Archos Gmini 402 Camcorder

This combo device plays music and videos, and doubles as a camcorder and digital camera.

The Gmini 402 Camcorder (priced at $290 as of 7/21/06) is a versatile device: Besides playing back digital audio and video from the built-in 20GB hard drive, it can capture still images at a 1.2-megapixel resolution, and it can capture video and record audio from either the internal microphone or a line input. This makes it a jack-of-all-trades, though it also has a good claim to being a master of some.

The camcorder's audio performance in our lab tests was be excellent: Audio was almost completely distortion-free, and was clear and sharp across the audio spectrum. The device is undermined by the weak earbuds that are bundled with it, however; the base tones were muddy and the trebles muted. It's worth spending a little extra to get a better pair.

The 2.2-inch screen is bright and sharp, but (like most of the players we looked at) it's a little small to watch for long periods. Videos look smooth and have reasonably good color, but the screen is just too tiny to be comfortable for anything more than a few ...

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Richard Baguley