Archive for August, 2006
Store up to 30 movies, 300,000 photos, or 15,000 songs with the 30GB hard drive. Enjoy the high quality video on a 4.3″ color screen. Easily to navigate menus. Turn your ARCHOS 604 into a DVR: Record TV from a TV, VCR, DVD Player and cable box or satellite reciever on your ARCHOS with the optional DVR Station.
Review by CNET
Archos’s 604 (link to PDF) represents the latest in an esteemed line of gadgets from the king of portable video players (PVPs, or PMPs). Superb construction and design, an all-encompassing feature list, and solid performance should make this übergadget a highly coveted item, particularly because of its shockingly low base price of $350.
The caveats? The 604 is limited to 30GB of storage (though the thicker 504 goes all the way up to 160GB), and you’ll need to buy extra accessory kits to get the most out of the player (namely, using the device as an audio/video recorder). Throw in patchy out-of-the-box compatibility with some video formats and you’ve got reason to pause. But overall, we believe the 604, with its amazing screen, makes a worthy successor to the AV500.
Review by PC Magazine
The Archos 604 ($349.99 direct) is an update of the company’s impressive AV 500, which handily won PC Magazine’s Editors’ Choice award when it came out. The new version has a slightly bigger screen and different button layout, but it retains many of the features that made me love its predecessor. One big difference, though, is that you get a lot less in the box this time around, since many of the accessories are now optional extras—including the all-important docking station, which is required for recording video from analog sources. Even the USB Host feature, for connecting cameras and other USB devices, now requires an optional adapter. The 604 is available only in a 30GB hard drive configuration, whereas its predecessor came in 30GB and 100GB versions. There’s also an Archos 604 Wi-Fi ($449.99), which adds a touch-screen and 802.11g wireless capabilities for Web browsing, e-mail, and content downloading.
AnyThing But iPod have just put up a review of the Samsung YP-Z5 , the new line of flash based MP3 players which comes in 2GB and 4GB capacity. Tagged as the arch rival to iPod the Samsung YP-Z5 may still need some work to reach that stage. However that doesn’t mean that it is a frivolous piece of machinery as it’s quite solid and has an extremely user friendly interface. Let’s just look at the pros and cons briefly.: PROS: Solid Build, Comfortable Size, Fast Intuitive User Interface, Dedicated Volume Buttons. CONS: Proprietary Connection, No FM Radio, No OTG playlists,No UMS (MTP only)
The Samsung YP-Z5 can play audio formats like MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM, OGG and also JPEG. The player can only use Microsoft’s MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) so it is a Windows XP only device something which should have been avoided. Designed by Paul Mercer, the same fellow who designed the Nano the YP-Z5 is extremely sleek and the navigational menu with dedicated controls is a dream. Audio performance is near to flawless and it includes presets like ballad, classical, jazz, dance, house, R&B, rock, 3D-Club, 3D-Stage, and 3D-Studio.
Specification Summary
Colors: Black or Silver
Capacity: 2GB or 4GB
Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM, OGG
Size: 1.66” x .45” x 3.54”
Weight: 1.98 oz
Transfer Protocol: MTP
OS Support: Windows XP
Photo Formats: JPEG
Screen: 1.8 TFT LCD
Rated Battery Life: 35hr Battery
Other Features: Music Subscription, Clock / Sleep Timer
Review by PC Magazine
The Samsung Yepp YP-Z5 is part of the opening salvo from the non-Apple high-capacity flash player camp. This is no iPod nano-killer, but it does have some advantages, including better battery life, a bigger screen, and better photo-viewing capabilities. It is also the first PlaysForSure-compatible 4GB flash player on the market—-a plus for some and a minus for others. One of the most exciting things about this MP3 player is its 30-hour battery life, which blows away the iPod nano’s 14 hours. Its chunky body (nearly twice as thick as the nano) and somewhat finicky controls are probably what will keep this otherwise satisfying player out of the limelight, but techies will love nice touches like Ogg Vorbis support. The Z5 is available in black or silver, and pricing is along the lines of the iPod nano, with the 4GB model at $249.99 (list) and the 2GB version at $199.99.
Review by CNET
We’ve been waiting to see whether the flash-based Samsung YP-Z5 deserves all the hype it received before its release. Now that we have it in hand, we can say that although it’s not perfect, it warrants consideration as an alternative to the iPod Nano. The YP-Z5’s main selling point is the same as the Nano’s: a thin, compact profile that doesn’t compromise on features. The YP-Z5 sounds great and boasts excellent battery life, and its physical design and its innovative GUI have their advantages, though there is a learning curve for the inconsistent touch pad.
Review by Pcket-Lint
Yet another contender to the iPod nano, the Samsung YP-Z5 is Samsung’s attempt at knocking the nano of its perch and stealing the limelight. But can it win us over? We take a closer look.
