Olympia, WA

Re: Large picture frame

Post by DaveA »

Is this on the same network that you keep having issues with?
I am so far behind, I think I am First :evilgrin:
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Peter Kinross
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Posts: 962
Joined: 09 Feb 2010, 00:33
Location: Patterson Lakes, Victoria, Australia

Re: Large picture frame

Post by Peter Kinross »

Yep. but working fine now - well today at least.
Avagr8day, regards, Peter

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Rudi
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Posts: 25455
Joined: 17 Mar 2010, 17:33
Location: Cape Town

Re: Large picture frame

Post by Rudi »

Where there is a will there is a way. :grin:
Congrats; I'm sure that will be quite an attraction in the house, esp. when family and guest come visit.

4000 images... If you set the cycle to 1 image a day (as of toady), it will only start the next revolution on 31 October 2027.

:whisper: The trick is to try as stay as young as you were in those images so people still recognize you in the next revolution.
Regards,
Rudi

If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.

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Peter Kinross
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Posts: 962
Joined: 09 Feb 2010, 00:33
Location: Patterson Lakes, Victoria, Australia

Re: Large picture frame

Post by Peter Kinross »

1 every 40 secs. Bit less than 2 days to cycle.
Haven't mastered that trick - working on it.
Avagr8day, regards, Peter

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Peter Kinross
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Posts: 962
Joined: 09 Feb 2010, 00:33
Location: Patterson Lakes, Victoria, Australia

Re: Large picture frame

Post by Peter Kinross »

After a VERY loooong time searching I have found the answer. :clapping:
Requirements:
1. Win 10 app. There are Android apps that do work, but far too fragile to work consistently, especially network.
2. Will play a slideshow.
3. Slideshow to consist of pics and interspersed videos.
4. No need to compile.
5. Will play the slideshow directly from a directory. Either local or network.
6. Has parameters that can be set to whatever I want.
7. Will play the slideshow in alpha order of numerically named filenames. Names started at 0001.jpg up to (at present) 4100.jpg
8. Will loop the slideshow.

Solution;
gPhotoShowPro. By default it uses Windows Media Player to show the videos, but that didn’t work with me. Following gPSs directions I installed VLC Media Player (VLC.360, it's free). Set that as the default for .mp4s and game on. I did have to use Directory Opus to name the files as 0001.jpg etc instead of 1.jpg. Couldn’t find a way to do it using Windows Explorer. Probably is a way, I just couldn’t figure it out, but Directory Opus is a beautiful app.
No 7 above is important. Without this the pics play in the order 1, 100, 1000, 11,110, 1100, 1110, etc.
Recipe for a very inexpensive large picture frame.
24” TV, a really inexpensive Win 10 stick computer running the above and viola we have a slideshow with pics and videos, BEAUTIFUL.
Avagr8day, regards, Peter

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stuck
Panoramic Lounger
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Joined: 25 Jan 2010, 09:09
Location: retirement

Re: Large picture frame

Post by stuck »

Interesting idea :thumbup:
Peter Kinross wrote:...Win 10 'stick' tiny computer...
Which one, Intel, Lenovo, Azulle, ..?

Ken

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Peter Kinross
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Posts: 962
Joined: 09 Feb 2010, 00:33
Location: Patterson Lakes, Victoria, Australia

Re: Large picture frame

Post by Peter Kinross »

A no name brand, complete with Win10 Home. Small enough to tuck in behind the TV which hangs on a wall. I use it with a mini wireless keyboard.
Cost about Aus$100. Cheapest I could find in store or online. V cheap for Australia, probably even less expensive in US etc.
17Feb23StickPC1.jpg
17Feb23StickPC2.jpg
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Avagr8day, regards, Peter

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Rudi
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Joined: 17 Mar 2010, 17:33
Location: Cape Town

Re: Large picture frame

Post by Rudi »

A rather crafty solution.
TX for sharing your ideas.
Regards,
Rudi

If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.