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Archos Recorder + Rockbox Plays Video
elinenbe writes "Rockbox, the open source firmware for the Archos Recorder, Player, FM, Recorder V2, and now the Neo can play grayscale videos at over 60FPS. A demo version of the DOOM3 intro along with a few other sample clips have been made so far. This is the Archos that was NOT designed for movies, but for MP3s -- go Rockbox!"
COOL! this brings a whole new level of mobility for porn
.. "that's neat, but if that would have been a standard feature everyone would have said it sucked", on the other hand as it's not designed to play video, it's neat alright.
Go non-corporate developers.
Is the LCD on that thing supposed to be able to keep up with 60fps? I mean, I don't think they were designing the LCD on the MP3 with Video playback in mind...
Lots of things are used for purposes other than its original. DUCK TAPE ANYONE!
I love people pushing the boundaries of hardware, but also I note that Archos have already made a sexy new device to accommodate your movie needs:
s id=j22oyjykb2y3ckjbyjj24j#cinema_to_go
:)
http://www.archos.com/products/av300_series.html?
80 hours? Yeah right. Does it do DivX? No doubt a firmware hack will allow that
That is, vorbis or FLAC? Are the video formats patent-encumbered? There's no need to use Evil formats when Good ones are out.
-Libertarian secular transhumanist
I can attest to the superiority of the RockBoxx firmware. The list of features keeps growing when other commercial vendors would have stopped implementing new features. I use RockBoxx for its great handling of VBR MP3s for instance.
I only hope the RIO Karma team is listening! I just bought one for my girlfriend and I plan to get one once my archos gets dropped too many times.
Well it would be nice if there was firmware for the Archos Jukebox Multimedia but speaking to the people who devloped Rockbox they said that its just to hard. Have to wonder why. Oh well its all fun
Rus
Cheap UK and US VPS
No need to search and replace, because I think DUCK is a brand name for duct tape.
As cool as this sounds, you really can't appreciate what these guys have done until you see the video running. It's far more watchable than I thought at first. Now to figure out how to convert video to .rfv for some late-night porn^H^H^H^HDivX viewing!
The Human Cow - bringing you scrumtrelescence since 1995
Yo Darwin!
I have been a long time evangelist for Rockbox. They have really made the Archos a wonderful device. Far better than the official firmware.
That said, the quality assurance portion of Archos has really gone downhill. My local BestBuy stopped carrying the Archos due to too many returns. My old Player (6GB) is sound as a pound, and about as heavy. But, my FM Recorder (20GB) is an unmitigated POS. It has had a lovely clicking sound (HD, I assume; however, I returned it and had the HD replaced. Still clicks. Archos Return-guy said they were getting a ton of returned FM Recorders) And, the FM Recorder will occasionally go into a "never-ending reboot" cycle. Where it partially boots, then reboots, and repeat, until after being left alone for a few hours it decides to work properly. So, the FM Recorder (out of 90 day warranty) is now treated with kid gloves as a home stereo MP3 player, and the old Jukebox is for the car and airplane. Someday I'll replace the HD in the Player.
So, Archos is nice, if it works. Looks just like a USB HD without any needed proprietary software like the other HD MP3 players. I just suggest you stick with the Player or plain-old Recorder and avoid the FM Recorder. If I had to do it again, I'd still get the Player but the SliMP3 (or newer) would work better than what I use the FM Recorder for.
Get a load of all the uses for Duck Tape:
and
da w00t. mtfnpy?
Your experience with the FM Recorder does not match mine. My FM/R has been rock solid. The battery lasts long enough to handle the Denver/Tokyo flight. The drive does click on occasion, but I have to hold the thing near my ear to hear it -- or be recording with the built-in mic. It's barely audible. The FM/R has been with me on 10-12 transatlantic/transpacific flights and has never had a problem. I take the thing everywhere in my briefcase and use it as an external drive at home and at work. It's even been dropped a number of times. Never a problem.
The thing I like most about the FM/R is that I can recharge the it from the USB port. The charger that was shipped with the unit was a real POS and fried the first week I had it. I've never missed it.
The RockBox upgrade is a must though. These guys have done an awesome job.
the growth in cynicism and rebellion has not been without cause
What you people should be doing is hacking one of those DVD-based video players with the 10 inch screens, adding a USB port or something.
Future PDAs will be converged devices, with phones, cameras, and DVD....at least until MRAM arrives.
It was the first place I got the hardware mod instructions for my old 6gb archos mp3 player (nothing like having a 20gig version before you can even buy one in the store).
Somebody else mentioned it... the charger that came with the archos really was a POS... the wires frayed on mine, and I ended up cutting them and attaching spade connectors (yeah, I know... unsafe, but it was all I had at the time). Soon after that, the transformer went out entirely, and now I have to change batteries.
Oh well... at least it survived a longish SW Asia military deployment for the afghanistan war (wish I could say the same for all of our equipment).
Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.
Yes, there are some (design) problems with Archos FM Recoder.
...
