Also in this issue:

• Celebrities
  Being Bill Murray
• Cigar Stars
  An Interview With Carlos Toraño
• Good Life Guide
  Model Trains
• Good Life Guide
  2005 Corvette
• Good Life Guide
  The Pocket Watch
• More from this Issue

The 'Pod and Beyond

Apple's iPod may have spawned a brave new world of portable digital entertainment, but the current frontiers far surpass simple MP3 players.

Steve Morgenstern
From the Print Edition:
Bill Murray, Nov/Dec 2004

Archos AV400 Pocket Video Recorder -- Truth be told, I haven't always been a fan of the fit and finish of Archos products, but this time the company has done itself proud, with a multimedia player that's sleek and satisfying. With built-in video recording, it's reasonably simple to capture your favorite shows, though setting up the infrared control for your cable or satellite box will be daunting for technophobes. The software and controls also lack the polish and simplicity of devices based on Windows Portable Media Center software, but the product is straightforward enough once you get the hang of it. And if you're a digital photographer, you'll love the ability to download photo files directly from your camera's memory card, providing a handsome way to review your pictures plus the opportunity to erase and reuse the card while traveling.
Two models: AV420, 20-gigabyte hard drive, 4.9" x 3.1" x 0.8", 9.88 oz., PC and Mac compatible, $550; AV480, 80-gigabyte hard drive, 4.9" x 3.1" x 1", 11.29 oz., PC and Mac compatible, $800 www.archos.com, 949-609-1483

Archos Gmini 400 -- Amazingly enough, Archos squeezed a player that handles music, photos and video, with a color LCD and a 20-gigabyte hard drive (that's up to 80 hours of video storage) in a device that's nearly inch-for-inch and ounce-for-ounce identical to the music-only iPod. Question is, do you really want one? The first maybe is the 2.2-inch screen -- crisp and bright, but less than half the size of a business card. The second maybe: unlike its big brother AV400 (which it otherwise resembles), the Gmini can't record on its own, meaning you'll have to capture video on your PC and go through the technically tricky process of converting it to the right format for the tiny screen. That said, this is the geek chic product of the year, with over five hours of video playback per charge, album-cover art displayed while listening to music and a built-in voice recorder. If you're a techie at heart, you'll gladly overcome the obstacles to make your friends' jaws drop.
20-gigabyte hard drive, 4.2" x 2.4" x 0.7", 5.64 oz., PC and Mac compatible, $400 www.archos.com, 949-609-1483

RCA Lyra RD2780 -- One of the first multimedia jukebox models to hit the streets (in December 2003), RCA's audio/video Lyra has held up fairly well, with regular software updates to eliminate some of the rough edges in the initial release. The screen quality is first-rate, the controls are easy to learn, and there's a convenient stand on the back to accommodate table-top viewing at a comfortable angle. The memory card slot is also a welcome feature, enabling digital photographers to view photos stored on Compact Flash cards. Video quality isn't quite up to par with the latest models, but you'd really have to view them side-by-side to notice the difference. Battery life is the real stumbling point, with real-world video playback at about 3 hours. On the other hand, the Lyra is now a great buy, with the price lowered to $400.
20-gigabyte hard drive, 3.13" x 5.37" x 0.95", 10.5 oz., PC and Mac compatible, $400 www.rca.com, 800-336-1900.

Steve Morgenstern writes frequently on technological topics for Cigar Aficionado.

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