Great toy with some warnings
Written: Feb 17 '04
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Pros: Great screen in low light, remote control, battery life
Cons: No kickstand; screen washed out easily; only one bookmark stored; no case
The Bottom Line: Great Screen and feature packed - if you're looking for a mp4 player that can also take pictures it's a great product.
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| mkazen's Full Review: Archos Jukebox AV320 (20 GB) Digital Media Player |
I've had the opportunity to play with my AV320 for about 2 weeks and compare it to a Lyra RD2780. There are definite trade offs between the two units, but depending on what you intend to do with the unit, it might be a better decision to go with the Archos than the Lyra.
Operation:
The Unit has all controls on the front of the unit which makes it easy to operate. Some people have complained about the orientation of the three control buttons and difficulty knowing which ones to press, but when you look on the screen you can see illustrations of each function and which button controls it. The fact that the illustrations are horizontal but the buttons are vertical is only a minor inconvience.
The screen does a very good job producing video in low light situations, but don't expect to be able to view this screen outside in bright sunlight (unless you have a blanket to view it under). This is the main reason to go with a Lyra player over the Archos. If the majority of your viewing is inside, the Archos display is slightly better than the Lyra.
With regards to the battery -- you're supposed to get at least 6 hours of mp3 playback and 3 hours of video playback. Archos tech support states that these readings are with the display set on MINIMUM brightness, which is very hard to see unless you're in a dark room. Note that I only got about 2 hours 50 minutes max video on minimum brightness and 1.5 hours on max brightnesss. I sent the unit in for RMA return since I only got about 4 hours of mp3 playback too. I'm still waiting for my unit back from Archos 2 weeks later, but I would expect it soon.
According to other web sites, if the battery is REALLY functioning properly, you should get about 3 hours of battery life for video on the brightest setting and up to 6 hours of battery life on minimum brightness. Technical support also recommends about 8 hours of charging to completely charge the battery.
Speaking of the battery, it's removable through a door on the side secured by one screw, and you can buy additional batteries on the web so you can charge and keep a spare. This is a very good benefit on long trips. Spare batteries cost about $50.
One desired feature would be a case. Archos doesn't include one, nor do they even offer one! When you're talking about a >$500 toy, I would expect a case to protect it to be available. There aren't any decent 3rd party cases available yet either. BE VERY CAREFUL with the screen! Fortunately, the screen is recessed from the rubber feet on the sides so you can put it down on it's face without the screen touching the table.
Another feature would be a kickstand so you can position the Archos on a table for viewing without having to hold the unit at an optimal viewing angle. The screen really only looks good from directly on, and if you move too far to the side or up/down it loses brightness very quickly.
While playing videos, you can exit out of the video and come back to where you were viewing, but you can only store ONE bookmark on any ONE video. If you set a new book mark, you lose the old one, even if it's on a different file. You also have to shut off the unit and turn it back on to get access to the bookmark.
Moving around in a file is pretty speedy due to a time display when fast forwarding/rewinding and it moves QUICKLY. Unfortunately, it doesn't show you the video while ff/rew, but this might be why it's so fast.
Recording video on the Archos works very well, and with the latest firmware updates you can set a timer to shut the unit off after recording. You need the recorder adapter (included) for recording, but don't lose it. It would be nice if it was built into the unit, but it's great that it has super VHS inputs on it and the ability to be controlled via a remote control (think VCR).
Note that the unit requires files to be in Mpeg-4 Simple format with mp3 sound packaged in an AVI file. If you don't know what this is, they include some software for converting video files on the computer, but it's shareware software that only converts AVI files, not mpg files. A little research on the web will allow you to convert most formats, but it does require learning a LOT about computer video formats. It's a lot easier to connect the unit directly to your DVD player to record a DVD than rip it on the computer unless you know what you're doing.
Note also that if your AVI is encoded at too high of a bit rate than it can handle, you'll see sound sync problems.
Note that a lot of these features can be improved in firmware updates; They just don't exist in the Archos yet. It would be nice if Archos posted planned improvements on their web site, but they don't.
The Archos also has the ability to function as a 3.2 megapixel still camera and MP4 video camera with the right attachment, or give you the ability to plug in a compact flash card to offload pictures/files from another device. These are additional attachments which cost more.
The unit is a bit costly at $550 for the 20GB model, but it does quite a bit for the money. If you're just looking for a mp3 file player, you could get a lot more for less money elsewhere, but for video playing, the only real choices you have is the Archos or the RCA Lyra. Lyra is only available in the 20GB model, but Archos is available in versions up to 80GB. Note that both units can be opened up to replace the standard laptop drive.
Personally, I choose the Lyra over the Archos simply because of being able to view the screen outside and price (the Lyra is $150 less)
For people's benefits, here is my view of the benefits of the Archos OVER the Lyra:
* Screen looks better in low light
* Faster fast forward/rewind
* More responsive technical support
* Additional accessories (Camera specifically which actually takes very good pictures from what I've seen)
* Available in sizes up to 80GB
* Battery easily removable and replaceable
* Longer battery life (6 hours vs. 4 for the Lyra)
* Better handling of mp3 files from what i've heard
* faster response when navigating menus and moving between files
* Better placement of buttons (the Lyra has a few buttons in strange places)
* Built in microphone
* Ability to accept SVHS inputs for recording
* Remote control
Check out my RD2780 review on epinions for my take on the RCA unit.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 549
Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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Epinions.com ID:
mkazen
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
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