Archos AV700 Review

Archos’s latest device has twin digital tuners for watching and recording TV – a handheld first. Having two tuners doesn’t mean you can record one channel and watch another; they work concurrently to ensure a good signal when moving.

The 7in widescreen puts the iPod to shame although the 4-hour battery life does not. It’s much hungrier than the iPod too, and will lap up AVI, MPEG2/4 and WMV9.

You can slap up to 35hrs of pre-recorded telly onto the 40GB HDD or – subject to reception (best when stationary) – watch some live shows. As with most Archos products, you can also record directly from an external source as well as listen to oodles of tunes or watch picture slideshows. Or you can use it as a very expensive Freeview set-top box.