Archos AV420 20GB HD MP3 & Video Recorder The ARCHOS Pocket Video Recorder AV400 Series is the ultimate handheld digital video recorder that offers TV recording and a portable home entertainment center in one pocket-sized device. The AV400 experience starts in the living room where you can record TV shows and movies directly from a TV, VCR, or cable / satellite receiver with a convenient one-time set-up TV Cradle. But entertainment enjoyment goes far beyond the living room. When on the go, you can watch videos and view photos on the large color LCD screen, listen to and record music, transfer photos from your digital camera and data files from your PC.
The 20 GB Archos Pocket Video Recorder AV420 is the ultimate handheld digital video recorder that offers TV recording and a portable home entertainment center in one pocket-sized device. Watch videos and view photos on the large color LCD screen, listen to and record music, and transfer photos from your digital camera and data files from your PC. It features a TV Cradle, an external speaker for enjoying music and video without headphones, and a built-in Compact Flash reader for transferring photos directly from digital cameras.
The AV420 has a 20 GB hard drive, which can record up to 80 hours of video content from a TV, VCR, or cable/satellite receiver using the TV cradle. It plays MP3 and WMA digital audio files (included protected files) as well as WAV audio.
Once the TV Cradle is connected to a TV, VCR or cable/satellite receiver, you won't have to reconnect the cables again--just dock the AV420 and you're ready. The Recording Scheduler directly controls the tuner inside your VCR or cable/satellite receiver to automatically adjust the channel and record based on the time and duration of the schedule. The Scheduler will also synchronize with Yahoo TV Guide (where available) from the Internet so you can prepare your recordings for the week or month in advance.
What's in the Box
Archos AV 420, TV cradle with audio/video connections, remote control with 2 AA batteries, protective case, USB 2.0 cable, stereo headphone, manual, AC adapter/charger with US/UK/EU plug
1 Hope nothing goes wrong!!!
I gave this three stars because it is a great device, but cross your fingers if something goes wrong. Hopefully you will not have to deal with their customer service. They give customer service a whole new meaning.
2 Great Device! Meets my expectations for Video.
This is a great little device. Very easy to figure out and the OS is intuitive and easy. I bought it a couple weeks ago after 2 months of researching and reviewing. So far, I am impressed. I wanted to take video with me when I travel and wanted a convenient way to store photos when I take a camera and leave the laptop home.
Took a look at the MSI Mega View 566, but it does not support Memory Stick Pro or provide such an adapter. They will have one this summer for that but I didn't want to wait.
The build quality seems excellent. I have mostly copied DVD's from my collection off my DVD player with absolutely no problems with either the video or audio part; no problems with dialogue matching the video. I can only assume that the "learning curve" and problems others here refer to with video is for downloaded movies from the internet which may need converting. I have put the entire series "Band of Brothers" and a couple surfing movies on this with still about 9-10 Gig left. Have not loaded any music yet.
The only reason I did not give 5 stars was due to the fact I use a Memory Stick Pro for my camera and the firmware (I have the latest as of today) apparently does not support that yet. I purchased a 4-in-1 compact flash adapter (not thiers) and with MS Pro I get an "Invalid Card" message. The technical help at Archos told me that they were having issues with Memory Stick even with their own CF adapter that they sell, and that the firmware would be updated (didn't know when, hopefully soon). He said regular Memory Stick should work, but I got the "Invalid Card" message with that too. Alas! I'm leaving for Europe next week and was hoping to use this to store photos; guess I'll have to find a place to burn CD's. But I'll still be able to watch movies on the plane!
I'll give it 5 stars when they update the firmware. Otherwise, I highly recommend this device. You won't regret it!
3 The Best Choice!
I also did a lot of online research, and found that the Archos was the best choice for me. Samsung, MSI, RCA & Creative all make similar products, but the Archos unit makes it easy to record TV shows in from TiVo or other sources. To my knowledge, this is the only unit of this kind that has an IR Blaster to hook up to a video source. You set the timer (like a VCR) on the AV420, and at the right time, it will switch your video source to the correct channel, and record for the specified time! It was also very simple to set up a Yahoo calendar, add shows I want to record into the calendar, and drop a copy on the system folder in the AV420 unit - that creates a recording schedule, and is even easier to use than a VCR. I am convinced that for anyone that wants to take TV shows on the train, bus or to the gym, this unit is by far the best choice!!
