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Detailed Review of the Archos AV420 PVR

Posted by michael on from the things-ebert-carries dept.

ilovealpacas writes "The Globe and Mail has posted a step by step look at the Archos AV420. For about $1000 Canadian (I think that's $800 US), you get an 80GB portable video player and recorder that also plays MP3's and has a CF slot for pictures. Hmmm.....laptop?"

8 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. AV320 by samhart · · Score: 5, Informative

    I have an AV320 that I got from some consulting I did a while back (because he couldn't pay me in cash, har har har) and I absolutely love mine.

    It's powered by embedded Linux (which I love) and it works like a dream. There have been many an airplane ride that was made easier because of my AV320 ;-)

    My biggest problem with mine (could not apply to this version) was that the screen wasn't well protected. A simple $8 camera carrying case and a pack of Palm screen protectors and this problem was solved.

  2. Hmmm.... by exhilaration · · Score: 3, Informative

    If one can get a 2.4 Ghz laptop for $889, then is this thing overpriced?

  3. Re:No DVD! by samhart · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually, these things are smaller than a DVD ;-)

    Besides, this is more in the uber-iPod arena than the portable DVD arena. I have a AV320 myself and I take it to the gym for MP3 listenning. I wouldnt want a full DVD player there ;-)

  4. Just some information about the model numbers... by Swift+Kick · · Score: 5, Informative

    The article description might be a little deceptive.
    The Archos AV420 is only 20GB and it retails for about $470 on Amazon.com.
    The AV480 is 80GB and is about $715 also from Amazon.com
    Check out more information on the devices on Archo's own page located here.

    --
    "We'll need 2000 crickets, 4 cans of Easy Cheese, and the fluid from 18 glowsticks for this plan to work...." - ph0n1c
  5. Re:How's the construction? by DarkBlackFox · · Score: 5, Informative

    Why is it that comments negatively portraying a company are always modded up around here? There's two sides to every coin.

    I've had an Archos Jukebox Recorder 10 for well over 5 years now, and haven't had any problems with it. I still get +/- 5 hours of continuous play out of the original NiMH rechargable batteries that came with the unit. I've taken it apart a few times (mostly to use it as an external USB enclosure to try salvaging files from a dead laptop drives), and never had any problems with shoddy solder joints or breaking anything putting the batteries back in. It's been a very solid unit, and survived many falls and trips around town in my backpack, all with the original IBM travelstar hard drive.

    I'm tired of seeing all the "my thing broke so this company sucks" comments here, and felt like chipping in my positive experience with this particular product.

  6. No, but the AV500 will. . . by Cyberllama · · Score: 4, Informative

    It will run Qtopia to be exact. . . They say it will be out before christmas and will have all PDA functions in addition to a hard drive and audio/video functions. It should be a nifty gadget if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

  7. Plusses and minuses by jangobongo · · Score: 4, Informative

    Plusses:

    - Use it to time-shift your TV shows
    - Can edit out commercials
    - Can alter the screen ratio to normal, full, 4:3, or 16:9 (letterboxing)
    - Boots up in seconds (as opposed to laptops)
    - Shows recorded on the unit can be played on your PC (or is that a minus?)
    - Can import TV listings from Yahoo! for programming
    - Create playlists on the fly with s split screen and allows you to sort music files by artist, album, title, genre, year or playlist
    - Built in microphone for live recording in addition to in-line recording

    Minuses:

    - For the best video playback at 2,500 Kbps (near television quality), using about 2GB per hour of recording; so 20GB model holds about 10 hours (80 GB model holds about 40 hours)
    - Device will record files up to 2GB in size before closing that file and starting another
    - By default, external speakers stay on, even when you plug in the headphones (potentially embarassing and annoying)
    - Freezes on last image when fast-forwarding or rewinding so that you can't observe your progress
    - Can't program for repeat events (such as weekly episodes), each episode has to be programmed seperately
    - Gapless playback of songs is not supported
    - Navigation buttons are not backlit, making use in very low-light situations difficult
    - Records in WAV format only

    --

    Sig cancelled due to lack of interest
  8. Re:but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    This model does not run Linux yet. (The 500 one apparently will, out of the box.)

    However, do not forget that the model before the 400, the 300, has similar specs (although not as slim), and there is a Linux version running on it:

    http://linuxdevices.com/news/NS4929282643.html

    linav home page:

    http://linav.sf.net/