by Douglas
Dixon http://www.manifest-tech.com
Archos 404 /
Camcorder
Archos 504 -- Capacity
Archos 604 -- Widescreen
Archos 704 -- WiFi
Interface
Video Recording
Archos
has introduced a new latest Generation 4
line of hard disk-based media players
focused on a larger-screen experience,
video capture, and wireless connectivity
(www.archos.com)
Smaller
disk-based players are a little bigger
and noticeably heavier than flash memory
devices, but still fit comfortably in a
shirt pocket. Yet they are still a
personal device, for one person to watch
while listening with headphones. But
YouTube and the like have convincingly
demonstrated that video is for sharing,
which leads to the next step to the
full-up portable media players, complete
with larger screens and built-in
speakers.
The
Archos 404 has a 3.5 in. screen and
30 GB for $299 (4 x 3 x 0.6 in., 6.75
oz). It has a stereo headphone
mini-jack, and TV output jack, and
supports voice recording. Archos also
offers a model with an integrated
camera.
Archos 404
It
supports video playback with MPEG-4 and
WMV, up to DVD resolution; audio
playback for MP3 CBR & VBR, WMA (DRM),
and WAV; photo viewing of JPEG, BMP, and
PNG formats; and has a PDF viewer.
The
Archos 504 is bulked up to 160 GB of
storage (40 GB $349, 80 GB $399, 160 GB
$599). It sports a 4.3'' TFT, widescreen
display, 16/9 480 x 272. The unit is 5.1
x 3 x 0.9 inches, 11.15 oz.
The
Archos 604 sports a 4.3 inch
widescreen display (480 x 272), with 30
GB for $349 (5 x 3 x 0.6 inches, 9.3
oz.). It also offers a model with
built-in Wi-Fi for $449 -- beyond the
Zune's device-to-device file-sharing to
providing real Internet access, to also
browse the Web and access e-mail.
Archos 604
The
Archos 704 adds wireless networking
(802.11g) for sharing and streaming
media (80 GB $549). It has a 5 x 7-inch
touch-screen, 800 x 480 pixels, in a
unit that is 7.05 x 4.96 x 0.78 inches,
22 oz.
These
Archos products share a common design
and interface, including built-in
speakers. They are controlled by a set
of rocker switches on the navigation pad
down the right side of the unit -- press
left or right to navigate, fast scan,
select / cancel, and access the menu.
Plus, there's a Power switch on the top,
along with a LED / TV (video out)
switch.
The Home
screen then displays the main functions:
Video, Music, Photos, file Browser,
Resume, TV Scheduler, VideoCorder, and
AudioCorder. There's also a second
screen for system settings, plus the
Menu key provides access to the User
Manual -- preloaded in PDF format, in 10
languages.
Select
Video and you're in for a treat -- the
604 comes preloaded with a slate of
movies: Any Given Sunday, Batman Begins,
Enemy of the State, and War of the
Worlds -- and the menu screen displays
the format and time information for
each, and plays a thumbnail video
preview for the current selection.
To
connect to your PC, use the supplied
cable to hook up to a USB port. The 504
/ 604 can connect in Windows Device mode
for easy syncing with Windows Media
Player 10, or in Hard Disk mode for
direct access as a mass storage device.
The new
Archos line also goes beyond playback
and audio recording to offer video
recording with a separate Archos DVR
Station module that can be added to
the players to even offer scheduled
recording -- your player can grab your
favorite shows overnight for you to
watch the next day, for free ($99). It
also serves as a docking station (each
player model comes with a matching
adapter), with power, USB connectors,
and an IR remote control.
Plus,
there's a smaller DVR Travel Adaptor to
record video and recharge ($69).
Archos 404 with DVR Station
The DVR
station is equipped with a full set of
connectors -- composite and S-Video in
and out, and component and SPDIF out. It
records 640 x 480 VGA video in AVI
format at 30 and 25 fps, in MPEG-4 SP
with ADPCM stereo sound. It also records
audio in IMA ADPCM or PCM stereo sound
in WAV format.
Portions
originally published in
Camcorder & Computer Video magazine,
23, 1, February 2007.
Manifest Technology®
Copyright 1999-2007,
Douglas Dixon, All Rights Reserved
Manifest Technology is a
registered trademark of Douglas Dixon
You can find the entire
Archos line-up at B&H Photo Video
