Archos 704 80 GB WiFi Portable Digital Media Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I like this player a lot. 3 minutes out of the box I was connected the home WiFi. 2 minutes later it found my Infrant ReadyNAS (ReadyNAS NV+, 1.0TB (4 x 250GB pre-installed Seagate Barracuda ES SATA HDD), X-RAID, 256MB memory, Silver, SFF desktop NAS) and was streaming MP3s and video to the player flawlessly.
Size:
It's thick and heavy. It has a similar footprint to a Sony ebook reader, but much deeper and heavier. It's just about as wide and tall as a DVD case, but again, much deeper (almost 3/4 of an inch deep).
Formats:
I do not have any media formats that this won't play. I did purchase the optional .VOB codec from the Archos site. It plays my WMV (including DRM stuff), Divx, AVI, MP3(all kinds).
Accessories:
It comes with a nice woven nylon case and a 120V power adapter. It has headphones (with inline volume) and USB in and USB out.
Connections:
It has audio out (headphones), power, USB (mini in, mini out, two Archos plugs for docking and that's it. Everything else needs a dock to work.
Screen:
The touch screen is vibrant and very bright. I have big fingers so I do better with a stylus for controls. The high resolution is amazing.
Sound:
The speakers are "OK" but headphones could be louder. I took this on a plane yesterday and the included headphones were not loud enough to hear over the engine noise. I had to use my Sure E5c headphones to hear anything on videos and MP3s (Shure E5c Sound Isolating Earphones).
Internet:
It comes with Opera and surfing was fine. A great device for webmail or shopping (it comes with am eMusic 50 free MP3s certificate). I will take this (instead of a laptop) on my next vacation.
Sync:
The platey can snyc (USB) as a Windows Media Device or a USD hard drive. I love that option (it asks you each sync).
Issues:
1. I would have liked a place to "plunge" the stylus in the device for storage (the case has a tiny pocket).
2. I would have liked Svideo out without buying a dock.
3. Audio out should be louder.
Wishes:
1. I would love to see this use a bluetooth phone as a DUN to the hit the net.
2. I would love to have and SD Card reader on board to help move media on the road.
Other Issues:
1. Be careful with Unbox video. The resolution of this player far exceeds most mobile players. One of my goals was to start buying Unbox videos instead of ripping my DVDs all the time. Problem: the "mobile" size of Unbox video looks very poor on the screen (please try an inexpensive one for yourself)due to low resolution. And Unbox does not allow you to sync (no snyc rights) the larger video that you download. So I have a video that I "bought" that I cannot use on this device because the low version looks so bad, and the high-res version has DRM restrictions that won't let it play on the 704 Wifi. Not terrible, but it will keep 704 owners from renting or buying from Unbox for sure.

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More than just a Portable Media Player (PMP) with a bright 7-inch screen and the ability to store all your favorite movies, tunes and photos, the groundbreaking Archos 704 is also outfitted with Wi-Fi capabilities (802.11g). Through your home wireless network, you'll be able to browse through your multimedia library stored on any computer on the network. You'll also be able to connect to online video stores to download content directly and wirelessly to the 704 WiFi. It features an 80 GB hard drive (providing capacity for about 70 DVD-quality movies), a 7-inch bright LCD touchscreen, and integrated speakers. Additionally, when paired with the optional Archos DVR Station docking station, you can easily connect the 704 WiFi to your TV to watch movies and photo slideshows on a larger screen as well as turn the 704 into a digital video recorder (DVR) to take your favorite programs with you wherever you roam. It measures 7 x 5 by 0.75 inches and weighs just 22 ounces.
Wide Touch screen The Archos 704 WiFi features a wide, high resolution (800 x 480) 7-inch color touch screen that allows you to navigate through menus easily with a stylus or even a fingertip. The size of screen enables a great visual comfort.
WiFi The integrated 802.11g wireless interface is perfect for those who want to access their media wherever they go, including surfing the Web, sending and receiving email from Web-based mail applications, and connecting the device to a home network to transfer files or play content directly from the network.
Video player The Archos 704 WiFi is the perfect companion for people on the move: its 40/80 GB hard drive capacity allows you to store up to 50/100 movies encoded with a PC. Play them on the built-in 7-inch LCD color screen or playback on TV in high resolution up to 720 x 576 (DVD quality) with the DVR station. Play a large variety of video files, including MPEG-4, WMV and protected WMV and read MPEG-4 AAC/H.264 (.MP4 QuickTime files), MPEG-2, and VOB with optional software plug-ins (available on this website). The Archos 704 WiFi also offers many more functionalities such as slow motion, adjustable screen size, video editing and even a video bookmarking function.
Record TV or external video sources Transform your Archos 704 WiFi into a Digital Video Recorder with the optional DVR station. Record TV or most video sources such as satellite/cable box, VCR, DVD player or camcorder in MPEG-4 format. Set up the DVR station by connecting it to the external video source; simply slot in your ARCHOS and record instantaneously or make scheduled recordings with the included infrared receiver that controls the external video sources.
Turn your ARCHOS into a camcorder ARCHOS allows you to transform your device into a camcorder by connecting most digital cameras to your Archos 704 WiFi, or by connecting the optional high resolution helmet camcorder. The Archos 704 WiFi records video directly on its 40 GB hard drive in MPEG-4 format, up to VGA resolution (640 x 480).
Photo wallet Transfer your photos directly from a digital camera with the USB 2.0 Host interface. Store and view up to 800,000 photos (JPEG, PNG and BMP formats) and display slideshows with music and transition effect. Manage your files and folders directly on the device for a better mobility. Enjoy the large size of the screen and the cool sleek design of the product to display the Archos 704 WiFi in your living room and use as digital photo frame.
Music Player Store up to 40,000 songs on the hard drive and play most popular music files such as MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA files. Easily organize songs with the enhanced ARCLibrary and customize your view by artist, album, type of music, title, year, and create your playlists without having to use a computer. Use the voice recorder to store notes quickly for a later use.
Charge and sync Charge your Archos 704 WiFi with the included power adapter. Purchase, download, subscribe to or rent protected video and music content from online stores on your PC, and, using the high-speed USB 2.0 interface, the Archos 704 WiFi will easily auto-synchronize this content with Windows Media Player 11 each time you connect it to your PC, or convert your Windows Media Player 11 library content to one of the many compatible formats (MP3, WMA, WAV, protected WMA, MPEG-4, WMV and protected Windows Media Video).
What's in the Box Archos 704 WiFi, headphones, USB 2.0 cable, USB 2.0 host adapter, DVR Station saddle, 2 styli, remote control, power adapter/charger, protective pouch, QSG, legal and safety notice

