Archos TV+ Review

Archos TV+ Review

Published October 20, 2008 at 04:08:29 PM, by Cory Williamson

Design and Features:
The Archos TV+ is full of great concepts and ideas, from the Wi-Fi connection to the content portal and downloadable video content. But as we commonly see with newer gadget markets, good concepts and ideas do not equal a great product. Archos has included some very good design features in the Archos TV+, starting with the sleek white case. The rear of the unit is pretty full fledged, it features normal inputs, as well as some hd-sourced inputs. The bigger option of course is the HDMI output tucked away in the corner. That streamlines a whole lot of wires for those who wish to do so. The front, is pretty clueless, offering only static color LED's to show status changes from red or green (working, not working) and an IR port hidden behind there somewhere. It's simple, yet, a little unflattering.

The bottom of the case features the four pedestal feet that give the unit lift to let the hard drive (noticeable) breath. We're betting that if you could figure out some know how, you could definately upgrade this unit from the stock 80gb it comes with...but that might be a different day, a different article.

It's slim enough to fit around most TV stands without getting in the way of other electronics like a DVD player or satellite receiver. Weighing in at less than 3 lbs I quickly placed it next to my receiver with one hand, and I was impressed with how easy it was to plug in and get started with the configuration. That's always a plus for a device that isn't commonly used as of yet.

However as I walked through the registration and started scoping out some of the features, it dawned on me why would the average consumer purchase a product like this? For file storage? For Wireless web browsing on your TV? I'll answer that question and more in the following paragraphs.

As I stated above, the case was the first standout feature I found, but the accompanying remote was a different story. While it was nice having a full QWERTY keyboard, It felt light and breakable, and the buttons were too small for my thumbs (which are really only slightly larger than average).

The mouse pad was decent, and I'm glad it was included on the remote instead of just a set up arrows on a directional pad. But again, it was confusing as to which buttons did what, and I had to refer to the user guide several times before I got it down. This could have been easily solved if they made the remote to look and perform similar to a television remote. In my experience, designing a product that consumers are already familiar with lessens the pain of a learning curve.

The user interface was tricky at first, but after you master the navigation, it was pretty straight forward. The first thing I noticed was the intuitive icons on the home screen.

Navigating around the video, music, and web features was easy since the icons were pretty obvious. I wasn't impressed with the interface quality, and the text in the web browser was almost unreadable. I found myself getting off the couch (heaven forbid) several times to read the text. I tested the device using standard composite, S-video, component and HDMI and the quality increased only a little (due to the fact that it only scales it to 576p, marginal increase over Component 480p)

Features
I asked the question earlier - Why would the average consumer purchase this product? And the answer is simple: DVR. If you don't already have a satellite or digital cable connection, this product is great for you. After you finally hassle through the registration, the Archos TV+ will provide you with the television program guide for your network stations. The guide is pretty functional, and it gives you several options to record, stop, or pause your live TV. At first, this makes the Archos TV+ a logical purchase for most people who don't want to pay a monthly charge through their satellite or digital cable provider. However, the problem is that the trend of television is moving towards digital broadcasting, lower fees for DVR service, and better support through a local company, rather than contacting Archos for every problem.

The Archos does have some advantages over its competitors, one of which is the fully featured Opera web browser. I found that switching between video, music, TV, and web was very easy. Everything can be controlled from your remote with one button, but again typing a URL using the remote can be hard on the eyes.

To top off the Archos TV+ feature package is the expandable add-ons and plug-ins. For additional fees, you can purchase the required plug-ins for premium video quality, Web TV, and Web radio. This would have been nice to include as a default, but for a device that costs less than an 80 GB iPod, they have to make money somehow. Also, this gives Archos some expandability with upgrades and future add-ons. Currently, you can download flash based games to play on your TV, but the video quality is a little below average.

Performance and Conclusion
The first thing I noticed on the Archos TV+ was the inclusion of a USB connection. It has two ports to connect to, via USB A or USB B. Once connected to your pc, it offers a peek inside the unit (after you install the drivers XP will ask you to do. This provides an easy way to transfer music and video files to your TV+. But, you have to enable this feature to utilize it as a normal "hard drive" - in which, it really isn't. It acts a networked "host" and allows you to copy, but not stream from the device.

Not a big deal, as it's basically connecting adhoc via USB, but still - a little tedious in nature. But understading they don't want to give you FULL access to the device, there's little ways around it and you'll get used to it I'm sure.

The music quality was great, but it really depends on the speakers you are using and the quality of the music tracks you are playing. My only complaint here was that scrolling through several thousand songs can be tedious, and the organization wasn't very helpful. Video playback was also very good, especially content that can be downloaded through the CinemaNow service. Just be ready to dish out some extra money for the additional plug-ins and video files.

However...even with those snazzy inputs...the resolution was scaled way back. It's true - it does not support TRUE-HD content or output,but rather it's scaling pixel count is only at:576p signal (even through HDMI), so it will refuse to play any video files that exceed this resolution. Nope, not a home run there as we were hoping to have at least a marginal increase of standard progressive signals...

Conclusion
This product is great for someone who doesn't require a ton of extra features, and who isn't bothered by a few extra fees here and there. I recommend a simpler solution for the more tech savvy customer buy an inexpensive computer tower with a TV tune, a wireless keyboard and mouse, install Windows XP Media Center Edition, and use S-video to connect it to your TV. This will give you a better graphics card, more than likely a larger hard drive, and also gives you the option to view videos, listen to music, and record your live TV. While the Archos TV+ does all of that with little effort, you might be better off opting for a more comfortable interface that you will find in Windows XP. For those people who don't care about a few hassles and fees, the Archos TV+ is the solution for you.

Bottom Line
The Archos TV+ is the best solution for a stand alone DVR device to date, but does a lackluster interface and confusing functionality provide a recipe for mediocrity? It's an end user preference, but we'd say this isn't a homerun, but it's may be a very nice addition to your home theater team if you can use it the way it's meant to be, and aren't expecting it to do everything.

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Technical Specifications

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