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Build Your Own LCD Picture Frame

Posted by michael on from the when-thumbtacks-just-aren't-good-enough dept.

mbrain writes "PopSci is running a really good how-to story that shows how to build your own LCD picture frame. Since you are building it yourself, you can make it any size you like, using an off-the-shelf LCD monitor as the display. The frame as described uses a cheap motherboard, power supply and HD and runs Linux. It can hold thousands of photos. A little pricey, but still a cool project (especially if you have some of the parts laying around)."

5 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. Pictureframe PC by Xeed · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is very similar to a Mini-ITX project I saw a while ago.

    The main difference is, the Mini-ITX page shows you how everything is layed out inside the picture frame.

    --
    ...don't question it!!!
  2. A bit OTT by brejc8 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    That is so over the top. Creating an entire PC just to show a picture? That's 200 for the screen and another 200 for the computer. On top of that they are recommending a hard disk?
    My version uses a 5 quid FPGA and some junk thrown away equipment. The LCD was a 12" 9bit colour from some factory and a fiend of a friend offered them to us for a quid each. And the RAM is an old 1Mb 30simm (I have about 3kg of these). There you go. A picture displaying system with no need for a huge/noisy PC power supply (runs from one of those 12v ac/dc plug converters). The images can be sent to it via a serial cable (two wires internally so it can be passed over any old cable you have lying around).

    --
    Mouse powered Chips, Open source Processors and Lego
    1. Re:A bit OTT by shokk · · Score: 4, Interesting

      All you have to do is pick up an Audrey from Ebay and point it to a Gallery installation and set the page to slideshow for the album. Simple and done quickly from very off the shelf parts. For bonus points, have the gallery hosted so that you don't have a server gobbling electricity 24/7; plus others can easily access the gallery the same way and emulate a Cieva service.

      --
      "Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master."
  3. A similar Project using an old PowerBook Duo... by beerits · · Score: 5, Interesting

    can be found here.

  4. Re:Somebody Didn't Read Linux Toys by bhtooefr · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Of course, it seems a bit overboard to use Linux for something that's only running one process. I've got an old P75 laptop (and it only uses a cord, no brick, too!), and it has an 8.4"x6.3"x640x480x16-bit screen, and an 810MB HDD. It'll run FreeDOS just fine, with a VESA TSR and LxPic (designed for HPLX palmtops, but works great on just about anything that runs DOS). After all, it does fairly well with Win95 (except with only 16MB RAM, it's dog slow). Flip the screen around, devise a latch, make a frame around it, and you've got a good picture frame. I suggest NOT matting it, as the choice of mat depends on the picture, and if it's changing pictures...