Archos 500856 DVR Docking Station Review
The Archos 500856 DVR Docking Station is an absolute must have feature for your Archos media player. It comes out of the box ready to work with several of the Archos models, i.e., Archos 404, Archos 504, and the Archos 604. With your Archos media player and the Archos 500856 DVR Docking Station, your home becomes a complete media theatre.
This docking station works with all your media components and technology. It comes with cables, inputs, and outputs to work with the Archos player and your TV, but it also has a USB ports. This makes it a complete media hub. One of the USB ports is a Mass Storage Class (MSC) and the other is a Picture Transport Protocol (PTP). With both of these ports, you have the ability to hook up a separate camera or USB drive to share pictures, video clips, or audio files between your Archos player, your computer, and your television. Like I said, it is a hub for all your media technology that is USB compatible, not just your Archos media player; however, you will always need to have the Archos player docked in order to use a separate camera or portable hard drive because the Archos player's navigation screen is what's used to access the other devices.
The Archos DVR docking station connects directly to your TV or other tuning device so you can record your favorite television shows, movies, game shows or sporting events. These programs can then be taken with you where ever you go, or you can do the opposite. You can download and import media from your PC to your Archos player and watch it on your television. The Archos DVR docking station records and transmits near-DVD-quality content in 720x480 resolution, so although the picture looks good, be aware that it arrives in 4:3 format and not widescreen 16:9.
Within five minutes of having the Archos 500856 DVR docking station completely unpacked, you can have it connected to your home theater setup and playing video files on your television. It’s just a matter of inserting the station “between” your DVD player or VCR and your television in your cable connection setup by using the inputs/outputs for component video or S-Video cables. Even if your home theater components aren't the same, you will be extremely surprised at how easy it is get the Archos docking station fully integrated and functional with your home theater system.
All you have to do is take the "saddle" that's included with your compatible Archos portable media player and lock it onto the dock. Then plug the player into the docking station. For input connections, this docking station features an analog stereo audio input, both a composite and an S-video input, inputs for both A and miniB USB connectors, an IR remote control, a serial port, and a DC power input. For output connections, this docking station has both an analog stereo and a SPDIF audio output for 5.1 channel surround sound (you must download an MPEG-2 software plugin to your Archos player to use this feature), a component video output, an S-Video output, an RGB (S), and a YPrPb video output, and an AV switch output. There's a ton of versatility here for a product that is just over 6 inches across.
You will navigate the docking station by means of the Archos player's regular menu which is a Windows-style desktop of icons for the player's various functions with the option of browsing the hard drive's directory structure directly. This can be done using either the player's own buttons situated vertically down the right side of the player, or you can use the remote control included with the docking station. You can also either navigate on the player's own screen, by hitting the "LCD/TV" button on the side of the Archos player, or navigate the same menus on your television.
The remote control is extremely intuitive. It is very easy to navigate for files, play video, change playback formats, or anything else. The remote is definitely a benefit to the Archos 50086 DVR docking station.
The Archos 500856 DVR docking station is an absolute much have accessory for your Archos media player. The Archos DVR Docking Station will add an overwhelming amount of functionality to an already-compelling piece of convergence hardware. The DVR station gets two thumbs up because it is incredibly easy to use, takes up very little space, and is easy to integrate into simple or complicated home theater setups. By adding digital video recording as well as home theater playback of digital music and video files to a device that's already a camera, camcorder, voice recorder, and portable media player; you will truly have a complete digital media solution.
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