English Language User Manual
ARCHOS VIDEO AV300 SERIES
USB 2.0 Hard Disk / MP3 Player / MP3 Recorder / JPEG Viewer / MPEG4 Personal Video Player
User Guide for ARCHOS VIDEO AV320, AV340, & AV380  version 3.0 (p/n 102 253V3)
Please visit our web site to download the most recent manual and software for this product
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Table of Contents
1  Ports, Buttons, and Connections 
2  First Time Usage 
2.1 Plugging in the AC Adapter 
2.2 Turning on the AV300 
2.3 Shutting off the AV300 and Battery saving features 
2.4 Changing the Language 
2.5 Foreign Character Sets 
2.6 Charging the Batteries  
2.7 Caring for the AV300 
2.8 Hardware Reset 
3  Playing MP3 music 
3.1 Playing through your HiFi system 
3.2 ID3 Tags 
3.3 Changing the sound settings  
Button Lock 
3.4 Changing the PlayMode  
3.5 Playlist Creation and Running  
Playing a Playlist 
Creating a Playlist 
Saving a Playlist 
3.6 Adding songs to a Playlist while listening to Music 
3.7 Creating and Using Playlists with MusicMatch™ 
3.8 Using iTunes® 4 with your AV300  
4  Using the Browser 
4.1 Navigating the Directory Structure 
4.2 File and Folder Operations 
File Operations 
Folder Operations 
Copying and Moving Files and Folders 
4.3 Using the Virtual Keyboard 
5  Connecting/Disconnecting the AV300 
5.1 Connecting the AV300 
Macintosh™ OS 9.X  
Macintosh™ OS X 
Macintosh™ OS X (10.2 Jaguar and newer) 
Windows™ ME, 2000, XP (Home/professional)  
Windows® 98SE 
5.2 Disconnecting the AV300 from your Computer 
Windows® 
Macintosh® 
6  Recording MP3 Music 
Microphone 
External Microphone  
Analog Line-In 
Digital Input (SPDIF) 
Incremental Recording 
6.1 Bit Rate Table & Sample Rates 
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7  Settings 
7.1 Sound Settings 
7.2 Play Mode and Play Order Settings 
7.3 Clock Settings 
7.4 Display Settings 
7.5 Power Settings 
7.6 System Settings 
7.7 Updating the AV300 Firmware Operating System (OS) 
Download the CJBM.AJZ file 
Read the History.txt File 
Copy to AV300 root and Update 
8  Playing MPEG4 Video Files 
9  Creating MPEG4 Video Files 
How to create an MPEG4 video file 
PC Tools 
Macintosh Users  
9.1 Installing the PC Software 
DivX™ Codec  
Virtual Dub™ 
MPG4 Translator 
MP3 Sound Codec 
9.2 Using MPEG4 Translator 
Select Source & Destination Files 
Change Settings 
Target & Priority  
Start 
10 Creating MPEG4 Video Files 
10.1 Viewing Photos 
Magnifying Photos 
Multiple Photo View 
10.2 Viewing a slideshow 
11 Using MusicMatch™ software 
12 Optional Add-ons 
13 Technical Support 
14 Troubleshooting 
14.1 USB Connection issues 
14.2 Charging and Power issues 
14.3 AV300 locks up (freezes operation) or Stops 
14.4 The Computer locks-up (freezes operation) or Stops 
14.5 File issues, corrupted data, formatting, and partitioning 
Windows® 98SE & ME Running Scan-Disk (Error Checking) 
Windows® XP & 2000 Running Check Disk Utility (ChkDsk)  
14.6 Video Playback, Recording, Re-encoding 
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Warranty and Limited Liability
This product is sold with a limited warranty and specifi c remedies are available to the original purchaser in the 
event  the  product  fails  to  conform  to  the  limited  warranty.  Manufacturer’s  liability  may  be  further  limited  in 
accordance with its sales contract.
In general, the manufacturer shall not be responsible for product damages caused by natural disasters, fi re, static 
discharge, misuse, abuse, neglect, improper handling or installation, unauthorized repair, alteration or accident. 
In no event shall the manufacturer be liable for loss of data stored on disk media.
MANUFACTURER  SHALL  NOT  BE  LIABLE  FOR  ANY  SPECIAL,  INCIDENTAL  OR  CONSEQUENTIAL  DAMAGES.  EVEN  IF 
INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF IN ADVANCE.
ARCHOS licensor(s) makes no warranties, express or implied, including, without limitation, the implied warranties 
of merchantability and fi tness for a particular purpose, regarding the licensed materials. ARCHOS’s licensor(s) 
does  not  warrant,  guarantee  or  make  any  representations  regarding  the  use  or  the  results  of  the  use  of  the 
licensed materials in terms of its correctness, accuracy, reliability, correctness or otherwise. The entire risk as to 
the results and performance of the licensed materials is assumed by you. The exclusion of implied warranties is 
not permitted by some jurisdictions. The above exclusion may not apply to you.
In no event will ARCHOS’s licensor(s), and their directors, offi cers, employees or agents (collectively ARCHOS’ 
licensor) be liable to you for any consequential, incidental or indirect damages (including damages for loss of 
business profi ts, business interruption, loss of business information, and the like) arising out of the use of inability to 
use the licensed materials even if ARCHOS’ licensor has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Because 
some jurisdiction do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the 
above limitations may not apply to you.
Damages or problems resulting from misuse, abuse, accident, alteration or  
incorrect electrical current or voltage.
Please see your sales contract for a complete statement of warranty rights, remedies and limitation of liability.
Furthermore, warranty does not apply to:
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2.  Any product tampered-with or damaged warranty seal or serial number label.
3.  Any product without a warranty or serial number label.
4. 
Batteries and any consumable items delivered with or in the equipment.
 
