Available in 30, 60 and 100 GB versions, Archos' new AV500 sports a 4-inch colour widescreen display and not only plays back media - it records it as well.
Adding to an already extensive range of portable media viewers, Archos has announced the introduction of the AV500, a comprehensive device which offers a feature set similar to that of its big brother,
the AV700, but at a smaller size. Equipped with a 4-inch widescreen display, the AV500 will be available in sizes of 30, 60 and 100 GB versions, and supports a flurry of formats.
Considerably smaller than the AV700, the AV500 measures in at 124 x 76 x 18-32 mm and a weight of 255, 315 or 430 g depending on the hard drive size of the device. Its display, meanwhile, offers a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels and a colour depth of 262K colours, with the device also incorporating Composite video out for connecting the device to a TV.
This goes both ways, however, as the AV500 is also capable of recording a Composite video feed to MPEG4 SP format at a resolution of up to 640 x 480 pixels at 30 FPS - only slightly lower than the resolution at which the device can play back video. For the latter purpose, the AV500 supports the MPEG4 SP format using either NTSC (720 x 480 pixels at 30 FPS) or PAL (720 x 576 pixels at 25 FPS) codecs, as well as Windows Media Video 9 at up to 352 x 288 pixels and 30 FPS at a bit rate of 800 Kbps.
The latter capability is a result of the PlaysForSure support of the device, which can be configured to be recognized by Windows Media Player 10 as a Windows Media device, and subsequently operate in much the same way as a device based on Microsoft's own Portable Media Center platform. This also brings with it some audible benefits, such as support for WMA and WMA DRM audio along with MP3 and WAV.
Also moonlighting as a photo viewer, the AV500 supports JPEG and BMP formats, with all media being transferred over the USB 2.0 connection of the device. A new Digital Mini Cam add-on camcorder accessory will also be available for the viewer, letting owners snap still shots and record video at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels.
Out now in Europe, pricing is only known for the 30 GB version of the Archos AV500, which is set to £350 GBP or €515 EUR. The device is also expected to make its debut on US shelves shortly, although further information concerning its expected availability and pricing were not disclosed.
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