Archos HD Rumors?

[mrhoni]

Anyone know of any rumors of the Archos products going to allow convert and transfer of HD material from DVR to the Archos?

Over time more recordings are in HD. At some point I'll have nothing to be able to transfer since all the shows will end up being recorded in HD.

 

[TheKrell]

IIRC the Archos Media Tablets can only handle 720p, while Dish transmits (and records) in 1080i. This means we have a resolution mismatch, and something (Dish receiver or Archos) would have to transcode HD video. I have grave doubts that either company would add such a compute-intensive feature. The Archos Media Tablets retain the recording capabilities of earlier players, but alas it's only 640X480.

Just checked on the Archos specs, and I remembered correctly. Maybe somebody will come on here and tell me I'm full of it on the Dish 1080i...

 

[JohnL]

IIRC the Archos Media Tablets can only handle 720p, while Dish transmits (and records) in 1080i. This means we have a resolution mismatch, and something (Dish receiver or Archos) would have to transcode HD video. I have grave doubts that either company would add such a compute-intensive feature. The Archos Media Tablets retain the recording capabilities of earlier players, but alas it's only 640X480.

Just checked on the Archos specs, and I remembered correctly. Maybe somebody will come on here and tell me I'm full of it on the Dish 1080i...

TheKrell,

Actually Dish's HD DVR records what ever native resolution the channel owners transmit their signal as. Most HD content is 1080i, some is 720p, again this is determined by the channels owner. The HD DVR has two settings either 1080i or 720p if you set your HD DVR to 720p then the DVR will only output 720p, if a particular channel is 1080i then the DVR will scale to 720p, and visa versa.

John

 

[TheKrell]

Most HD content is 1080i, some is 720p, again this is determined by the channels owner.

Aha! Are these channels listed somewhere with their resolutions? If there is a lot of 720p material, then the Archos Internet Media Tablets should in principle be able to play them.

 

[Cyclone]

For the most part, networks that are owned by Fox, Disney, or A&E are 720p, the rest are usually 1080. I'm sure there are lists out there.

 

[PATECO]

I think the problem is HD is Mpeg4 and Archos is Mpeg 2 that is why pocket dish won't work easter arc.

 

[tigerfan33]

I think the problem is HD is Mpeg4 and Archos is Mpeg 2 that is why pocket dish won't work easter arc.

If that is the case the Archos will no longer work within a year or two as Dish is ridding themselves of MPEG2 boxes.

 

[TheKrell]

I think the problem is HD is Mpeg4 and Archos is Mpeg 2 that is why pocket dish won't work easter arc.

That is not correct. Archos media players for as long as I remember have been mpeg-4 devices. They record in this mode as well. You have to spring for the Cinema Plug-in to activate mpeg-2 (and DD) decoding. You are possibly thinking of the Archos gen 5 PMPs that had a free Dish Network plug-in that worked for SD recordings. I think that only worked for mpeg-2 SD recordings, but for the life of me I don't know why that wasn't fixed with the advent of EA, nor why the latest Internet Media Tablets have no such plug-in, nor why my old 404CC doesn't have it... Well, Archos abandons it's obsolete players pretty quickly, so maybe that explains my 404 predicament.

 

[mrhoni]

Yep, thats the issue. I have Archos Gen 5 with the plug in. Connects and transfers very nicely from DVR, but only SD recordings. When I no longer record anything in SD, then there will be no use for this thing for me and for now, there are still a few things in SD and a few movies in SD, but so much is now being recorded in HD.

I was hoping someone has heard that a new plug in is being worked on.

 

[navychop]

I think the latest Archos players can record HD - from OTA, for example, but not Dish. There seems to have been a falling out between the two companies, perhaps because sales of the PocketDish and Archos branded products with Dish DVR support were disappointing.

I'd buy an Archos device in a heartbeat, even at $700, if I could move HD recordings from my ViP722 HD DVRs, take them with me, and watch at my RV on the HDTV there. I believe all it takes is some software, it seems the hardware can support the feature. Doesn't seem like it's going to happen.