 
 
Warnings and Safety Instructions
CAUTION
To prevent risks of electric shock, this unit must only be opened by qualifi ed service personnel.
Power off and disconnect the power supply cable before opening the unit.
WARNING
To prevent fi re or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture.
Use  of  this  product  is  for  personal  use  only.  Copying  CDs  or  loading  music,  video,  or  picture  fi les  for  sale  or 
other business purposes is or may be a violation of copyright law. Copyrighted materials, works of art, and/or 
presentations may require authorization to be fully or partially recorded. Please be aware of all such applicable 
laws concerning the recording and use of such for your country and jurisdiction.
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FCC Warning Statement
FCC Compliance
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference 
in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not 
installed and used in accordance with instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. 
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does 
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment 
off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
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Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect  the  equipment  into  an  outlet  on  a  circuit  different  from  that  to  which  the  receiver  is 
connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Note: During fi le transfer or in the PC mode, if the End User Terminal (EUT) or computer suddenly freezes or does 
not respond, it may be due to the electrostatic phenomenon. Please follow the procedures below to recover the 
operation:
Unplug the USB cable from the End User Terminal (EUT)
Close the software application in the computer (or re-boot the computer if necessary)
Re-connect the USB cable to the End User Terminal (EUT)
In case of Electrostatic Discharge, the AV300 may lose function. Just power off and on in order to restore.
CAUTION: modifi cations not authorized by the manufacturer may void users authority to operate this device.
FCC Part 15 - Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference;
2. This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired  
    operation.
 
Copyright Notice
Copyright ARCHOS © 2003 All rights reserved.
This document may not, in whole or part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any 
electronic medium or machine-readable form without prior consent, in writing, from ARCHOS. All brands and 
products names are registered trademarks and the property of their respective owners. Specifi cations are subject 
to change without notifi cation. Errors and omissions accepted. Images and illustrations may not always match 
contents. Copyright® ARCHOS. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer of warranty: to the extent allowed by applicable law, representations and warranties of non-infringement of copyrights 
or other intellectual property rights resulting from the use of the product under conditions other than as here above specifi ed, are 
hereby excluded.
LCD Pixel Policy
The  LCD  screen  on  your  Archos  AV300  unit  has  been  manufactured  to  rigorous  standards  to  provide  a  high 
quality viewing experience. Nevertheless, your LCD screen may have slight imperfections. This is not particular 
to the Archos screen, but to all devices which have LCD screens regardless of the original manufacturer of the 
LCD. Each product vendor guarantees that his screen will contain no more than a certain number of defective 
pixels. Each screen pixel contains three dot elements (Red, Blue, and Green). One or all of the dots in a given pixel 
may be stuck on or stuck off. A single dot stuck off is the least noticeable. All three dots of a pixel stuck on is the 
most noticeable. Archos guarantees that its AV300 screen will have no more than 1 defective pixel (regardless 
if that pixel has one or more defective dots). This means that during the period of guarantee for your country 
or jurisdiction, if the screen on your product has two or more defective pixels, Archos will repair or replace your 
AV300 product at its cost. Thus, one defective pixel is not grounds for replacement or repair of the product.
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Dear Customer,
ARCHOS thanks you for your choice of this exciting AV300 product. Never before has 
one been able to carry with him or her so much information, be it MP3 music, MP4 videos 
or JPEG pictures, and be able to enjoy these without a computer. We are sure that your 
AV300 will give you years of listening and viewing enjoyment. Of course you can always 
use it as a regular portable hard disk too. 
This guide will explain to you the functions of the AV300. Our engineers have packed this 
product with many functions and capabilities. The better you know how to use it, the 
more enjoyment you will get from it. Remember, with the AV300, you can…
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Play MPEG-4 movies to a television or video projector 
View JPEG and BMP images
Listen to MP3 music files
Use it as a voice recorder
Record MP3 music directly from your hi-fi without a computer
Store MP3, MP4, JPEG or any type of data file
Create music Playlists
View JPEG slide shows 
Add a variety of options such as the 3.3 Megapixel Digital Camera and  
Camcorder, the Digital Video Recorder, the FM radio/remote control,  
FireWire™ interface cable, or the CompactFlash™ memory card reader. 
 
