arc of a viewer

after a couple of weeks of usage, i'm turning in the verdict for the gift i got from my family, the Archos 705 Mobile DVR.

really, i just wanted something to watch my movies in a larger screen, during my commute. the iPhone doesn't cut it (not if i want to save whatever eyesight i have). this baby does a lot more, but it does the basics and does it well. for that alone, i'm giving it a thumbs up.

the interface isn't Apple, but its okay. you can use your finger or the accompanying stylus (note: the iPhone doesn't accept stylus input - booo!)

you have obvious icons for videos, music and photos. i doubt if i'm going to use this as a music player, since the iPod and iPhone are the proper unobtrusive devices to use for the mobile commuter (mobile = walking).

the video list shows a looping few second clip of each movie. so far, it played the files i asked it to, except a couple with some codec issues.

since this is basically a hard drive, you can also use it as a DVR. but you have to buy some extra hardware (naahhh).

and you also have the choice to watch your movies on the big screen (ehhhh).


plug it in the electrical outlet, and you can be a security guard who'll never be bored.



now, it would be two thumbs if a couple of things happened:

1) i get the browser plug-in without paying anything ... somebody heeeeeelp!!

2) longer battery life - although we can skirt this problem by not forgetting to charge every other day, i feel that they could've done better. i've had a couple of incidents where i thought i had enough juice, but it conked out on me. i thought the files were bad, or worse, the battery was. i think it gets drained a lot when it goes into a suspended state. battery power is still the bane of portable gadgets.


and as i expected, i managed to watch a lot more stuff in my commute than i do at home:

The Bank Job - superb, superb movie! i don't care what you say about Jason Statham, i'd watch anything he's in.
The Proposition - a way-dark Western, set in Australia. Guy Pearce must be choosing roles that gives him all the opportunities not to take a shower. i don't think he took a bath since Ravenous.
The Matador - Pierce Brosnan as the anti-Bond? The Thomas Crown Affair and After the Sunset still had the Bond aura about him, but films like this and The Tailor of Panama shows there's life after 007.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - on the road to sobriety, Iron Man and triumph, Robert Downey Jr made this inventive little crime noir-slash-comedy with the now-underrated Val Kilmer. peaches.
The Golden Compass - i never thought about this beyond an adventure yarn. actually bitin pala, and since it flopped (by their standards) i guess i won't see what happens next.
Untraceable - a stab (pardon the pun) at torture porn, but mostly candy-wrapped with the presence of Diane Lane. its also unbelievable.
Walk Hard (The Dewey Cox Story) - now this one made me laugh with its double-entendre-a-minute style. perennial supporting actor John C. Reilly finally shines, and now i have proof how hot Pam the Receptionist is.

so far i haven't dropped it yet, but the odds are substantial ... better have good hands.