Badri 'BAD JAG' Narayan

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Posted on 30-07-2010

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ARCHOS 43 Vision

ARCHOS has been around for some time now, and has established itself as a serious and quality player in the PMP market. It competed aggressively with Creative in the MP3 player space back in the late `90s, right up until the iPod came along and swept its rivals away. In recent months though, the company has been in the news for its ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet, a top-drawer device with a fabulous 5” screen and fantastic media quality, and 320GB of storage space. However, since the ARCHOS 5 is more portable computer and less media player, it'd be unfair to compare it to the devices mentioned here, so instead I'll take up the ARCHOS 43 Vision, an honest-to-goodness PMP that's hot off the assembly line.

The 43 Vision has a queer way of being spelt. The device's logo is represented with a big “4” and a small “3 vision”, but considering that it's French, we can let such idiosyncra

sies pass as being par for the course. In all other respects, it's a “common sense” player that like the X-Fi2 and X Series, prefers to let its performance speak for itself. It carries a 4.3-inch TFT LCD screen with a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels, and an aspect ratio of 16:9, second only to the COWON V5. It must be noted here though that since the Zune HD sports a similar pixel size in a smaller 3.3-inch screen, its pixel density, and hence quality, are superior to the 43 Vision's.

Comparing the 43 Vision to the X-Fi2 would make the most sense, since both are well-matched on several parameters. Interface-wise, both have simple UIs that are easy to catch, but the former's screen is far more responsive. On the topic of video formats, the X-Fi2 scores a point with its DivX support, which the 43 Vision lacks. However, the latter makes up for it by including FLV as well, which means you can play all those YouTube videos you've downloaded. On the audio side, the 43 Vision trumps again by recognizing the OGG and APE formats too, along with displaying lyrics using the LRC format. The story is repeated for pictures, with the 43 Vision's added support for GIFs, though this is admittedly a minor consideration.

When it comes to audio and earphones quality, the ARCHOS PMP does rank over both the Zune HD and iPod Touch, but is slightly inferior to both the X Series and the X-Fi2. The only audio enhancement available in the French player is a Sound Equalizer, which ensures that volume levels stay the same, even when you switch between songs recorded at different volume levels. However, while Creative's and Sony's offerings are heavily tilted towards providing a fantastic audio experience, ARCHOS' product sacrifices some of that to offer more balanced, high-quality audio and video playback.

Since the ARCHOS 5 has taken on the mantle of the “all-in-one” portable computer, the 43 Vision focuses solely on the PMP side of things, dropping all other features except for voice recording and speakers. However, it is difficult to understand why FM was given a miss too. More examples of the player not taking advantage of the latest technology lie in its inferior battery life, which is a measly 18 hours for audio and 6 hours for video. How then, despite lacking all these features, it manages to weigh in at a lumbering 280 g is beyond me. This is four times as heavy as the Zune, and nearly 50% heavier than the V5, which has a much bigger screen as well!

More French weirdness is manifested in the decision to make the player available in only an 8GB capacity. Thankfully, the up to 16GB microSD slot and freedom to drag-and-drop files make up for this somewhat. Perhaps higher capacity versions will be made available in the future. These are early days for the 43 Vision, as it was launched in May across France, while just making its presence felt in the UK at the end of June. Currently available for £100 (~Rs. 8,000), this is priced significantly above the X-Fi2, but is partially justified by its far superior video performance.

What We Like: A well-balanced, high-quality player that offers good audio and video playback, while being reasonably priced. Meant for the discerning user who prefers substance over style.

What We Dislike: Far heavier than what current-generation PMPs should be, and with far less battery life as well. The added hindrance of just 8GB of storage leads to the suspicion that it might be using outdated technology.

Rating: 7.5/10

Specifications:
Display: 4.3-inch TFT LCD touchscreen @ 480 x 272
TV Out: Yes
Video Support: MPEG4 AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG
Audio Support: MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, FLAC, APE, AAC, with lyrics (LRC)
Picture Support: JPG, BMP, GIF
Weight: 280 g
Dimensions: 4.41-inch x 2.87-inch x 0.39-inch
Battery Life: 18 hours audio, 6 hours video
Charging Method: USB
Buttons: PowerHold, Home
External Storage: microSD (max 16GB)
Features: Voice Recording, Speakers, Sound Equalizer

Price: 8GB - £100 (~Rs. 8,000).

Website: www.archos.com (UK site)

Conclusion
Here's a nice little table to sum things up. Choose wisely, little grasshopper!

Do also check out a complete feature comparison table, downloadable here [xls].