Customer Reviews

Video AV340 with Dvr 100 MODULEMPEG4 Video & MP3 Play/rec 40GB

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I purchased the Archos AV 340 online about a month ago, and I have enjoyed it more and more every day since then. It is the pinnacle of technology in MP3/MP4 players today. The main reason I bought it was for the music capabilities, but the photo and video parts are just as awesome. I transfered over 3 gigs of music incredibly fast with Win. XP and a USB 2.0 cable. The music play back is awesome. Very clear sound(but it is recommend that you buy new headphones because the one's Archos supplies are not very high quality).
The video playback is awesome as well. I have recorded a family video, "Can't Stop" music video, and 10 Seinfeld episodes onto my Archos and they all work great. Of course the resolution from a VHS tape is not going to be as great as a DVD but they still look good on the 3.8" color LCD display. When you plug it into your tv to show them on that, the movies do become a little pixilated, but not very much
I cannot wait for the camera attatchment which comes out soon so I can start taking photos and home videos with it. Overall this product is absolutly incredible. The only thing that could be a little better is battery life, but thats because the screen is so big and beautiful. I would buy this if you are lookin for a great MP3 or Video player. It definetly puts the Ipod to shame. If your considering it....GO OUT AND GET IT!! You'll thank me later.

Finally, Archos gets it!! With this model, Archos has addressed most of the drawbacks of previous models. This product is actually in a class of its own! It does everything it claims to do, and does it well! The interface has also been drastically improved, though it is not obvious how to use the 3 "soft" buttons at first since the buttons are aligned vertcally at the right while the functions are listed horizontally at the bottom of the screen. However, a quick glance at the button descriptions in the quick-start guide is all you need to understand how everything works. Yes there is actually a quick start guide in addition to the well-written manual. The interface is much improved by the addition of a joystick. Also, the Operating System now allows file-handling functions such as rename, delete, etc to be done right on the jukebox, whereas a PC was required before. Also as with previous models, the jukebox looks like a hard-disk when connected to the PC which means transferring files back and forth is as easy as drag-and-drop (as opposed to using proprietary programs). The USB 2.0 connection is extremely fast and definitely a plus.

AUDIO: My biggest problem with previous models from Archos (as well as most competing products) was that they needed pre-amplified mics to make live recordings since the only audio input was line-in. Also live recordings in previous models tended to pick up hard-disk noise when using the internal mic, and some hum while using the line-in input. This model finally adds support for non-amplified mics. The audio input jack doubles as line-in and mic-in. Live recording is now very clean with no hard-disk noise, even when using the internal mic. I recently recorded a live concert with fantastic results. This model adds official support for playing WMA files. UPDATED: The latest OS update (free on their website) adds support for playing AND recording in WAV format (in addition to the MP3 format), which took care of the only major complaint I had with this model. You now have a full blown DAT recorder in your pocket! This update also allows you to do some basic audio and video editing on the unit itself. Way to go Archos!!

VIDEO: Video looks very good indeed on the large 3.8" LCD screen. May not exactly be DVD-quality as they claim, but its darn close! The included DVR module allows you to record MP4 video on the fly or you can convert videos to MP4 on your PC and transfer them to the unit. You can also use an optional camera accessory (AVCam 300) to capture live MP4 video to the hard-disk, in effect converting the jukebox to a VHS-quality camcorder.

PHOTOS: Pictures look great! The unit supports both JPEG (non-progrssive) and BMP. You can use the optional memory card readers to upload directly into the jukebox bypassing your PC, or you can download pictures from your PC. Or use the optional camera accessory (AVCam 300) to take live photos to the hard-disk at a 3.3 Megapixel resolution.

DRAWBACKS: The main problem is that battery life is less than 4 hours when watching videos. And since the battery is a proprietary non-removable Li-Ion battery, you can't just pop out the old battery and put in a new one. Of course, if you (like me) use it mostly for music, then the battery life is a healthy 8-9 hours especially if you allow the LCD to stay off (it goes off automatically after a few seconds). Also for the hefty price tag, Archos should have included the optional wired remote that adds FM Radio support. The lack of an included carrying case is puzzling especially since the cheaper Archos models all came with cases. Go out and buy a case right away to protect that huge LCD screen. A final (minor) complaint is the increased size as compared to the older models and the much smaller iPod. In an effort to save some money Archos uses standard 2.5" notebook drives instead of the 1.8" hard disks used in the Apple iPods. However the upside to this is that if you fill up the hard-disk, upgrading to 60 or even 80GB using a standard notebook hard disk is not too difficult or expensive. There are many sites online that give you detailed instructions on how to do this. Of course, opening the jukebox will void your Archos warranty ..

