Typical price: £310
What is it: Portable media centre with 102mm LCD and 30GB hard drive
What we think: The best Archos yet, this media player has a beautiful screen for video but an archaic control system
What you need to know
Reviewed on: 18 November 2005
Tags: Archos Technology, Archos AV500, camera, connectivity, DivX files
We like:
New sleek styling; brilliant screen; compact form factor; acts as a USB host
We don't like:
Unintuitive interface; low-quality video output
You might also need:
DivX movies
CNET UK judgement:
The AV500 is a marked improvement over previous Archos efforts -- the experimental predecessors paying off with a truly desirable gadget. The screen is fantastic, the chassis is sleek and the features are plentiful -- only the interface disappoints on this gorgeous piece of modern gadgetry
Full review:
Archos has made itself the premier company for portable video players, gradually chipping away at a niche market until its products are now available on the high street. It's now easy to see the appeal of video on the move -- Apple's iPod now has video capability, which will soon make it the most popular portable video player in the world by default. Continue Reading...
Archos AV500 History
29 Nov 2005 in Crave
Archos Gmini 402 Camcorder: Stalker's delight
The Gmini 402 Camcorder is the iPod nano of Archos' media centre range. With a 20GB hard drive and an in-built camcorder, the gadget is endearingly small, but with a tiny screen and poor video, our first impressions were soon soured
15 Nov 2005 in Crave
The AV500 media player has a screen to match the PSP and a new silver chassis, but there's still that pesky interface...
26 Aug 2005 in Crave
Archos AV700: muggings guaranteed
The follow-up to the Archos AV400 is here -- DivX fans rejoice! The upgrade sees a massive jump in screen size and an even slinkier chassis. You certainly won't fit it in your pocket, but it's set to be one of the year's hot gadgets
1 Aug 2005 in Crave
We try out DivX 6.0 -- a video compression package that lets you fit a DVD movie onto one single CD. The latest version also has built-in menu support, allowing you to create a DVD-style front end for your videos
Latest user reviews
March 23, 2007
Posted by: Frank Skilbeck
"Perfect for me"
October 26, 2006
Posted by: Jeff Russell
"Pretty useless"
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