Archos A700 is a portable media player manufactured by Archos Company. This digital video recorder is part of the A series that Archos have manufactured and it is the latest release in the A series.
The selling slogan from Archos is “Think Smaller” which has been changed to “On the Go”, clearly showing who its target consumers are and the need for convenience in their day-to-day lives. The media player has a 420 by 234-screen resolution with models coming in 40, 80 and 100 GB. In addition, it has a built-in gaming engine. The player is too large to fit in one’s pocket.
To view TV the two antennae supplied will have to be pulled out. A large TFT screen with a few controls predominantly covers the front. There is also a built-in infrared sensor and a pair of stereo speakers. The player can also be easily set up on a stand by use of a pullout stand. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery located at the rear. The aerial jack, stereo audio, and S-Video composite are all located along the top edge. Generally, the A700 has a solid and strong design that makes it very durable and handy especially while on the road.
The A700 is both Mac and Windows compatible, it supports a number of video and audio formats, the common ones being JPEG, WMA, MP3, DivX among other formats making it quite competitive. It has a digital tuner and has the ability to record TV programs. The layout is very user friendly and allows the user to easily select options like watching TV, listening to music or as a media layer. It also has other options available. The recording options allow a person to begin recording on the go without requiring many options like setting the recording duration or other such-like things. Uploaded files are automatically placed in memory and named, which might seem a bit confusing but very convenient if a number of recordings are to be done. It can be connected to a PC via the USB plug and files can be viewed directly from the computer and saved to and from the hard drive. On average, the 40GB hard disk capacity can record up to 35 hours of video. In addition, the A700 can be plugged into the home TV or projector and act as a digital tuner during playback.
It is always recommended that one use the latest drivers for the Archos A700. Usually at download, the computer will warn the user that the firmware may be harmful since the browser may not recognize the .AOS extension that comes with Archos software. The files are however, not harmful and can be downloaded without any risk. The device will usually be recognized as a hard drive or a ‘device’. The updated firmware should be installed within the A700. Always use the ‘safe disconnect’ icon when unplugging the device from the PC. Overall, the installation of the A700 will rarely give the user problems. It is one of the best mobile TVs on the market.
Tags: portable media player
