Tips: Converting Video for your Portable Video Player

Cnet have a useful article to help you convert your video to formats compatible with the Archos Portable Media Player. They recommend that you should try using Windows Media Player 10 to try your video before you try converting. The Archos AV500 and Gmini 402 or pretty versatile units and play most formats. The way they say you should do it is to select the movies you want converting and add them to your Sync list, then click Start Sync. If they need converting WMP should do it automatically. If there are some files that don't convert you could try getting MPEG4 Translator and Virtual Dub which come with the Archos players. Click here to find out how to use it.

The World's First 100 GB Portable Video Recorder

Archos have launched the worls first 100-gigabyte portable video reorder - the AV4100.

Owners can record upto 100GB storage capacity to record television shows, movies, music and photos. You can even schedule the recording of programmes. This is a fantastic idea if you're on a train, or if you're not satisfied with the offerings on a flight etc. I go over to the States fairly frequently and get bored with the same shows so this should be perfect.

You can record from TV, VCR, a satellite reciever etc. The LCD screen is nice and large so you won't have to hold it a couple of inches from your nose.

Search for Archos AV4100 players.

The iPod is Dead ... Long Live the PMP

If you look at it, the Zen Vision M does everything the iPod has, but it also has a built-in FM tuner, a voice recorder and a better display. iPod's competitors are realising that they can't be cooler than the little white box, so are trying to be more functional than it. A company called Torian are developing a Wi-Fi Internet radio device called the InFusion which is also an MP3 player. With a database of 2,200 terrestrial based radio stations to choose from and access to 30,000 via content providers. We've also recently commented on the MusicGremlin too with its ability to download tracks direct from the internet. This is probably why Apple is gaining their mobile phone license to tackle the competitors head on. It'll make an interesting battle.

Archos AV 500 Review

The Archos AV 500 is a truly amazing personal media player. It not only has a 30GB variant, but also a 100GB one (if you buy this one at Advanced MP3 Players they'll give you a free rechargable battery for it (worth £49.99 whilst sticks last). If you decide to buy the 100BG version you get about 400 hours of video, 50,000 songs or about 1 million photos - simply staggering. With the new Apple iPod coming into play, any new personal media player will have to be pretty damn good - its good that the Archos AV 500, in our opinion is much better. Some may say the 4 inch screen isn't large enough, but when you take into account its weight and functionality, we don't see a problem. The Archos AV 500 also has a quick USB2.0o connectivity, which is standard now. Something that the AV 500 has that the iPod doesn't is the PlayForSure (from Microsoft) support. The bit we really love is the ability to hook it up to the net and Yahoo!'s TVcalendarr so you can record in advance :D. Because Archos are responsible people, you can only play back Macrovision digital-rightsmanagedd video on its own display - you can't view these on other devices. Overview: If you want a personal media player, this should be the one.

Aigo MP-P335 and P838 Linux-based PMPs with DMB and GPS

Due to be launched next month, the Aigo MP-P334 and MP-P835 Linux based Personal Media Players will have 20gb/30gb and hard disks, a 16 million colours via a 480 x 272 pixel 17.9 widescreen LCD. It'll have a mic input, integrated speakers, and "USB-On-The-Go hosting support". It'll be compatible with MP3, WMA and MPEG 1/2/4, DivX, XviD. The battery can also cope with 10 hours of audio or 5 hours of visual playback. With the 835 the screen is 7 inches and the hard drive options are either 40GB or a whopping 120gb. It also has T-DMB and GPS capability.

New Black Archos GMNI XS202s Pocket Music Player

Archos have launched a new music player, the GMNI XS202. Is a slight upgrade from the XS202 as its a bit thinner and a tad more expensive but only comes with a 2-inch two-tone display. There's enough space for up to 10,000 songs an can play back MP3, WMA and WAV. The battery is good for 17 hours and connects via the usual USB 2.0 and 1.1.

Archos AV7700 Review

So most portable media players have 3.5 inch screen - not this bad boy. It sports a huge 7 inch display. Futhermore the AV7700 is an MPEG4 video player and allows you to connect to your TV using the composite or S-video and two channel audio. And there's more, its obviously a USB 2.0 storage device. It also allows you to record audio and video from external sources and comes with a pretty brutal remote control. Even though the display is awesome, the sound quality lets it down. Spec: 40GB or 100GB hard disk; USB 2 interface; removable Lithium-ion battery; support for MP3, WAV, WMA (DRM) audio formats, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4/5, XviD video formats and JPEG, BMP picture formats; records MPEG4 video and WAV audio; 7in 480 x 324 TFT. Dimensions: 209 x 19 x 107mm (WDH). Weight: 590g.

Record Year for Archos

According to the latest Press Release from Archos says that sales in 2005 were more than 77% more than expected and nearly doubled revenues over the previous year to 103.1 milllion Euros. As expected the last quarter of 2005 was their biggest quarter with a staggering 48.1 million Euros of sales. Furthermore, the biggest region of growth for them was in Asia, where they saw sales double and their biggest selling product was the Archos AV 500: Advanced MP3 Players - £319.00

RCA Lyra X3000 Personal Multimedia Recorder

RCA has just released the Lyra X3000 portable media recorder. And boy is this a little beauty. It plays a massive amount of file types for example TV shows transfered from a DIRECTV digital video recorder. It also compares very favourably to the iPod that allows you to watch recorded TV shows as that only has a small screen compared to the 3.6" TFT LCD that the Lyra X3000 does. To look at prices etc. try Advanced MP3 Players, MP3 Players and Comet.