4 Great little device
After using it for one month very heavly this device has proved to me everything it stands for. Great video display, music plays well, and battery is changeable giving me over 8 hours of video (with second battery).
Importing movies does require a bit of knowledge about rendering, but nothing too complex with tools like Dr Divx.
As mentioned in some reviews, the case is close to worthless and the screen does need taking care off.
The device feels sturdy and feels like it can handle a fall. Originaly I was worried, but after using it for a month my concerns have been taken away. It also is very intuitive, it took me three weeks before I opened the manual and figured out I learned everything on my own in a few hours.
Highly recomended for the gadget oriented person who wants a device to back up pictures on a trip or watch movies.
5 An alternative to this portable video/music player
I'd like to first state that I have not seen the Archos player up close, so I cannot attest to the quality of the product. However, I have done extensive research on which player would be perfect for me. The one I decided to purchase is the MSI Mega View 566. I will do a side-by-side comparison based on the specs:
Company
- MSI is a taiwanese-based company best known for their quality motherboards.
- Archos is a relatively new consumers electronics company
LCD Screen
- Both sport a screen size of 3.5" 320 x 240 resolution, 262,000 colors
Capacity
- Both players sport a 20GB hard-drive based storage that can act as a portable personal storage device, taking your files on the go. Both utilize a USB cable to transfer files.
File types played
- MSI:
Video: DiVX, AVI, WMV, MPEG-4
Audio: FM Radio, MP3, WMA, WMA (with DRM), WAV, LPCM & ADPCM audio files
Photo: JPG, TIFF, BMP, GIF
- Archos:
Video: DiVX, XviD, MPEG-4
Audio: MP3, WMA, WMA (with DRM), WAV
Photo: JPG
- Analysis: As you can see, the Mega View 566 has more compatibility with various file types, and is actually divx-certified. Plus, the Mega View 566 has a built-in FM tuner, as opposed to only an option on the Archos AV420. The MSI player has support for the popular Windows Media format while the Archos does not. Going by the specs listed on their websites, MSI is the winner in this category.
Recording capabilities
- Voice recorder: Both have a built-in microphone to act as a voice-recorder. Perfect for meetings, or class.
- FM Recording: The MSI player is capable of recording directly from the FM Tuner. The AV420 has this feature as an option.
- Both devices can record from various sources including: TV, VCR, Cable/Satellite, and Camcorder.
- Analysis: The Archos AV420 requires the device be docked to the TV cradle before you can record from video sources. The MSI Mega View 566 only requires you plug in the A/V connectors directly to the device and the source. MSI seems to be more convenient. No need to lug around the dock! However, the Archos has an optional A/V kit if you wish to record on the go.
Also, the MSI player allows you to record in DiVX format and MPEG-4 format, as opposed to the Archos, which only allows MPEG-4.
Playback:
- Both players can be played standalone on the portable screen.
- Both players can be plugged into the TV to display audio, video, and pictures.
- Analysis: Again, the Archos player requires the TV cradle to be plugged into the TV. The MSI can be taken anywhere, and so long as you have the composite video cables, you're set!
Accessories included:
- MSI: remote control, mini tripod, headphones, carrying case, USB 2.0 cables, two Li-Ion rechargable batteries
- Archos: remote control, headphones, carrying case, USB 2.0 cable
- Analysis: Both players includes many of the same accessories. I don't like my MegaView carrying case too much as it does not have space to fit my headphones. However, the tripod and extra battery more than make up for it and makes MSI the winner.
Flash Media Support:
- MSI: Built-in SD/MMC reader
- Archos: Built-in CF card reader
- Analysis: I like the Archos for this feature, because I use CF for my digital camera. However, the SD card is the most popular nowadays.
Battery Life:
- MSI:
Audio: upto 16 hrs
Video: upto 6 hrs
- Archos:
Audio: upto 12 hrs
Video: upto 4 hrs
Weight & Dimensions:
- MSI:
Weight: 8.5 ounces
Dimensions: 4.7"(W) x 2.9"(D) x 0.8"(H)
- Archos:
Weight: 10 ounces
Dimensions: 4.9"(W) x 3.1"(D) x 1"(H)
My overall impressions are obvious. I purchased the MSI Mega View 566, and have been very happy with it. I based my decision on the number of extra features, price, awards (G4TechTV finalist at CES2005), and online reviews it got. It seems the Mega View 566 edges out the AV420 in almost every category.
