Customer Reviews

Archos AV 700 100 GB Mobile Digital Video Recorder

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I've had the chance to play with the AV 700 100GB unit for about three weeks now. Here is my overview.

The good:

- The biggest display on a PMP of its kind out there. It's almost as large as the unit!
- Can record in real time from DVD, VCR, Camcorder, Cable/Sat and other video devices with RCA (composite) or S-Video outputs. Much faster than DVD rippers I've tried.
- Allows for limited editing (cropping) of recorded movies. Lets say you want to cut out commercials or the end credits of the DVD you just recorded- you can do this very easily.
- Allows for selection of both video resolution (from 500 - 2500 kbits/s), format (4:3, 5:3, 16:9, 2.35:1) and audio frequency (32 or 44KHz) for recording.
- Can time record (through a very nice scheduler) - you can use it almost like a TiVo!
- Can organize movies by name and under various directories (or categories.)
- Has an audio recorder to allow music (or whatever audio) from an external device with selectable frequency (24 -48 KHz). This is higher than your standard CD quality.
- Has a photo viewer.
- Can be setup as a USB disk drive or a Windows Mobile Media device (it claims to work only under WinXP with service pack 1 or higher - I've been unable to get this to work as of yet.)
- USB 2.0 protocol. It's so fast I can actually play recorded movies from the device on my laptop in real time!
- 100 GB Drive! Can't get much better than this.
- Comes with a remote control, docking station (well, kind of) and all the cables for connection to your PC, camera, TV, DVD, VCR, etc. The remote is universal and allows you to select your device (i.e. cable box, TV, etc.)
- Very easy to upgrade the firmware. I recommend doing this if you have an older version.
- Removable battery.
- And many other nice features.

The not so good:

- Display resolution and quality could have been a lot better.
- Battery doesn't last nearly as long as it is claimed on the spec. sheet.
- The recorded movies are not "near" DVD quality when played on a TV. This is a bit misleading.
- The unit runs hot - extremely hot when plugged into the power supply.
- The stand is a nice thought but not very stable or functional.
- The most un-intuitive user interface I've ever used! The firmware upgrade made this a bit more tolerable.
- Built-in speakers are very poor in quality. But it sounds good with high quality headphones.
- Can't play protected movies (Macrovision) on TV. Only on the device. I guess I can understand adhering to the copyright laws.
- Will only play AVI formatted videos encoded in XviD or DivX MPEG-4 codec. But it comes with a PC based MPEG-1 translator which uses VitualDub as its conversion engine. I've tried this and it worked well.
- Won't work with the AAC (Apple) audio format. My iPod is not getting retired any time soon but, if you use Windows Media format (wma), WAV or MP3 for your music, then you're good to go.
- Archos' VERY unfriendly customer service.

The nice to haves:

- Even with a 100GB drive, it could still use a SD or CompactFlash socket (for PC-less transfer of data, if nothing else.) But I was able to connect a USB thumb drive with the aid of an included adapter and transferred files back and forth.
- A "display only mode" for connecting a PS2 or XBOX on the road with full screen view. Maybe on a future release of the firmware?
- You can play games on the AV700? What games?

I had to replace the unit I originally bought. It suffered from very annoying vertical scrolling lines that I could not get rid of with the built-in "LCD Stability" function or otherwise. This is when I had the displeasure of dealing with the Archos' unfriendly (and I must say rude) technical service rep. Without asking me any questions specific to my problem, she proceeded to tell me that the unit must have been dropped. To add insult to injury, she told me it would cost me $150 for an out-of-warranty repair and that was the end of it! But she suggested I go back to the store that I purchased the unit and see if they would replace it. I'm happy to say the store did replace my unit graciously and my second unit does not have the same problem. Also, I think there maybe an electrical ground problem with the unit but, I have to investigate this a bit further.

