Archos AV420 Pocket Video Recorder 20 GB

Advantages Can be used to replace DVD, MP3 player and VCR
Disadvantages Archos keep bringing out new innovative products to replace these, so it may be outdate soon

...station, so it makes the set up very simple. Video recorder: This is a superb function that many pocket media players are not even thinking about at the time of writing, but Archos have built it in superbly. You can connect your Archos to the av out on your TV, set top box, VCR or anything that has av out and then it will play on your archos. All you have to do is simply click the record button and everything that is inputted to the archos will be recorded! There are options for the more advanced users, you can edit the bitrate, brightness etc. If you do not think you are going to be in, you can use the Archos' scheduler to start and stop recording at the time you tell it, if you have a compatible set top box or VCR then it will also change the channel for you too. I have an NTL box which it does not change the channel, however... Read review

Advantages good for travelling, good picture quality, solid
Disadvantages battery life, amount of cables

...I recieved the archos AV420 for my 18th birthday, having asked for an Ipod, but my mum found out about these, and I have to say I'm still so chuffed that she bought it for me! I had no idea about what the archos did, so maybe I can give you a brief outline of it, because manufacturers descriptions are so often difficult to decipher! Basically it is a portable video recorder. It does not have a camera lens, you cannot record videos in that sense, but it does plug into your dvd player and record films, or you can set it to record from the TV on timer. The cables you need for this function are supplied attatched to a cradle and they are very bulky, but if you keep it plugged into the TV permanently then its no problem, but its good to have a cable tidy or something to stop tangling. The large screen then enables you to watch the things... Read review

Advantages Strong, Durable, Good quality capture, Easy to use, Versatile
Disadvantages Speaker not very loud for use in the car, headphones recommended

...screens, is press the TV/LCD button right on the top of the Archos and hold it down for a couple of seconds. The Archos is extremely versatile. It offers video recording/playback, music recording/playback, photo viewing and also can be used as a 20GB external hard disk for you computer. The only set-back I can see is the speaker volume. For use in the house and slow moving traffic in the car, it's perfect, butwhen you get onto faster roads like the motorway, it becomes considerably hard to hear, so I think that you definitely need to invest in a pair of headphones. Overall I think that the Archos AV420 is an excellent product and I would recommend it to anyone.... Read review