The real Archos AV500 stands up
posted Aug 1st 2005 10:26AM
Probably not the most brilliant move on the part of Archos to "recycle" one of its own product names, but some details and pic of their new AV500 portable video player have popped up online (you may recall that what used to be called the AV500 is now known as the PMA430). Anyway, what you're looking at is a player with a four-inch, 262,000 color, 16:9 widescreen LCD, 30GB hard drive, the ability to record directly from your TV, VCR, DVD player, cable box, or satellite receiver, and support for playback of MP3, WMA, Protected PlaysForSure WMA, and WAV audio files and WMV, Protected PlaysForSure WMV, MPEG4, and DivX video files. There's also supposed to be a deluxe version of this thing with a 100GB hard drive that triples the battery life for video playback to 15 hours.
now that's hot. ooooh i want one, i want it so
As long as its video battery life is actually greater than 4 hours, i'll be happy with it.
Although, for some reason, the picture posted looks like a photshop. The right edge just doesn't look natural at all.
/Even so, i still want one.
Wonder if the NTSC / PAL will make any difference at all and whether it can handle both. I want one of those... it will pay for itself in a year over TiVo
But no CompactFlash readerto backup photos in the field? That's the main draw for me to Archos' other products.
Pretty slick package. Now I just wonder how big it ACTUALLY is.
My only gripe is the funky stylized button layout.
That looks sooo sweet..I wish I could get one. Except for the fact that I can't afford to get something that expensive or that big. :-(
Agreed Mike...the buttons are a little too avante garde for me (or at least aren't avante guard in the right way).
Nice specs though. If you even get half of the claimed 15 hours that's quite an achievment.
As always, now the question is 'What's it gonna cost ???'
No CompactFlash drive???
Sure I could use the USB on the Go Feature to transfer my photos from my camera, but then that ties up my camera. I wouldn't be able to load another CF card into the camera while the files were being transfered.
The alternative then is to use a card reader, but then that's one extra thing I need to carry around with me.
No, this is a step backwards if they get rid of the internal CF drive. I was really hoping that they would take a bunch of steps forward by providing the USB on the Go feature IN ADDITION to the CF drive, AND an internal FM radio.
I guess the Archos PVP isn't for me. I guess I'll take a closer look at the Creative Zen Vision when it comes out.
Looks awesome, but probably will be $400-$600 when it comes out.
That thing has a bigger hard drive than the desktop i'm using right now...
oooo, sexy!
I'm calling photoshop. Look at the gradient on the screen, the brushed aluminum look, and especially how flat the ports on the top look. This is a photoshop or some kind pre-production mockup (which *never* turn into real product without significant changes).
http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=3801&productId=148902&clickfrom=name
Us in the UK can buy it here, and the dimensions and other specs are on the page, 350 pounds is about 750 dollars
Also, about the Compactflash, I suspect it might have USB host to replace the flash, This would mean you could buy USB memory, cameras etc and load it straight onto the ARCHOS without the use of a PC. You guys probably know this though...
(sorry for the grammar mistake above, It should be "WE in th U.K" :p
Does anybody think there will be a camera module for this unit???
Hi All,
I bought an AV500 from Slough Argos on Saturday, 'Last one in stock!I haven't slept or eaten much since I'm just too busy playin' It's so dinky 3 X 4 3/4 X 3/4 of an inch I've recorded shrek2 to it 7,000 mp3 loads of jpegs several TV progs music vids...just an amazing thing
#15:
How is the battery life?? I am seriously considering get this. Also, how is the weight and overall "clunkiness" compared to, say, an iPod? Does anyone know when this is comin' stateside? Thanks,
Jon
Clive it's been a week are you still happy with it?
Got one today. First impressions are very good. it is one sexy little thing. sound from unit speaker aint great at all but maybe if i tweak the settings it might be better. im assumming the headphone socket quality will be very good. The included headphones look super cheap (unlike the unit). Screen is amazing. not clunky.. and light in my opinion 300g for what it does. i got the 30g hard drive version. Ive tried to link it between my sky box and the tv but no luck... i think i need the s-video lead which ill get tommorrow. It should work out of the box for some reason it doesnt. im reasonably clued up so i think ive done it right - diff to get wrong. I brought from Argos also, Mill Hill. The last one, but i think they are only stocking 1. They also the the AV700...7" screen, but thats too big. Enough.
got s-video lead off bro today ! - WORKS PERFECT from sky sat box.. im so impressed with this thing. tommorrow ill start to explore all the settings and fine tune it for my needs.
Anyone know if you can pause, rewind and fast forward Live TV - like DVR's (obviously you can't fast forward beyond the live feed)? I assume it can, but haven't ever seen it explicitly stated beyong "record" live TV.
With reference to Sky Plus and linking to it, it's very easy to set up but buyer beware - at the moment, Archos do NOT have a code so that the Archos can change the Sky channels though you CAN still record from Sky - it just means manually changing the Sky channel to what you want to record, but then you can't watch another channel without it changing the recording! V. sexy bit of kit though and a spare battery is a MUST!