Hope my review helps you in making your decision.
6 Incredible!!!!!!!!!!!
4 hours of video on 1 battery, $50 for a spare battery makes long trips bearable. The IR transmitter on the cradle controls my JVC Dish Network receiver, changes to the channel I've programmed in my Archos AV420 and records automatically. I could spend all day talking about how great this little device is. The only drawback I've found is HD space, the manual says "record up to 80 hrs of video" you can get that but it's at 500KBS and pretty poor quality. I've found 1000KBS on LCD gives you about 35 hours of video that is good quality. 2500KBS is the highest setting and that brings you down to about 8 hours but is DVD quality.
7 Extremely Disappointed!
I bought an Archos FM Recorder years ago and I still use it. It was one of the best electronic investments I have made. I have never had a problem with it and it has made recording voice in MP3 format so easy. Then the Archos AV420 came out. I thought that this was another great product that will get my video into digital form in realtime. I bought the product a few months ago. I connected it to a digital camera and attempted to record onto the camera and simultaneously record the output from the camera (via AV and S-Video cables) to the AV420. The result was the signal kept getting dropped and the "detecting video" message comes up blinking. Then, all of a sudden, the signal comes back, then gone again. I figure there was something wrong with the camera so I called Archos Technical Support. He advised me to try the AV420 on a different source. I tried it on my VCR, it went into "detecting video" once and the quality was not that good. I figure VCR quality is not that good anyway so I tried a DVD player as a source. Same thing. Signal kept going out and in, erratically. I called Technical Support back and they were closed 15 minutes before they were suppose to and I left a message detailing the problem. I did not get a call back. I wrote several emails to them detailing the problem and someone finally replied. But all that person did was apologize and no help. I finally wrote another email telling them I was returning their product and that they should have worked out the bugs as opposed to trying to beat everyone else to the DVR market (Of course you have to pay a 15% restocking fee for the priviledge of returning it). It could be that I bought a defective prooduct, maybe so, but I am not going to buy it again until it has proven itself a little longer, MAYBE. I hear that IPOD has one out to. I will most likely buy that one to see if it is better. If so I will keep it. I'd rather buy an Archos product but since Archos does not seem to care if I am satisfied then I guess I will have to move on. My ticket number was 1016916.
8 The best PMC out there
If I never had an MP3 player, I'd think the Archos AV420 wasn't possible. I own and use four (not including the AV120) MP3 systems. Granted this is my first hard drive player. I have two flash players (from iRock - they ROCK) and two CD MP3 players that provide incredible functionality.
I'll spew specifics. I admit the menu system is reminiscent of the old DOS days, but since it is essentially just another hard drive, the menu tree can be configured as you wish, and Archos did a nice job of setting it up in a logical manner. Furthermore, I use my other systems as comparison (my iRock, Sony and Magnavox systems) that deliver good (note - only "good") functionality compared to the AV420, but also my brother's iPod doesn't have the advanced sound "fine" tuning as with the AV420. If I needed more than 20 gigs to carry music I'd listen in a day, week or even month, I would have gone bigger (AV440), but since it connects with my computer so well, I am happy with the capacity. The design of the AV420 is such that once you are either comfortable with the directories or you set them up the way you want, one-handed no-peek operation is easy. It does in fact fit in the my shirt pocket. The AV420 is a mini tank. I wasn't looking for a player to show pictures or movies, but this system delivers those functions flawlessly.
While the price tag of over 450$ is steep it's well worth the price in gold. I received mine free (no lie) I checked out this site http://www.pvps4free.com/default.aspx?r=145058 and signed up for a free 2 week blockbuster video online membership (cool because you get to check out free videos 4 two weeks)and canceled it after the 2 weeks was up. But, what ever way you go about getting it, this is the best out there. Two tumbs up.
