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Archos PMA400 Linux Based Media Portable
freitasm writes "The new Archos PMA400 is a Linux based portable- entertainment/PDA/DVR/Internet device. It comes with wireless and ethernet LAN connections, plays Mophun and Qtopia and supports Microsoft DRM protected files (WMV, WMA).
The company will release a SDK on its dedicated website sometime before the end of January 2005. The device will retail for around US$800."
The display is a 3.5" TFT transflective touch screen (QVGA) 320x240 pixels, 262,000 colors and TV output. Archos says it can play up to 4 hours for video playback or 9.5 hours for music. A removable battery option is available. The unit is approximately 125 x 78 x 20 mm (4.9" x 3.1" x 0.8") and weighs 280 g (9.9 oz).
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I have an 80GB Archos AV400 that I received for a Christmas present this year. A couple of things annoy me about the unit but that would happen with anything... The UI takes about 15 minutes to get used to as I really haven't encountered anything like it. Even after having it for three weeks I still find myself fumbling with the keys. The player display is very simple and tells me what I need to know but I would really prefer options to repeat one track/all tracks/etc right on the player screen itself rather than having to go into the setup each time to change these options.
The AV400 doesn't seem to have a removable battery which is worrisome as in my experience batteries start losing their charge after a year and if I am not able to replace it that would suck, bad. As far as length of play... The AV400 seems to easily get 15+ hours to a charge for music. I haven't been able to give it thorough testing on video playback and battery life yet though.
I love the fact that you can record *and* playback to TV. I am currently waiting for Tivo2Go's Tivo update to come down to my unit but until then I use the "Record to VCR" option on my Tivo to play the episodes and I use the Archos to record them. It's nice because I can watch the Tivo'd episodes anywhere in the house or bring them along with me.
It does play WMV DRM media and that's what it uses when you record a DVD to it. It's a bit annoying that you can't record a DVD and play it back elsewhere (it physically disabled the TV-out when you try) but other than ripping to AVI you really have little choice.
I haven't tried to use it to connect to my satellite receiver but knowing the issues I had trying to use the IR channel changer from Tivo I could only imagine the Archos wouldn't interface well either.
The LCD screen is nice on mine but it gets finger smudges all the time. I'd really like to see how well this Archos unit handles being a touchscreen. It might get ugly. I have one bad pixel (which is common) and I only notice it when playing movies but for the screen size it's pretty annoying. Maybe Toshiba can back these units too?
The AV400 comes with a CF expansion slot, currently used for picture retrieval, but I really wish they would allow for some wireless CF card integration. It would be VERY cool to be able to network via wifi instead of USB and surf the web and check email as the newer unit allows
All in all, I'm impressed with my Archos and I would recommend it to anyone that's looking into a portable media player that does more than just play music and display photos.
Like my old Jukebox Multimedia 20, it will be overly large, have horrible horrible build quality, require ripping movies in bizzare formats with hard to find utilities, and have just enough battery life to turn on before turning off again. Not to mention buggy firmware, slow product support, incompetent technical support (when the actually respond) and a slew of vaporware... have fun with your toys kids.
Look at the proto's screen res - 704x480. Could be used as a notebook replacement easily enough.
This version is not worth $800.
JH
This looks pretty good. I bought the Multimedia Jukebox 20 when it came out, and I still love it - crappy quality, dying batteries, and all - because it beats lugging a laptop around on vacation to download my digital camera pictures. I've found it's simpler to just snap away and off-load later. So far, this is still cheaper that buying several gig of cards to last me over a vacation... and when the next generation of 10Mpixel cameras come out, we're going to need that much more space!
I looked at an iPod a few months ago and it still doesn't measure up. With the Archos I can look at the pictures ("Yes, they did copy" I distrust technology since the days of floppies) and it works as just a plain old external hard drive without Apple-retentive silly library management crap for my MP3's. Video? Who uses that anyway - although I did see someone using it once. By the time you convert your MP2, you might as well have just sat down and watched it.
This new device might be OK teamed with a PC-based DVR function; the current concept is nice, but what good's a "VCR" that you also have to disconnect and take with you? What's going to stay home and record shows while you're on the road?
They've finally conceded that replaceable batteries are needed. Good!
The "master USB" function is a good idea. It saves them having to build proprietary camera card readers, if any off-the-shelf USB card reader will do the trick.
It doesn't play Qtopia; it runs Qtopia. Qtopia isn't a media format but rather a smallish environment, meant for handhelds, based on Qt/Embedded.