Overall, the AV700 is a nice concept and a great device but, it is in its infancy. I've been able to record DVDs with relative ease where it was a major task before. Now I can stop spending hours ripping DVDs to play on my iPaq! Next, I'm converting all my old home videos from VHS and then transferring them on to DVDs. In my opinion, the AV 700 is much more than just a replacement for a personal DVD or music player. I think Archos should continue to improve on the features and the overall quality of this product which promises to be one of the great personal media devices out there.

I just got my AV700 two days ago. I've already transferred ~25G of video to it, effortlessly!

I travel a lot and have been completely enamored of my Panasonic LV95 DVD player with its 9 inch screen. The Archos has a 7" screen, and the resolution is a little lower, but the idea that I can ditch the DVDs and just carry this tiny little toy with me does it for me! I was so excited to receive this -- I pre-ordered it weeks ago.

The only drawback is that an extra battery would be handy for those long flights (and I already ordered one), since there is not yet an airline adaptor available. Also, an extra power adaptor is handy too. Both these things are available from Archos -- just not on Amazon yet.

Before I purchased the Archos AV 700 - 100g - I took it upon myself to read the reviews and was completely turned off from buying this system due to the fact that there were so many negative reviews. Thankfully, there was one individual, in his review about it, was very positive and also made recommendations how to use this system and also recommended an S-video cable. I decided I wanted to purchase it after reading his review because he seemed so positive and I really wanted this system badly since my bus rides are so long and I was tired of traveling with my little laptop (which I used to watch my DVDs on the bus) which weighs 3.5 lbs, but still feels heavy after a long day compared to this AV 700. I must say that he was right about everything he said and without an S-Video cable, you cannot properly execute the realtime copying process. My husband connected it to our system (which made it so much easier to operate because our system is very up-to-date and which enables you to work directly through that system so you can watch other programs while it is recording your DVDs, and it has all the setups in the back, and color coded - also our system luckily had included an S-Video cable which saved us $40). Once connected, it was all uphill for me. I just read the instructions on how to operate this system once and never had to read it again - it is very user-friendly. I have copied all my DVDs and able to review them while riding the Bus to and from work which takes me up to 2 hrs sometimes due to traffic. The battery lasts probably 3 hrs or so. My only downside is that they mentioned approximately 250 movies, but I believe they are referring to soap operas which are much shorter, but Archos also did mention that it depends on the lenghth of the movie which might make quite a difference on storage capacity. I have (real time) copied 50 movies and they were all 124 minutes up and including 4 hr movies, so it is safe to say 50 long movies tops. I do not use my Archos for my music storage since I own an Ipod (which I need because I cannot jog or exercise with the Archos), so that aspect doesn't concern me - but I have listened to their prerecorded music and it sounded fantastic. A week after I purchased the Archos, we took a trip to NC and GA and my grandson used it to watch movies (I didn't have a car charger for it then) and after seeing the performance of the battery say 3 hrs or so since the movies are long, I wish Archos had sold spare batteries to take along with me on long drives so I could be charging one while using the other, then I would be able to get more viewing time. After the trip, I purchased a car charger for the next long drive. I must say I love this system and I am glad that there was at least one or two positive individuals that knows their stuff enough to say the right things and give a few helpful hints. Also the price is great - I waited for that. One recommendation, after you have watched a movie and it is not so great or you don't care to see it again, delete it to make space for more interesting movies and therefore you will always have additional storage space.

Right out of the box it looks like something from the set of the movie 2001. Pick it up - it feels solid and unbreakable ... though I wouldn't try to drop it on purpose - the 7" screen is not recessed into the case - and covers almost the entire face of the player. Both are features I happen to love about it!

The MP3 player allows you the normal set of music management functions - including sorting and playing by genre, artist, album, year, title ... etc. However, rather than make you click a button to see the album art - If the image is embedded in the id3 tag, the Archos displays it as the song is played. -kewl-

Video works well - with almost any codec thrown at it. Pull some free stuff down from the internet - and jump on a plane. You'll be entertained for hours with the bright clear screen.
Screen resolution is just ok to me, though my co-workers really thought the color reproduction was rich and bright. It could stand for an upgrade in pixels though in the next gen of this device.