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Archos 7 320 GB Internet Media Tablet Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As an owner of both the new Archos 7 as well as last year's model (the 705), I wanted to provide some points of comparison between the two for anyone trying to decide whether to save some money on the older model. In general, the two are very similar -- they provide essentially the same functionality, although the new 7 includes a couple of new features (and includes for free some of the plugins that you had to pay for before with the 705).
Here's a quick rundown of the positive changes in the 7 vs the 705:
* Speed -- particularly of the web browser. The new 7 has a much faster CPU and renders web content at a much better pace (probably 3x the speed of the 705). Using the browser on the 705 was often painful except on pages that were geared to mobile devices. The 7 can handle even most complex pages without a problem. Since I use the device for browsing quite a bit, this is a HUGE plus for the 7.
* Email -- The 7 includes a native email client that supports GMail, Yahoo mail or any POP/IMAP server. It's very simple but usable. It's also free (i.e. not a plugin).
* Better screen -- The screen on the 7 definitely is crisper than that on the 705. And the colors are rendered more accurately (at least from my subjective point of view).
* Better responsiveness -- The touchscreen on the 7 is more responsive than on the 705. The increased sensitivity really helps the usability. That said, people who use other touchscreen devices (e.g. iPhone) may find that the screen is still not as sensitive/responsive as other devices.
* Size -- although the screen is the same size between the 2 units, the 7 is slightly shorter and thinner than the 705 (but not by much). The 7's glossy case does collect fingerprints rather quickly, but that's purely an aesthetic issue.
Advantages of the 705 over the 7:
* Archos dropped the mini-USB plug that was used to connect the Archos to your computer. It now uses a proprietary connector for this purpose.
* They also dropped the USB host port from that came with the 705. The 7 includes the USB host capability, but to use it you must purchase the DVR station or mini-dock add-ons. This was built-in directly in the 705 unit. This makes using the device to dump pictures from your digital camera more of a hassle as one more attachment must be carried just for this.
* They also dropped the video out connecter that was standard in the 705. Again, to use this feature with the 7 you'll need the DVR station or mini-dock.
* No stylus or case included -- I've found that using my finger generally works fine but a stylus is still better/more accurate on the screen. Luckily, the 705 came with 2 of them, so I use the spare with my 7. As for the case, you'll have to buy one from Archos to a third party if you want/need one.
Things I wish they would have improved:
* Weight -- this is one heavy device at nearly 1.5 lbs. Granted, the size makes carrying it in a pocket prohibitive, but the weight would do you in otherwise. Fine for a travel bag though and definitely much lighter than a laptop.
* Most plugins still not free -- The browser plugin and "web radio/tv" plugins are now free, but to view many online videos and items ripped from DVD, you'll need to plunk down extra $ for those plugins.
* Support for Flash 9 -- The Archos ostensibly ships with support for Flash 9, but what they don't tell you is that not all Flash 9.x versions are created equally. For example, while most clips on YouTube work, the version of Flash on the Archos does not support popular sites like Hulu. This for me is one of the largest disappointments of the Archos 7.
* No HD or 3G plugins available -- despite what the product description days, the plugins that provides HD video thru the DVR dock (or mini-dock) and which support a 3G wireless connection thru a USB dongle do not actually exist. There's also a very good chance they never will. Archos is notorious for promoting features which are never delivered. If either of these plugins is critical in your decision to purchase the Archos 7, you would be best off waiting until they are released before making the purchase.
For me, I use the 7/705 as a travel companion so I can watch videos, browse the web and store digital pictures. For web use, the 7 is a huge improvement. For videos, the better screen is a nice improvement, but for picture storage, the lack of the built-in USB host port and the need to carry the mini-dock is a bummer.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Archos 7 320 GB Internet Media Tablet

pThe ARCHOS 7, with is stunning 7 screen, is the best travel companion you can imagine. With a huge disk capacity and an incredible viewing comfort, combined with Internet and TV capacity in a handheld device, it will accompany your travels and holidays and replace any other multimedia player you were using so far./p

