Digital Picture Frame

Status

I have had some success in the past setting up digital picture frame applications.
My principal web-based slideshow app allows me to look through art images and includes a description/opinion on the art.  A modified version dispenses with the writing and just displays images - it is particularly aimed at the iPad.

I have also used  and blogged the iPad Pixette app which displays full screen pictures randomly from a folder on my picture database server.
Finally when investigating uses for old iPads I setup a slideshow in the Apple photo app (or LiveFrame) using shared icloud photo albums.  This has been used mainly to show Annette's aged father images of the family and places he may remember.

I feel that all of these are successful but I dont use them regularly.  Somehow I need more.

Typically I will use a DPF to view art, I wont be concentrating on the screen all the time, just dipping in and out when something attracts my attention.  I should evaluate some different solutions and see which one I use in practice.

Parameters

DPF output could be displayed on the lounge large TV, study small TV, computer monitor or iPad.
If a dedicated iPad is required it should preferably an obsolete IOS9 device.

An iPad is a natural choice to create a slideshow, possibly mirrored / cast to a TV screen.  It may be worth considering some sort of RPI solution which is output to a monitor or TV.

Preferably images should be used from my database server.  It is also preferable that the existing labelled low resolution images should be used.  Saving images on iCloud may be acceptable.

It should be easy to choose, start and change the slideshow which is displayed.  I should be able to pause the show.  Images must have simple artist information to be interesting.

Option 1 : Pixette app on newer iPad and large TV

+ existing low resolution images on database server can be used
+ image file name gives approximate author and title details
+ The full screen is used and image transition is smooth
+ "image enhancement" makes low res pictures look good on a big screen
+ slideshow starts as soon as app is loaded
+ same app works for both iPad and large TV (with screen mirroring)
+ app and images are already in place and working
- can only display pics in random order
- picture selection is based on choosing to include/exclue folders on settings screen
- app no longer works on oldest IOS9 ipad

  

Option 2 : Use old iPad and Apple Photos / LiveFrame /SoloSlides

+ Can choose to display images in time order.  Less randomness useful for multiple folders
+ apps are already in place
+ screen displays pictures full screen
+ it is easy to add images to shared icloud folder for display
- uses iCloud storage - images may not fit my free storage
- lots of work to setup new database of hi res images with meaningful file names
- artist / title not available using Apple photos
- old iPad doesn't allow mirroring to large TV

Option 3: Improve Slideshow app fullscreen capability

I have previously modified the slideshow app to remove image description / analysis providing more space on an iPad screen for images.
However the Google / Safari browser headers are still displayed detracting from the "full screen" objective.  In additon the screen includes a title line (which I probably want to keep) and a menu bar (which I may remove).

The first issue to resolve is the removal of browser headings.  On Windows Chrome allows F11 to make an image full screen, however this isn't possible using Safari/Chrome on an iPad.

There is a workaround using a deprecated <meta> tag

If you add the meta tag to a web page and save a link to that page on your safari homescreen then you see a nice slideshow without an address bar at the top which looks a lot better.

+ works on iPad3
+ it uses existing image database

+ can cast using iPad7 to a suitable TV
+ proper artist / title information
+ By saving iPad homescreen icons, can choose ALL galleries in a group

- It isn't quite a fullscreen app
- It is a bit fiddly to setup icons for all the desired galleries

This solution works both on iPad3 and iPad7.  I cant easily cast the iPad7 screen to my (old) Small Samsung TV in the study, even using its Chromecast stick, but I did try an app called Screen Mirroring for Chromecast which will display the slideshow on the Study TV.  I feel it works well, the TV is easy to ignore and unobtrusive but the pictures look good.  It is probably that we are conditioned to ignore TVs more than iPads which we are holding.

Conclusion

Both options one and two are good applications.  Pixette is too limited for art because of its random display.  Apple Photos and related solutions cant easily display titles and require much work to fully setup.

Option 3 is good enough to be practical, I just need to setup icons for each image gallery I want to view.  In addition, if I use iPad7 the slideshow looks good on our large Samsung TV.

I did rather like looking at the slideshow on my small Study TV.  Another option I wanted to consider was an RPI application using Study TV as an RPI screen.  So far, investigations indicate that this is quite feasible and I will blog the results separately.