Customer Reviews

Archos AV500 100 GB Multimedia Player and DVR

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Note: I have only had the player for a week. This is a first impressions report.

Overall: the Archos AV500 100 gb player is pretty impressive. It is a good size, the screen is bright, and the built-in interface is easy to navigate. It feels small and heavy at first. Built-in speaker is tinny but adequate for its size. 100 gb is a lot of space! It is a little heavier than the AV500 30 gb model, but I don't have one for direct comparison.

Functions tried:
(1) Links to Windows XP computer via USB 2.0 without a problem, can use as Device Player with Windows Media Player 10 (auto-sync libraries, etc), or can set to Hard Drive Mode and drag and drop files. USB 2.0 is fast.

(2) Transfer DVDs: Lots of stuff on the internet about doing this for Archos devices, but this is still complicated and some technical savvy is required. There is some built-in software that I didn't bother with.

The easiest (and legal) way is to just record direct from your DVD player; however, not the best quality by report and any Macrovision protection is preserved (can only view on LCD screen, not video out). I actually have not tried this yet, though.

If you have DVD's without copyright protection, one of the better (and free) programs (in my opinion) at this point is Auto Gordion Knot (or AutoGK for short) to convert these to the DIVX format. This works well; however, conversion is processor-intensive (5 hours on my 3000+ Athlon XP for 2 hour video). The picture is pretty good, some minor compression artifacting. There is a large community working on DIVX codecs. I used the XVID codec, which the AV500 is compatible with (even the Windows Media Player 10 didn't think so and refused to transfer without conversion).

(3) Listening to music was easy. Dragged and dropped a bunch of MP3's, worked well. Nice loud volume.

(4) Slideshow for pictures work well. JPEG and BMP only. Can't listen to music while looking at pictures, though.

Functions haven't tried yet:

(1) Camera record - can hook up lipstick camera (separate accessory) directly to AV500 and record.
(2) Direct file transfer from camera. (Has separate mini USB port and cable to hook into camera)

Drawbacks:

(1) Probably a little fragile - handle with care. Lots of people have reported issues with the previous AV400 models. Basically, this is a very fancy hard drive with a screen. In fact, if you take the battery off, you can see the hard drive sitting in there.

Running with it, or any activity with lots of vibration/shaking will likely cause early hard drive failure. It would be like running with your laptop. You might get away with it for a while, but those hard drives can't take a lot of jolting.

I can see mashing the small buttons could result in problems. This is not a ruggedized portable by any means. Even thought the case feels solid, the buttons are cheap-feeling and flimsy. My bet is that the buttons would be the first component to break on this device.

(2) Video transfer is still complicated. Could try Windows Media Player 10 for automagic conversion, but I like to have more control over settings. Video must be DIVX in specific format. This is not a Video Ipod. It takes some savvy.

(3) Note before you buy the file types it supports. Won't do AAC, Ogg or other music formats.

(4) Comes with a disc shaped connector hub for AV in/out connections, but no travel AV in/out. That is a separate accessory. So, if you want to see your video on a separate TV, bring the big hub, or spring for a separate set of travel connectors.

(5) Inadequate carrying case provided. I am already looking for a better carrying case.

Hi, everyone! I work at The Sharper Image here in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I'm intimately familiar with the AV500. I should be! I own one and sell them. So i'm off the clock and comission isn't an issue...

I'm going to touch base first on some aspects of the Archos that haven't probably been discussed, and comparing it to the OTHER pretty cool portable tech item you're all probably familiar with, the current-gen iPod Video.

Basically, this is THE choice for you if you want portable video on the go, with a bigger screen than the iPod Video, and better battery life to boot.

SOUND:

The AV500 (and AV700) offer user-manageable Bass, Bass Boost, Treble and Balance options, most of which the iPod does not, and otherwise opts for preset EQ settings. The Archos DVR units (AV500, AV700) offer built-in speakers, too. While not terribly loud, you'll be pleased as punch with them in a quiet room. As with the iPod, I chucked the offered earbuds as my ears are way, waay too small to wear them comfortably, and besides, pack-in earbuds are almost always pieces of junk with electronics. I opt rather for my Shure E3c earbuds of which you can peruse at your own time later on Amazon. (I reccomend it HIGHLY.)