Probably the most important one is that you can't change the (Li-Ion) batteries. And unfortunately Li-Ion batteries degrade after 2-3 years due to a chemical process, regardless how often you use/recharge the batteries. Look at your mobile telephones, and you know what I mean
BTW, this problem also affects the Archos 'Recorder V2' (which is basically a FM Recorder without the FM Radio) and the Apple IPod and actually most MP3 Players/Jukeboxes. Don't buy anything that doesn't use ordinary, replaceable AA(A) NiMH-batteries, otherwise you can throw your MP3-Player away after 4 years.
The best (Archos) choice is an old Archos 'Recorder 20', (without FM or V2) which is powered with 4 AA-NiMH-Batteries, graphical b/w display USB 2.0 and Digital/Analog IN/OUT and builtin-MIC. Unfortunately they are rather difficult to get these days, as they were the predecessor of the FM-Recorder and are not officially sold by Archos anymore.
N.B.: the 'Studio' Series is basically a 'Recorder Light', with only USB1.1, no Digita/Analog IN, no MIC, and only a text display (no graphics).
this could enable ARCHOS players to play OGG, WMA, FLAC ... not only MP3!!!!
What you people should be doing is hacking one of those DVD-based video players with the 10 inch screens, adding a USB port or something.
/. there's always some poster who tells them to go do something that the poster is more interested in.
Every time the great Rockbox guys get a mention on
If it means so much to you then why don't you go do something with one of these DVD players? Nobody's stopping you. The Rockbox code is even GPLd so you can start from there.
This is analogous to what happens when people post in cool hacks for old 8-bit pcs, or for tiny web servers, or for bizarre WiFi rigs. Sometimes people just do stuff because they already have the hardware, they know it well, and it gives them a buzz.
Da Blog
some guy claims that he has access to the neccessary docus, but the rockbox-developer don't even consider looking at it, unless they get official permission to use it.
Why not use the old, tried-and-tested method of clean-room reverse-enginering? Recruit several people with no Rockbox programming exposure to look at the documents and write their own version of the specs, noting entry points, API calls, and so on. Get them to publish the documentation using some version of the GPL. Then fire them, put them out to pasture. Ensure they never communicate directly with any of the Rockbox programmers regarding what they read.
Then get people who have never read the original documents to create code implementing the published doduments.
Because of increasing restrictions on reverse engineering in the US, the document analysis team should be based in the EU or Asia. Or preferably Russia or China.
Da Blog
Because that's what the movies are...
Duck Tape.
Reinvent the wheel only at either a lower cost, greater effectiveness, or your own personal enrichment and satisfaction.
woot!!
This thing really, really rocks.
Rockbox is an Open Source replacement firmware for the Archos Jukebox 5000, 6000, Studio, Recorder, FM Recorder and Recorder V2 MP3 players.
In the course of every project, it will become necessary to shoot the scientists and begin production.
Why throw it away when the batteries wear out? Just buy new ones. Lithium batteries aren't terribly rare these days. The replacement process looks at least as simple as swapping screw-secured AA's on my 3-year-old kid's toys.
Kid-proof tablet..
Yeah, ONE company that is specialized in manufacturing custom batteries. Do you believe they will still produce this batteries in 5 or even 10 years? I seriously doubt it.
Not to mention that you propably don't have this possibility for no so popular MP3 players!
And come on, $69 for a battery? 4 AA (2300 NiMH) batteries cost FAR less than that, and you still be able to buy AA batteries for the next 20 years.
Not exactly on a 1.5"x2" screen. That makes for about 0.3" tits -- in black and white, that is.
open (SIG, "</dev/zero"); $sig = <SIG>; close SIG;
my FM Recorder was just sent away for warranty.
the hard drive does click occasionly, and it is noise.
for mine, the audio output jack broke, and it doesn't charge anymore.
and i treated mine like gold, didn't misuse it at all.
great system otherwise though.
Naah. You've got it all wrong.
That's ONE company specializing in selling "custom"[1] batteries to end users. They're actually manufactured by God-knows-who in some far-eastern sweatshop, just like almost everything else small and toxic that we buy these days.
No matter. $5 says that the Archos battery is not anything of any remarkable uniqueness, anyway. The greatest involvement Archos had in the design of this battery was the shape and color of the plastic shell that it comes in[1]. Otherwise, it's just an off-the-shelf part from a catalog, much like the LCD, hard drive, microswitches, DSP, and other comprising hardware. Like these other generic parts, this particular battery is probably used in a number of different products.
Another $5 says that they (Archos) switch suppliers for all of these parts depending on who's got them cheapest today, and/or phase of moon.
Alas, it might not be very easy for you or I to locate a good overseas source of such a battery. Which is why we pay an importer $69[2] to do it for us and write up instructions. If your time is worth something, it's probably a good deal. Otherwise, there's bound to be cheaper suppliers (and methods) if you're willing to look for them.
1: Do you really think a small company is going to tool up a factory and start making specialized lithium batteries for their miniscule market? Niet.
2: Of course this costs more than a few 2300mAH AA NiMH cells. It's also more convenient[3][4].
