Messages

1

Archos forum / Noob Question Regarding Charging

« on: January 15, 2007, 04:51:29 pm »

1. When I plug the AV500 into the an outlet it starts up every time. Is that normal? Can I shut it off so that it only charges but stays off?

2. How much time does a full charge take? I've never seen my battery at 100% or the CHG LED fade in and out.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=151273\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

It looks as if what you are experiencing is almost normal.  

1.  Yes the AV500 starts when you plug in the charger. If you leave it for a while it should then switch itself off but continue charging. However, sometimes it doesn’t turn itself off, you can turn it off normally and it will continue charging.  If you don’t turn it off while it charges, you are unlikely to see it fully charge. Both LEDs will remain on.

2 It depends how low the battery charge was.  Just leave it plugged in and switched off, be patient. While it is charging the green "ON' and the "CHG" LEDs will both remain glowing. When the battery is fully charged the far left "ON' led will remain glowing, but the "CHG" LED should flash on and off.  You can then unplug your charger.

Motto:  If all else fails, read the instructions.... If it still doesn't work then you have a genuine ARCHOS product.

Important information! If you contact the ARCHOS help line, don't hold your breath while you wait for a useful reply.  Keep taking the Prozac, take up meditation and practice yoga in order to remain calm; next time buy a Samsung product.

2

Archos forum / Av500

« on: January 02, 2007, 07:01:29 am »

Aloha12.  I am sorry to hear of your mishap, it is a hard lesson to learn but you really needed to protect it in a better case like the leather ones and then stick broad soft faced Velcro to the inside of the case front flap soft side facing and cut to the size of the screen. Still that’s advice for others.  As far as your help is concerned I am very much afraid that you can expect nothing from Archos.  Their Customer Service rating is below zero as they simply don't seem to exist in any meaningful way.  Archos HQ is in Paris France, so am I but it didn’t help me. Archos just want you to buy and get lost.

You should write a serious letter to their CEO. He may even see it, but in keeping with his Archos business practices he doesn't reply.

ARCHOS SA
Henri Crohas, P-DG
12 rue Ampère,
91430 Igny
France

As for mending your AV 500, you will need an Archos preformatted disk. If you have a 30 gig disk you can’t replace it with a larger one.  –  Is it really the disk that has broken?  (are you sure it’s not the screen?   Contact “NewMP3Technology” you’ll find them at

 https://www.newmp3technology.com/products.php?cat=42

sales@newmp3technology.com

support@newmp3technology.com

Be careful, if you are critical of Archos in any way they will black list you as they did me.
 

3

Archos forum / Stupid Mistake

« on: December 12, 2006, 05:55:22 am »

So, I stupidly used the wrong charger to charge my Archos 420.  After about 1 hour I picked it up and it was really hot.  I immediately unplugged it and left it alone until it cooled down.  Later, I noticed the battery wouldn't charge.  I thought I might have burnt out the battery and picked up a new one on ebay.  I plugged itin and the charge indicator showed it charging.  But after a few hours, it still didnt hold a charge.  Did I totally screw my Archos up?  Any way to fix it without sending it to the apparently crappy customer service?  Did I fry the charging circuits?  And if I did, why would it show it charging?

Thanks so much in advance.
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Bad luck morrissey, it's not that Archos' customer service is crappy - it simply doesn't exist.  Could the battery you picked up on ebay be a dud? It may not charge but will your archos run with the correct charger plugged in?

I sold one of my AV 500 players, I like the other one even with it's deadly 16x9 fault, what a strange company - a genius in there somewhere surrounded by completely dud management.  I would never buy another Archos product simply because of their attitude problem.

4

Archos forum / Archos Av500 Strange 16 By 9 Aspect Ratio

« on: October 28, 2006, 04:01:02 pm »

Hi All

Just to keep you posted I returned my AV500 to dixons even though it was beyond their money back period  I cited the sale of goods act as the product would not support 16by9 and to be honest the sales staff diddnt seem too surprised.

I was assured by Arcos UK that the new 604 had cured our aspect ratio problems and so I managed to grab one cheap from ebay about a month ago.

Archos have made a slightly backward step by forcing customers to buy various docks, and this has slowed me down also as I've had to wait for the travel dock to become available.

I've been playing tonight as the dock finally arrived and the new Archos is a fantastic piece of kit.  The screen is larger and perfect for our purposes, and the keys and menus are far better.

Only one snag...

Yup, you guessed it... Archos 16 by 9  is cropped and distorted.

Once again the 604 loses about 10% of data from both top and bottom of screen, then for some reason stretches the remaining picture back vertically in order to fit the archos screen.