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Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (30 GB) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this to replace a Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Black) that had been stolen. I really liked my Zen, but I wanted to see what new stuff had come out in the time since I bought it. This led me to getting the Archos 605 80GB instead, mainly because of the optional TV hookups. I've never liked to watch movies or TV shows (or even music videos) on my PC monitor because I can't relax and enjoy something passive while I'm at my computer. I'd also never used the Zen's video capabilities much because the screen was too small. The Archos 605, on the other hand, could be hooked up to a TV (with the DVR station or other accessories--I bought the DVR station), which would allow me to watch downloaded TV shows and movies in comfort--and even better, with other people (it's difficult to crowd around a computer desk to watch a movie), plus I'd be able to watch stuff on the go with its larger screen.
The wifi access, web browser plug-in and PDF reader also helped sell me on the Archos 605. I particularly looked forward to being able to read ebooks in PDF format.
So when I ordered the Archos 605, I was thinking of it as an MP3 "with benefits."
When the Archos 605 arrived, I found out that its screen was totally large enough to watch video comfortably. Shortly after I got it, I watched two and a half seasons of Weeds on it. It's fantastic! I can carry a TV show into the kitchen to grab a snack, etc. When I'm home alone, I'm even able to rely on the built-in speaker--for TV shows, I don't need fantastic sound quality; I just need to be able to hear what they're saying. It's very cool; I'm very addicted. :)
Like I said, I bought the DVR station with it. I had wondered how a video file from the Archos would hold up enlarged on a TV screen, but no worries--the picture quality is good (we have a 32" set). I've recorded some stuff from our TiVo onto the Archos, and the picture quality is good in that direction, too. Since we do have a TiVo, I haven't used the Archos as a DVR (with the downloaded TV listings and scheduled recordings), so I can't say how easy that is to use, but it's definitely easy to manually record something, and I was happy to see that I could tell it how long to record for.
As an MP3 player, it's not as good as the Zen, simply because it's not, primarily, an MP3.
One way the Zen (and probably most other MP3 players) is a better MP3 player than the Archos is that if you power the Archos 605 off while you're playing music, it doesn't automatically start up where you left off when you turn it back on. Instead you boot up to the main screen, and then you have to tap the "resume" icon; otherwise nothing happens. In this way it's less "plug and go" than my Zen was; sometimes if I'm only going to be driving for a few minutes (like a hop from the grocery store to the gas station), I won't bother starting it up at all. Also, the way you lock the controls takes a few seconds longer than the Zen did. With the Zen, you just slid the switch to the lock position. With the Archos, you hold down the TV button until the lock icon appears on the screen.
If you're playing from a playlist when you turn the unit off, and then you hit "resume" after you turn it back on, it doesn't seem to resume the playlist--it does indeed play the song you were on, but it's playing it from the album instead of the playlist, so the next song after that is the next song on the album, not the next song on the playlist. Possibly this is glitch that will be fixed in a firmware update (or perhaps has been--I haven't updated my firmware in a couple weeks).
Finally, changing the play mode (normal, shuffle, repeat one, repeat all), takes a lot more navigating around than it did on the Zen. It really shouldn't take that many clicks.
Sound-wise, the Archos is good as the Zen was, and its drawbacks as an MP3 player aren't so onerous that I'd consider buying a separate MP3 player. The Archos does well enough.
The PDF reader, however, turned out to be a disappointment. First, it takes several (loooong) seconds to go to the next page. Second, there's no way to bookmark where you are so that you can pick up where you left off. I figured I could just remember what page I was on and use the Go To Page feature to get back to it, but the Go To Page feature uses a slider, which is nowhere near as quick as if they'd let me type in a page number, and it takes a long freaking time for it to then load that page. Ugh. So this thing definitely hasn't replaced my Palm Tungsten for e-reading.
I haven't used the web browser or wireless much. It seemed pretty slow the times I have, and there's no "tap feedback" in the Content Portal, so when you tap on a link, you often don't know whether the tap has registered or not because the screen stays the same while the Archos (slooooowly) downloads the data for the next screen. That's frustrating. The web wasn't as frustrating as the Content Portal; I just haven't had much of a need to use it.
Another downside is that there aren't any cases for it that will protect the unit while allowing you direct, immediate access to it, the way the skin I had for my Zen did. Instead it comes with a padded, envelope-like case that you have to slip the unit completely out of if you want to use it. (To be fair, it's much better than the cloth pouch that came with the Zen.) Leather case options are limited, and all the ones I've seen require you to open the case in order to view the screen or access the navigation. The one from Archos won't even let you turn it off with the case closed, which isn't very handy if you're listening to audio and want to shut it off quickly.
I don't know how many hours I'm getting out of my battery. I did listen to music for 10 hours on a recent road trip without it giving out on me, but I didn't keep going to see how much more I could get out of it. I've also watched a couple hours of video without it running out of juice--and again, I ended up dropping it in the DVR station (which charges it) before it did run out, so all I can say about the battery is that it's lasting long enough for my needs.
Despite the caveats I've listed above, I LOVE my Archos 605. I love being able to take TV shows and movies with me everywhere. I love that I can finally watch bootleg concerts and other stuff I've downloaded on the "big screen." It's easy to use. The DVR station is easy to use. The two work together seamlessly. The Archos holds a ton off stuff. It plays my music. It lets me browse the web if I need to.
I'm happy with it, definitely. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that future firmware updates will make me even happier with it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (30 GB)