Black and thin (although slightly thicker than the iPod), the Samsung YP-Z5 front is dominated by two things, the large screen and the control pad.
Aside from a volume rocker switch on the side and the headphones jack on the top, the sleek design offers little else.
Review by TrustedReviews
Flash memory based music players are everywhere and if you are looking for a player, then you’ve got plenty to choose from. But Apple has ‘mindshare’. Its nano and iPod brands seem to have become generic terms for players (the shuffle is not so lucky), and the physical design of the nano is clearly the inspiration behind Samsung’s YP-Z5.
The YP-Z5 comes in 2GB and 4GB capacities. The former will set you back around £130 while the latter costs around £170. Each is available in black and silver. I was sent a 2GB model in black to try out.
Physically there are both similarities and differences to the nano. It keeps the rectangular format, with a screen at the top and controls below. While the YP-Z5 is a shade thicker it’s no giant - at 42.2mm wide x 89.8mm tall x 11.4mm deep. The 4GB version is slightly fatter at 12.3mm deep. As such it will be easily encompassed by all but the smallest of pockets.
However, its sliver metal edging inevitably capture grease from your fingers and overall it doesn’t actually look as polished a product as the nano.
The Kid-Tough FP3 Player is the first digital media player that gives preschoolers a durable and easy way to play their favorite downloadable songs and stories. Moms can safely refresh the content with the included software CD and USB cable.
* Pre-loaded with six songs and two stories
* Large, easy-to-read buttons and LCD screen makes shifting between stories and songs easy
* Headphones play at a safe volume for little ears
* Requires two AA batteries, not included
Review by CNET
Everybody deserves an MP3 player–even preschoolers. Toy juggernaut Fisher-Price certainly thinks so in creating the $70 FP3 Player. Part of the Kid-Tough lineup, the FP3 is both durable and easy to use. Best of all, this Windows-only 128MB player with a handy expansion slot plays at volumes safe enough for young ears.
The FP3 (for “Fisher Price 3″) certainly isn’t the first kid-friendly MP3 player. The honor for that goes to Disney Electronics and its colorful series of Mix Sticks. However, the FP3 is quite a bit more appropriate for those three years and up. I know first-hand, since my 3-year-old did most of the testing.
The blue-and-white disc-shaped device (also available in pink and white) has a diameter of about 3.5 inches, and it’s nearly an inch thick. Each side features a tactile and rubbery grip–ideal for small hands. A blue backlit monochrome 1.4-inch LCD sits nested among five big buttons–Play/Pause on the bottom, and Skip Forward and Reverse on either side of the square display. The two buttons above the display take you either to the story or the music section. These buttons physically pop (and audibly click) as you press them and overall are very easy to operate.
From the world leaders in DAB radio comes PocketDAB® 1500, the personal radio that looks and feels just as good as it sounds. With DAB and FM reception you can stay tuned-in almost anywhere and the in-unit rechargeable ChargePAK™ gives around 24 hours of uninterrupted DAB listening through class-leading Sennheiser in-ear headphones.
With up 55 DAB stations available in many areas, plus additional FM-only stations, you’ll be spoilt for listening choice. And you’re sure to enjoy DAB features like automatic tuning, station selection by name and scrolling text showing track titles, artists’ names and sports results. There’s even RDS for station name display and scrolling text on FM.
Ideal while travelling to work, at sports events and anywhere where you want to listen without disturbing others, PocketDAB 1500 is compact, uncomplicated and stylish. If you love radio PocketDAB 1500 delivers unrivalled listening choice - wherever you are.
Review by PCPRO
It’s all too easy to see that Pure Digital has taken some pragmatic decisions - otherwise known as compromises - in the design of the PocketDAB 1500. It uses the exact same chassis as the PocketDAB 1000, which was released in the summer of 2003, with the only obvious cosmetic difference being a black front rather than silver.
The shared chassis isn’t an entirely positive thing. The 1000 felt bulky when it was released, so three years later the 1500 feels even bulkier: at 20mm thick and 110mm tall, it will cause an unsightly bulge in any pocket. At 125g it’s much lighter than the 1000, though, and that’s purely due to the use of a lithium polymer battery rather than the trio of AA batteries required by its predecessor.
Review by Lordpercy.com
Portable DAB radios have always proven a bit hit of miss when we have reviewed them over the last year. Pure Digital are often the providers of the best DAB products on the UK market but even they have provided a DAB portable that is just a bit lacking, so when the new Pure Pocket DAB 1500 came our way we were both apprehensive and hopeful.
Measuring 65 x 110 x 21 mm, we had expected this cheaper unit to be smaller than the DAB 2000 model we tested previously but in fact it is the exact same shell as the more expensive model and just under 40 grams lighter which is very welcome. However we are disappointed that the form factor is retained as we did feel that the 2000 was too large for a pocket device. Still it looks good and this model is quite a bit cheaper than its bigger brother.
