Sometimes the right tool is a heavily discounted consumer product
rather than an overpriced professional product. That may be the case
with the Archos AV420 Pocket Video Recorder. This 9.88-ounce device
offers video recording and playback via a built-in 3.5-inch LCD screen
and 20 GB hard drive. In this case, portable really does mean
portable-the AV420 can easily slip into a coat pocket (it’s 4.9 x 3.1 x
0.8 inches).

The 262,144-color LCD screen has a 320 x 240 resolution. That might
seem limited for video playback, but the AV420 can handle compressed
files up to a DVD-like 2.5 Mbps. The device reads MPEG-4 SP video with
either MP3 or ADPCM stereo sound and is compatible with recent DivX and
XviD codecs. In addition, you can record directly from any
composite-video or S-video source using the supplied adapter cable.

While my S-video recordings using the adapter cable were quite good, my
computer-based video conversions using DivX 5.2 were nearly flawless.
The results were sharp and surprisingly free of compression artifacts
when viewed on the internal screen. You can save your video in
resolutions as high as 704 x 480, which allows for higher-quality
playback when you attach the AV420 to a television or monitor. All the
AV connections are handled by an octopus-like adapter cable that
doubles as a device stand. Unfortunately, the adapter cable isn’t very
portable. A slimmed-down cable that provides only composite-video and
stereo-audio inputs is available for $19.95.

The removable lithium-ion battery lasts roughly four hours when playing
video or 12 hours when playing music (the screen blanks automatically).
Archos also sells an 80 GB version (the $799.95 AV480), which is
slightly larger and heavier and it doesn’t have a removable battery.
Expect a flood of similar video players to hit the market this year.
That could be a boon for video producers who need a pocket-sized video
playback device that can store hours of decent-quality video