Mp3 player comparison

An All-In-One Music Player

The first Archos device we laid eyes on, a 10GB jukebox, impressed us with its capacity at the time. We expected the inevitable increase in storage space, but we didn't expect the Archos Jukebox Multimedia 20 ($399.95 list) to come fully loaded with a video player and a 20GB hard drive. Now you can carry up to 5,000 MP3s, 60,000 photos, or 100 hours of video playback.

The Jukebox Multimedia is basically a portable hard drive that connects to your PC or laptop through a USB port (an optional USB 2.0 module increases transfer speeds tenfold). Included Compact Flash and Smart Media modules let you use whichever media you prefer. There's also an optional 1.3-megapixel digital camera attachment, but its pictures are nothing to brag about.

At 237-by-234 pixels, the Jukebox Multimedia's display is small but not too shabby at retaining the integrity of videos. It's less than ideal for watching a long movie, though. Archos plans to increase the size of the LCD, which will be a welcome improvement.

Unfortunately, the video player supports only MPEG-4 files, which is disappointing, since many people still work with AVI and earlier MPEG formats. Bundled software lets you convert AVI files into MPEG-4. A lithium ion battery rated for 8 hours of playback powers the device.

You can listen to MP3s in your car by hooking the Jukebox up using the same kind of adapters you would to plug in a portable CD player. For home use, a composite-videoout jack and included cable let you play videos on your television.

The Jukebox Multimedia's sound quality was very good and its storage capacity impressive; 20GB is rare among MP3 players. Video capabilities make the player even more attractive. By comparison, the 20GB Apple iPod currently goes for $500with no video capabilities. Although the player is not a steal at $399.95, the price is certainly fair. The fact that it supports only MPEG-4 kept the Jukebox Multimedia from earning our highest rating, but otherwise this is an impressive device.