Open Gadgets Pixel, Led Art Frame

This was a neat idea for 8 bit enthusiasts, but it seems overpriced for what you get. The colors seemed way off as well.

Big waste of money

I first heard about the Pixel LED Art Frame a few months after their initial successful kickstarter for v2.  I remember reading an article about it somewhere and instantly knew it was something that very much appealed to my interests in retro gaming, 8 bit pixel animations and wall art in general.  Unfortunately at the time I had heard about it, the iOS version was not yet available so I knew, being an iphone user, it would be awhile until I’d be able to try out this cool looking piece of technology that Al Link had produced. So cut to a few years later.  Paroozing the net one day recently, I decided to pop in on the Pixel LED art frame site and, much to my excitement, saw that the iOS had just been made available.  I quickly contacted Al with a few questions about the operation and general use of the frame.  Al was fantastic in the info he provided—very thorough, helpful and provided even a brief tutorial for me to show how the frame would work once I received it.  In the days before the Pixel Art Frame arrived I started to create a few pixel animations in photoshop, either by using my own designs or by using existing sprites from some of my favorite retro games that I found online and created frame by frame animations.  A quick google search on how to create animated gifs was all I needed to getting rolling, and in no time I was having a great time putting together the pixel art that I’d want to see on my wall.  By the time the Pixel Frame arrived I had created a pretty sizeable slideshow to upload and start out with.  First thing I noticed was how sleek the Pixel LED Frame looked-- smooth black plastic with a place to plug in power, an on/off switch on the side, and a small bluetooth hub to sync my device onto. I had planned to hang mine on the wall but it did come with a stand that I set up initially just to test the software and use at my desk. I can’t believe how fast I got everything running! The PIXEL app on my iphone was super easy and quick to set-up— I uploaded the pixel animations that I had created on my mac directly to the app—from there I transferred them over from the app via bluetooth directly onto my Pixel LED Frame.  In 5 minutes flat everything was set-up and working—almost right out of the box.  My pixel animations look beautiful displayed on the wall.  It’s only my first few days with my my LED frame, but I’m really enjoying it so far--- it probably helps that I enjoy building pixel animations but, for those of you that don’t or just want pixel art to view without the creation aspect, there are tons of pre-existing beautiful animations built into the app for easy transfer—it’s also very easy to find animated gifs online and transfer them to your frame.  You just have to make sure they fit within the 32x32 pixel ratio—the app resizes your images for you too. In short, I love my frame and would definitely recommend it—it’s a solid built piece of wall art that is very original, fun and filled with nostalgic pixel-y goodness— it’s a visual treat. It’s super easy to use and extremely well built.  Not to mention Al Link is a real nice guy that has made the purchasing experience all the more worthwhile.Please note: this review is about the newest iOS version of the LED PIXEL Art frame.

If you love LEDs...and you love art...you'll love the PIXEL LED Art Frame! I backed PIXEL (V1, and then upgraded to V2 via kit) on Kickstarter. Al Linke, creator of PIXEL, set the example of how to run and deliver a proper Kickstarter campaign. Not only did he do an outstanding job of providing a high-quality LED frame, he ensured all the other parts of the PIXEL ecosystem were in place too. By that I mean he got LED pixel art procured (so you'd have graphics/animations to display on your frame day 1), PIXEL software designed for Windows, Mac, and Android (cross platform support to design more things for your frame), and also set up the PIXEL User Community (on Google+) so PIXEL users can share additional graphics, animations, and tech/hacking tips and tricks. So, you're not just getting a digital frame, but an experience. Make sure to read John Rufano's review above to get additional comments about his positive experience with PIXEL and Al Linke.I have my PIXEL hanging in my office. It's a great 'art piece' and gets attention whenever I have friends over. It's also a nice addition to my other LED display art (Hypnocube, Hypnosquare, TIX clock, and Jellyfish Lamp 2, among others). If you're a tech geek, you'll really love your PIXEL! Make sure to check out PIXEL's website (http://ledpixelart.com) and Google+ Community (https://plus.google.com/communities/110336015520013689108) for more information.

I was one of the backers for this product on kickstarter. I was looking for something to display video game artwork for my mancave/basement. I came across this and another product. This looked more professional and the bluetooth sharing features were a deal maker. I received the product about 2 weeks ago, which was pretty close to the target date, which is almost never the case with kickstarter. Throughout the whole funding, Al, the creator would give constant updates and answer all questions. When I got the PIXEl, it was packaged very well and looks like a retail product you will find in the store. I plugged it in my phone paired up to it right away. I previously downloaded the apps form Google store. He created several different apps. I opened the primary app "Pixel LED Art". In there is about 300 pieces of artwork, gif animated files and still png files. All you have to do is tap on a picture and displays on the frame. The animation files are fantastic, they range from pacman going through 3 boards to prince Adam turning into he-man. I had some requests about the software and I contacted Al. I explained that there was a lag when using bluetooth from my phone, but it could have been my phone. Also I wanted to be able to pick a bunch of pictures and create a slide show. Within a day he contacted me and said he will look into it. 5 days later he emailed me and said he updated the software and asked if I can test it. Not only is the slide show feature in there, which works great. He also seemed to fix bluetooth latency.ProsCan stream via bluetooth via smartphone or pc if it has bluetooth capability. (I'm using this feature when I use my phone for other stuff)You can write a animated gif or your slideshow to internal memory. This is nice, you can turn it on and let it run stand alone mode.From the app he has a link to Pixeljoint, where you can download new art. So this will not be obsolete.Several apps created for Pixel. Including a text/sms display. You can send a paragraph if you want, change the font, text and color.ConsThis is not so much of a Con but a warning. You are not just investing in a device, you are investing into a hobby and a community.They have set up a website where people are posting pictures and asking/answering questions.I spent around 3 hours the other night on pixel joint, obtaining a bunch of new artwork. I am very happy that I have a dedicated video game slideshow. So if you have a mancave, basement, garage, or just love to display art, PIXEL is for you. It is definitely the type of product that when someone see’s it they’ll ask “Where can I get one?”

Great while it lasted. Died after 8 months.