The Archos 605 generation 5 portable media player comes with a convenient WiFi feature, an attribute that offers the fastest and easiest way to access digital entertainment. You can use the built-in Wi-Fi capabilities of the Archos to download online media content from the Archos content portal: All you need is a usable Wi-Fi connection, and you're good to start downloading (fees may apply). With the Archos in hand, for the first time you can download favorite movies, TV shows, and music wherever you are, without being tied to the PC or Mac. Other great features include a full-color 4.3-inch touchscreen that crams in an amazing 800 x 480 picture resolution for superior picture quality and 30 GB of built-in memory.
With full Internet access, the player's Opera browser plug-in offers Adobe Flash support, which lets you access and enjoy YouTube and other Web video sites on your Archos device. By using the player, you can view and post YouTube videos wherever you are with an active wireless connection. In addition to downloading media straight from the Archos content portal, you can stream and watch videos from your home PC or laptop. For added video playback versatility, the player is compatible with MPEG4, AVI, and WMV video files. The player features robust music playback features, too. On-board music file playback capabilities support MP3, CBR, VBR, WMA, protected WMA, and WAV files.
To help round out the player's multimedia superiority, the Archos even comes with photo viewing capabilities. JPEG, BMP, and PNG files are 100 percent compatible with the player, and the player can pull up PDFs for portable review -- an ideal means to take bigger documents or e-books in PDF format on the road with you. Because of the Archos's USB 2.0 compatibility, files can be quickly transferred to the device in the absence of a WiFi network connection. Charging the device can also be accomplished with an active USB connection. (An AC adapter is sold separately for additional charging options.) Other great features include mass storage capabilities, automatic firmware downloads, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. With an advanced Li-Poly battery, the player supports up to 17 hours of continuous music playback, and 5.5 hours of continuous video playback. Weighing in at a scant 6.7 ounces, the Archos generation 5 605 measures 4.8 by 3.2 by 0.6 inches.
New Free Widget Pack Archos has launched a new widget pack that is free for the 605. A widget is a piece of software that adds new features to your player. It gives you fun, quick, and easy access to hundreds of tools, right on the device. The package contains seven widgets, including a calculator, a currency converter, a unit converter, news, weather, a note writer, and a data vault.
To be able to use the widgets, you need to purchase the Web Browser plug-in (about $30). Then, you can download the free widget pack via Archos.com.
New Dish Network Plug-in With a new plug-in, you can transfer recorded movies and TV shows from your Dish Network set-top box directly to your Archos 605. Play back Dish Network-recorded movies and TV shows on the go or on TV--in DVD quality.
Multi-language is supported. The plug-in is compatible only with Dish Network STB models 622 and 722.
What's in the Box Archos 605 Wi-Fi portable media player, headphones, USB cable, adapter for optional DVR Station Gen 5, protective pouch, quick start guide, and legal/safety notice.
(1)On average; based on 3.5 mins/song & 64 kbits/s WMA, on 1000 kbits/s MPEG-4 audio/video encoding and 1h30/movie (for near DVD Quality), on JPEG, VGA

