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Archos Releases Portable Video/Image/MP3 Player
GregGardner writes "Archos is about to release the AV300 series, the next generation of portable video/image/MP3 player based off of the Archos Jukebox Multimedia discussed on Slashdot previously. Features include a 3.8" LCD screen for viewing movies and photos, FM tuner, MP3 playing and recording, 20GB or 40GB HD models, USB2.0 (optional Firewire) connection, TV-out, MPEG-4 encoding from a video/audio-in signal, digital photo (3.3 megapixel) and video camera, and much more. Looks like some of the features require add-on modules. I found a brief review on SF Gate which states that the 20GB model (AV320) will retail for $570."
Sounds great, but what kind of resolution are we talking about here? I wouldn't want to see fuzzy, pixellated video writ large on my TV screen, whether it comes from my VCR or a tiny MP3 player
My Ogg Vorbis collection is getting bigger as I convert all my CDs to it and I need a portable that not only plays it, but also records in it.
Why isn't this done yet?
Use ISO 8601 dates [YYYY-MM-DD]
Seriously, this sounds like a pretty cool gadget, but I'd like to see what kind of battery life this thing has, and it doesn't look to me like it'll stand up to being bashed around particularly well. The linked review didn't seem at all comprehensive however.
I can get a decent used laptop on eBay for less than the cost of the device, and I can also then do word processing, war driving, mild gaming, etc, and STILL do everything that this device can. Why should I buy it? Size? Size does matter, but cost matters more to me.
The IBM Thinkpad 240 series, the tiny sharps, the tiny Sonys, all available, of decent quality, and inexpensive.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Ogg Vorbis is a niche format. It may be technically superior, but so was betamax. It's all about whether or not it gets player support. If it doesn't, all the superiority in the world won't save it.
You may want to keep this in mind while you're busily converting all your CDs.
--
the strongest word is still the word "free"
Hmm... so I can spend around $550 on this thing, which, with all the extras is much mre likely to be around $700.
OR
I can spend a little more and get a nice iBook [or insert your favourite budget notebook here] which is a thousand times more capable.
I don't think the features vs price really pays off to be honest. Things like the iPod/MP3 players work because they offer an awful lot your PC can't (portability, battery life, simplicity, PRICE).
This device would be a pain in the ass to look at for 20 mins let alone an entire movie! The battery life isn't all that great, the HDD space is only acceptable - nothing stellar, and the cost is really pretty damn high.
Can you see Joe Public or your boss ripping and encoding his own DiVX's from his DVD'a? I can't... I love DiVX but I'm a geek, this just doesn't seem to appeal to the masses.
I think these guys are afraid that the iPod got a jump on them in the MP3 arena, and now they're trying to enter/create a product a couple of years before the stability and market is there to support it ut of fear from being left behind again.
-Nex
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Well I was so looking forward to buying this thing.
When i first read about it in Wired , It said, it would retail about 350-375 $. But 570$ give me a break.
Plus add another 70-80 bucks for firewire cable and 50-70 bucks for the compact flash adapter. Thats too much price to pay.
Besides archos JBM 20 had some serious design flaws like plastic buttons etc. And archos is not exactly known for after sales service.
for the last time people, I am "frodo from middle eaRTH", not "middle eaST".
Hell, I bought a secondhand Compaq Armada M700... for $500US That's a PIII, with 256Meg of RAM, a DVD drive and a 20Gig Hard Drive, with all the ports you could want (Except Firewire)...
So, cheaper, probably as good battery life, and a FAR better screen for watching movies (14.4"), and it's got TV out just like this...
Just doesn't appeal at this pricepoint.
When those guys made the Rockbox for Archos Jukebox 6k, I was modded up for lambasting the poor quality of their software... And for good reason, v0.1 sucked cock, they shouldn't have released it in such a sorry state... BUT! You might want to go back and check it out again, it kicks serious butt.
If Archos dropped the Rockbox guys a copy of their new hardware, Archos wouldn't have to invest in a software dept... ^^;;
[o]_O
Then Apple will wait and then deliver what we are really looking for in this package. Not to say that this AV Jukebox is a slack product, quite the contrary, its actually almost feature bloated. That and its size, weight (big weight, tiny screen),and cost are going to turn many off besdies early adopters.
t m ). Apple has had products like this in the skunkworks for a good while, but it seems after the Newton panned and Palm took over that Apple has switched to a "wait, see, and capitalize" approach (see also flagging tablet PC sales).
I say Apple not only because the iPod was the answer to the original Jukebox but also the Knowlege Navigator (see: http://www.billzarchy.com/clips/clips_apple_nav.h
---- The real Slashdot is still here. You just have to browse at -1 to read the comments.
If true, that'll be because Apple will build it right. A friend at work has an Archos multimedia player (the forerunner to this model). It broke in normal use in a few days, and though they got him a replacement, their service was HORRIBLE, and the thing feels like a cheap wad of plastic. I've held $10 kid's toys that felt less likely to break. No FSCKIN' WAY am I going to give these yahoos that kind of money for the kind of stuff they've cranked out in the past, given their service history.
If Apple builds one, it'll look great, work great, sound great, and shit, it can't cost more than this, can it?
NOTE: I have never owned a SINGLE Apple product, been running PCs since my 286-16, but DAMN I'd love an iPod.
The iPod is what, 2 years old? I thought we'd have some interesting "clones" by now, but I only know of one, and it's just as expensive as the iPod.
I harddly see any enthusiasm in here. Though I think this Archos product is the greatest gadget ever made. Let me write obvious facts about the amayzing AV340:
It playsback 640x368 resolution DivX. It records 320x240 video at 25 frames per second. This means you can take your 100 favourite DivX movies with you in your pocket. And watch them in your video-glasses while you drive.
I do have a couple concerns about this player. Though following concerns probably won't stop me from selling my Archos JBMM20 on ebay (which I own since August 2002 and use very often) to buy the awesome AV340 instead:
1. Texas Instruments, who is making the processor which you find inside the Archos AV340, it's the DSC25. The DSC25 seems to be old. This might be sad, cause a 720MHZ DSP processor is available. (and a 1GHZ processor will be available in a few months) - Such 720MHZ or 1GHZ processors definately would perform better than 640x368 playback and 320x240 DivX record. Though Archos might get some help from DivXNetworks optimizing the DivX-support using the DSC25 inside the AV340 to the maximum and a firmware upgrade might be released to support better resolutions.
2. The Batteries. One can only get 3 houres of video-playback on the 3,8inch LCD. And Archos might again not provide an easy battery change possibillity. I wouldn't mind carrying around a couple extra batteries in my other pocket to swap into the player every 3 houres.
Archos here, developing portable DivX player designs since the beginning of 2002, definately has a knowledge in Portable DivX Player/Recorder manufacture. Which I think it is possible even Intel and Microsoft with their media2Go cannot equal. The Media2Go which might even not be available before christmas (picture of Media2Go).
A question I would like to ask all the other companies (Sony, Casio, Panasonic, HP, Philips..). Why don't you put a harddrive and a 720MHZ processor in your Cameras and PDAs! (up to 80GB 2,5" IBM pixie-dust harddrives are available that can fit in such portable design, IBM promizes 150GB). But somehow, I might be ignorant, it seems no one cares or knows how to put 720MHZ and a harddrive in the pocket. Only Archos can do it!