Customer Reviews Overall Rating:4.0
The little engine that DOES!!!!
2005-10-09
Where to begin.. First off its really awesome to have most of your music and part of your DVD library in the palm of your
hands when you're on the go.. This is such a versatile unit, and the camera/camcorder add-on puts it above and beyond anything
out there; even today.. With the copyright protection not an issue when recording directly into the device, having your DVD
library with you is a reality- ALL of the current PVPs restrict your recordings in some way.. Anyways, the unit really feels
solid, and I really don't understand what all the people are saying about the Archos Customer Care, all I have ever had has
been very positive interaction over the phone. For the one who reviewed and said there are no numbers, why don't you go to
archos.com and look up the number, shouldn't be too hard.. one word, AWESOME device and great customer support.
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A Great Media Player!
2004-08-18
I bought my AV380 a few months ago (on 6-15-2004). I expected it to be a good gadget but it is not good, it is great!
This gadget is everything you'll ever need to store all the information you have. From music, photos, videos, and all
kinds of data; it is the best Media Player I could ever find. You can vew your videos or photos right on the screen or use
the cables that come with the unit to watch them on any television (with video and audio inputs). You can listen to all of
your music, record your voice directly to the unit, record FM radio (with the optional FM Module), or even edit your own recordings
(like removing some parts of the recording without affecting the original). When you record from the FM Module, you can decide
to record the past 20 seconds of broadcast (which is great for recording music after it has already started); you can always
edit the music later and take only the parts of the recording you want. Also, you can edit the videos you record from any
of the available sources to the unit.
You can also browse all the information you have in the unit by using the Browser. In the Photo Viewer, you can select
a Slide Show of your photographs (you can change the Picture Pause) or watch them individually. In the Audio Player you can
play MP3 or WAV files, create your own playlists, browse other music while playing a file, change the bass, treble, loudness,
balance, bass boost, and pitch (which is the speed of the music). You can also change the settings on the Play Mode (Single
Song, All, Folder, Repeat, Shuffle, etc). In the Video Player you can slow the playing in 4 different Slow Modes. You can
also record directly from your VCR or DVD into the unit. It also has a Clock and a timer to start and stop recording at the
time you want. You also have the ability to change most of the settings (like if you want to turn off the screen after a few
seconds of inactivity to conserve battery when not using DC-Power).
The AVCam 300 (optional) could be used to take pictures and videos to be stored in the unit. If you have your own digital
camera, I recommend you get the Card Readers Adaptors to transfer your photos to the unit without the need of a computer.
The only thing missing from the unit is a speaker to listen to movies when showing it to your friends. Also, the unit
does not come with a carrying case, you'll need to get one from Archos to protect the screen when not in use. Otherwise, the
unit is perfect!
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Great Gadget, but Archos Customer service is the worst ...
2004-07-16
At first I was impressed with my AV380, but then I realized my battery life was defective - approximately 90 minutes on a
full charge. My AV380 is still under warranty, and Archos doesn't return my emails, and doesn't even have a telephone support
line, so I'm at a loss how to get help!! I can not reach anyone at Archos, and my warranty is running out.
Before buying
mine, my friend had warned me, and I had read reviews before that Archos customer support is known for being the worst in
the business. But I figured I would take my chances - I did - and now I'm paying for it!
Incredible that this company
is still doing business here in America... I understand they are based out of France.... Maybe that explains the lack of customer
service... Buy at your own risk - Peeved in Hawaii!
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Much easier than dragging all those DVDs around
2004-07-02
This thing is exactly what I was looking for to take on long trips. First, it replaced a portable DVD player and the need
to take all my movies on DVD disks with me. Next, it replaced an electronic film vault as I can load JPEGs in from my CF
cards, and the screen is much better to share photos with friends. And the size and weight of the AV380 compared to lugging
around a laptop is pure joy!I was concerned that movies would be "jerky" or "pixilated", but nothing could be further from
the truth. Maybe it's not DVD quality, but it's so close I can't tell the difference. This product is going to turn heads
wherever you go. I see that Archos is releasing the AV400, which has CF built in, but it's not hard to do with this unit.
Synchs right up to Win XP, and the USB 2.0 is great for moving files around. Anything I don't like? I believe we'll see
these PVPs really take off in the next year. On my wish list would be removable battery packs, a speaker, and a built in
CF reader (all now available on the new AV400 which should be shipping soon, and more file acceptance TIFF, PDF, etc. A flip
cover for the screen would also be nice, as the unit doesn't come with a case. Recording movies into the unit is a snap,
but the process of doing file conversions on movies I've made with Pinnacle was more daunting than I was prepared for (no,
I didn't major in computer science). Much easier to just output to disk or camcorder and then re-record into the AV380. All
in all, the coolest product I've bought since the first portable DVD players came out a few years back.
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Archos AV380 80 GB Personal Video & MP3 Jukebox Player / Rec
2004-06-25
The archos AV300 series is a portable computer in addition to an awesome personal video player. All you need to do is install
windows to a partition you make on the hard drive and you can run your computer from anywhere where there is a USB connection
and a monitor. The simplicity and speed of the file transfer method is un-matched unless you need to install an upgraded USB
hub. All you do is drag and drop. Immediately upon plugging in the Archos to a computer it recognises it as a USB mass storage
device and you are ready to do your bidding. And get these while you can. 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. The unit does have a ability to turn off the LCD backlight while operating each time
you skip a song or mistakenly press a button in your pocket. It has an excellent record timer, A nice surprise,so you can
record a weeks worth of your favorite reruns. It is easy enough to get video recorded into it with the provided cables and
DVR attachment, and easy to connect to your TV for playback. If you read the specs and don't have a problem with the size
and other features, you will be very satified. Don't expect DVD quality playback on your TV. It has the wonderful AV recorder
which comes inside the pack, makes video recording very easy. you wont need a video anymore. connects easily to the TV or
VCR, but you should be careful of the cables connecting the AV380 because they turn out to be too plenty. The remote control
(wireless) is excellent and makes life easier when placing the AV380 away from you. 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. 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. This model
adds official support for playing WMA files. The latest OS update (free on their website) adds support for playing AND recording
in WAV format (in addition to the MP3 format. 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. Video looks very good indeed on the large 3.8" LCD screen.
May not exactly be DVD-quality as they claim, but its 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. 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. 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.
The Arcos is quality is
miles ahead of any other competetors products.
Recommendation:If you like having alot of movies on hand, alot of photos
on hand and the ability to play hundreds of song, then this is for you. I am a chauffeur for a living and this definately
kills the sit and wait time assosciated with my job. Excellent for long trip, plug into the vehicle dvd player or music into
the tape deck. Makes for a shorter trip.
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