9 Good initiative Bad judgement
Here it is the Archos AV420. An excellent piece of electronic media entertainment. Clear video. Crisp audio. The internal speaker that comes with unit experiences distortion when using too much bass. If one isn't keen on the use of computer software and is also not willing to work with unit the learning curve for use will be a painful one. Capacity is fine for it's purposes for me at least. One major reason for getting the AV420 was the removable battery. I work in computer hardware repairs. Laptop batteries go bad all the time except in practically all cases they can be replaced hence the decision to go with the one model with a removable battery. The screen scratches easily, you gotta be careful and treat it like a real life baby. One of the sticking points on usage for me was the individual carrying protective case. I was never able to access unit from inside case. I always had to take unit out fumble around with the buttons before doing what I had intended to do. No problem if your intended use has no intentions of pressing buttons all the time, but I'm a bit picky on my music and I am always pressing the buttons or tinkering with the setup. When I first got the unit I looked at reviews and the one sticking point was poor customer service. I have yet to actually experience it, but when I looked up accessories such as protective screens, other carrying cases, and such items I was shocked with the choice of no options. A company that puts a product out like this is going to irk customers. Still I have been made a believer. I stick by four. A solid product with awesome capabilities.
10 very good piece of kit
I used to have one of the original Archos 20GB recorder models from 3 years back (the LCD screen exploded when left in freezing temperatures in a car over Christmas - so be careful!). I decided my replacement should be an upgrade. I always liked Archos - their customer support was fine and I never had a problem with the player.
The AV420 is very good - it is much easier to navigate compared to the old Jukebox player I had, I like the way you can sort music by genre, by album, artist etc. Photos upload very quickly and easily. Putting videos on it is also very interesting. There are a number of ways you can do this:
a) Using your DVR (eg Tivo) - this is very useful, just hook up the cables and play the Tivo recorded program and press record on the Archos.
b) Via video recorder - same way as Tivo
c) Via DVD player - same way as above
d) Ripping DVD's via the computer. I tried one of the recommendations by a previous reviewer using the DVD to AVI - I never had any success - the program saw the DVD in the drive but always crashed after 40 seconds or so, or it said it couldn't read the file. I deduced that you probably have to get a program to rip the DVD onto your hardrive first and then use this software. I downloaded Magic DVD Ripper from [...] , you can have 5 trials before you pay and burned the DVD onto my hardrive whilst converting it to .avi format. Its compression meant that I could have about 7MB per 1 minute of video and the file, when copied to the Archos played perfectly and was crystal clear. It's a good bit of software and so easy to use, you can set it to burn the DVD and then turn the computer off afterwards, eg if you run it overnight (takes 1.5-2 hrs for a typical movie)
You can also edit your recordings on the Archos by cropping or cutting out unwanted scenes - eg adverts, very useful.
I think this device is a great tool to store / back up some of your favourite videos, whether home made or bought.
Mine came with a FM receiver which you can record songs from, there is a feature which records 30 secs of every song in its buffer memory, so if you are half way through the song and decide to record it it will record it from the beginning - very nifty. You can also record music from your Satelite radio receiver - if you have the new XM MiFi (which can record 5 hours of music) you can thus copy those songs off of that onto the Archos...
The 20GB model also has a replacable battery which is useful.
All in all I am very pleased with it.
11 This device is AWESOME!
Records straight from any composite video (red-white-yellow) source like your DVD player for example. This device transforms your videos to MPEG-4, and the quality is great for this size screen. Battery life is nearly true to its word -- aprroximately 4.5 - 5.5 hours of play. I love it, and now that my wife has seen mine, she now wants one! Perfect for those long airplane or train rides. Note: Only downside in my opinion is that it records in real time, meaning a 2 hour movie takes 2 hours to record onto the Archos. Who cares, plan ahead, enjoy watching your favorite movies any time on a device that will fit in your shirt pocket.
12 Holiday Gift- (The best gift I have ever received)
I got the AV420 for Christmas and it was the best gift I have ever got. The first day I got it I downloaded my whole music library from my computer and it was very quick downloading all the music, and it barely took away any of my memory. Also on
X-mas day I went crazy recording the football games that were on and then the Heat vs. Laker game. We went out for dinner during the Heat game and I was amazed on how the AV420 could switch channels and stop and start recording all on its own. I am only 14 years old and I use this thing like I've had it for my whole life, and I've only had it for about one week now. It is very easy to use and very easy to download music and record video.