In addition, the Archos can display photo's one at a time, or you can set it to do a slideshow - and just prop the device back on your desk using the built-in stand - and using it as a photo frame at work :)

I bought the 100 gig version. There is also an available 40 gig version to be had. As a technician, this comes in handy. The device is recognized by any XP computer as an external usb mass storage device - and can be used to carry any type of file - even those it does not natively support for display. - so if you have a need to move a large amount of data from one pc to another - you couldn't ask for a more efficient means ... all with battery power, so no need to plug-in the juice( at least for a few hours before needed to be charged up again ) This Archos model also has a usb host port - which allows you to connect other slave usb devices up to it - and copy data to/from them. Such as an external USB disk - or other mp3 player. Just connect it using the included cable - and the Archos immediately recognizes it as an external disk ready to manage.

There's more ( scheduler, audio recorder ... ) but I'm running late. If I can edit this review when I get back, I will - but this covers most of what I've been feeling since I bought the device.

PS - if you're wondering just how big this thing is ... I think it's the perfect size for use as a belt buckle on one of Elvis Pressley's concert Jumpsuits. ; )

I have this AV700 (100G) for few months and here are the cons ans pros:

Good Things:
* Works nice and fast (boots up fast and USB2 works very fast).
* Movies are looking preaty good on it and on TV.
* Great sound whn connected to headphones and stereo player.
* shaped nice.
* Woroks very nice with the remote control.
* You can slow mothion movies.

Bad things:
* Archos costumer service is the worst I've seen!!!
* Internal speaker are poor.
* LCD disply is very fragile.
* Resolution while watching pictures is not good.
* When watching a 4:3 movie it streaches it and if you change the settings for it so it wont be strached it doesn't remeber it afterwords.
* File managment and options is not so friendly.

it could have been nice if it had:
* MS WORD reader.
* PDF reader.
* Option to recive radio and TV antena signal.

Over all its a nice product that needs to be handled carefuly.

