[Damion Chaplin]

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/16/archos_unveils_700_tv_pvr/

"Media player maker Archos will ship what it claims is the world's first portable movie player with two integrated digital TV tuners and built-in PVR functionality in two months' time, the company said yesterday...With two tuners, the [Archos AV]700 TV allows users to watch one channel while recording another. The device can be connected to a regular TV, so it doubles up as a set-top box. But it comes into its own out on the road. Archos said the player's external antenna has been souped up to enable digital TV reception at speeds of up to 130kph/81mph - something it claims is impossibe with existing digital TV receivers."



It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Archos' stuff. In general, their units have the best feature/price ratio of any PMP. All I can say about this unit is: If I had $850 to spend on a PMP, I wouldn't have $850 to spend on a PMP anymore. :wink: I can't see using it at my primary PVR (what's going to record shows while I'm not at home?), but as a portable movie player, this is exactly what I've always wanted. It's freakishly large, and I wouldn't feel safe handing it over to a five-year-old to watch cartoons, but all-in-all, if I had one of these, I wouldn't need any other portable entertainment device (aside from my PPC).

[Damion Chaplin]

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/16/archos_unveils_700_tv_pvr/

"Media player maker Archos will ship what it claims is the world's first portable movie player with two integrated digital TV tuners and built-in PVR functionality in two months' time, the company said yesterday...With two tuners, the [Archos AV]700 TV allows users to watch one channel while recording another. The device can be connected to a regular TV, so it doubles up as a set-top box. But it comes into its own out on the road. Archos said the player's external antenna has been souped up to enable digital TV reception at speeds of up to 130kph/81mph - something it claims is impossibe with existing digital TV receivers."



It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Archos' stuff. In general, their units have the best feature/price ratio of any PMP. All I can say about this unit is: If I had $850 to spend on a PMP, I wouldn't have $850 to spend on a PMP anymore. :wink: I can't see using it at my primary PVR (what's going to record shows while I'm not at home?), but as a portable movie player, this is exactly what I've always wanted. It's freakishly large, and I wouldn't feel safe handing it over to a five-year-old to watch cartoons, but all-in-all, if I had one of these, I wouldn't need any other portable entertainment device (aside from my PPC).

[Brendan Goetz]

with a decent sized memory card, the PSP makes a great PMP (PDQ!). i had the Archos 480, and it was tight, but i sold it because i figured a better one was coming out (it was!), but in the interim, my PSP has done a fine job as a movie watcher/game machine.

but i need to pick up a big ole' memory stick. :x-mas:

[Philip Colmer]

Two things concern me about this unit:

1. Reviews of the existing Archos 700 have not been fantastically great when it comes to the display. Yes, it is big, but the quality apparently leaves a lot to be desired. There isn't much resolution in it.

2. How good are the tuners going to be at pulling in the signal? You pretty much have to have a house-roof aerial to get a decent DTT signal in the UK, so I'm not sure how well this is going to fare.

--Philip