3DsoundSurge Press Release: Archos Introduces World's First MP3 Recorder/Player With 6GB Hard Drive

Archos Introduces World's First MP3 Recorder/Player With 6GB Hard Drive

New Device Can Record Quality Sound From Sources Beyond Internet

IRVINE, Calif., June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Archos Technology is introducing the world's first palm-size, real-time MP3 recorder and player with 6GB hard drive, which can record up to 100 hours of high-quality music or 500 hours of voice recordings from sources outside the Internet, all in MP3 format. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010613/NYW010 )

Weighing 12.3-oz and slightly larger than a deck of cards, the new Archos Jukebox Recorder is available on-line starting June 15, 2001, and will soon be available from leading retailers in the U.S.

Because it encodes MP3 in real time, the Archos Jukebox Recorder greatly expands possibilities for music-lovers who don't want to depend only on the Internet.

The innovative MP3 device permits real-time, on-the-fly recording from any analog or digital audio source, including home stereo, radio, CD player, separate microphone via stereo or in-line jack, or it can be used as a voice recorder through the unit's self-contained, built-in microphone.

According to Henri Crohas, Archos' President, ``This Jukebox Recorder opens up a whole new era for MP3 devices, which until now did not have the recording capability because they lacked the computing power to encode MP3 in real time.'' About 200 MIPS are needed to encode a top-quality 160 kilobits/second.

The Archos Jukebox Recorder comes with state-of-the art MP3 Player features including a USB interface for connection to a laptop or desktop computer and MusicMatch(TM) software, which permits the user to convert a personal disc collection into MP3 and download it into the Jukebox Recorder.

The recorder/player incorporates a 6 GB hard drive, and the Recorder appears as another hard drive on the computer screen, allowing the user to drag and drop MP3 or other files from Windows Explorer or Mac directly into the Jukebox Recorder. This permits storing data, photos and other information on this totally portable hand-held device. Hi-fi music recordings are encoded at a high sampling rate of typically 128 KBPS up to 160 KBPS. Capacity is 100 hours at 128 KBPS.

The recorder is equipped with a graphic, backlit LCD panel providing up to 12 lines of alphanumeric characters to display such information as song title, artist's name, and playing time. The unit has a direct access button for volume control and a choice of analog, digital or microphone as recording options. The latest firmware that supports additional software extensions can be downloaded directly from the Archos web site.

For additional information, write to Archos Technology, 15375 Barranca Parkway, #J101, Irvine, Calif. 92618, visit http://www.archos.com or call 949-453-1121.

About Archos, Inc.

Archos Technology, based in Irvine, Calif., the U. S. division of Archos SA, Paris, France, has designed and manufactured peripherals for notebook and desktop computers since 1988. Archos products include mobile solutions for professionals on the move, such as the Jukebox 6000, MiniCDRW, MiniDVD, MiniHD, FireHD and others. Archos products are lightweight and multiplatform, easily moveable from PC to Mac. Archos engineers are continuously creating new standards by Thinking Smaller. New products build on the success of current models such as the Archos Jukebox 6000 player, which was awarded the RetailVision® Best Product Peripheral Award, the Product Excellence Award from the French magazine, PC Achat, the Silver Award from PCHome, and the 5-Star Award from MP3.com.

SOURCE: Archos Technology