3: You do realize that lithium batteries are lighter and more space-efficient than NiMH AAs, don't you? This translates directly to extra space in your pocket.
4: And don't say "but I can carry several 2300mAH AA NiMH battery sets and have several times as much runtime!" Who cares? If I'm removed from my usual surroundings long enough that I'm afraid my batteries will die, I'll just plug it in while I sleep. (You do SLEEP, don't you?) This means I'll have to have charging gear, which consumes space, but then so do AAs. If you really want to save space, standardize on USB as a charging system for all of your gear[2]. Plug it into the wall, or the car, or even the laptop (if you want to borrow some juice from another big-honkin' Li-ion battery). Do the same with your phone, or anything else that can charge from 5 volts. 2 cables and 2 adapters instead of at least 4 combination units and a USB cable to accomplish the same.
USB is, dreadfully, not going away anytime soon - one might as well use it for something.
Kid-proof tablet..
I'll try to answer some of your questions and comment on some of your statements:
No matter. $5 says that the Archos battery is not anything of any remarkable uniqueness, anyway. The greatest involvement Archos had in the design of this battery was the shape and color of the plastic shell that it comes in[1]. Otherwise, it's just an off-the-shelf part from a catalog, much like the LCD, hard drive, microswitches, DSP, and other comprising hardware. Like these other generic parts, this particular battery is probably used in a number of different products.
Certainly the Archos Li-Ion is not a very special or unique battery. But it is nothing you can get at the supermarket either. Exaclty what you implied: it is not a off-the-shelf part.
BTW, did you deliberately skipped my question whether this/these companies will still produce the replacement batteries for the Archos in 5 or 10 years?
1: Do you really think a small company is going to tool up a factory and start making specialized lithium batteries for their miniscule market? Niet.
Usually s.o asks a question, and expects it to be answered.
Anyway, of course I doubt that aswell. But that's why there are standards you can follow/implement. Or form an alliance with a larger company.
2: Of course this costs more than a few 2300mAH AA NiMH cells. It's also more convenient[3][4].
How is it more convenient for the customer to have to order batteries if they are broken? Or even not being able to replace them at all? I'd rather like to be able to go to the shop around the corner to get replacements, at a cheap price.
And by the way, you can't make up an new argument by simply referencing other arguments.
3: You do realize that lithium batteries are lighter and more space-efficient than NiMH AAs, don't you? This translates directly to extra space in your pocket.
And you realize that Li-Ion are practically useless after 3 years?
And that Li-Ion batteries can't be used in all applications where NiCd and NiMH-batteries can be used (Heavy-Duty)? IMHO I consider the idea of using Li-Ion batteries in MP3-players not to be a very good one, at least for most cases!
Li-Ion batteries *have* their advantages, but they cannot replace NiMH in every area.
4: And don't say "but I can carry several 2300mAH AA NiMH battery sets and have several times as much runtime!" Who cares? If I'm removed from my usual surroundings long enough that I'm afraid my batteries will die, I'll just plug it in while I sleep. (You do SLEEP, don't you?) This means I'll have to have charging gear, which consumes space, but then so do AAs.
You really don't understand why somebody uses battery-powered portable devices, do you? BTW, this also applies to non-rechargeable batteries: to be able to travel without the need to connect to a power socket. And they would prefer if they could do that as long as possible.
Sometimes you just don't have the possibility to recharge batteries for a couple of days, and that's when replaceable batteries come handy.
If you really want to save space, standardize on USB as a charging system for all of your gear[2]. Plug it into the wall, or the car, or even the laptop (if you want to borrow some juice from another big-honkin' Li-ion battery). Do the same with your phone, or anything else that can charge from 5 volts. 2 cables and 2 adapters instead of at least 4 combination units and a USB cable to accomplish the same. USB is, dreadfully, not going away anytime soon - one might as well use it for something.
I'm not primarily interested in (USB) charging systems, or that the device is the smallest and lightest possible when looking for a portable device. It's nice if it has these features, but the most important part is that I can use it (does the job), and use it while travelling, and use it as long as possible!
If I have to open the device to replace batteries, since
And by the way, you can't make up an new argument by simply referencing other arguments.
You must be new here.
I'm not primarily interested in (USB) charging systems, or that the device is the smallest and lightest possible when looking for a portable device. It's nice if it has these features, but the most important part is that I can use it (does the job), and use it while travelling, and use it as long as possible!
The only application I can think of where recharging is not an option while one sleeps, is while backpacking. I'd hasten to say that "batteries for the MP3 player" would fall a bit short of being on the list of things to carry on my back for a few weeks, but maybe my priorities are wacked.
That said, if size really isn't as important as replacable batteries, just buy a battery holder of reasonable shape and capacity, and plug it into a modern Archos. Might be good to remove the existing Lithium battery to save power loss as heat if it should try to charge it, too. And since the wide, flat battery compartment consumes very little space, you've still got a fairly small portable.
Fasten it together with duct-tape, velcro, epoxy, needle and thread, or whatever suits your fancy. I'd probably craft something out of stainless. YMMV. whatever.
Kid-proof tablet..