 
We  wish  you  many  years  of  enjoyment  from  your  AV300  product.  Don’t  forget  to 
check our web site (www.archos.com category software), as we periodically update 
the Archos Video AV300 internal operating software (OS) to offer new functions and 
improved features.
Wishing you the best Video, Music, and Photo experience,
The ARCHOS TEAM
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Technical Specifi cations
Storage Capacity
Computer Interface
Image Playback
Audio Playback
Audio Recording
Video Playback
Screen
Television
Playback Autonomy
Scalability
Expansion Port
AV Connections
Power
Physical Dimensions
Temperature Range
System Requirements
ARCHOS VIDEO AV320, AV340, AV380
Model AV320: 20GB;  AV340: 40GB;  AV380:80GB
High Speed USB 2.0 (compatible USB 1.1) 
Optional FireWire cable
JPG and BMP(4, 8, 24 bit) images, any size
Stereo MP3 decoding 30-320 kb/s. CBR & VBR
Stereo MP3 encoding 30-160kb/s. VBR
Up to 640x304 @ 30 frames/sec (NTSC) or up to 640x368 @ 25 
frames/sec (PAL) [Up to 640 x 480 resolution at lower frame 
rates]  MPEG-4  Simple  Profi le  compliant  .AVI  format  (DivX™* 
4.0 & 5.0 & XviD) MP3 stereo sound tracks, near DVD picture 
quality.
3.8  inch  color  LCD  (QVGA)  320x240  pixels  262  thousand 
colors
Video output on AV out connector to PAL (EU) or NTSC (US) 
televisions
Up to 10 hours** on MP3, up to 3 1⁄2** hours video on built-in 
screen 
Free Operating System updates downloadable from ARCHOS 
web site
Mini-centronics  50  pin.  For  optional  modules:  FM  Remote 
Control, Firewire interface cable, DVR (Digital Video Recorder), 
AVCam 300 digital camera and camcorder, CompactFlash™ 
card reader. 
Audio line in & microphone in (also doubles as SPDIF in/out) 
AV  out:  for  headphones,  line  out,  and  for  audio/video  out 
with AV cable
Internal rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries. External charger/
adapter
112 x 82 x 31 mm (4.4 x 3.2 x 1.2 inches); 350g (12.5 oz)
5 °C to 35 °C running ; -20 °C to 45 °C storage
PC: Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP Pentium II 266MHz with 64MB ram
Mac: OS 9.2 or X (10.2.4), iMac, G3 or higher 
* DivX is a trademark of DivXNetworks, Inc.  
** Depending on usage (stop/start/writing)
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Ports, Buttons, and Connections
Built-in microphone 
Line & external microphone audio input
Headphone & AV output
 
 
 
CHG: AC adapter is connected 
ON: Unit is on 
HDD: Hard Disk being accessed
Expansion Port
Remove rubber cap to 
reveal Mini-Centronics 
port for add-ons such 
as Camera, FM Remote 
control, Digital Video 
Recorder, Firewire 
interface, etc.
TFT Screen
320 x 240 pixels (QVGA)
Functions Display & Buttons
These three function buttons 
actuate the associated functions 
displayed on the bottom of the 
screen.
Play/Pause/Enter/On 
Play the currently selected item, pause, 
and play again. Long press, turns on the 
AV300. Long press to switch between 
external and built-in video.
Stop/Esc/Off
Stop currently playing fi le. Escape from 
current operation. Long press to shut off.
Joystick
Move, select or Adjust Left, right, up, or 
down.
A. Headphone AV out: television output (use ARCHOS 
AV cable), audio stereo, and headphone jack. 
B.  Audio 
microphone in & Audio Stereo SPDIF Digital In/out 
In:  audio  Stereo  Analog  Line-in  & 
C. Built-in Microphone: be sure you set the recording 
settings to microphone.
 
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D. USB 2.0 port Insert USB cable mini jack here 
and attach other end to computer USB port. 
(USB 1.1 compatible).
E.  DC  In:  to  power  the  unit  and  charge 
the  internal  batteries  with  the  external  AC 
adapter/charger.  Use  ONLY  an  Archos 
adapter. 
F.  Factory  diagnostic:  this  is  a  special  port 
reserved  for  factory  diagnostics.  You  should 
not attempt to use this port.