I tried recording a DVD tonight and their version of 2.35:1 has even worse problems... a huge amount of the image is lost from top and bottom anf the picture is then stretched back to an approximate 2.35:1 giving that now familiar hall of mirrors effect.

Had a go at recording Gladiator in both formats and chubby old Russell Crowe not only looks emaciated but also has no hair or chin in his close ups!

The only way to use this device without affecting the original framing is to record in 4x3.  I had hoped to then display in 16 by 9 but again the Archos software lopps off the top and bottom of frame and displays a distorted image.

I cant tell what happens if the Archos recording is displayed on a TV as Archos have been very cunning, the travel dock is input only... no AV out (which you dont find out till you buy one) and I'll be damned is I'm forking out for the full AV dock until I really need it.

This is all Veeeeery frustrating as the 406 is otherwise a beautiful piece of kit.  They've cured the tiny record window problem and made the graphics optional, you see a full size image of the AV source as soon as it is plugged in. 

Once you tweek the power saving options to keep the backlight on it is far better than the predecessorsand as long as you stick to 4x3 it is quite servicable as a mini colour viewfinder.

I will probobly keep this one, and use it as a 4x3 recorder, 16x9 may also be usable for film as around 20% of headroom is generally outside the ground glass and ignored.

I am posting this message on the forum in the hope that the boffins at Archos will see the errors of their ways and maybe produce a firmware update to give full frame and un-distorted aspect ratios.

It is quite ludicrous that Archos continue to advertise 16 by 9 ratios when the DVR's clearly cannot support the ratio without slicing off chunks of the picture. 

Even if used for more domestic purposes it is unlikely that the 604 will be used to record 'Richard and Judy'  It is more likely to be used by movie buffs who will be similarly disappointed by the distorted images.

Come on Archos, please sort yourselves out and fix this software!
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=143594\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

I don't think there is a chance Stedi
[span style=\'font-size:14pt;line-height:100%\']
I  Wrote to Henri Crohas (Archos CEO) Sept 26th - So far no reply. ....6th October.... Still no reply .......  17th October .... still no reply.
[/span]
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=144197\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

[span style=\'font-size:14pt;line-height:100%\']Wrote to Henri Crohas (Archos CEO) Sept 26th - So far no reply..... 6th October.... Still no reply....... 27th October ?  No, nothing in the way of a reply so far.

    Ah! A firmware update... 1.5.13 ..... YES.....at last! ...... Hang on..does it address the ghastly AV500 and AV604 16x9 record problems ? Are we joking?  No of course it doesn't.[/color]

[span style=\'font-size:14pt;line-height:100%\']Henri my son, what do you think we are? You don't care do you?  Why don't you get yourself equipped with a Customer Service department at ARCHOS?  A will to look after customers? If you can't afford to employ a secretary why not learn to write yourself?  Reply in French or German if that helps, I'll translate it for you.  
23rd November 2006 and Still no reply from anyone at Archos[/span][/span]

5

Archos forum / Archos Av500 Strange 16 By 9 Aspect Ratio

« on: October 17, 2006, 01:02:43 pm »

Hi All

Just to keep you posted I returned my AV500 to dixons even though it was beyond their money back period  I cited the sale of goods act as the product would not support 16by9 and to be honest the sales staff diddnt seem too surprised.

I was assured by Arcos UK that the new 604 had cured our aspect ratio problems and so I managed to grab one cheap from ebay about a month ago.

Archos have made a slightly backward step by forcing customers to buy various docks, and this has slowed me down also as I've had to wait for the travel dock to become available.

I've been playing tonight as the dock finally arrived and the new Archos is a fantastic piece of kit.  The screen is larger and perfect for our purposes, and the keys and menus are far better.

Only one snag...

Yup, you guessed it... Archos 16 by 9  is cropped and distorted.

Once again the 604 loses about 10% of data from both top and bottom of screen, then for some reason stretches the remaining picture back vertically in order to fit the archos screen.

I tried recording a DVD tonight and their version of 2.35:1 has even worse problems... a huge amount of the image is lost from top and bottom anf the picture is then stretched back to an approximate 2.35:1 giving that now familiar hall of mirrors effect.

Had a go at recording Gladiator in both formats and chubby old Russell Crowe not only looks emaciated but also has no hair or chin in his close ups!

The only way to use this device without affecting the original framing is to record in 4x3.  I had hoped to then display in 16 by 9 but again the Archos software lopps off the top and bottom of frame and displays a distorted image.

I cant tell what happens if the Archos recording is displayed on a TV as Archos have been very cunning, the travel dock is input only... no AV out (which you dont find out till you buy one) and I'll be damned is I'm forking out for the full AV dock until I really need it.

