Archos AV380 80 GB Personal Video & MP3 Jukebox Player / Recorder w/ Digital Video Recorder

The little engine that DOES!!!!

Rating: 5/5
Comments:
Where to begin.. First off its really awesome to have most of your music and part of your DVD library in the palm of your hands when you're on the go.. This is such a versatile unit, and the camera/camcorder add-on puts it above and beyond anything out there; even today.. With the copyright protection not an issue when recording directly into the device, having your DVD library with you is a reality- ALL of the current PVPs restrict your recordings in some way.. Anyways, the unit really feels solid, and I really don't understand what all the people are saying about the Archos Customer Care, all I have ever had has been very positive interaction over the phone. For the one who reviewed and said there are no numbers, why don't you go to archos.com and look up the number, shouldn't be too hard.. one word, AWESOME device and great customer support.

A Great Media Player!

Rating: 5/5
Comments:
I bought my AV380 a few months ago (on 6-15-2004). I expected it to be a good gadget but it is not good, it is great!

This gadget is everything you'll ever need to store all the information you have. From music, photos, videos, and all kinds of data; it is the best Media Player I could ever find. You can vew your videos or photos right on the screen or use the cables that come with the unit to watch them on any television (with video and audio inputs). You can listen to all of your music, record your voice directly to the unit, record FM radio (with the optional FM Module), or even edit your own recordings (like removing some parts of the recording without affecting the original). When you record from the FM Module, you can decide to record the past 20 seconds of broadcast (which is great for recording music after it has already started); you can always edit the music later and take only the parts of the recording you want. Also, you can edit the videos you record from any of the available sources to the unit.

You can also browse all the information you have in the unit by using the Browser. In the Photo Viewer, you can select a Slide Show of your photographs (you can change the Picture Pause) or watch them individually. In the Audio Player you can play MP3 or WAV files, create your own playlists, browse other music while playing a file, change the bass, treble, loudness, balance, bass boost, and pitch (which is the speed of the music). You can also change the settings on the Play Mode (Single Song, All, Folder, Repeat, Shuffle, etc). In the Video Player you can slow the playing in 4 different Slow Modes. You can also record directly from your VCR or DVD into the unit. It also has a Clock and a timer to start and stop recording at the time you want. You also have the ability to change most of the settings (like if you want to turn off the screen after a few seconds of inactivity to conserve battery when not using DC-Power).

The AVCam 300 (optional) could be used to take pictures and videos to be stored in the unit. If you have your own digital camera, I recommend you get the Card Readers Adaptors to transfer your photos to the unit without the need of a computer.

The only thing missing from the unit is a speaker to listen to movies when showing it to your friends. Also, the unit does not come with a carrying case, you'll need to get one from Archos to protect the screen when not in use. Otherwise, the unit is perfect!

Great Gadget, but Archos Customer service is the worst ...

Rating: 1/5
Comments:
At first I was impressed with my AV380, but then I realized my battery life was defective - approximately 90 minutes on a full charge. My AV380 is still under warranty, and Archos doesn't return my emails, and doesn't even have a telephone support line, so I'm at a loss how to get help!! I can not reach anyone at Archos, and my warranty is running out.
Before buying mine, my friend had warned me, and I had read reviews before that Archos customer support is known for being the worst in the business. But I figured I would take my chances - I did - and now I'm paying for it!
Incredible that this company is still doing business here in America... I understand they are based out of France.... Maybe that explains the lack of customer service... Buy at your own risk - Peeved in Hawaii!