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Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (160 GB) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this to replace a Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Black) that had been stolen. I really liked my Zen, but I wanted to see what new stuff had come out in the time since I bought it. This led me to getting the Archos 605 80GB instead, mainly because of the optional TV hookups. I've never liked to watch movies or TV shows (or even music videos) on my PC monitor because I can't relax and enjoy something passive while I'm at my computer. I'd also never used the Zen's video capabilities much because the screen was too small. The Archos 605, on the other hand, could be hooked up to a TV (with the DVR station or other accessories--I bought the DVR station), which would allow me to watch downloaded TV shows and movies in comfort--and even better, with other people (it's difficult to crowd around a computer desk to watch a movie), plus I'd be able to watch stuff on the go with its larger screen.
The wifi access, web browser plug-in and PDF reader also helped sell me on the Archos 605. I particularly looked forward to being able to read ebooks in PDF format.
So when I ordered the Archos 605, I was thinking of it as an MP3 "with benefits."
When the Archos 605 arrived, I found out that its screen was totally large enough to watch video comfortably. Shortly after I got it, I watched two and a half seasons of Weeds on it. It's fantastic! I can carry a TV show into the kitchen to grab a snack, etc. When I'm home alone, I'm even able to rely on the built-in speaker--for TV shows, I don't need fantastic sound quality; I just need to be able to hear what they're saying. It's very cool; I'm very addicted. :)
Like I said, I bought the DVR station with it. I had wondered how a video file from the Archos would hold up enlarged on a TV screen, but no worries--the picture quality is good (we have a 32" set). I've recorded some stuff from our TiVo onto the Archos, and the picture quality is good in that direction, too. Since we do have a TiVo, I haven't used the Archos as a DVR (with the downloaded TV listings and scheduled recordings), so I can't say how easy that is to use, but it's definitely easy to manually record something, and I was happy to see that I could tell it how long to record for.
As an MP3 player, it's not as good as the Zen, simply because it's not, primarily, an MP3.
One way the Zen (and probably most other MP3 players) is a better MP3 player than the Archos is that if you power the Archos 605 off while you're playing music, it doesn't automatically start up where you left off when you turn it back on. Instead you boot up to the main screen, and then you have to tap the "resume" icon; otherwise nothing happens. In this way it's less "plug and go" than my Zen was; sometimes if I'm only going to be driving for a few minutes (like a hop from the grocery store to the gas station), I won't bother starting it up at all. Also, the way you lock the controls takes a few seconds longer than the Zen did. With the Zen, you just slid the switch to the lock position. With the Archos, you hold down the TV button until the lock icon appears on the screen.
If you're playing from a playlist when you turn the unit off, and then you hit "resume" after you turn it back on, it doesn't seem to resume the playlist--it does indeed play the song you were on, but it's playing it from the album instead of the playlist, so the next song after that is the next song on the album, not the next song on the playlist. Possibly this is glitch that will be fixed in a firmware update (or perhaps has been--I haven't updated my firmware in a couple weeks).
Finally, changing the play mode (normal, shuffle, repeat one, repeat all), takes a lot more navigating around than it did on the Zen. It really shouldn't take that many clicks.
Sound-wise, the Archos is good as the Zen was, and its drawbacks as an MP3 player aren't so onerous that I'd consider buying a separate MP3 player. The Archos does well enough.
The PDF reader, however, turned out to be a disappointment. First, it takes several (loooong) seconds to go to the next page. Second, there's no way to bookmark where you are so that you can pick up where you left off. I figured I could just remember what page I was on and use the Go To Page feature to get back to it, but the Go To Page feature uses a slider, which is nowhere near as quick as if they'd let me type in a page number, and it takes a long freaking time for it to then load that page. Ugh. So this thing definitely hasn't replaced my Palm Tungsten for e-reading.
I haven't used the web browser or wireless much. It seemed pretty slow the times I have, and there's no "tap feedback" in the Content Portal, so when you tap on a link, you often don't know whether the tap has registered or not because the screen stays the same while the Archos (slooooowly) downloads the data for the next screen. That's frustrating. The web wasn't as frustrating as the Content Portal; I just haven't had much of a need to use it.
Another downside is that there aren't any cases for it that will protect the unit while allowing you direct, immediate access to it, the way the skin I had for my Zen did. Instead it comes with a padded, envelope-like case that you have to slip the unit completely out of if you want to use it. (To be fair, it's much better than the cloth pouch that came with the Zen.) Leather case options are limited, and all the ones I've seen require you to open the case in order to view the screen or access the navigation. The one from Archos won't even let you turn it off with the case closed, which isn't very handy if you're listening to audio and want to shut it off quickly.
I don't know how many hours I'm getting out of my battery. I did listen to music for 10 hours on a recent road trip without it giving out on me, but I didn't keep going to see how much more I could get out of it. I've also watched a couple hours of video without it running out of juice--and again, I ended up dropping it in the DVR station (which charges it) before it did run out, so all I can say about the battery is that it's lasting long enough for my needs.
Despite the caveats I've listed above, I LOVE my Archos 605. I love being able to take TV shows and movies with me everywhere. I love that I can finally watch bootleg concerts and other stuff I've downloaded on the "big screen." It's easy to use. The DVR station is easy to use. The two work together seamlessly. The Archos holds a ton off stuff. It plays my music. It lets me browse the web if I need to.
I'm happy with it, definitely. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that future firmware updates will make me even happier with it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (160 GB)

The Archos 605 generation 5 portable media player comes with a convenient Wi-Fi feature, an attribute that offers the fastest and easiest way to access digital entertainment. You can use the built-WiFi capabilities of the Archos to download online media content from the Archos content portal: All you need is a usable Wi-Fi connection, and you're good to start downloading (fees may apply). With the Archos in hand, for the first time you can download favorite movies, TV shows, and music wherever you are, without being tied to the PC or Mac. Other great features include a full-color 4.3-inch touchscreen that crams in an amazing 800 x 480 picture resolution for superior picture quality and 160 GB of built-in memory.
With full Internet access, the player's Opera browser plug-in offers Adobe Flash support, which lets you access and enjoy YouTube and other Web video sites on your Archos device. By using the player, you can view and post YouTube videos wherever you are with an active wireless connection. In addition to downloading media straight from the Archos content portal, you can stream and watch videos from your home PC or laptop. For added video playback versatility, the player is compatible with MPEG4, AVI, and WMV video files. The player features robust music playback features, too. On-board music file playback capabilities support MP3, CBR, VBR, WMA, protected WMA, and WAV files.
To help round out the player's multimedia superiority, the Archos even comes with photo viewing capabilities. JPEG, BMP, and PNG files are 100 percent compatible with the player, and the player can pull up PDFs for portable review -- an ideal means to take bigger documents or e-books in PDF format on the road with you. Because of the Archos's USB 2.0 compatibility, files can be quickly transferred to the device in the absence of a Wi-Fi network connection. Charging the device can also be accomplished with an active USB connection. An AC adapter is sold separately for additional charging options. Other great features include mass storage capabilities, automatic firmware downloads, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. With an advanced Li-Poly battery, the player supports up to 17 hours of continuous music playback and 5.5 hours of continuous video playback. Weighing in at a scant 9.17 ounces, the Archos generation 5 605 measures 4.8 by 3.2 by 0.6 inches.
New Free Widget Pack Archos has launched a new widget pack that is free for the 605. A widget is a piece of software that adds new features to your player. It gives you fun, quick, and easy access to hundreds of tools, right on the device. The package contains seven widgets, including a calculator, a currency converter, a unit converter, news, weather, a note writer, and a data vault.
To be able to use the widgets, you need to purchase the Web Browser plug-in (about $30). Then, you can download the free widget pack via Archos.com.
New Dish Network Plug-in With a new plug-in, you can transfer recorded movies and TV shows from your Dish Network set-top box directly to your Archos 605. Play back Dish Network-recorded movies and TV shows on the go or on TV--in DVD quality.
Multi-language is supported. The plug-in is compatible only with Dish Network STB models 622 and 722.
What's in the Box Archos 605 Wi-Fi portable media player, headphones, USB cable, DVR Station Gen 5 adapter, protective pouch, quick start guide, and legal/safety notice.
(1)On average; based on 3.5 mins/song & 64 kbits/s WMA, on 1000 kbits/s MPEG-4 audio/video encoding and 1h30/movie (for near DVD Quality), on JPEG, VGA

