Q1. Which memory card formats are supported by Picture Porter?
Picture Porter directly reads from and writes to: CompactFlash I/II, MicroDrive, SmartMedia, MultiMedia Card, SD Card, Memory Stick, MS PRO, MS Duo, MS PRO Duo, and xD-Picture card. It also supports miniSD, RS-MMC with an adapter.
Q2. I don't see xD-Picture card in your manual, is xD supported?
Yes Picture Porter supports xD without an adapter. You can insert the xD card directly into the card slot on the left that is marked ‘SM'. Insert it against the top of the slot and with the gold connector facing up.
Q3. How many photos, music, and video files can I store on Picture Porter?
20GB: ~8,300 photos, ~5,000 songs, or ~85 movies
40GB: ~16,600 photos, ~10,000 songs, or ~170 movies
* Photo capacity based on 5-mega-pixel photos (approximately 2.4 MB each);
Music capacity based on 4 minute songs at 128 kbps MP3 encoding;
Video capacity based on 2 hour videos at 500 kbps encoding.
Q4. What image, music, and video formats can be played on Picture Porter?
Image formats: JPEG, TIFF, BMP, RAW
Music formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV
Video formats: MPEG1, MPEG4, MJPEG, WMV
Q5. Which camera RAW formats are supported by Picture Porter?
for a list of RAW image formats supported
Q6. My camera is not listed on your supported RAW format list. Does that mean it is not supported by Picture Porter?
For the RAW images, the absence of a particular camera model does not necessarily mean that it is not supported on Picture Porter. It merely means that we have not tested it first hand in our lab. We assume that each manufacturer uses the same RAW format for all its camera models and thus the RAW formats are most likely supported by Picture Porter as well.
If possible, please kindly send the RAW and JPEG file from your particular camera to us at support@digitalfoci.com, and we will be able to verify the compatibility for you and/or update our support list.
We continually improving and updating our products so the range of supported formats will continue to expand. We will offer new versions of the firmware that you can download from our website to upgrade your unit.
Q7. What is the copy speed from a memory card to Picture Porter?
It takes approximately 3 minutes to copy a full 512MB CF card to Picture Porter.
Please note that the actual transfer time depends on various factors such as type and speed of the memory card and number of files.
Q8. What kinds of copy options do I have when I back up memory card contents into Picture Porter?
Picture Porter provides you with 3 methods of copying files from memory cards:
1) You can copy the entire contents of a memory card with Full Backup.
2) You can copy only the photo and video files from a memory card with Photo Backup.
3) You can select a specific folder or file to copy.
Q9. How does Picture Porter keep track of the different backups from memory cards?
Each time you use the Full Backup or Photo Backup functions on Picture Porter, a new folder will be created on the Picture Porter hard drive to store your copied files.
Each 8-character folder name is made up of 2 pieces of information. The first few characters will be letters indicating the type of memory card used. Those letters are followed by sequential numbers starting from ‘00' (followed by ‘01', ‘02', …) or ‘00000' (followed by ‘00001', ‘00002', …) that show the order in which the folders were created. The memory card types are represented as follows:
MS = Memory Stick, MS Duo
MSPRO = MS PRO, MS PRO Duo
SM = SmartMedia
SD = Secure Digital
MMC = MultiMedia Card
CF = CompactFlash, MicroDirve
For example, an folder name “CF-00002” means that this is a backup from CompactFlash format, and this is the 3rd folder created for this particular format.
Q10. How long is the battery life of Picture Porter on a full charge?
A full battery charge is capable of 3.5 hours of continuous video playback and 7.5 hours of continuous audio playback.
Q11. Is the battery replaceable?
Yes, you can easily change the rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery by sliding off the battery panel on the back of Picture Porter.
Q12. Is it O.K. to leave the battery in the device when not in use for more than a day? Will this affect the battery life?
Leaving the battery in the Picture Porter when you are not using the device for a few days or a week will not have a noticeable effect on the battery life. If you will not use Picture Porter for a month or more, then you may want to remove the battery. But, in this case, you will probably want to give it a full charge before resuming use after 1 month of storage.
Q13. Is it O.K. to recharge at any level of remaining charge i.e. must it be depleted before recharge?
With the current Lithium-Ion battery technology (the same that Picture Porter uses), the result called "memory-effect" is not a problem. In early rechargeable batteries (the Nickel-Metal-Cadmium), when you charge the battery at the 1/2 way point, you 'reset' the total capacity of the battery to the point where you started to recharge it.
