Archos Gmini 500 40GB – Think Smaller
Archos is a French consumer electronics company that manufactures portable media players and portable storage devices. The Archos Gmini series was introduced in the year 2004 with the Archos Gmini 400. The 400 had LCD display along with photo, audio and video playback capabilities. The Gmini 402 replaced 400 that featured the ‘play for sure’ compatibility. The Gmini 500 was released just after Archos AV500, though the AV500 was a higher end player. The following review is on the Archos Gmini 500 40GB MP4 player.
Design:
The Gmini 500 from Archos has the exact design of the Archos AV500, by having the similar casing and control layout. It was one of the smallest media players in the market during that period, possessing its dimensions as, 76 x 124 x 24mm ( W x H x D)and weighing 315 grams. The heaviness of this portable player can be compromised if you intend to watch good quality videos on the go. Though you might get the feel that is bigger than any mobile or the other MP3 players, it is one of the players that has a good sized screen that is apt for a good video watching experience.
Dominant display:
This Archos Gmini 500 40GB MP3/MP4 player posses a big 4” LCD display with a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels, which is bright as well as colourful with great contrast levels and accuracy. The angle of acceptance is also high which means not necessarily you have to be right in the front of the display as is the case of even some of the hi-end devices. The large display takes up most of the part of the screen with only little space for the controls towards the right.
User-friendly interface:
The interface is also very similar to that of its predecessors. The menu options are very clear and extremely easy to navigate. The controls are placed logically and are intuitive too. The layout of the media gallery is similar to that of the windows media player and so you will not find it hard to use it by any means.
Play for sure:
Archos has employed the “play for sure” feature in Gmini 500 too, which is nothing but a simple configuration system that is used to sync your entire library or a part of it in to your portable device. Loading your files to the Archos MP4 player can be done very quickly via the USB2.0 port.
Capacity and formats supported:
The Archos Gmini 500 Portable MP4 Player, as the name indicates, has a 40GB hard drive that gives you 20,000 music tracks or 160 hours of compressed video files. It supports a reasonable range of formats that include MP3, WMA, WAV, MPEG-4 SP, DivX, AVI and WMV9. This model is also available in 30GB hard drive.
The Gmini 500 is compatible with both the windows and Mac operating systems, but the lack of support for Quick time and ACC makes its usage quite limited for the Mac users.
The photo wallet:
The photo wallet feature displays your images as thumbnails and by clicking over them, you can have a full screen view. You can connect the USB host of the device to any of the digital camera and have all the images copied onto the Gmini 500 Digital Video Player. Here, it can act as a basic photo editor. This feature can especially prove to be very useful when you go on a holiday because, in that way, you will be able to view the images in a larger screen and also clear your camera memory cards for further usage. The images can also be formed as a slideshow and given a musical background.
Video quality:
Coming to the performance of the Archos Gmini 500 MP3-MP4 Player , the video quality is stunning on the bright 4” LCD display. But, it is not the same case when it comes to the quality of the audio. The audio form the in-built speaker is awful, anything above 50% of the volume sounded dreadful. You can have a little relief if you use a head phone, the audio quality then, improves slightly with the signs of distortion still available. Distortion can be experienced especially in high volumes and also in tracks that are rich in bass. This is not much noticeable while playing movies, but Gmini’s audio performance as a MP3 player fails. Archos Gmini 500 MP4 player plays the WM9 and MPEG4 formats without any issues and is a treat to watch in its display. But the player did encounter problems in playing the AVI files that are encoded using the pinnacle tools. The reason might be the proprietary headers wrapped around the MPEG-2 video by the various encoders.
Audio performance:
Audio recording is also possible in this MP4 player. It records audio as WMA files either through the in line in the optional adaptor or via the built-in microphone. You will also be able to get the AV output in your TV. The AVI playback in full PAL resolution was certainly watchable with good picture quality, but the WM9 files suffered from heavy compression and does not look as good as it seemed to be in their reduced resolution.
The audio quality is decent through the supplied head sets, but it can be much improved if you get some hi-end head set. The maximum volume is at a safe level for your ears, even with long periods of listening.
Battery life and package contents:
Battery life is the most important factor in MP4 players, as you cannot be boasting over the big screen and high quality video, if the battery is going to shut down even before you finish watching a movie. Archos Gmini 500 40GB however has an impressive battery life of 5 hours of video and about 15 hours of audio which is certainly good. This value is particularly good, taking into consideration the fast high power processor and the big display. The battery is user replaceable.
The package contents of the player includes, a carry pouch, AV cables and adaptor, USB cables and AC charger.
Verdict:
The Archos Gmini 500 is a commanding media player with good audio and video quality. The price of the player is up to the features and performance and hence is affordable. The player is good value for money and is a good companion for those who want to have a good audio, video and photo playback. We certainly recommend the player.
Warranty: Archos offers Gmini 500, one year limited warranty.
Check other Archos MP4 Media Players, Latest MP4 Players in our website.
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Specification Details of Archos Gmini 500 40GB MP4 Player
| Manufacturer | Archos |
| Model Name | Archos Gmini 500 |
| Media Player Type | MP4 |
| Dimensions ( W x H x D) | 76 x 124 x 24mm |
| Weight | 315 grams |
| Display | 4″ LCD display |
| Display resolution | 720 x 480 pixels |
| Backlight | Yes |
| Body | Aluminium |
| Colours available | Black |
| Memory Capacity | 40GB |
| Supported audio standards | MP3, WMA, WAV |
| FM radio | No |
| ID3 tags support | Yes |
| Recording feature | Yes |
| Supported image formats | JPEG |
| Headphone type | 3.5 mm |
| Operating system | Windows, Mac |
| Battery type | Lithium ion |
| Battery life | Audio: 15hours Video: 5 hours |
| Charging time | Two hours |
| Included cable | USB |
| Accessories included | Earphones Bluetooth earphones- DR-BT21G AC adaptor Stand |
| Warranty | One year |
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