This device is going to take some beating!!
Written: Feb 13 '04
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Pros: Setting up, browsing and operating this device is as easy as it gets.
Cons: No screen cover. Need to have knowledge of converting various video file formats.
The Bottom Line: Buy this. An absolute multimedia gem that currently has no equal on the market.
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| ecdough's Full Review: Archos Jukebox AV340 (40 GB) Digital Media Player |
Bought new from Shop Harmony in Dec 2003 for 530 Euros.
What comes in the box?
The AV340 Player
DVR Module for recording
Remote Control operates via the DVR
AC Adapter 110/240V AC to DC
USB 2 Cable for connecting to a PC
Various audio and video leads
Headphones
SCART Module for connecting to an AV source
CD with software
2 Manuals, one covering the Player and the other covering the DVR Module
What they could add but didn't:
Suitable carrying case
Protective film for the front screen
Scart cable that has all the pins connected
Other: The AC Adapter has two pins, so an appropriate plug is also required outside the US.
What is it?
The Archos AV340 is all of these rolled into one:
40Gb storage device
MP3 player with playlist and bookmark facility
AVI Video Player
Voice Recorder
Picture/Photo Viewer
Video Recorder with the DVR Module. This allows you to record from a TV, Video or DVD source straight on to the Player.
Other Modules that are available are an FM Radio, Card Reader and a Digital Camera.
What's it like?
The player is very compact and robust with a 4.3in screen. However my biggest gripe is if you don't put a protective film over the screen, it gets finger prints all over it very easily. Find some protective film and a nice carrying case and you are in business.
On the right hand side are five buttons and a joystick. The top two buttons I call YES and NO buttons. The bottom three are the functions button and are application dependent. That is to say, they do a different function depending on whether you are listening to music, recording sound, playing video or recording video.
When you first get your AV340, plug it in and charge the battery pack. This is an internal battery pack and is not removable. When playing, a charge icon shows the current battery level.
To turn ON the player, Hold the YES button(top) down for 3 to 4 seconds.
To turn OFF the player, Hold the NO button(second from top) down for 3 to 4 seconds.
The main browser has nine icons Music, Video, Audio Recorder, etc. Navigation is simple using the joystick and the YES and NO buttons and files are stored in folders similar to a PC.
A number of files are already stored on the disk, so you can see your player in action before you download any files.
Conversion of video files is probably the most difficult task you will encounter.
Recording from a DVD, video and the TV was a doddle, once I had the correct SCART cable. Put it beside the TV and use the Remote Control to operate the player and video recorder functions. Simple as that.
Transferring 150 MP3 files from the PC to the player takes about 7-8 minutes. If you use the Windows 98 Operating System, you will need to install driver files that can be downloaded from www.archos.com.
Finally, Yahoo has a specific users group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchosAV320340/) where there's lots of questions and answers.
The firmware for the player is upgradeable, so check the Archos site regulary for the latest version.
If only everything I bought was this good.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 530
Recommended for: Beginners - Easy Enough for Tech Newbies
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Epinions.com ID:
ecdough
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 1 member
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