Lastly, yes..the Archos can be used as an .MP3 player, with what I personally feel is better bass than the iPod, even on it's default setting. It IS compatible with iTunes! (Meaning it can copy playlists, but the interface of the Archos is NOT similar to the iTunes interface. Rather, it uses a ROOT form, much like, I assume Windows computers do..(I'm a Mac user myself.)

VIDEO

Of course, here is where the AV500 (and AV700) truly shine, and with good reason. You get about 4 1/2, 5 straight hours of playback of whatever movies you'd like! It works with the .AVI file system, and records as such. You can convert internet video files to Divx-ready .AVI with Quicktime Pro if you so wish. Instead, I opt most often than not to really use my Archos for a DVR...(oh, and to clarify, the iPod Video works natively with Quicktime .MOV. To me yes..the Ipod has a leg up here, but the pluses outweigh the minuses for me with the Archos. Why is that?.....

The pack-in bypass cradle that comes with your Archos is a self-powered (AC pack) unit that you use to bypass existing video feeds. For example; you run your cable to your VCR, then 'OUT' with AV jacks to your television set. You'd connect your Archos cradle to the 'OUT' AV jack on your VCR, then 'IN' from the cradle to the TV. This then allows for normal TV/DVD viewing, and acts as I call it, a 'passive reciever' for the Archos. In other words, the Archos is a leech on whatever device you connect it to..wether it be a VCR, cable box, or DVD player. As long as your unit uses standard yellow (Video), red and white (left and right stereo ) AV jacks, you're in like Flynn here.

What does this allow? Well, absolutely any DVD you own (AND may I add, the upcoming Blu-ray players too, as long as they have those afformentioned AV jacks, natch) is recordable onto your Archos for use and playback any time you want. I record old family videos to the unit for later archiving to my computer, and also..well, older VHS tapes of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Hope you guys benifitted from this review!

I love this gadget. It almost does everything. My primary reason for buying is the fact that I can backup my DVD's on the unit, w/o using a computer. When I was looking to upgrade from my Creative Nomad Zen Xtra 30 GB, I was looking at the Creative Vision M (30gb) and the Cowon A2 (30gb). I was that close to buying the Creative Vision M (never once considered the Ipod Video) until I happened upon the AV500 in Frys and compared all the features. Except for the price tag, the AV500 eclipsed the Vision M in all areas imo. I initially held off buying the AV500 because of the steep price.

I can honestly say that I am yet to experience any of the flaws that some reviewers have posted. My unit has never frozen, not once. The fact that I now don't have to lug around my huge DVD case and the fact that I can play my movies on a regular TV at work are huge pluses in my book. This little gadget in the one to have. It's funny how I used to be in awe of one of my fellow co workers RCA Lyra and the videos he had on board. Not anymore, that's for sure. This is a great product and one that I'm glad I purchased. I highly recommend this product, Monkboon....

+'s:
(1) 100GB of memory (More that any computer in our house)
(2) Can backup/rip personal DVD's w/o the use of a computer. (My primary reason for the purchase. (Now I don't have to lug around DVD's and cases everywhere.)
(3) Can be used as a DVR to record your favorite TV shows from your Cable box, VCR or basically anything you can think of.
(4) Complete ease of use.
(5) Has a picture viewer.(Holds like a trillion pictures.)
(6) Has a voice recorder. (I'll never use it, but it's there if I need one.)
(7) Can pretty much record any type of video from many different formats. (I recorded my kids playing XBOX games just to fool around with the video settings)
(8) Replaces your current MP3 player. I just transferred 5714 songs and it's barely using 8 gigs.
(9) Easy to transfer files and navigate.
(10) Screen is larger than most video players of this caliber.
(11) Can view movies from the unit on your Television.
(12) Can create and edit play lists on the fly.
(13) Exceptional battery life for this type of device.

-`s:
(1) Not really a -, but something that would have been nice is if there were a FM tuner.
(2) Missing a hole for the AC adapter when the unit is in the closed case. (nit picky)
(3) One must connect the unit to the computer to access the "real" user manual.
(4) Terrible speaker, you will need headphones (I have BOSE) unless using quality external speakers.
(5) Had issues syncing with WMP10 and play lists. Had to use Creative Media Player to transfer 5500 songs from my computer. The WMP10 issue is more than likely my inability to do anything worthwhile with Windows Media. So again, this may not be a con.
(6) Some movies/DVD's will not play on the unit or television.

