Buy Archos

[michael.luczkow]

If you've been looking for a photo juke box this has done me extremely well. the archos AV420, it's got a built in CF card slot and transfers images from my card extremely fast. I can't imagine traveling without it. It plays divx/xvid movies, mp3s, you can view jpgs, store any data files (it works with your raw files too) ... I can't say enough good things about this little device.
http://blacklinux.com/pages/public/reviews/archosav420/gallery/thumbnails/thumb_IMG_0047.JPG

http://blacklinux.com/pages/public/reviews/archosav420/gallery/

you can pick one up on ebay for around 400 bucks new. it's got a 20GB hard drive in it... if you can take 20 gigs of pictures in one trip i'd be amazed.

So if you've been thinking about getting this, get it. It's great. don't get the RCA lyra, my friend had one of those. same price. pile of crap. physical build quality was horrible. This is made of metal and feels very well made. I'd go so far as to say 10/10

[kb244]

... don't get the RCA lyra, my friend had one of those. same price. pile of crap. physical build quality was horrible. This is made of metal and feels very well made. I'd go so far as to say 10/10

I quite agree, to my worst disappointment, you pop a CF card into the Lyra, want to copy all, *poof* "Feature not implemented yet".

[robertwgross]

(it works with your raw files too)

Some of these allow you to copy RAW files, but you can't view them.

Does this one allow viewing RAW files?

---Bob Gross---

[michael.luczkow]

no you can't view them. I just use it to clear out my cards when I'm on the go...
you can't view your RAW files though...

[kb244]

Far as I know the similarly priced Epson P-2000 can view raw ( to some extent ).

[FlyingPete]

no you can't view them. I just use it to clear out my cards when I'm on the go...
you can't view your RAW files though...

I wonder if they will update that feature at sometime in the future, perhaps an addon for specific cameras as there seems to be no real standard for RAW that everyone adheres to.

I suppose you could always have RAW+JPEG, but that is lost space on the card (no so bad on the 20D as you can select lower quality images for the JPEG, not sure what the other cameras do).

Will look at one of these when it comes time to upgrade the ole X'S-Drive!

[michael.luczkow]

i seriously doubt they (archos) will put out support for RAW images from any manufacturer just because this is not sold as a photographers tool. it's a portable video recorder that has a CF slot... but it works great for me. oh yeah, did i mention it records video.. :-) I'm going to get a small helmet mounted camera so i can make some mountain biking videos with it as well.... tivo a la camelbak.

[FlyingPete]

I'm going to get a small helmet mounted camera so i can make some mountain biking videos with it as well.... tivo a la camelbak.

OK that is cool!

What is the camera support like, stanfdard compisite video? A Powershot S1IS would go down well for that with the IS, if you could keep it activated, just hook it up to the TV out!

[michael.luczkow]

composite :-( pretty ****ty but hey, this thing is pretty small so...

[roanjohn]

I have gear envy!!!! That thing is totally awesome!!! Can you use iTunes to manage your music?? ............ or does it have its own "easy" to navigate organizer??

RO1

[robertwgross]

Far as I know the similarly priced Epson P-2000 can view raw ( to some extent ).

How far is that?

"To some extent" kind of worries me, though.

---Bob Gross---

[michael.luczkow]

I have gear envy!!!! That thing is totally awesome!!! Can you use iTunes to manage your music?? ............ or does it have its own "easy" to navigate organizer??

RO1

you plug it in with a USB (2) port and it pops up as a hard drive. drop a divx avi on there, dump some mp3s.... and they play. it also plays m3us but i've never tried it, i just dump everything and you can play continuous, repeat, folder, all, track.... yadda yadda yadda... sort of like an mp3 cd player for your car. it's really simple.

you can use anything you want to manage your music i guess but i just manually go thru and organize my stuff in folders. then i just copy folders full of music to the drive and play it....

[gcase04]

I have a 20D and shoot RAW + largej peg. I have the Epson and it doesn't display raw files but loads them from the card and/or to your computer. I display the large jpgs when viewing on the Epson so not being to view the raw files is no loss to me. The 3.8" screen is incredible, plays movies (I never used that feature yet), MP3's. It has a 40 gig HD and battery life is very good. It takes about 4 1/2 minutes to dump a full 1 gig card into it. I shoot some very large panos that take a full gig. I decided to get the Epson instead of buying 8 or more 1 gig cards. It was cheaper and more versatile for me than having numerous cards.

The above unit looks pretty good too. Never seen or used one. I don't think you could go wrong with the Epson but would sure check the above unit out too.

[michael.luczkow]

it comes in different flavors too....
20GB, 40 and 80GB. the 20GB uses a 1.8" HD and the 40 and 80s use 2.5" laptop drives so the units are larger than mine. but the good side to that is the hard drives can be "man"-updated if you get brave with the minitorx :-)

[michael.luczkow]

http://www.archos.com/
Mine:
http://www.archos.com/products/overview/av400_series.html?sid=j2232j2jb24ofksbc4j33j

coming soon:

the AV500 series:

LCD: 706 x 480 16-bit-color touch-screen
Media: 20g / 40g + CF (built-in / no module this time)
Audio: MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM, WAV (maybe AAC)
Video: DivX and WMV9 Video at 706x480@30fps. Mpeg4 "Advanced Simple Profile" support (which means all advanced DivX features!).

USB Host as well as slave (so you can connect a keyboard or camera or another Archos AV product to share files)
Docking station with Tv tuning
Applications: Web browser, E-Mail, Calendar, Text Editor and Calculator
Wifi / Streaming / Bluetooth modules through CF slot
Streaming Video may be posslbe
Full OS / 3rd party applications possible
Camera Module through compact flash. Should be a better camera than "the mobile camera" (of the AV300?)
Built in Mic and Speaker
Removable Battery

The archos AV500 will be linux based too! :-)



http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/archives/000289.php

[robertwgross]

Will look at one of these when it comes time to upgrade the ole X'S-Drive!

Crude, but effective!

---Bob Gross---

[Rense]

I have an older model AV340 with additional cardreader and it works perfect. I use it as a photatank, jpg photo viewer on tv (works straight out of the box), mp3/radio player, memorecorder and backup system for work and private files. If you buy one, buy also the Archos carryingcase, you won't be disappointed.

[michael.luczkow]

the AV420 comes with the leather case included. but I store mine in the leather case, inside the pelican case.... :-)

[lomond]

How far is that?

"To some extent" kind of worries me, though.

---Bob Gross---

You can view Nikon,Epson and Canon RAW files on the Epson P-2000.

The "to some extent" might be a reference to the fact that although you can view RAW you can't zoom. I believe the 1Ds and 1D can shoot RAW plus a seperate jpeg rather than an embedded jpeg ( as in the 10D) in which case you can zoom.

Hope this helps.