With Picture Porter, it is safe to recharge it at anytime. But, to prolong the life of the battery, it is good to let it drain down to zero or near zero every now and then. The measure of 'every now and then' will depend on your frequency of use, but once every month or two is a good general measure.
Q14. Can Picture Porter run on AC power instead of battery?
Yes Picture Porter runs on either battery or AC power adapter. So you can always use the power adapter as a power source for Picture Porter. Also, the battery will charge as you use it on AC power. We also have car adapter / battery charger available as an extra accessory so that you can conveniently charge Picture Porter on the go.
Q15. Is the AC power adapter compatible in European countries?
The specs on the power adapter is AC 100-240V. So it can be used in European countries without a converter. You just need to get a plug adapter to fit the different shape of the wall plug.
Q16. Can Picture Porter run on power from the USB port?
Yes, Picture Porter is able to run from the power provided by a powered USB port.
Note: In some cases the power provided by the USB port may be insufficient or unstable. Instances where the power supply provided to Picture Porter is insufficient or unstable may cause Picture Porter to malfunction and corrupt your data. To ensure that Picture Porter receives proper power supply, it is safest to verify the power supply from your USB hub or connect the AC adapter to Picture Porter when it is connected to your computer.
Q17. Can the Picture Porter battery be charged from the USB port?
Yes, when Picture Porter is connected to a powered USB port and turned off, the Picture Porter battery can be charged. To verify that the battery is charging, the Power Indicator LED will be lit red.
Q18. My computer only has USB 1.1 ports available. Can Picture Porter still be connected?
Yes, Picture Porter is backward compatible with USB 1.1. Just note that the copy speed will be slower with a USB 1.1 port.
Q19. Can I transfer photos and videos from the camera to Picture Porter via USB 2.0 port?
No you will not be able to transfer files from the camera to the Picture Porter via USB. You may, however, insert the digital camera memory card directly into Picture Porter to transfer the files. The alternative way is of course to transfer via USB from camera to computer and then from computer to Picture Porter.
Q20. Do I need to install device driver before I can connect Picture Porter to my computer?
There is no software driver installation required for Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 2000 (SP3 or later) and Mac OS 9.x or later. Simply connect Picture Porter to your computer using the USB cable included in the package. Once connected, Picture Porter will show up as a removable hard drive. You can use it just like you use the hard drive on your computer.
*For Windows 2000 (SP 2 or earlier), Windows 98/SE, and Mac OS 8.6, you need to first install device driver from the Resource Disc before the computer can recognize Picture Porter.
Q21. Is Picture Porter firmware upgradeable? How can I update the firmware?
Yes Picture Porter is firmware upgradeable. You can download the latest firmware and instructions from our website at:
Q22. Where can I find reviews on Picture Porter?
You can find reviews on Picture Porter here:
Other magazine coverage:
You may also find the following links helpful:
Customer Testimonials (what our current users say about these products):
Q23. What are the differences between Picture Porter Elite, Picture Porter and Media Buddy?
In short, Media Buddy is a strict photo storage device (no picture viewing) and a low-cost alternative to Picture Porter and Picture Porter Elite. The Picture Porter series are devices with color LCD screens for viewing photos and videos on top of storage capability. Compared to Picture Porter, Picture Porter Elite has a bigger LCD screen, as well as direct printing, voice recording, and video recording capabilities.
To see the Comparison Chart, go to:
The main difference between Picture Porter and Media Buddy include:
• You can view pictures and videos on Picture Porter's 2” color LCD screen. Media Buddy has a text-based LCD screen for viewing operation status, but you can't view pictures on it.
• You can connect Picture Porter to a TV to see photos on a big screen.
• You can copy directly from memory card to Picture Porter and vice versa; You can only copy from memory card to Media Buddy but not directly from Media Buddy to memory card.
• Picture Porter has faster copy speed compared to Media Buddy. (It takes approximately 2 minutes to copy a full 256MB CF card to Picture Porter; and about 4 minutes in the case of Media Buddy).
• Picture Porter has longer battery life compared to Media Buddy. (Picture Porter's battery life is 3.5 hours of video and 7.5 hours of audio; Media Buddy's is 1.6 hours).
The main difference between Picture Porter Elite and Picture Porter include:
• Picture Porter Elite has 3.6” LCD screen; Picture Porter has 2” LCD screen.
• Picture Porter Elite supports direct printing to PictBridge compliant printers.
• Picture Porter Elite has digital voice and video recording capabilities.
• Picture Porter Elite is available in 40GB and 80GB; Picture Porter is available in 20GB and 40Gb.
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