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Archos AV700 Review

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At first, the most noticeable feature of the Archos AV700 is its large 7-inch screen. This really sets it apart from other PMCs, making it the perfect PMC to take on long car or plane trips. Other features are excellent line-in audio recording capability, sturdy feel, and smooth video playback on its built in screen as well as on a TV screen. The Archos also records video from analog sources, has a good battery life, and has a replaceable battery. One drawback is that it doesn't have a calendar or contacts feature. The price of the Archos AV700 is between $599.95 and $799.95.

The Archos AV700 was meant to provide comfortable viewing, so it's not small. It's actually the biggest PMC on the market today, and is available with either a 40 Gigabyte or 100 Gigabyte hard drive. It's not cheap either, but it's impressive. Its measurements are 4.2 by 8.2 by 0.8 inches. It feels very sturdy, but it's also rather sleek and comfortable to hold. It also has a kickstand, so you can set it on a table and watch the screen. The removable rechargeable battery allows 30 hours of continuous audio play or four hours of video. A spare battery can be purchased from Archos for $49.95. This will extend play time. The Archos AV700 does not charge with a USB, so if you plan on transferring a lot of large files, you may want to plug it into the power adapter.

The controls on the Archos are fairly easy to use. It features four cursor buttons on the left and play/pause and stop buttons on the right. Some of the buttons are unlabeled, however, making them a little harder to navigate. Near the four cursor buttons are two buttons that allow you to page up and down in your media collection. Buttons on the lower right are for contextual menus, and a button on the top toggles video output between the LCD screen and a TV screen.

The menus of the Archos are very easy to navigate and read. The Archos also allows you to connect to devices such as digital cameras and do quick transfers in both directions. It works well with both Macs and personal computers.

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