This is all Veeeeery frustrating as the 406 is otherwise a beautiful piece of kit.  They've cured the tiny record window problem and made the graphics optional, you see a full size image of the AV source as soon as it is plugged in. 

Once you tweek the power saving options to keep the backlight on it is far better than the predecessorsand as long as you stick to 4x3 it is quite servicable as a mini colour viewfinder.

I will probobly keep this one, and use it as a 4x3 recorder, 16x9 may also be usable for film as around 20% of headroom is generally outside the ground glass and ignored.

I am posting this message on the forum in the hope that the boffins at Archos will see the errors of their ways and maybe produce a firmware update to give full frame and un-distorted aspect ratios.

It is quite ludicrous that Archos continue to advertise 16 by 9 ratios when the DVR's clearly cannot support the ratio without slicing off chunks of the picture. 

Even if used for more domestic purposes it is unlikely that the 604 will be used to record 'Richard and Judy'  It is more likely to be used by movie buffs who will be similarly disappointed by the distorted images.

Come on Archos, please sort yourselves out and fix this software!
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=143594\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

I don't think there is a chance Stedi
[span style=\'font-size:14pt;line-height:100%\']
I  Wrote to Henri Crohas (Archos CEO) Sept 26th - So far no reply. ....6th October.... Still no reply .......  17th October .... still no reply.
[/span]

6

Archos forum / Archos Minicam

« on: October 11, 2006, 06:16:21 pm »

I purchased two Archos minicams and AV500’s in Jan. 06 and both units produced a ticking sound every second on the audio track from the camera. Since that time, I have been hounding Archos customer service to exchange the two units. Today is 10/10/06 and I just got off the phone with customer service. They finally stated today, the minicam will no longer be sold on their website, the minicam is discontinued for good. They have dropped the minicam units and will no longer manufacture them.

  I can't believe they would drop the minicam from the lineup, bad call on their part.  I also tried to purchase two 80GB 504 units and those are on backorder, they have no idea when they will come in. It seems they are putting the cart before the horse in many situations. They really need to become organized if they want to be competitive in today’s market.
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I very much regret that this comes as no surprise at all to several of us Bigfoot. I'm landed with 2 Archos AV530s that don't do what they describe in the manual. They are now just pretty, but very expensive toys. No they don't reply - even at CEO level.  Personally I would never trust Archos again, I fully expect them to go out of business sooner rather than later.

7

Archos forum / Av500 + Digital Mini-cam

« on: October 11, 2006, 06:06:53 pm »

Hi all,

Firstly, impressive forum you guys have here - friendly, helpful and people post as if they were smiling - Kudos

Anyhoo, I have a question for you about the combination of the Archos AV500 and the Archos Digital Mini-Cam.  I run a film company and am looking for light-weight, compact cameras for action-shots (imagine the sort of shots you see from inside cars on Top Gear or motor racing coverage on TV - that sort of thing).

Now a friend turned me on to the Archos devices but neither he nor I have ever owned one.  Does anyone here actually have the AV500 and Mini-Cam and can they give me a good idea of what the best quality captured footage looks like using this setup?  Is it as good as a standard video-camera?  Better?  Worse?  What is the colour-balance like?

We'll be looking to get a few of these so it could be a costly mistake if it's not up to the job.  The quality doesn't need to be "broadcast" quality, but it does need to be good.

Any help or information would be very much appreciated.  If anyone actually has a clip or two recorded with this setup, I'd love to see it.

Many thanks in advance.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=117237\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Don't do it, there are serious problems with Archos as a company- they no longer reply to customers. Their otherwise great kit is seriously dud in key respects - (see other positngs here)

Archos customer service?    0/10 - yes, that bad.

8

Archos forum / Av 560

« on: October 06, 2006, 12:56:42 pm »

Hi, can someone please recommend a FREE program to convert..... At the moment I really can't afford to purchase the genuine version.
Thanks.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=143321\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Tommo, I've just been loading DVDs into my AV 500 as usual without problems.  I use DVD Decrypter to make a file of the movie and then  PocketDivXEncoder_0.3.60 to encode for my Archos. This is an excellent program; I find that even if I increase the video and audio quality to 199 and 9 the files don’t take up that much space. I also find that audio level + 25 and brightness level + 12 work well on my two AV 500s. Click on Advanced Options in PocketDivXEncoder and you can choose settings for your device (Archos AV500).

I chose to "Upgrade to Lathe" and pay for this, but it was a mistake. I find PocketDivXEncoder does the job perfectly and is less of a problem than Lathe which seems to be the same program in a different skin.