I'm extremely happy with my purchase.

The Archos AV500 is no joke. It truly does allow you to do everything it states. It just has a bit of a learning curve. Do not expect it to work just like your best friend's ipod. I got all my 2000+ songs on the device with no trouble at all, but the key factor (recording video) just wasnt working for me. After owning my AV500 for about 6 hours I had every intention of sending it back and giving it a terrible review on Amazon.com. I swore it was the most user unfrendly thing I'd ever used. I slept on my frustration and approched the device the next morning. I was not going to let my new toy defeat me. By that afternoon, I was watching Revenge of the Sith and Band of Brothers in perfect DVD quality. Now, almost a week later I am just simply loving my AV500. It goes everywhere with me and I've mastered it down to the littlest detail. When your looking for the best in DVR and portable entertainment, look no further than this. It works wonderfully and the screen is awesome. When looking at it from every angle, there is no glare. This makes it easy for people at your sides to enjoy videos also. The resolution is terrific and navigating thru files is simple. And the fact that you can store music on here is no tack-on. The quality you get out of the music is fantastic too. I did go out and buy some better headphones as the earbuds supplied where too big for my eyes and a bit chinsy in quality. However, the actual device is no joke. It is quality and you feel privilleged to hold it. Another thing I should point out before closing is that the battery life is awesome - 15 hours of audio, about 5 hours of video. The battery did not almost make the estimated time, it surpassed it. So that makes me really happy. I also had really great technical support when stumped on a few things. The Archos AV500 is a great, great little toy that does everything it promises. The only thing I suggest is reading the manual and contacting support because your bound to be stumped on a few things. But once you learn the basics, this thing couldn't be easier. Absolutley Wonderful. Thanks for reading.

If you are in the market for a mobile digital video record that plays mp3 songs, works as a storage divice for all your digital photos, and plays back videos recorded from your TV, DVD, VCR or Satellite, this it the one to buy. And when connected to a VCR, you can record your old tape videos to the Archos AV500 and then transfer to your computer to burn to DVD. Everyone I've showen the Archos AV500 to has asked where they can get one. It blows everyones mind that a divice this small can do so many things.

I was amazed with the video quality when recording from my TV. The sound quality of my mp3 songs sound better than my mini ipod and it was so easy to upload and backup my photo library.

I highly recommend this product with only a few minor drawbacks. First, the built-in speaker is mediocre but I do not rely on it when view videos, I plug in my head-set. Second, since it records in avi format, it will only play in avi format. I tried uploading other video formats and Archos would not recognize them. I solved this problem by using a software program called "Video Vault". This software will convert any video format to avi which than I can transfer to my Archos AV500.

I hope this review was informative and helpful.

My first review was way too long, so I scrapped it and I'm starting over. I'll try to be brief because if I'm not, no one will ever read this and then what's the point?

GOOD:

* The screen is awesome. Resolution is stunning and brightness is perfect. Maybe it'll suck outdoors, but if I'm outdoors, I shouldn't be watching TV anyway. =)

* The file navigation rocks. It maintains all the same subfolder I've created over the years, and I love that. Dragging and dropping files as if it were nothing more than an external hard drive is brilliant, plain and simple.

* Build quality seems solid and strong through-out.

BAD:

* The audio quality (out the earphone jack) is acceptable at best. With headphones, an FM transmitter or a tape adapter, I don't imagine its shortcomings would be noticable. However, in a side-by-side comparison with my iPod, Dell notebook, and XBox, all playing the exact same MP3 through the exact same stereo (Pink Floyd - Sheep - 320kbps, Yamaha 7.1 receiver, Sapphire STII speakers), the Archos sounded noticably and frustratingly flatter than all the others. Thankfully I had no intentions of using this device at home, because if I did, it'd be back in the box, re-shrink-wrapped and on a shelf somewhere far, far away from me.

* While attached as a USB device, the battery doesn't recharge, even though 2.0 would support this. As if that wasn't bad enough, the LCD doesn't even turn off, so basically it's draining battery power as quickly as possible now. Ridiculous.