The Archos AV 700 100GB Mobile Digital Video Recorder is THE sleeper gadget of the last two years! After two months of use after buying this item I have come to the conclusion that 95% of the so called "Cons" relating to this device are due to people NOT reading the instruction manual, or watching the instructional videos on the Archos AV 700 itself. The other 5% is from people who complain about everything that is not 100% perfect.
As far as putting your music on your Archos goes...nothing is easier. Syncing music is a snap with the Archos AV 700. Windows will know everything to do about a second after you plug the Archos AV 700 into the USB port on your computer. Contrary to popular belief the Archos AV 700 IS compatible with iTunes. You have to plug the Archos AV 700 into an Apple computer however. If you have iTunes on a windows machine I don't think it will work, but I am working on finding a way to do it. It sorts all your music just like it was on Windows media player and displays Album art work too, if available for your song. The best part of the Archos AV 700 is the music quality..... awesome!!! I used the same earbuds on my lap top to listen to music as I did with my Archos and I am hearing sounds and instruments I've never heard in some of my songs before. Archos's music quality has always been the best out there. Storing your pictures is just as easy as moving music over. I have always wanted an Archos device ever since a co-worker showed me one of there older Mp3 players that had a 60GB Hard drive in it when Apple was still at 5GB and 10GB.The sound quality and ease of use was there then and it is here now in their products.
The problems for most people come with copying DVDs and other movie formats to your AV 700. I transfered my first movie right after I gave the unit it's first battery charge. (which you must do, it is good for the life of your battery) It took me about a half hour to hook up the TV Pod, but most of that time was spent pulling my 350lb. T.V. out from the wall to hook up the cords. The best part about the T.V. pod is after you hook it up you can leave it there for as long as you want without a problem.
The video quality problem is solved by recording with an S-video cable, (I know there isn't one included in the box, but at the price you're paying for the AV 700 a 30.00 S-video cable shouldn't break you. If it does then you shouldn't be buying this item), setting the bitrate at a high level between 1500 kp/s to 2500kp/s (I recomend 2500)helps a lot, and looking on the back of your DVD you are transfering and looking to see what format the movie is displayed in (4:3 16:9 etc...) and setting the Archos to match. Those settings are found on the programing screen which comes up after you click on the Videocorder icon. It also displays when the AV 700 is connected to the TV pod with the TV on. You just scroll down using the directional pad on the right side of the device, and use the L R on the directional pad to change the values on the settings.
I don't recommend movies that take place mostly in the dark like Underworld, episodes of the X Files, Batman, etc... because the dark parts don't do well on a small LCD screen even if it is 7" big. That is the only downside I have found. You won't get as many movies stored by increasing the bitrate, but I have 6GB of music stored plus 10 full DVD movies stored at full bitrate, and I still have 80+ GB of memory left. The battery life is great even with movies playing. The complaints I have seen about it running hot are as far as I have seen unfounded. Any device from laptops to portable CD players will run a little warm or hot if it's AC adapter is plugged in while it is being used. I have found that my Archos gets a little warm but not hot. The key is to set the LCD screen to shut off after a few seconds when transfering movies, or when the screen isn't being used like when playing music. The Archos will shut the screen off during music play to save energy and screen life, but it depends on what your screen shut off setting is at. That will keep it running mildly warm. You must have the device plugged in however, when transfering movies, or syncing music.
I have had no problems with the issues I have heard about dealing with things like: LCD screen freezing up, The "poor" video quality, which can be adjusted, The so-called un-user friendly buttons and interface are complaints from people who can't hook up their own entertainment systems, or have to have Best Buy install their spyware or anti-virus software because they can't do it themselves. This is a device for early adopters of new technology, People who mess with the settings on their computers/cell phones/DVD players to better fit their likes and dislikes, can hook up their own DVD/DVR/VCR/change their own oil/swap out an old hard drive or memory for new ones. If you want your choices made for you.....buy something else cheaper and more boring. If you want something that does what it says and will casue everyone to say "what's that"? "Where did you get that?!" then get the Archos AV 700 100GB! It is the Ferrari/Aston Martin/Lambo/Audi of the digital world. Creative/Rio/SanDisk/ are the Chevy/Ford/Dodge/Kia of the digital world.
The big question everyone asks themselves these days seems to be "Is it better than the iPod"? Yes and No
Why? Well it is better due to the fact that instead of downloading Battlestar Gallactica through iTunes I can transfer my first season set on DVD to a device that has a seven inch screen on it to view the hot number 10 and Starbuck!, It has a 100GB hard drive!!!, the music quality is better than iPod!

It isn't better due to the fact iPod has a lot of TV shows and videos you can download from iTunes, the amount of accessories doesn't compare at all, the iPod does fit in your pocket.

I am planning on getting a 60GB iPod video later this year for the TV downloads and use with working out. My Archos is great but with a seven inch screen it makes it hard to run/jog with :)

It comes down to what you need. The Archos AV 700 ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have a working brain you will love it!

I've just received my AV 700 and had a chance to put it through its paces. I prepared some of my videos, and downloaded them, with some music and photos. Video playback is just beautiful.

I've read the other reviews, and I have had NONE of the problems described in any of them. After changing the AV700 to a "hard disk" from its default ID, I was able to successfully connect it to my WinXP PC. I had to try a couple of different USB ports, for some strange reason, but I don't consider that a problem

I get fine sound, excellent picture quality, good all around responsiveness, and am please with the unit. It has excellent construction quality.

I've ordered a second battery, but I figure that's just common sense.

Archos has done their homework, and they have a first rate product.

UPDATE:

If anything, I feel even more upbeat about the AV 700 than I did when I first wrote the review. For example, attention to detail: The relevant buttons on the remote are identical to those on the unit (plus of course the buttons to control other devices, TV, etc.).

I'm 65, and intuitive familiarity with all these new gadgets doesn't come easily, but it surely has for the AV 700.

Also, I note that "Gadget Guy," Matthew Wy, who wrote a very downbeat review, has written 4 reviews, all of them on Archos products, and strangely enough, all 4 identical. I mean verbatim! Except for one missing sentence in one of the reviews. Food for thought!

