LCD monitor to Wifi Photo Frame

[photobuddy]

Hello

I am looking to convert my 19 inch monitor to a table/shelf mounted wifi display. I guess I am trying to find the easiest/smallest/cheapest way to make this happen .. I need a wifi, a cheap processor with some ram, a vga/dvi driver card, perhaps an SSD slot (optional) and maybe this could run linux or whatever and apache so i can send pictures to it and then it can just "display it".

any off the shelf to do somethign close to it ? obviously - i can try to rip open old computers for parts but that is very time consuming and also - i'd need to figure out packaging all this in a tiny form-factor.

in a nut shell i need a watered down version of the thinnest pc possible sans display.

Thanks,
Rajeev

 

[KeithP]

Maybe instead of going the cheap PC route you could try attaching a Roku box to the display? Then you would upload your photos to one of their supported services.

http://www.roku.com/roku-channel-store#11

-KeithP

 

[photobuddy]

That actually sounds like a neat idea. Why go through all the hassle if you have it all (and then some) for $84.

Dumb me .

Thank you !

(ofcourse - no thrill of DIY in this - but one can always hack on a roku!)

Maybe instead of going the cheap PC route you could try attaching a Roku box to the display? Then you would upload your photos to one of their supported services.

http://www.roku.com/roku-channel-store#11

-KeithP

 

[sm625]

Wouldnt a rasberrry pi type device work for you?

 

[photobuddy]

Yes, it might.. i searched for it and doesnt look like its available in the US yet.

It sounds pretty neat though.

Wouldnt a rasberrry pi type device work for you?

 

[photobuddy]

there is also no wifi on the raspberry pi it seems. they chose to put in an Ethernet port instead.

 

[sm625]

How about one of those cheap android tablets or phones? I'm sure one with a mini-HDMI out could be found for under $100.

Look at a magic jack thin client, ebay search for something like "UNLOCKED WIFI Thin Client". Or if you are feeling brave, unlock it yourself! Beware though it is frustrating installing windows on one of these things because it is so slow. I am currently running a CA10 thin client with a powerline network adapter and a 4GB CF card. Total cost including all adapters was $40. It would do what you need, but it was a lot of hassle to get it working. It would be better to buy a more modern and unlocked/easily unlockable thin client.

There are tens of thousands of old/oldish thin clients out there that have valid windows licenses that can be uses for one-off purposes like this... I love mine because it only pulls 15 watts when playing music. It is like a netbook with no monitor.

Other option is of course to buy a cracked/broken screen notebook/netbook that has a functional external display connection.

 

[yinan]

I think the cheapest solution to this problem is just to buy one of those photo frames.

 

[photobuddy]

I think a 19 inch photoframe with full HD display is not very cheap. Is it ?