VERDICT:

Awesome-ness of the screen trumps all. This is a video device, after all.

I travel weekly via plane, and have had some sort of PDA /MP3 type device since 2000. I started with Creative's Nomad Jukebox, 40 gig, CD PLayer sized device at about 10 oz., and for the last few years have had a Creative Zen X-tra 30 gig. I'm a bit older, and frankly am tired of looking at a microscopic LCD screen, that you can hardly see. Also Album Art is important to me, because frequently if I see an Album I'm interested in, I can't remember sometimes if I have it or not by looking at the song, as much as the graphic; also Titles like #1's, and Greatest Hits all start looking the same. There's psychology for me in being able to look at the Album Cover!
From what I read folks buy the Archos for video playing and recording, not primarily for MP3s; and not for carrying while jogging. I bought it after reading all the other reviews primarily to hold my MP3 collection on a bright screen and display album art.
First of all I've used it now about 3 weeks and the device is flawless!!! I spent easily 30 hours though re-organizing my MP3 album collection, cleaning up duplicates, re-ripping CD's that software applied the wrong tags too, or put in Unknown albums. I bought Tag and Rename online to help me do this; and in cases where it couldn't find album art, I did a google search and found jpeg covers, saved them and added them to the tags.
I tried to load my newly cleaned-up collection to my Zen Xtra and found that WindowsMediaPlayer10, created duplicate libraries. Afraid to corrupt my Archos, I transferred the library manually to the Archos putting it in HardDrive mode. Since doing this I have grown to love HradDrive mode to manage the data on the Archos and my laptop and home PCs. It is so easy to drag and drop and don't have to worry about synch issues. I even talked to Archos Tech support, and the rep I talked to said he doesn't use Windows Media Player to synch, does it manual too.
As one reviewer wrote the navigation buttons are not quite intuitive; but after about 2 weeks of working with the Archos, I really appreciate their set-up over any other device I've worked with. The bookmark function is great, and the resume feature I love. The audio quality is right up there with Creative's; and the screen is awesome. The overall quality of the hardware is a good 4 stars, 5 stars would be something really rugged for me.
The little tiny speaker that plays music is not great, but not bad to let you hear something in a pinch; like test a song, etc, or listen to a movie privately. I use either Sennheiser headphones or Bose.
When the track plays, it displays the album art, but not as you page through the music list. But at least I can find the cover and get to know what I have.
Now video. I told you already I bought this to be a great MP3 player, not video; but anything I got with video for me was a bonus. Well I didn't realize that as a Personal Video Recorder it will record video, right from a source. But for me with travelling, I don't want to have to carry another device, open my laptop in a tiny airline seat, or worry about my battery dying. Also I didn't want to take the time to record a DVD from a DVD player to play on the Archos. For me it's easier to rip a video if I could. I don't condone illegal sharing, but making a copy for myself, of movies that if they weren't portable, I'd never find time to watch; is legal as far as I'm concerned. While Archos won't sell or support this, I bought an IM TOO DVD ripper package on the web, and am trialing DVDIdle's CSS and Region free. I have successfully ripped about 4 movies, including Chronicles of Narnia. There's some slight choppiness in the ripped movies, which are probably a techinical issue, because they are slightly choppy or hesitate a tiny bit, on my laptop ripped or the Archos, unrelated to the Archos. But not enough to really effect playability. Anyway the movies for me are AWESOME on the ARCHOS. Picture quality is bright, audio is great; and action flows nice except for what I noted. The side angle viewing is not bad. The device performs really well; is very pleasing to work with and operate. I'm considering buying an extended warranty in the next week. I've had some of these warranties before for other products, and if you ever get a ding on the device, they probbably won't repair it, because they'll say you caused the damage; even when you didn't. But for 29.99 for 2 years I think it's worth a shot. Archos Tech support said they get calls about the devices freezing-up, but then those are the only calls they get? so how many really do? They told me to keep the unit backed-up so if I have to re-format I could.
Also, as you can use the device USB Media Player or as a USB hard drive; Archos is very specific about telling you that if you have it in USB mode, you can "just" disconnect it; but if it's hard drive mode, do a safely remove hardware in windows before disconnecting. Well because I have it plugged into the USB port, I forgot several times, and pulled it out, in hard drive mode w/o doing the safely remove. So I taped a tiny note right on the USB plug, and was able to break the USB pull habit, and have always done the safely remove. As I said I just love the convenience on any computer recognizing this as a HardDrive. I've just started putting photos on it, and some personal movies, and getting all this in one small device; makes this worth it. This is certainly an expensive item, but for weekly travel and portability, and being able to see a screen!!!, it's nice home away from home!