I purchased the Archos AV 700, but with the 40GB drive a few months ago.

I travel quite abit, including overseas, and wanted something to occupy my time. This unit is fantastic, but not for those that do not like to read instruction manuals. When I first received the box the instruction manual was quite overwhelming at first. However, it is actually a very easy unit to use.

Benefits -
1) When you travel in economy class like I do, then limited space makes it very uncomfortable to open up my laptop to watch movies. The Archos, however, makes it very easy to watch movies in a very confined space.
2) having the ability to transfer shows from my TIVO is great. I record HBO movies and my favortie TV shows, then transfer them easily to my Archos. However, realize that the transfer of shows happens at real time. I.e. a 30 minute show will take 30 minutes to transfer. You have to let the show/movie play, in order for the Archos to record it. It is quite an easy process to tape and usually I do it when I am working on chores in my house or getting ready to go to bed.
3) While I do not have the advantage of the new 100GB hard drive, even 40GB is plenty of storage for lots of movies and TV shows in the supported video formats.
4) No DVD's to carry around
5) Excellent and comfortable screen size.... very good for extended viewing. I sure would hate having to watch multiple shows and movies on a tiny IPOD video.

Again, initially this unit will appear to be very complicated, however, once you start using it (and read the instruction manual) it is actually quite easy.

I find the battery life quite good, about 5 hours. What I have observed with the battery life is that it varies based on the shows that you are watching. If you are watching a show that does not require fast forwarding (i.e. shows that you transfer from your TIVO or recorded straight from TV) to bypass the commercials, the battery life is around 5 hours. However, it does drop to about 4 hours if you have to continiously fast forward through shows.

Anyway, I love this thing....so does my son, and everyone who has played with it - "I want one" will be heard often. Also, be prepared for attention on the airplane.

I began to love this item for about 4 months..I researched up everyone else's reviews and such to check on faults and other cons about it. I found none...until One day my archos's battery died completely...I even tried another spare power cable then...it just never came back on...so I sent in my player to archos support not too long ago...and hopefully they've fixed all the problems with it...

Other than the battery problem...the player was the best electronical deveice I owned...I had over 100 videos on there and 3 thousand songs...it pretty much consumed my life...

I have had my AV700 for about three weeks and started by loading several episodes of Mister Rogers' for my daughter to be able to watch during long drives while we vacationed across the Cascade mountain range.

The interface is mostly textual so it is touch and go whether a four year old can use the device unassisted, but passing it from back seat to the front my wife or I could queue up a new episode when she wanted one.

My video source is a mix of HDTV and standard definition programs recorded using BeyondTV on a WinXP-MCE box. I did not like the video conversion software included with the device due to errors in the MPEG handling and limited filter support.

Standard definition 4:3 doesn't fill the player's screen so some tweaking of crop settings and scaling is needed to get an image that offers the best compromise of size, distortion, and image area. Currently I use VirtualDub-MPEG2 for batch conversion of 4:3 recorded standard definition TV source material.

We also used the player to watch one movie and two Masterpiece Theater adaptations. Pulling the movie off of DVD was a pain and the final result had sound levels too low to hear easily with the built in speakers and the limited volume range of the device. TV source materials with their compressed dynamic range were more than loud enough however.

Moving 16:9 HDTV to the device wasn't something that I figured out how to do until returning home as there are almost no tools that support HDTV transport streams. For batch encoding HDTV I am currently using mencoder from the command-line driven with a bit of glue code written in Perl, but it is still a challenge to determine which of the video and audio channels in the transport stream holds the content that I really wanted to convert (with the result of a missed guess giving me badly distorted 4:3 480i instead of 16:9 1080i, or worse the wrong program entirely.)

The manufacturer seems to expect people to record video directly into the device but manually queueing programs and waiting an hour to transfer one program to the device frankly has no appeal to me. Getting digital video directly off of my PVR is the only use that has appeal and it still suffers from bleeding edge usability issues, but will work with perseverence.