TechRadar Verdict
The Vieunite Textura Digital Canvas dwarfs standard digital photo frames for size and is next-level in almost every regard thanks to its ultra high-quality 27-inch display that's natural in bright daylight and vibrant at night. The app is straightforward to use, offering access to your own photos or free downloads from the Vieunite gallery for display. It isn't perfect – availability in a range of sizes would be welcome, as you get with the pricier Samsung Frame TV, and ironing out some quirks in the app would improve user experience. However, if the Vieunite Textura’s size and price suits, then there’s really no better alternative. It's also more than a frame, tapping into an online art community of which you can be part, too.
Pros
- +
Slick frame design
- +
Large 27-inch display with natural color and minimal glare
- +
Subscription-free app with free art downloads
Cons
- -
Available in one size only
- -
App could be improved
- -
Relatively pricey
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Vieunite Textura Digital Canvas: Two-minute review
Digital photo frames are pretty popular – that's if our best digital photo frame guide is anything to go by. However, there's another breed of super-charged digital frame that taps into the NFT / online art community, and that's where the Vieunite Textura Digital Canvas comes in.
Actually, with regards to its size, function and price, the Vieunite Textura sits somewhere in the middle: it's way bigger than a digital photo frame such as the Aura Mason Luxe, but it's dwarfed by the larger versions of the Samsung The Frame TV.
Beyond displaying your own photos and videos, the Vieunite Textura also offers an entry point to puchasing online art or enjoying free digital art, and in that regard there isn't another product quite like it – I'll get further into that later.
The Vieunite Textura is a 27-inch framed digital display that's equally at home placed freestanding on a sideboard – as you would a photo frame (see picture above) – or mounted on a wall as you would a piece of art. However, depending on your preference of placement, you could also consider the Textura too small for a wall and too big for a sideboard. It arrives in only one size, which is a shame.
What's undisputed is the quality of the Vieunite Textura's display and frame. It gives a natural look to vibrant paintings, photos and videos, with an anti-glare (and easily cleaned) surface that offers clear viewing from a variety of angles. Brushstrokes are vividly rendered, and colors faithfully reproduced.
The display quality is in another league to entry-level digital photo frames. Plus, of course, you get to enjoy images on a much larger scale; most digital photo frames are 10 inches to the 27 inches of the Vieunite Textura display.
The frame, too, is well crafted. Arriving with an internal mount and recess, it's available in Walnut, Pine, Birch or a Black finish. I had the Walnut version of the Textura, which was perfectly suited to my old-school front room.
In the box you'll find everything you need to precisely mount your frame to a wall. This includes a self-adhesive paper template for horizontal or vertical orientation that features markings that indicate where to drill, plus screws and a spirit level, too.
I chose not to mount the frame on the wall (it being a loan for review, after all), instead choosing to rest it on a sideboard in my front room. Nevertheless, if you're looking to affix it to a wall, installation appears to be pretty straight forward.
A swivel mount allows your choice of orientation – portrait or landscape – while the mount and frame are designed to trail the power cable out of the frame's underside. The frame needs constant power, and the cable is in white only, so may prove an eyesore if you have more vibrant colored walls. Of course, this also means you'll need a power socket nearby.
There's a basic speaker on the back of the frame for any videos with sound, although don't hold out too high an expectation for audio quality.
Initial setup is fool-proof. Download the Vieunite app (see screenshots, below) and pair your smartphone or tablet with the frame using the QR code provided. That's it, and it's now that the fun begins.
On offer is a generous selection of free artwork that you can upload to your Textura frame. During my review period, I found that new artworks were being added everyday. You'll also find a paid-for section; Vieunite has an active online art community, buying and selling artworks through the app. Unlike NFTs, you don't own the art, but you gain access to it for display in your Textura frame.
Artwork costs only around £4 ($5 / AU$9) per piece, although if you don't like the idea of forking out extra then there's plenty of free stuff from which to choose. You can also join the community and sell your own art, via the "Becoming an Artist" section in the app. When I'm confident enough with my own photos, I might give that a go.
Of course, I was keen to load my own images for private viewing. From vibrant portraits to natural landscapes (see the sample images) I was keen to test how faithfully the Textura renders those digital files.
I'd describe the color and saturation as natural and faithful, whereas others might be over saturated, or – on the flip-side – dull. The Textura displays images how they should be displayed, looking natural in daylight to the point you'd think it was a print, yet vibrant in low light (see the comparisons, below).
Note that I did experience quirks with loading my own photos. First, you need to remember this is a 16:9 aspect ratio display; helpfully, the app gives you the option to crop. But when you crop through the app, the resolution of the image drops and there's a tiny white border on the top and bottom. A quick workaround is cropping your images to 16:9 before you import them, which resolves both issues.
In addition, neither did I have much luck with the scheduling feature, which is supposed to offer the ability to curate a slideshow of your choice of artworks or photos and videos, as well as selecting on and off times – for example – to conserve power at night. I'll update this review if I work out the issue.
Those aside, I've been super impressed by the quality of the display, and even more so by what the Vieunite Textura Digital Canvas represents – access to an online art community for a seriously low prices. Sure, the frame itself is pretty pricey, especially given the low prices of today's TVs, but it represents something more for art lovers and those looking to share their art, too. The fact that you can upload your own images is the icing on the cake.
Vieunite Textura Digital Canvas: Price and release date
- Available in the UK for £490
- Worldwide shipping available
The Vieunite Textura Digital Canvas costs £490 on the Vieunite website (around $620 / AUS$915 ) and is available now. Unlike many other digital canvases, there’s subscription-free access to a decent choice of downloadable artworks, plus there’s pay-per download options, too, with prices starting at £3.99 (around $5 / AUS$9) per download. At the time of writing, you can bag a £50 discount by following Vieunite’s Instagram, which brings the price of the Textura down to £440. Shipping in the UK is free, and worldwide shipping is available, too, with the cost calculated at checkout. Right now, the website notes worldwide shipping is free for a "limited time only".
Vieunite Textura digital canvas: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Vieunite Textura Digital Canvas: How I tested
- Several weeks as a permanent fixture at home
- Displaying Vieunite community art, plus my own digital photos and videos
I had the Vieunite Textura in my home for several weeks, during which time the digital display was always active, day and night.
I’ve downloaded free artworks from the Vieunite gallery, plus I’ve uploaded my own digital photos and videos, and displayed them in both portrait and landscape orientation.
I’ve tried the various display functions available through the app, adjusting brightness levels and image duration settings.
- First reviewed December 2023