I was very worried about the battery life because I have read in many reviews on the internet that it isn't that great, but I contacted Archos and they said that I could buy an extra battery, and I was very relieved to hear that. The sound quality of the music and the videos is amazing, and the video quality is just as good. I feel like I am at home sitting in front of my TV when I'm actually taking a hour drive up to ice hockey practice.
I looked long and hard, and found that there were so many choices, but I narrowed it down to this one and put it on my X-mas list and I am very happy that I did. I just can't wait to go on a plane or take a long drive, because I just know that I will not be even half as bored as I usually am. Video recording is so easy and I think it's amazing that you can record live TV. That's one of the main reasons that I got this one, because not many can record right off live TV.
Overall, I am amazed, and I would highly reccommend this product to anybody. As I said I looked at everything and this IS "THE" best one you can find. I hope that you can take my word for it and don't waste your time looking at anything else.
13 Cool Product -Horrible Customer Support
Anyone considering purchasing this or any Archos product should be aware that based on my experience (4 Archos jukeboxes) their quality control is spotty at best. This used to be bearable because they used to have a fairly liberal warranty policy and would repair or exchange defective products no questions asked. That has changed. Now you have to go through an elaborate process of providing documentation of purchase, mailing the unit back at your own expense, insured, and waiting in silence while they decide what to do. In my case the little joystick that is the key control of the AV320 fell off. When I returned the unit to them for repair (they would not simply send me the part) they decided to keep the 80 gb hard drive I had installed in my AV320. Because they claim installing the drive voided the warranty they now say that they will not return MY drive to me unless I pay them $125 for the repair. Won't take back the replacement they sent me, won't send me a replacement part, won't give me my property back. Worst customer service I've ever seen. I think it would be a serious mistake to buy anything from them.
14 Wonderful little gadget
The Archos AV420 lives up to the reputation it's gaining. It's an easy to use little device that is good at what it does.
Music: I keep my entire music library on this device and it barely makes a dent in the ~20GB of space. The sound is great through the headphones, although through the built-in speaker you get limited volume and some distortion. I use an FM transmitter to play music through my car stereo and I love it. If you use Media Player 10 to store your CDs on your PC, it's a no-brainer to get them onto the Archos.
Video: Once the cradle is set up, recording TV is a breeze. There is a utility provided for converting files from your PC into a format the Archos will play, and there are supposedly codecs that will allow XP to recognize and play videos off of the Archos. It's not quite time to throw the TiVo out, but this is certainly an intriguing alternative.
Pictures: I tried moving some 5-megapixel pictures onto the Archos to see how good it could look. They come through fairly grainy, although not unrecognizable. However, the samples provided with the device show off what it is capable of. It may take some tweaking of file types and compression to get the best picture. The ability to move pictures directly from your digital camera media onto the device is a blessing for those of us who have ever filled up their camera media and been nowhere near a PC.
PC Installation: Piece of cake. Turn it on and plug it in. It's a fully functional external hard drive, and XP makes it simple to use it as such.
I've been extremely happy with this device in all its respects. By all means, check out the other options (Creative Zen, iRiver), but don't count the Archos out because the brand isn't as well known. This little gadget does things that the Zen and the iRiver don't, and it does all its jobs well.
15 I'D GIVE IT 10 STARS IF I COULD!
I absolutely love this unit. I did a lot of research before I made my final decision, looking at everything from I Pod to iRiver to Creative Zen, etc. You name it, I checked it out. I have a hard time understanding any portable video player that does not have a removable battery. When watching video the battery can drain quickly (Archos claims 4 hours - have not tried it out yet.) I always want to keep a back up charged. To me it's a must to be able to swap out a dead battery.
I have read the comments by a lot of people to "just use your laptop" to watch movies on the plane. Well, I for one don't always want to lug my laptop. I have a relatively small and light laptop compared to many, but this little unit will fit in a pocket coat pocket! It's the perfect size without getting so small as to not be able to view the video clearly. Image quality is incredible. Playback of content recorded from TV is great. I have yet to try transferring DVDs, but the TIVO-type feature buit into the AV420 works flawlessly and is easy to set up, although I will admit that I did have a few issues with recording initially. I kept getting great video but no audio. It was my mistake, thinking that I was plugging into audio out on my television. Since my TV only has audio out on the back, I bought a cable from Radio Shack that expends those outputs around to the front of the TV. Now that I know what I am doing it works flawlessly. And audio quality is great for both music and videos.
