14 DAY TRIAL // And I thought the Apple TV was the missing link between the TV, PC, Internet, camera and so on. Not only is Archos' TV+ worthy of its price ($349 for the fully-packed high-end 250GB model), but also looks and sounds like serious competition for Apple's entertainment center. Just have a look at the ad if you're too much of a lazy bones to go through the specs.
Also, the package contains 7 popular widgets including a calculator, the weather forecast, a currency converter and a note writer, while Apple has only recently filed a patent for AppleTV widgets. Still, Archos has you forking for extra cash if you want to be able to use widgets, since you need to purchase the (Opera) Web Browser plug-in first, in order to actually use them.
Archos is without a doubt taking on Apple's TV. The Wi-Fi-enabled digital set-top box was unveiled by Archos UK boss, Tony Limrick, just a few days ago in London. The man of course showed off its features. So, let's break it down for those who didn't get their chance to learn more about the Archos TV:
Using the TV+, fans of... 24/7-arse-sitting-TV-watching fun can record and schedule their favorite TV shows and movies in high quality with the TV program Guide, wirelessly download movies, TV shows and music from the ARCHOS Content Portal, stream digital entertainment content from the PC, surf the Web, sync recorded TV shows and store everything (250GB is more than enough for any video/audiophile).
Surfing the Web, of course, also means that you can access online email and stream videos from the likes of YouTube and Dailymotion. And as far as syncing goes, a 2-hour movie syncs in just 10 minutes.
The Archos TV + is now available in two different models: 80GB (?179.99) and 250GB (?249.99).
