Archos 400 30 GB Pocket Media Assistant (PMA430) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)FIRST LOOK: GOOD
That aside, I am quite pleased with this device.Right out of the box the weigh and construction of it felt right; some might find the 9.9 oz weight a bit hefty, but I prefer sturdiness over a light, plastic casing.And it looks sharp too, though I wish Archos would leave its 1970's tech school logo behind once and for all.

SET-UP: GOOD
Setting the device up was easier than I anticipated, though the amount of wires involved along with the stiff docking cable to power/connect the PMA430 to the dock were bothersome, though all work well.I have average to good skill with Audio/Video hook-ups and it took me only 15 minutes to get the device running and ready to record.However, there are some rather odd quirks that keep me from giving this a GREAT rating (for instance, resetting the time/date is a major hassel, and for no aparent reason)

VIDEO RECORDING: GREAT
My friend Michael has been eager to get his massive Dr. Who collection off VHS tape and into a digital format, so we started playing with the PMA430 there.The set-up was easy after the initial one and we were recording within minutes.And even though there is a natural less then DVD quality about recording from tape, I was still very impressed with both the picture and sound that it captured from my VCR.We soon switched to digital cable as the recording media and were left with a DVD quality recording of the Simpsons.So far, so good...

NOTE:For whatever reason (read: to avoid crippling lawsuits), Archos has decided that once programming has been recorded onto your device, that is the end of the line.No burning movies to DVD.No transferring files onto a laptop or sharing with your friends.That is fair; intellectual property rights do need to be protected, but it is still bothersome to those of us who just want to back up some of our legitimate purchases.

PDA FUNCTIONALITY: FAIR
Now, not everything is good about this device.The PDA functionality is awkward at best, slow and unresponsive at its worst.The lag time between clicking an icon and the activation of the program (or even the expanding of a simple file tree) is slow and arduous.I must have clicked through a dozen applications because I though the screen had not registered my tapping. Also, the writing capture (when the PDA screen actually translates letters you are jotting down) is so poor it is nearly unusable.Maybe this will change with a Firmware update.Right now, I just use the integrated keyboard, or the optional rubber USB keyboard that you can roll up and tuck away when finished.

UPDATE:Okay, I have had a little more time with the device and gotten somewhat used to its speed, and it is reacting much better now, so no more "POOR" rating.However, it is still a very clumsy, unintuitive PDA design.

MP3 PLAYER: GOOD
Simple and functional, complete with an equalizer (though a rather anemic one with only 5 sliders) and functionality that will automatically index your songs according to author, song title, genre, etc.This works well, but is nowhere as functional as a flywheel on an iPod, but still easy enough to use.I was also surprised to see that on legitimate MP3s you are frequently show the album cover along with the song. That's a nice little touch.

SOUND: FAIR
The small front speaker is laughable at best.I cannot imagine anytime where it would be used, as it would annoy both the user and anyone around him with its mono, tinny sound.The sound improves greatly when headphones are used, and the ones that come with the PMA430 are good enough, if a tad uncomfortable.

WIRELESS: GOOD
This was one of the nicest functions about the device.I already have a wireless network at home and locking into the signal was quick and painless.The PMA430 uses an Opera browser for surfing the internet and Microsoft Outlook for email.Again, both were easy to get set-up and running within 15 minutes.There is also support for wireless access through a cellular provider, but I have not tried that out yet.

PHOTOS: FAIR
Eh...I mean, its there.You can look at photos, even display them on another TV screen.However, any television that is capable of making digital photographs not look like crap probably has a memory card slot anyway.And just viewed on the PMA430, pictures just look okay.And I don't take a lot of pictures, nor do any of my friends.So, moving on...

BATTERY LIFE: GOOD
Decent.I am getting about 8-9 hours out of it purely as a MP3 player, and about half that if I am using the video playback or browsing the web (anything that involves the screen being on, really).

SYNCHING: FAIR
A few problems here that were not helped much by the grossly inadequate PMA430 User's Guide, but I eventually stumbled my way through it.The PMA430 comes with a 2.0 USB hub, allowing me to quickly transcribe all my MP3s, video clips and pictures onto the device.With a few free downloads you can even have the device synch with your desktop copy of Outlook.There is an infrared port to beam informant, but sadly no Bluetooth support, which eliminates such novelties as wireless headphones and some advanced networking.Drat.

Other problems with synching are minor but truly annoying.Every time I synch, the date and time change buy a few weeks/hours or more.I have no idea why this happens.Also, the Archos is supposed to work in synch with Yahoo! TV to allow you to set a schedule to record your shows.I am beginning to believe that there is actually no way to make this work.

SOFTWARE: GOOD
The software that comes with the PMA430 are useable enough, but I am eager to see what new titles will be released, and if there will be a Firmware update to handle some of the outstanding bugs I have noticed with the PDA functionality.

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Product Description:
The Pocket Media Assistant PMA400 is the the first Linux -based 30GB HDD device allowing you to record directly from TV, listen to music, browse the Internet and stay connected, for entertainment or productivity anytime, anywhere. A new generation of ARCHOS smart portable devices, the PMA400 combines full audio and video capabilities, WiFi connectivity and a personal information manager in one slim, pocket-sized device. Music playback -Stereo MP3 decoding @ 30-320 kb/s CBR & VBR, WMA (including Microsoft PD DRM protected files), WAV / Music recording -From any analog source into MP3 or WAV (PCM) format Voice recording with built-in microphone Digital Photo viewer -JPEG , PNG, GIF or BMP PIM functionalities -Qtopia software to manage your address book, agenda, calendar, calculator. PDF viewer Games -Qtopia embedded games and Mophun game engine to play games downloadable from Archos web-site Display -3.5 TFT transflective touch screen 320x240 pixels QVGA res, 262,000 colors and TV output AV connections -Composite Video/ E Earphone/Line Out jack. Built-in microphone and speaker. TV cradle to connect to TV with analog A/V In & Out to RCA jacks, S-video In, and IR receiver for remote and IR emitter for tuner control Battery life -Up to 4 hours for video playback or 9.5 hours Size -4.9 x 3.1 x 0.8 / Weighs 9.9 ounces For Windows and Macintosh