8. It's All About The Benjamins

With Americans snatching up both digital still and video cameras by the boat-load, it would be logical to believe that easy and efficient methods of sharing those pictures at home or the office would also take hold in the market. So why haven't they? The simplest answer is the high cost of TFT LCDs.

Manufacturers of motherglass - the special glass used in the LCD screens - have been catering to the demand for larger cuts for use in big-screen LCD TVs and monitors, where their margin is higher. The decision to cut the pieces bigger mean that sizes more practical for displaying digital photos, such as 8x10 or 5x7, are scarce. And without getting any deeper into economics, demand and scarcity have a tendency to drive prices up.

Instead of turning to the manufacturers offering cheaper, lower quality motherglass, screen and display companies have been sitting on their hands as the more expensive smaller sizes dribble in. They are unwilling to use lower-quality substitutions and risk alienating a customer base that is increasingly more tech savvy. Pacific Digital's Hope commented, "we know that customers are aware of clarity and viewing angle."

For most, digital picture and video frames are still above the $300 mark, even at warehouse clubs like Costco. So we still seem to be some distance away from the visions we were presented of the future, but companies like Pacific Digital are working on making the images become a more cost-effective reality.

I am hoping that fuel cell technology gets here soon and the LCD prices level off, so future devices like this don't have to have to bridge quite so big a divide between functionality and economics.

In the end, the Pacific Digital PV1 makes a great all around media player - as long as you are near an outlet. I found that the best use for it came at my desk or in the kitchen. These are closed-in areas that wouldn't make the screen look like a postage stamp, or over-work the system's speakers. If you are looking for a multifunction media device and don't have a lot of money to spend, you might be pleasantly surprised by the bang you get for your buck with the PV1.