My next favorite feature is the CF slot. I have not seen another unit that offer this, and it is huge for me. I take a tons of pictures when I travel, but my personal preference is for smaller CF cards (512mb or less). Problem solved. Simply plug in your card, select "Copy All", and they seamlessly transfer over to your portable unit to view as a slideshow or print at a later date. Again, no need to lug the laptop, CF reader, etc. When you get home you can plug the AV420 into your home computer via USB2. It will be recognized as a portable device, and you are able to simply drag and drop files to your hard drive. Could not be easier.
One note: Archos claims to have a firmware update that will allow you to view WMP files on the unit, but I still have not be able to do so to date. Probably me doing something wrong again, so I will keep trying. This brings me to the issue of Archos' customer support. I have read many reviews of their products by people saying that have horrible support. I have NOT found this to be true. Yes, I did sit on hold for 30 minutes the first time I called, but the tech gave me his e-mail address and promptly responded to each of my subsequent queries with thorough, concise and very helpful solutions to my problems.
If I would have one complaint about the AV420, it would be that it really is not intuitive to navigate all of its features. I have found myself referring to the manual a lot more than I would prefer (for things such as how to install a firware update), but once you get the feel for it there's no turning back!
This is an amazing, multi-purpose unit. In my humble opinion there is nothing out there that can touch it.
16 Very cool device, but does not support Windows Media
I just got this yesterday so I haven't had a whole lot of time with it, but so far have not had any technical problems with the device, everything seems to record, play, and sound like advertised and consistent with the positive reviews here.
The only issue I have, and it's a big one, is that it doesn't support the Windows Media format. All of my home movies (Moviemaker, photostory, etc.) and CD-ripped songs are in wmv or wma format. That's what came with my computer, so that's what I use. In order to get them to work on the Archos I will have to encode them to avi or mp3, which is an extra step I'd rather not take.
In fairness, as of this writing, there is no other portable video *recorder* out there that supports the WM codec (I've searched everywhere), so this is as good as it gets until the flagship WMA video players (Creative, Yepp, RCA, iRiver, etc.) have video recording capability.
17 The number one rated pvr
This is amazing it has so many features all packed into that little device. record speaches record video watch your videos on your tv record dvds from your dvd player store data files videos and tons of music. The batteries last about how long they said they do instead of 12 hours of music its more like 9-10 and for video its like 4 -5 hours. recharge time is about 2 and a half to 3 hours so not too bad. The tv recording is very sophisticated changing the hue contrast brightness to get it how u like it. the aspects are 4:3 5:3 16:9 in tv or lcd mode. The music player is very nice looking and it tells you what the next song is.The player can take a lot of drops and keep on ticking.Frequent firmware updates with bug fixes that once in a while people were getting and also adding more options and wallpapers.In short I will sell this sometime after the av500 comes out in janurary to help buy it. Also if your wondering if the av420 is worth the money the answer is a resounding hell yes.You'll be the envy of all your friends who just got a 20 gig ipod that can't do nothing but play mp3s and yours will look cooler with a bigger and color screen.Its the number one rated portable audio video recorder right now on some sites pick it up.
18 Short Battery Life
I saw 13 hours listed in the description at the company's web site. Don't believe it. Mine works really well as long as it's plugged up. It will run for about one hour on batteries, less if I'm doing any video. Needless to say, it was next to useless when I went traveling.
19 This is the greatest!!!
This is my favorite possession! I love it! I dont go anywhere without it! It fits in my poscket very easily and it holds so dam much! You can record from anything, tv, dvd, vcr and ur own voice. Archos 420 is worth every penny! If your thinking of getting this, dont even think, this one is the best out there, and if you get it you'll love it! It's also a perfect gift for the holidays!!!
20 About copying DVDs on this gadget
This apparatus is nice - great screen, you know the works. To carry it around, though, is a different story. It's just too big, in my opinion. If I attach the enclosed holster to my belt, I'm suddenly retro. I'm not retro-man.