Once I have made these -Archos.wmv files I copy them to my 'feature film' file on the Archos and a backup on an external 2.5 drive and then delete the whole process from my desktop as it uses a lot of space.

This way I have a copy of the films ready to load from my external drive as wanted, and keep the films on the Archos down to 4 or 5 at a time.

I have found it possible to defrag the AV500’s and while I see that it isn’t recommended, I haven’t had a problem yet.

Hope this helps

9

Archos forum / Archos Av500 Strange 16 By 9 Aspect Ratio

« on: October 02, 2006, 06:26:19 pm »

[span style=\'font-size:14pt;line-height:100%\']Wrote to Henri Crohas (Archos CEO) Sept 26th - So far no reply.  6th October.... Still no reply
[/span]

[span style=\'font-size:14pt;line-height:100%\']ARCHOS SA
Henri Crohas, P-DG
12 rue Ampère,
91430 Igny
France[/span]

           26/9/06
Dear Mr Crohas,
Archos AV 500 30 Gig numbers F053706531 and F05403697
I purchased both these AV 500 player recorders at FNAC Les Halles Paris in May 2006 for my professional work. I understood that they would support an Archos camera - that was withdrawn from the market; I also understood from your own specifications that the Archos AV 500 recorded and supported the 16x9 format. It does not record or display 16x9 format video.
Several of us in Broadcast television have been waiting for a firmware fix to this factory fault. It has not come, your last firmware release was 1.5.12  since then ARCHOS SA appears to have lost interest in its product and its customers.  Your customer support is as you must know, catastrophically bad, you have done what you can to avoid publishing your address.  On several occasions I have asked for email support information, but I have never had a reply.
I called your help line and was told that I should record video in 4x3 format because 16x9 on an AV 500 doesn’t work. I told them that as a broadcast cameraman it is my clients who stipulate the format, not Archos. I asked if Archos planned to release a firmware fix for this 16x9 format fault and they didn’t know. I asked if it was likely to be fixed and they said “No”.
I congratulate you on the product’s design, which is generally good. I know there have been problems but serious companies (who wish to develop a client base) usually learn the obvious lesson that they have to fix faults and look after clients’ genuine queries.

The simple truth is that you are of course a French company and as anybody who has spent any time at all in France knows to their cost, French after sales service is stunningly bad, almost non existent. Service generally is quite often insulting. As a P-DG can you tell me how a country that manages great innovative design seems incapable of offering service or repair? All my camera and broadcast equipment is necessarily repaired abroad. I have learned the hard way not to trust French Engineers to get it right, to misdiagnose, lose parts or simply cheat on repairs.
ARCHOS SA is discussed on the internet in the most derogatory terms. Does Archos SA have to take such little care? What do you intend to do to rectify this? Can you tell those of your clients who appear to have misplaced their trust in an ARCHOS SA firmware fix, that you will produce one very soon?

Yours sincerely
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10

Archos forum / Archos Av500 Strange 16 By 9 Aspect Ratio

« on: September 26, 2006, 01:17:55 pm »

ARCHOS SA
Henri Crohas, P-DG
12 rue Ampère,
91430 Igny
France

                           26/9/06
Dear Mr Crohas,
Archos AV 500 30 Gig numbers F053706531 and F05403697
I purchased both these AV 500 player recorders at FNAC Les Halles Paris in May 2006 for my professional work. I understood that they would support an Archos camera - that was withdrawn from the market; I also understood from your own specifications that the Archos AV 500 recorded and supported the 16x9 format. It does not record or display 16x9 format video.
Several of us in Broadcast television have been waiting for a firmware fix to this factory fault. It has not come, your last firmware release was 1.5.12  since then ARCHOS SA appears to have lost interest in its product and its customers.  Your customer support is as you must know, catastrophically bad, you have done what you can to avoid publishing your address.  On several occasions I have asked for email support information, but I have never had a reply.
I called your help line and was told that I should record video in 4x3 format because 16x9 on an AV 500 doesn’t work. I told them that as a broadcast cameraman it is my clients who stipulate the format, not Archos. I asked if Archos planned to release a firmware fix for this 16x9 format fault and they didn’t know. I asked if it was likely to be fixed and they said “No”.
I congratulate you on the product’s design, which is generally good. I know there have been problems but serious companies (who wish to develop a client base) usually learn the obvious lesson that they have to fix faults and look after clients’ genuine queries.