Just returned my second AV500. First one would not charge / turn on. Technical support told me to exchange it.

Second AV500 seemed to work but had to use TV pod to get A/V in (awkward). Then after recording a video file I was not able to transfer it to my computer. Small files will transfer but not the larger one. Technical support was not able to explain the error message shown. Tested on multiple computers.... lost important video footage. Gave up.

Overview: The device feels very well manufactured and looks fantastic (web pictures just do not do it justice).

Perspective: I have been waiting for the rumored video iPod to be released (the one with the large display), but my patients ran out. We are an iPod and iTunes family - my wife and daughter both have iPods.

Pros:
1. The display is awesome - very clear, sharp and bright. To test the display, I brought the device with me to my daughter's soccer game and watched a movie...I was surprised that the glare from the sun did not wash out the display.
2. I still use iTunes to buy and listen to music on my PC; however, I use Media Player 10 to synch everything to my Archos. I simply set Media Player up to monitor my iTunes directory. Synch can be set up to happen automatically and I was surprised how easy to use it was (this isn't and Archos issue, but a selling point none the less). Once songs are transferred, Archos uses the data in the song files to automatically organize them by artist, album, genre, year, etc... One item to note for iTunes users: I do not store the songs I buy from iTunes in their proprietary format (I use MP3), which makes the synch to Archos much easier.
3. Pictures and the little movies made with digital cameras come across seamlessly.
4. Movies stored on the Archos can be watched on TV by using the included adapters. I was very surprised at the high quality of the movies when viewed on the TV. A 600 MB movie played with TV quality results. The movies have a DVD quality when viewed on the Archos directly.

Cons:
1. User interface: The user interface is not very intuitive to perform some pretty basic tasks, like moving files. This is not a big deal as you get use to it, but it is a bad design. This did not impact my review score.
2. Play lists have to be rebuilt on the device - they do not sync. This again is not an issue for me, but probably will be for some users. This did not impact my review score.
3. You cannot listen to music while you are browsing the menu. This is irritating and did impact the review score.

Additional notes:
1. Moving home movies over is easy, but backing up DVDs will be more difficult because of the encryption used.
2. I have not yet tried to use the DVR capabilities, but the scheduler looks pretty straight forward.

Overall this is truly a great device, one of the best technology purchases I have made and I have no regrets about not waiting for the video iPod.

I bought my AV500 in May from Amazon. It worked well until early July when the external sound from the built in speakers went out on the unit. I called Archos Technical Support. They told me it was a hardware problem, that I would need to send it back for repair and that they would email me an RMA with return instructions in two days. Two weeks and multiple emails and phone calls later, I still don't have an RMA with instructions on how to send the unit back for repair. Archos keeps telling me how sorry they are for the inconvenience and that they are continuing to look into why the warehouse hasn't contacted me. Customer returns are a routine function of most businesses. There is no justifiable reason why a customer should be kept waiting over two weeks and counting just to get instructions on how to make a return. This is the first and last Archos product I will buy.

Customer support is a critical component in selling a complex and expensive product like the AV500. In my opinion, Archos' customer service is essentially non-existent. Given Archos' demonstrated lack of customer service, I am now concerned that if I ever do get the chance to send the unit back for repair, I will never see it again. Archos could learn a few things from Amazon which has the best customer service I have ever seen. I buy a great deal from Amazon even though they are often not the lowest priced precisely because of their great customer service.

The picture and video quality of the Archos are excellent. However, I found the dedicated A/V cables too short to easily connect to the TV. Recording video on the AV500 is not a simple process for people who are not technologically sophisticated. The instructions for recording off the TV are not helpful unless you have the exact hardware setup described in the written and video instructions Archos provides.