Anyway, this thing will record ALL copy-protected DVDs onto it, but, IF IT RECOGNIZES the signal that designates the DVD as copy-protected, it puts a little 'P' icon which means it's protected. It will play BEAUTIFULLY on the Archos that just made the recording - absolutely beautiful screen. Howevere, it can ONLY be played by the player, so once you copy it to the hard drive of your computer - all 700 or whatever megabytes - it opens up in media player with a big "COPY RIGHTED" label on the screen, but you get full audio for the entire length of the movie.
Now, here's the funny thing. Because there's so many motion picture companies, they don't all have the same code for copy-protecting DVDs. Most VCRs and DVD recorders recognize ALL signals that designate a DVD as copy-protected by the individual motion picture companies. The Archos AV420 only recognizes some studios like Paramount and Dreamworks. It does not recognize the signal from MGM, Warner Brothers, Columbia Tri-Star, and others. So what this means is that you can copy a DVD from these studios it does not recognize right into this device and then download it to your local hard drive on your computer and play it there, too - in perfect MPEG-4 format. You could also download it from there onto another player, like the Archos Gmini, and it will also play. So, the point is, the copy-protection on the Archos AV420 is not all there, in case you were wondering.
21 The Gadget to Have!
I got this as a present from my mom, she was supposed to give me an Ipod, but when I learned that she's going to , I asked her to give me Archos AV420 instead because I'm more into videos than music. And I love this product, this is one of my all time favorite possessions.
The Good:
The style was good enough for me, elegant with its grayish color, probably not as hip as the Ipod, but this is more appropriate for professionals becasue it has a more sophisticated look. And the style is miles better than AV 300 because it's lighter and smaller. The screen was larger compared to others so it's really convenient to watch movies. Easy to follow instructions I practically did everything the first time I tried it. It can store based on my calculation about 160 20 min TV episodes in video in the lowest quality but still very clear. The best thing of all is it can record from practically any source, tv, dvd, vcr etc without a hassle. It has also a scheduler that records your favorite show when you're not home (like a vcr). It can also record music/sound with it's built in mic or analog source which means you can record speeches, commentaries in dvd, concerts etc. and you can also edit them when you're done recording. It can store practically all your photos because of it's 20 GB capacity.
The Bad
Sometimes when I'm recording for a long time, moist builds up in the center, it's minor but noticeable flaw. But don't worry after a while it's gone. Sometimes also when the source is not very clear in recording, the result is a little jerky in the sides, minor flaw but noticeable. But I guess it depends on the source because the movies I copied from DVD's are clear even in the lowest quality bitrate. Another bad thing is that you can't play the movies you copied from DVD or VHS in your TV or computer, in short those that you copied that are copyright protected can only be played in the Archos device. It's not really a big deal since you have the DVd so just use it when you want to watch it in your tv. But of course TV shows and your own personal videos can be played anywhere TV or computer.
Bottomline: If you want to carry your videos with you and have an mp3 player, buy this thing. It will change your life.
Grade: A
22 Worth waiting for ...
The Archos AV420 is very nearly the perfect personal multimedia device. If you want to be able record videos from your cable or from non-copyrighted DVDs and play them back in near DVD quality, this is the device to get.
The fit and finish of this device is very good, an order of magnitude better than its predecessors in the AV100 and AV300 series. The controls are easy to learn and solid. The screen is clear and super bright.
I agree with the reviews that caution that if you're not into video, there are devices that offer better price performance. Even with the 20G model (AV420), I can store hours of recorded TV programs and other video material to keep me happy while my commuter bus lumbers through heavy NYC-bound traffic.
The built-in compact flash slot allows me to show off my digital pics on the bright, clear 3.5" screen. I don't miss having to have a laptop always at the ready to act as an intermediary for file transfers.
Adding to the versatility is the built-in mike for recording meetings and conferences, and the USB-2 connecion that allows me to use the hard drive to bring home files from my work computer. And of course, the MP3 capability is a given with excellent organization software for playlists, viewing album covers, etc.
What's missing? Nothing I care about --The predecessors offer camera attachments; I guess Archos figured most people wouldn't want to add that functionality option so they've dropped it. No biggie.
The reason I bought the 420 vs the bigger models is two-fold: cost and the fact that you can get a spare battery for the AV420 for those long flights.
Check it out!