The simple truth is that you are of course a French company and as anybody who has spent any time at all in France knows to their cost, French after sales service is stunningly bad, almost non existent. Service generally is quite often insulting. As a P-DG can you tell me how a country that manages great innovative design seems incapable of offering service or repair? All my camera and broadcast equipment is necessarily repaired abroad. I have learned the hard way not to trust French Engineers to get it right, to misdiagnose, lose parts or simply cheat on repairs.
ARCHOS SA is discussed on the internet in the most derogatory terms. Does Archos SA have to take such little care? What do you intend to do to rectify this? Can you tell those of your clients who appear to have misplaced their trust in an ARCHOS SA firmware fix, that you will produce one very soon?

Yours sincerely

11

Archos forum / Archos Av500 Strange 16 By 9 Aspect Ratio

« on: August 30, 2006, 10:59:29 am »

Not good news for Archos AV 500 owners, especially any serious cameraman out there.

Having emailed ARCHOS support several times about this 16x9 problem and received not one reply, I phoned the Archos UK Hot-line (in Holland I think) and spoke to a nice Dutchman called Barry Danwichers.

I very carefully explained that in the 16x9 video record mode, the image shown during recording is false in that what you see on the Archos is severely cropped at the top of frame and squeezed. i,e. dangerously useless to use as a monitor as your framing will be well out.  No use as an Archos recorded 16x9 image because it bares no relation to a 16x9 format image and is squeezed.

Steadi is right, he has the same problem.  NewMp3Technology identified it as a probable Firmware error and suggested that we get together and badger Archos for a Firmware fix, otherwise, they said Archos will do nothing.

Having seen that the new 604, is coming out I feared that Archos would "Drop" any plans to update the AV 500 firmware beyond 5.12.   While speaking to Barry Danwichers at Archos technical support today, he checked on this 16x9 problem and came back to tell me that despite the 16x9 mode offered in the record menu, it doesn't work, that their advice is to only record in 4x3.  He confirmed that ARCHOS has no interest in fixing this.

I am duly returning both my Archos AV 500 30 gigs as: (these words are carefully chosen for their legal meaning and weight).

"Despite my best efforts to resolve this factory fault with Archos I am informed by the Archos Technical Department that they know that the Archos AV 500 series will always fail to deliver on the 16x9 format.  Consequently I am returning both units as unfit for the purpose for which they were sold."

Yup

Have tried everything... brilliant piece of kit but totally useless to me!

Mike, NewMp3Technology suggest that those of us with true 16X9 framing requirements get together and badger Archos into fixing the problem in their next Firmware release.  They said that we'll have to get our teath stuck in as Archos are indated with requests and as we know Archos has a useless customer service.
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12

Archos forum / Archos Av500 Strange 16 By 9 Aspect Ratio

« on: August 23, 2006, 09:07:44 am »

Yup

Have tried everything... brilliant piece of kit but totally useless to me!

Mike, NewMp3Technology suggest that those of us with true 16X9 framing requirements get together and badger Archos into fixing the problem in their next Firmware release.  They said that we'll have to get our teath stuck in as Archos are indated with requests and as we know Archos has a useless customer service.

13

Archos forum / Mobile Clone Dvd Upgrade

« on: August 17, 2006, 01:27:53 pm »

received an email from Slysoft today.  Looks like they have an upgrade available for Mobile Cloned DVD that addresses the issue with .avi file for Archos products; "- Fix: .avi files bigger than 1 GByte were not played correctly
  by a lot of mobile devices, like Creative Labs ZEN Vision or
  all Archos devices"

Will test out when I get my unit back from return!

Tim
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=138912\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Dear Tim,

Thanks for that information, I'll be very interested to hear more. I do find the Archos AV 500 a mind boggling piece of kit really.  My only disappointments are that for some reason it can't cope with true 16x9 video input from a camera - when played back it's" squeezed" and that it would make a seriously good monitor if only the framing were right.

I look forward to hearing from you

Stuart

14

Archos forum / Archos Av500 Strange 16 By 9 Aspect Ratio

« on: August 17, 2006, 06:35:46 am »

Yup

Have tried everything... brilliant piece of kit but totally useless to me!

Anyone want to buy an archos with about 3 hours runtime?

Mike

[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=138775\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]
[/quote]


Contact me by email, I do know someone in 4x3 land who might buy it from you.

15

Archos forum / Navigation Buttons

« on: August 17, 2006, 06:33:04 am »

Finally giving up my AV500 for sometime to get the naviagtion button fixed.  Boy, it was hard shipping it away today.  I will post the turn around time for repairs.  Archos claims 10 business days from the day the receive it.  I sent it Fedex ground ($8 with insurance) instead of overnight as it would have been $50 plus.  Hopefully I will have it back within 3 weeks.  Already miss it. :-(
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=138873\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

ARCHOS make a wonderful product but should be shot for their dreadful customer service.