VERDICT: Overall, the ease of use, the features, as well as the quality is miles ahead of any other competing product as well as older Archos models. Despite the minor drawbacks, Archos has done an outstanding job. This jukebox is well worth the hefty price tag, especially considering the new 40GB Apple iPod costs just a litle less than this and plays MP3 files only with no recording ability whatsoever.

First let me say that I had delivery of my Archos AV340 one week PRIOR to the Amazon estimated arrival date! Way to go Amazon. Excellent price, too.

The AV340 is to the older Archos models as a kitchen knife is to a Swiss Army Knife. Sitting on mine right now are several hundred jazz recordings, hundreds of family photos, some family videos, the extended dvd versions of both Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, the complete stage works of Samuel Beckett (3 dvds)...well, get the picture? And yes, the video recorder does over-ride any copy protection, both vhs and DVD. The user interface is quite simple, though as with previous Archos models it does take several clicks to get to specific items much like a PC. But this is essentially a PC, so manuevering through screens seems quite natural. Loading tons of recordings onto the hd is painless, simply drag and drop. The hd shows up in XP just like any other drive.

I also purchased the camera attachment which is, again, quite simple to use. It snaps onto the side of the base unit and shows up immediately on the interface screen. The still and video quality is quite good with the proper lighting. Commercial videos copied to the hd look perfect on the small screen. Blowing up to a large screen is not the way to go. When viewed on my Toshiba 50+ inch screen the picture quality greatly diminished. Still photos looked okay, but you wouldn't want to watch a film that way. But why do this anyway?

The unit itself is a bit bulkier than the previous versions of the already bulky Jukebox series. This baby will not fit in your shirt pocket. I was rather disappointed that Archos did not include a carrying case, though curiously the camera attachment did come with a case for the whole shebang. I use the case from my Jukebox, which works quite well with the AV340.

Be sure to purchase a PDA screen protector. The unit itself is very solid but offers no protection for the screen. A case and protector are a must.

Archos reverts back to their previous ways by attaching the interface connector cover with a piece of string. Come on guys, for this price couldn't you spare a metal clip?

Last, a previous review states that the batteries are not replaceable. According to Archos they are not. However, there is an online company that sells replacements and instructions on how to do this. I have not purchased one, but it looks quite simple, and would certainly extend movie viewing time.

So what you get here is an MP3, WAV, and WMA player and recorder, a vcr (with a built in timer), a great clear screen, an excellent user interface, and a 40GB hd for about $100-$150 more than an iPOD. Throw in about another $175 (got mine for $150)and you add a video camera and a 3.3 pixel digital still camera. Oh, and it will work on any tv in the world and over-rides dvd region codes. Just like my Swiss Army Knife, the Archos AV340 is big and bulky, but I wouldn't be without it.

I bought the AV340 on June 30, 2004. I even purchased a 2yr extended warranty from the retailer I bought it from. On August 23rd, I found that the screen image shifted to the left by 1" I called techsupport for assistance. Before I could explain what the problem was I was placed on hold for at least 3 minutes. The tech came back and told be that I had dropped it and it was not covered under warranty. I was mad. First I treated the unit with great care. I had not dropped or in any way treated the unit roughly. I asked for the manager. After about 5 minutes a supervisor came on the line. He read what the tech had written which was not what I had told him the problem was, and he began to tell me that I had dropped the unit. Boy was I annoyed. After I explained that the unit had not been dropped and that the problem must be with the video card as every thing else worked fine. I got an RMA#. I followed all the detailed instructions on how to return the unit. I just got a call from the Tech supervisor telling me that I must have droped the unit for it to behave the way it does and they are refusing to honor the warranty. I just paid nearly $600 for a device that I have hardly used. A device that I have taken the greatest care of and now I am being told that my warranty is not going to be honored. I asked to talk to his manager. I was told he was not available. I was given his email address. I asked for the name, number and address of the president of the company. The tech supervisor refused to give it to me, and told me that I could quote him on it.

I had read all the negative review on the ARCHOS AV series technical support and felt that there must be some exaggeration.... was I wrong. I can't believe it. What can I do??? Am I out $600?? Do I complain to the better business bureau, which one??

All I can say is beware if you are thinking of buying an ARCHOS AV, you could end up like me spending a lot of money and being told that they will not honor their warranty because you created the problem. It seems to me that from the start the tech was told to say that the problem was caused by me and that the company would not take responsibility for a defective product. I still can't believe it. When it comes to ARCHOS Caveat emporum!

After reading all the great reviews here for this device, I was hoping to get a really good product. However, I have had a number of problems with it. First, I recorded some DVDs on it, with the plan of putting about 20 movies on it for my family to watch while staying in hotels for vacation. But when viewed on a TV set, the picture quality is terrible, much worse than a VHS tape. Anything with subtitles or writing is totally unreadable. Then, after recording a few movies, I started getting hard drive errors when I tried to copy more movies. I did a scandisk /fix on it and that did not help. Overall, a lot of money paid for very poor quality product.