Click here for more information about Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (160 GB)

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Archos 5 250 GB Internet Media Tablet Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this as an upgrade to my beloved Archos 605 160GB. I actually purchased this directly from archos because I had trouble getting it through Amazon.
First impressions: beautiful sleek design, love the rubbery backside and the enlarged screen! I find that the touch screen user interface is quite improved over the 605, the buttons all flash when you press them so that is a nice confirmation that you hit it. Also, play buttons and such seem to be bigger than before, easier to hit. Although the glossy, shiny look is pretty to look at, it also shows fingerprints (much like the Touch). Not a big deal to me, I'm used to wiping off my glossy surfaces regularly.
So lets get into the nitty gritty, starting with the things I love about the new Archos 5. Just one caveat, I am using this primarily as a replacement media player for the Archos 605 so I won't speak much to internet browsing issues. I will use as a basis of comparison my collection of MP3 players (ok I'm an addict so sue me!) which includes iPod Touch 2nd Gen 32GB, Creative Zen WiFi 16GB, iPod Classic 160GB, Archos 605 160GB, Archos 604 30GB, iRiver Clix2 8GB.
*) 250GB: gotta love all that storage space, especially since the new Apple Classic tops out at 120GB now it seems Archos is in a class all to itself.
*) Big beautiful glossy color screen, definitely an improvement over 605.
*) Easily connected to my Wifi, browser is now free instead of costing extra like before. Upgrade to firmware was accomplished easily.
*) Easy synchronization of my entire music library and playlists using Media Monkey in Windows Media Mode (605 had problems here, so glad Archos fixed this!)
*) Beautiful full featured DVR dock available (apple doesn't even make one as far as I can tell!)
*) Esthetically the most appealing player I've seen yet from Archos.
*) Nice context menus on most pages (tap upper right corner) that make it easy to get around.
*) Love the ability to switch between hard drive mode and Windows Media Mode (something I do quite frequently). Also nice to be able to put a password on folders with sensitive or Adult content.
*) Ability to play all kinds of audio/video files, although you do have to pay up to $40 for additional plugin firmware in order to play apple and cinema formats.
*) On screen touch qwerty keyboard is really nice, easy to use -- I found it much easier to type accurately than the Touch/iPhone onscreen keyboard.
*) Browser supports flash controls, woohoo, welcome to the 21st century fercrissakes!
*) That 250GB of data is readily available to the PC as a hard drive so I can use it for backups or whatever else I want to do with it. (unlike the Creative Zen for example).
*) Convenient built-in speaker can be used in a pinch: everybody seems to have one of these now but as far as I can tell Archos did it first on the 605!
*) Now Playing music screen is easier to use, volume, and play buttons are easier to use now and it displays the name of the next and previous songs: a feature that I don't see on any of my other MP3 players.
*) Nice dedicated volume and power buttons, the volume buttons are definitely easier to find and use than the 605.
And now, my suggestions to Archos for how they could improve on what I think is a cutting edge beautiful product. Please understand, I'm a nitpicking software engineer so I give 5 stars even though I can find room for improvement!

*) I miss the dedicated hold/tv-out button which has been removed. Not a big deal since can still be done through the context menu.
*) Some of the text menus just look a little strange and seem to take a too much space on the screen. For example, I have to scroll down to get to the "Playlists"... at the very least "Playlists" should be on the first page as its the one I use the most. Really it seems like too many button presses are required to dig down and play a playlist, I wish "playlists" was available from a top level menu because I use it more than anything else...When all is said and done, I honestly believe that there is no comparable product with a big beautiful high resolution screen like this and a huge hard drive. This is it!
Now if you are happy with a smaller screen and less storage, the iPod Touch is arguably a better product: my solution? Buy one of each!
Update 12-31-2008: As of New Years Eve I am still quite happily using my Archos 5 as an entertainment center. It seems Archos heard me and they have made the album art a little bigger in firmware release 1.2.05!
Update 1-24-2009: Firmware update 1.3.05 works great! Had to use my Touch for a few days and very happy to have my Archos back on the speakers, I do believe the sound is better through the same speakers.
Update 3-14-2009: Updated to firmware 1.5.08. Due to previous upgrade, the upgrade process is MUCH easier now because it doesn't try to rebuild its library from scratch (this takes hours when you have a lot of files like I do). I'm also enjoying the "parental control" password which allows me to protect my data from unauthorized access. Still a happy customer :)
Update 5-22-2009: Still very happy with my 5. Firmware version 1.6.53 now offers support for their GPS package and High Def. I tried the GPS package before and it was ok, my favorite thing about it was the windshield mount which really comes in handy on a long drive. The GPS itself is decent considering it doesn't cost much, but can't compare to Garmin. Still, how many MP3 players even offer a GPS option?