Review by CNET.co.uk
While the first generation of DAB radios were bulky, dedicated receivers that were far from portable, companies such as PURE have been busy finding ways to pack DAB into increasingly small packages.
The PocketDAB 1500 is (drum roll) a pocket-sized DAB radio. Unlike the PocketDAB 2000, it does not have the ability to record live radio in MP3 format onto removable SD cards. It is however slightly smaller, cheaper and lighter. Although pocket-sized DABs are still bedevilled by reception problems, the 1500 is a welcome improvement. The 1500 moniker would suggest it sits neatly between the previously reviewed PocketDAB 1000 and 2000 models, which it does. So have pocket digital radios come of age, or would you be better off sticking with an iPod?
Review by GoDigital.co.uk
From the world leaders in DAB radio comes PocketDAB® 1500, the personal radio that looks and feels just as good as it sounds. With DAB and FM reception you can stay tuned-in almost anywhere and the in-unit rechargeable ChargePAK™ gives around 24 hours of uninterrupted DAB listening through class-leading Sennheiser in-ear headphones.
With up 55 DAB stations available in many areas, plus additional FM-only stations, you’ll be spoilt for listening choice. And you’re sure to enjoy DAB features like automatic tuning, station selection by name and scrolling text showing track titles, artists’ names and sports results. There’s even RDS for station name display and scrolling text on FM.
Expand your digital style of life with the DHH-200! With such a small size of 91.5 mm X 53.8 mm X 14.8 mm, it’s really easy to carry.
Connected to a computer, it is recognized by Windows Explorer as a removable storage device, enabling you to upload and download files easily.
You can sort saved files to folders of your choice. You can even select the music you want to play by searching them during playback.
There are 11 basic Equalizer settings (Normal, Rock, Jazz, Classic, Pop, Dance, R&B, Hip-hop, Blues, Ballad, Techno) and you can also customize equalization to suit your preference.
You can display the lyrics of your favorite songs streaming on the display. DHH-200 supports simple lyric function with the provided Lyric Manager. You may also edit lyrics if you wish.
The DHH-200 supports M3U function for both Winamp and Windows Media Player. Enjoy the music to your liking!
Watch, Alarm and Radio Advance-recording allow you to greet the new day with refreshing wake-up music (MP3, WMA and OGG) by setting the Alarm Time. DHH-200 is not just a simple digital music player! It is a multi-function device with many convenient features such as alarm, clock and image viewing capability. The built-in FM radio and FM recording features let you enjoy the radio program during your subway commute that you would have missed at night. What will amaze you is that you can activate all the above functions even in the power off.
The built-in high performance microphone lets you to use the DHH-200 as a professional voice recorder. The FM radio recording allows you to listen to saved radio programs repeatedly, and to save them to your PC. The Direct Encoding function lets you record from external sound sources such as a receiver, CD player, Walkman and other audio player with the simple touch of a button.
This product has High-Speed USB 2.0 interface at up to 40 Mbps transmission speed. You will enjoy the time saved by extremely fast data transfer.
When you turn off the player and turn it on later, it will resume play at the volume, EQ setting, and will continue the play-list previously enjoyed.
Review by PC World
The DHH-200 ($190 as of 7/21/06) is one of the smallest hard-drive players we’ve seen: It weighs just 3 ounces and is less than half an inch thick. But the sound quality is middle of the road, and the video playback leaves something to be desired.
The DHH-200 earned roughly average scores for audio quality–adding up to a Good overall rating. In the PC World Test Center’s new tests, the DHH-200’s best showing was in the measurement of total harmonic distortion, which the DHH-200 exhibited less of than most other players we tested. However, the player’s signal-to-noise ratio was substantially lower than that of many other players. The included earbuds produced reasonable fidelity, but they are on the large side, and they lack sufficient bass response. The FM radio also performed well, having no problem picking out signals that some other portable devices struggled to receive. You can record directly to the player’s 8GB hard drive from either the FM radio or the line input.
Review by Anything But iPod
MobiBLU, the people who brought us the Cube, is now bringing us an 8GB Microdrive based portable media player. It handles MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, JPEG, TXT, and PIX video file formats. While it doesn’t handle any of the major video file formats directly, the included transcoder will convert any video (XviD, DivX, MPEG, AVI, WMV, ect…) to the PIX video format. The video plays back on a bright 1.8” color LCD screen covered by scratch resistant plastic.
Those who like features will find that the DHH-200 packs in the necessities and some extras, such as FM radio, voice recording, line-in recording, lyric support, clock, alarm, and many others. All of this comes in a small, but not too small, form factor.