Archos AV7700
Adam Turner
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Nov 29, 2005 2:03 PM
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WorldTech | http://www.archosaustralia.com.au
RRP: $999 (time of review)
With a 7in display and up to 100GB of storage, Archos' AV700 is the ultimate portable video player - with the ability to record video the icing on the cake.
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The ultimate portable media player.
Portable media players with 3.5in screens have been around for a while, but the Archos AV700 Mobile Digital Video Recorder blows them away with a massive 7in widescreen display.
Firstly and foremost the AV700 is an MPEG4 video player; either on its 480 x 324 pixel display using the built-in stereo speakers or to your TV using composite or S-Video and two channel audio. It's also USB 2 storage device, so it's simple to drag and drop files on to it (there are no DRM restrictions here though it’s still WMA-DRM compatible), or you can synchronise it with Windows Media Player 10.
A chunky 350MB XviD widescreen episode of 24, ripped from US cable TV, looks absolutely awesome on the AV700 - with good skin tones, smooth motion and only the slightest pixelation in the shadows. The speakers do a surprisingly good job but need to be a little louder, while the supplied headphones are mediocre but at least have volume controls. MPEG1 files, but not MPEG2, can be converted to MPEG4 with the supplied software - MP4SP Translator and Virtual Dub - before they are transferred to the unit. The removable lithium-ion battery provides up to four hours of video playback, or 30 hours of music, using the on-board display and speakers
As if the mammoth screen wasn't enough of a killer feature, the AV700 can record both audio and video from external sources such as a DVD player or digital set top box. Video recordings are in 512 x 288 MPEG4, with a choice of five bit-rates, and the 100GB unit can hold up to 400 hours of video.
The remote control is a nice touch, a shame it's so big and ugly, but the AV700 can also be a remote control. It lets you schedule recordings from an external source, such as a VCR or set top box, and will then switch the source on and even change the channel at the appropriate time.
Surprisingly the AV700 lacks a memory card slot, but is a USB host - letting you transfer files a digital camera or memory card reader. As such it makes an excellent image tank and photo viewer. Before digital photographers get too excited, the AV700's key flaw is it's low display resolution - the screen is four times the area of 3.5in Archos units, but the resolution hasn't increased by the same amount.
It’s hefty at 590g, and has a price tag to match but the AV700 is still surprisingly sleek and desirable. Wwith playback this good you won't mind a heavier bag and a lighter wallet.