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Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (80 GB) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this to replace a Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Black) that had been stolen. I really liked my Zen, but I wanted to see what new stuff had come out in the time since I bought it. This led me to getting the Archos 605 80GB instead, mainly because of the optional TV hookups. I've never liked to watch movies or TV shows (or even music videos) on my PC monitor because I can't relax and enjoy something passive while I'm at my computer. I'd also never used the Zen's video capabilities much because the screen was too small. The Archos 605, on the other hand, could be hooked up to a TV (with the DVR station or other accessories--I bought the DVR station), which would allow me to watch downloaded TV shows and movies in comfort--and even better, with other people (it's difficult to crowd around a computer desk to watch a movie), plus I'd be able to watch stuff on the go with its larger screen.
The wifi access, web browser plug-in and PDF reader also helped sell me on the Archos 605. I particularly looked forward to being able to read ebooks in PDF format.
So when I ordered the Archos 605, I was thinking of it as an MP3 "with benefits."
When the Archos 605 arrived, I found out that its screen was totally large enough to watch video comfortably. Shortly after I got it, I watched two and a half seasons of Weeds on it. It's fantastic! I can carry a TV show into the kitchen to grab a snack, etc. When I'm home alone, I'm even able to rely on the built-in speaker--for TV shows, I don't need fantastic sound quality; I just need to be able to hear what they're saying. It's very cool; I'm very addicted. :)
Like I said, I bought the DVR station with it. I had wondered how a video file from the Archos would hold up enlarged on a TV screen, but no worries--the picture quality is good (we have a 32" set). I've recorded some stuff from our TiVo onto the Archos, and the picture quality is good in that direction, too. Since we do have a TiVo, I haven't used the Archos as a DVR (with the downloaded TV listings and scheduled recordings), so I can't say how easy that is to use, but it's definitely easy to manually record something, and I was happy to see that I could tell it how long to record for.
As an MP3 player, it's not as good as the Zen, simply because it's not, primarily, an MP3.
One way the Zen (and probably most other MP3 players) is a better MP3 player than the Archos is that if you power the Archos 605 off while you're playing music, it doesn't automatically start up where you left off when you turn it back on. Instead you boot up to the main screen, and then you have to tap the "resume" icon; otherwise nothing happens. In this way it's less "plug and go" than my Zen was; sometimes if I'm only going to be driving for a few minutes (like a hop from the grocery store to the gas station), I won't bother starting it up at all. Also, the way you lock the controls takes a few seconds longer than the Zen did. With the Zen, you just slid the switch to the lock position. With the Archos, you hold down the TV button until the lock icon appears on the screen.
If you're playing from a playlist when you turn the unit off, and then you hit "resume" after you turn it back on, it doesn't seem to resume the playlist--it does indeed play the song you were on, but it's playing it from the album instead of the playlist, so the next song after that is the next song on the album, not the next song on the playlist. Possibly this is glitch that will be fixed in a firmware update (or perhaps has been--I haven't updated my firmware in a couple weeks).
Finally, changing the play mode (normal, shuffle, repeat one, repeat all), takes a lot more navigating around than it did on the Zen. It really shouldn't take that many clicks.
Sound-wise, the Archos is good as the Zen was, and its drawbacks as an MP3 player aren't so onerous that I'd consider buying a separate MP3 player. The Archos does well enough.
The PDF reader, however, turned out to be a disappointment. First, it takes several (loooong) seconds to go to the next page. Second, there's no way to bookmark where you are so that you can pick up where you left off. I figured I could just remember what page I was on and use the Go To Page feature to get back to it, but the Go To Page feature uses a slider, which is nowhere near as quick as if they'd let me type in a page number, and it takes a long freaking time for it to then load that page. Ugh. So this thing definitely hasn't replaced my Palm Tungsten for e-reading.
I haven't used the web browser or wireless much. It seemed pretty slow the times I have, and there's no "tap feedback" in the Content Portal, so when you tap on a link, you often don't know whether the tap has registered or not because the screen stays the same while the Archos (slooooowly) downloads the data for the next screen. That's frustrating. The web wasn't as frustrating as the Content Portal; I just haven't had much of a need to use it.
Another downside is that there aren't any cases for it that will protect the unit while allowing you direct, immediate access to it, the way the skin I had for my Zen did. Instead it comes with a padded, envelope-like case that you have to slip the unit completely out of if you want to use it. (To be fair, it's much better than the cloth pouch that came with the Zen.) Leather case options are limited, and all the ones I've seen require you to open the case in order to view the screen or access the navigation. The one from Archos won't even let you turn it off with the case closed, which isn't very handy if you're listening to audio and want to shut it off quickly.
I don't know how many hours I'm getting out of my battery. I did listen to music for 10 hours on a recent road trip without it giving out on me, but I didn't keep going to see how much more I could get out of it. I've also watched a couple hours of video without it running out of juice--and again, I ended up dropping it in the DVR station (which charges it) before it did run out, so all I can say about the battery is that it's lasting long enough for my needs.
Despite the caveats I've listed above, I LOVE my Archos 605. I love being able to take TV shows and movies with me everywhere. I love that I can finally watch bootleg concerts and other stuff I've downloaded on the "big screen." It's easy to use. The DVR station is easy to use. The two work together seamlessly. The Archos holds a ton off stuff. It plays my music. It lets me browse the web if I need to.
I'm happy with it, definitely. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that future firmware updates will make me even happier with it.

