Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (30 GB) by Archos
|
Our Price: $374.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Network Media Player See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (30 GB)
Digital camera Review: Great Portable Video Player
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the best portable video player on the market. There are others: the ipod (classic, touch etc), Zune, PSP etc but Archos players generally tend to be better in terms of support for a wider range of video formats, and the Archos 605 is the best device from Archos so far. The interface is improved from previous versions (with the implementation of touch screen), the screen is of good quality and video playback smooth. I use this device to watch TV recorded from my Windows XP Media Centre PC and it works great. Copying video onto the Archos does not require any special software (no iTunes or similar required), and you are less likely to need to transcode your video (a process which can take hours and may result in audio synch problems whatever player you use) as it is more likely to be supported in its original format on this player. If you just want to listen to music, go for an iPod or similar, but if video is what you are after, this is the right device for you.Digital camera Review: Great for video, good for music, weak for internet
Summary: 4 Stars
The video playback on this player is excellent. The killer app for this device is the DVR attachment or if you have Dish Network you can transfer files directly from some models of the Dish DVR. It is better than paying i tunes. The sound quality is good but sometimes you get a click sound when the screen dims to save power. Player is compatible with lots of file types. You have to pay for extras like web browser. This device can be set up so when you plug in the USB, it can to be recognized as a media player, or as an external hard drive. I thought that was a very cool feature and I wish I had bought the 80 or 160 gig so I can use it as a external hard drive when traveling. I was disappointed with the user interface. It is awkward, doesn't make good use of the touch screen, uses weird symbols, and you have to work with multiple layers of windows to get to what you want. The widgets are weak and difficult to use. You cannot sync the contacts, calendar, or notes like a PDA so when you add in the limited text entering ability, the widgets are almost worthless. You can't customize the screen or interface. You have to read the manual to understand the device because it is not very intuitive. It is difficult to do things like delete files. The PDF reader works well but it would be better if you could change pages with the touch screen. The optional games are worth $10. The browser crashes occasionally and the wifi reception is weak. The ability to share media files wirelessly on a home network is very cool. The player has a solid build but you have to lock the buttons if you put it in a pocket because the sensitive buttons and touch screen will make the device go crazy. The button to lock the device is slow and difficult because it is supposed to have a different function when connected to a TV.
I bought this device to replace an old PDA that I used for media files, limited Wifi, eBook reading, and as a PIM. It is a poor choice for that because of weak user interface and inability to sync. I can read some eBooks as html or PDF files but turning pages is slow. The unexpected benefit is it is a GREAT video player and a versatile MP3 player. I am hoping for multiple software updates to improve the user interface. Overall it is GREAT for video, very good for music, Great for file storage, weak but usable for Internet browsing, and for weak PDA type functions
Digital camera Review: Great hardware at a great price
Summary: 4 Stars
I owned a 604 for a couple years. It crapped out once and I had a horrible experience with customer where I RMAd my system and they sent it back to me without fixing it. Eventually it got sorted out though.
I went back to Archos when my system died for the second time. The 604 was discontinued so I bought a 605. I love it.
The thing is there isn't anything in these reviews I don't agree with - both the positive and negative reviews. It's pretty crappy that they charge for the plug ins. And sometimes, they break and customer service is terrible.
But for the price, esp today (the 30GB is a STEAL at it's current price...I am considering picking another one up just 'cause).
All said, if you like to watch movies and want to be able to check the internet (it's not really designed for that so the ability is just bonus) then this is a great device.
Digital camera Review: Great media player for traveling
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this thing. 30 GB is plenty of space for a lot of movies and music. It makes traveling much more relaxing. The touch screen is very responsive and clear. Sound and picture are good.
Getting the docking station is a must. With it, it is easy to re-charge the battery and record DVDs to the player directly.
Digital camera Review: Great media player!
Summary: 4 Stars
After much deliberation I decided to puchase the 30 GB version of the Archos player. The reasons I chose this over the competition include:
Nice screen
Touch screen
Reputation to play everything
Unit size
Cost
After using it for 20+ hours, I've come up with a short list of pros and cons:
Pros:
Screen IS great. Any reasonably formatted video looks fantastic
Audio sounds great. While it wasn't very loud in a large pair of reference headphones, it sounds much better than my last gen iPod.
Ability to output video to television through the docking station is NICE.
Wireless works great. I plug it into the DVR station, sit down on the couch, use the remote to access the shared folder on my PC and seamlessly stream my video to my television.
Battery life is long enough for a NY-CA flight...roughly 5 hrs of play time.
Cons:
To really get good use out of the player you need to buy a few additional things. The AC3 codec is a must, as many videos are encoded with AC3 sound. The web browser would be nice, but is not a necessity, and a docking station is a nice add on. $20 for the media codec, $30 for the browser, $99 for the docking station...adds up.
If I had it to do all over again, I'd buy it again in a hearbeat
YEARS LATER my product is dead. The battery won't even hold a charge enough to turn the unit on when it's plugged in on the docking stattion. See ya later, Archos!