I've had mine for less than a year and the internal non-replaceable battery has degraded significantly. I've recharged the battery probably ~100 times total, since I don't use this thing every day. In the beginning I used to get about 2 hours of video playback (encoded at 1.5Mbps) and around 5 hours of continuous MP3 playback (at 128kbps). But now, not even a year later, I get no more than 30 minutes of video usage and a miserable 1-2 hours of audio. This is just very disheartening considering I paid almost $700 for this thing last year.

The other big complaint I have is the user interface, which is totally confusing. To erase a file, for example, you have to press four different buttons. To use the MP3 playlist, you'll need to pull your hair out. JPEG files take forever to display on this.

The big plus side, is you have true video-on-the-go. Unlike portable DVD players, this is almost pocketable and people can't look over your shoulder to see what you are watching, so great for adult-themed content.

I simply don't understand the people behind Archos. They have great ideas, but are really dumb when it comes to implementation. Their new AV400 doesn't look that much better, either, and it's even bigger and heavier than this!

I've had mine now for about six months. I never read the instructions have had no problems getting it to do what I want. I have around 100 CD's stored on it for listening to music with headphones or by plugging into a stereo or a stereo TV. I also have my own movies from my camcorder on it for easy sharing. Lately, I've figured out how to rip DVDs and store them on the unit for watching on the road or by plugging into a television. The quality is quite impressive. It took some time to learn how to convert DVDs into a useable format, but it is quite satisfying, now that I can do it. Don't ask me how, figure it out yourself; it's part of the fun.

I have had my player for more than four months now and have it just about figured out. So far I have approx 20 gig of MP3s and 18 gig of video and pictures which includes all three of the Lord of the Rings videos. This helps with the challenge of keeping passengers happy during long road trips. Only complaint I have is of course the battery. It seems to not last very long between recharges. I am looking to find a gel battery and a ciggerette lighter adapter to possibly give me another 7 to 8 hours of DC power. I have read about all the reviews and they have covered all that I could say. Just wanted to include that there are other possibilities available for the short battery life problem out there.

I got the Av340 for Christmas and its awesome. It has a huge h/d and you can transfer any type of file from comp to comp. You can hold TONS of mp3 and movie files. I have recorded movies off my dvd player and t.v. The voice recorder is good quality, but not very useful.
I have had one problem with my Archos. When i put in headphones it only plays in one ear sometimes, i have used 3 different headphones and have the same problem. When i called tech support, IT SUCKS. You give your name and # and they are supposed to call you back, but they don't.Anyways I strongly recomend the Archos. Hopefully you don't have problems with yours.

Now, I'm a gadget freak. I considered buying a portable DVD player so I could watch movies on the road without dragging along a laptop. When I saw this little beauty, it seemed an obvious alternative! I already had a decent MP3 jukebox, so video was my main draw here.

First, the good stuff. The quality of the video is great! Solid colors will show some artifacts, but nothing too horrible. Don't expect DVD quality here, but it's quite reasonable for the type of device and amount of compression being done.

The included recording device works great. A little tricky to figure out the interface for recording, but once I did, had no problems recording off my TV.

Sound quality of MP3s is fine. Nothing to write home about, but okay. There's a decent playlist feature and the usual play modes. I tend to get lost in the menus though.

So, some negatives. I'll try to include stuff other people haven't mentioned. A big one for me is that you can't bookmark a video! That means if you don't finish watching it, you have to remember where you were and forward to get to that spot! Absolutely horrendous. Even my little Palm device can bookmark a video. At least the new upgrade has fast forward feature that will get there quickly.

I also find battery life to be much worse than reported. My first one was so bad, I returned it thinking the battery was bad. The new one is just as bad, I get maybe 1-1/2 hour of video playback. Not even enough to watch most movies. Even most DVD players (known battery hogs) are better than this. MP3 playing is certainly better, with the screen off, but I definitely don't get anywhere near 10 hours (or even the 8 that some report). Worse, the new model has a button that does not seem to work well, I have to press extra hard to activate its functions. So there's a good chance this one will go back as well. Just wish there was a reasonably decent alternative!

The music functions are pretty inadequate. It doesn't seem to sort my records in proper track order (alphabetical instead), which is really frustrating, not sure if there is a setting for this, but any decent MP3 player should do it by default. As mentioned before, the menuing is really counter intuitive at times and I often find myself unable to find the playback screen to forward to the next song. No quick mute feature that I could find either.

Overall, it's main plus is that there just aren't many great PVPs out yet. It wouldn't take much to improve this one, but right now, it's a tough sell for me.