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The Archos 605 generation 5 portable media player comes with a convenient WiFi feature, an attribute that offers the fastest and easiest way to access digital entertainment. You can use the built-in Wi-Fi capabilities of the Archos to download online media content from the Archos content portal: All you need is a usable Wi-Fi connection, and you're good to start downloading (fees may apply).With the Archos in hand, for the first time you can download favorite movies, TV shows, and music wherever you are, without being tied to the PC or Mac. Other great features include a full-color 4.3-inch touchscreen that crams in an amazing 800 x 480 picture resolution for superior picture quality and 80 GB of built-in memory.
With full Internet access, the player's Opera browser plug-in offers Adobe Flash support, which lets you access and enjoy YouTube and other Web video sites on your Archos device. By using the player, you can view and post YouTube videos wherever you are with an active wireless connection. In addition to downloading media straight from the Archos content portal, you can stream and watch videos from your home PC or laptop. For added video playback versatility, the player is compatible with MPEG4, AVI, and WMV video files. The player features robust music playback features, too. On-board music file playback capabilities support MP3, CBR, VBR, WMA, protected WMA, and WAV files.
To help round out the player's multimedia superiority, the Archos even comes with photo viewing capabilities. JPEG, BMP, and PNG files are 100 percent compatible with the player, and the player can pull up PDFs for portable review -- an ideal means to take bigger documents or e-books in PDF format on the road with you. Because of the Archos's USB 2.0 compatibility, files can be quickly transferred to the device in the absence of a Wi-Fi network connection. Charging the device can also be accomplished with an active USB connection. An AC adapter is sold separately for additional charging options. Other great features include mass storage capabilities, automatic firmware downloads, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. With an advanced Li-Poly battery, the player supports up to 17 hours of continuous music playback and 5.5 hours of continuous video playback. Weighing in at a scant 9.17 ounces, the Archos generation 5 605 measures 4.8 by 3.2 by 0.6 inches.
New Free Widget Pack Archos has launched a new widget pack that is free for the 605. A widget is a piece of software that adds new features to your player. It gives you fun, quick, and easy access to hundreds of tools, right on the device. The package contains seven widgets, including a calculator, a currency converter, a unit converter, news, weather, a note writer, and a data vault.
To be able to use the widgets, you need to purchase the Web Browser plug-in (about $30). Then, you can download the free widget pack via Archos.com.
New Dish Network Plug-in With a new plug-in, you can transfer recorded movies and TV shows from your Dish Network set-top box directly to your Archos 605. Play back Dish Network-recorded movies and TV shows on the go or on TV--in DVD quality.
Multi-language is supported. The plug-in is compatible only with Dish Network STB models 622 and 722.
What's in the Box Archos 605 Wi-Fi portable media player, headphones, USB cable, DVR Station Gen 5 adapter, protective pouch, quick start guide, and legal/safety notice.
(1)On average; based on 3.5 mins/song & 64 kbits/s WMA, on 1000 kbits/s MPEG-4 audio/video encoding and 1h30/movie (for near DVD Quality), on JPEG, VGA

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KLU 7-Inch Touch Screen Mobile Internet Device Tablet PC Review

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(More customer reviews)I am very happy with this purchase. Product arrived in great condition. Has a nice screen and the battery lasts for days between charges, it also has dvi port, micro sd slot, usb port, and has good network connectivity. For wireless I can be at the opposite end of my house from my WAP and still have full bars. I mainly wanted to use as an ereader and to watch youtube videos, and as a occaisional internet browser, but want to eventually install flash so that I can go to some sites where I have access to online classes. This unit is the KLU Android Tablet manufactured by Curtis International. Has a fast processor. Came running version 2.1 and has some useful installed software already onboard. Version 2.1 is a good operating system and newer than you will get with many of the other Androids out there for sale currently at this price as of April 2011. This Tablet can be upgraded. The currently installed Android 2.1 version does not run Android market at this time so you will need to download any Android packages you want and copy apk files to a micro SD card in order to install on your Klu Android Tablet. This is not that difficult. There is an apk installer program on this tablet which is nice, it also has a nice browser, you can watch Youtube videos, and more. I have since installed Kindle, Kobo, and Nook and some other stuff on this tablet. The kindle software does have some issues running on this tablet and sometimes your purchased kindle books will force kindle to close and you may in some cases have to re-register, this also happens on other tablets, and you must download the book you purchased again several times until it finally runs again. Yes that is annoying but that may be more of an issue of the 2.1 Android OS, or it may be the Kindle software I am not sure. My plan is to at some point in the future root this device and upgrade to another version of Android such as 2.2 or 2.3, and eventually 3.0, all of which should run on this Tablet. I think overall it is a good unit for the price and I highly recommend it.

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