Gizmodo
The Zune, which comes out next week, isn't the only WiFi media player out there, remember.
The Archos 604 is here today, andI think the Archos might be better by some measures. Simply said, the 4.3-inch touchscreen is perfect, and extremely fingerprint resistant. Photo thumbnails were small enough to fit a ton of photos on the screen, with a little bit of zoom once you cursor over individual files. Video playback is blur free, and visible in indirect daylight. It'll even record TV/Video with the optional PVR kit ($100 for something that looks like it amounts to a dongle and dock). The hardware is beautiful. And the WiFi is somewhat useful, thanks to the Opera browser that allows for scaling of images and text so that it looks like a mini sized version of the browser on your PC. Unlike Zune, you cannot share with other users adhoc (player to player.) But there is a nifty file sharing mode that PCs on your home network should be able to hit.
But it ain't perfect because...well, click through the jump to find out why, or hit up our galleries for 70+ photos that show just about every beautiful angle and screenshot we could find.
Unfortunately, I never got that part of the player to work. And menu lag is about 1-2 seconds, making the Archos a pain when it comes to flipping through many pages of options. And 30GB isn't much for a player. You can't playback VOB or h.264 without 40 bucks in plugins from Archos. Very shady. The buttons were nicely designed, but each is a rocker. For example, the OK button actually works as an "enter" and "back" button depending on which side you click on.
Capacity: 30 GB* Hard Drive to store up to 85 Movies1, 300 000 photos1 or 15 000 songs1 Display: 4.3'' TFT (480X272 pixels) 16/9, over 16 million colors Video playback**: MPEG-42 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution) WMV (MP@ML, up to DVD resolution). With optional software plug-ins: - H.264 up to DVD resolution and AAC sound. - MPEG-2 MP@ML up to 10 Mbps (up to DVD resolution) and AC3 stereo sound. Audio playback**: Stereo MP3 decoding @ 30-320 Kbits/s CBR & VBR, WMA, Protected WMA, WAV (PCM/ADPCM). With optional software plug-ins: - AAC3 music files - AC3 stereo sound files Photo viewer***: JPEG, BMP, PNG Transfer directly your photos from a digital camera with the optional Docking adapter PDF viewer: Reads PDF documents. May not implement all PDF features; Video recording4: Via the optional DVR Station: record in MPEG-4 SP with ADPCM stereo sound, resolution VGA (640x480) @ 30 or 25 f/s, in AVI format. Audio recording: Voice recording through the built-in Microphone Via the optional DVR travel adapter or DVR Station: stereo line-in, WAV (IMA ADPCM or PCM) format. Interfaces: USB 2.0 High-Speed Device (compatible USB 1.1): Mass Storage class (MSC) and Media Transport Protocol (MTP). USB 2.0 Host : Mass Storage class (MSC) and Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) (with optional docking adapter). Connections: 3.5 mm stereo headphone mini-jack and TV output (AV cable sold separately). Dedicated connectors to connect optional adapters and DVR station. Battery life ARCHOS 604: Music playback time: up to 16 hours5. Video playback time: up to 5 hours5 on built-in LCD Power source: Internal: Lithium-Ion Polymer battery. External: charges via computer USB port, or faster with the optional docking adapter or DVR Station. Scalability: Download firmware updates from www.archos.com Dimensions & weight: Approx. 130 x 78 x 17 mm - 5.1" x 3" x 0.65" Approx. 255 gr. - 9.05 oz Package includes: ARCHOS 604, headphones, dedicated USB 2.0 cable, DVR station adapter, pouch, QSG, legal and safety notice Minimum system requirements: For PC: Windows ME, 2000, XP, Media Center; Macintosh : OS X or higher (with USB Mass Storage Class support), Linux (with mass storage device support), USB port. For PlaysForSureTM video and subscription services: PC with Windows XP SP 2 or higher, Windows Media Player 10 or higher, USB 2.0 port.
Archos 604 [Archos]
Comments
as silly as it sounds, 1-2 second delay on menus will make me take a device out of my bag. I despise lag on a feature as simple as a damn menu.
I also despise over complicating menus with some spiffy flash website looking bullshit animation. I don't buy a device for pretty menus, I buy it for the function I'm tryin to get to with that menu and the faster it can get me to my content the better.
I think the option to purchase extra codec playback options is silly, and probably a poor choice, but I wouldn't describe it as shady. Codecs aren't free, and not including the playback option on every device sold probably reduces overall cost. It's pound-foolish of course, since they probably could have worked out a better volume discount if they included it with every player, and the customers wouldn't be confused and annoyed. But it's not shady, at least in my mind.
As for the capacity issue, there are lots of different models - the 404 to the 604, some with wireless, some with up to 160GB. That makes Archos the highest capacity PMP/MP3 player out there. In fact, as far as I can tell it's the only company other than Apple to make an HD player with a capacity more than 30GB.
Archos has made some good products in the past, including the first HD MP3 player and the first PMP. This line looks just as promising, even if it is lacking the content support that Apple and Microsoft have. If anything, I'd say the Zune is an Archos challenger, not the other way around.
I'm surprised h.264 works at all, considering you need a PC with a processor above 1GHz to play it, which is a huge strain for a video codec.
Like most Archos players it will probably have the user interface of a 1984 VHS player.
scooby doo... you mean a "VCR"??
Whoa, I just went to creative.com and saw that they are selling a 60GB Vision:M for only $299.99!!! Go Creative!
i've got an archos gmini 400 atm, and this thing just looks soooo much nicer. the only thing i worry about is the less game-pad like layout of the buttons. i'm sure i've used my 400 to play sonic just as much as anything else... and i'm guessing the likelyhood of people creating mods for this thing are pretty high (isn't it a linux based os on there?). as far as i'm concerned, this thing shows much more pottential than any other pmp on the market. ipod + large screen + wifi = god in my book any day. only thing missing would be a port of rockbox, which is kinda ironic as i'm sure it was originally created for an archos device :oP
"In fact, as far as I can tell it's the only company other than Apple to make an HD player with a capacity more than 30GB."
There are several others. Creative makes the Zen Vision:M(video DAP) and Zen Vision:W (PMP) in 60GB, Toshiba makes the Gigabeat S in 60GB and Cowon makes the 60GB iAudio X5. There are a few other obscure ones, like the Epson 40GB hybrid PMP/photo storage device (that can hold RAW files), but you get the drift.
One more thing, I agree with weatherman that having to buy the extra plug-ins is the way to go (and not shady at all). With a screen resolution of 480X272 pixels, the H.264 codec is really only useful if your going to output to a TV. For watching on the device, your standard Divx files are just fine. So if you don't plan to connect to a TV why pay for something you won't use.
While I'm sure H.264 is not that expensive, pricing pressure in this market is quite high at the moment. We all saw what happened to the Zune MSRP when Apple dropped the price on the 30GB iPod.
Weatherman: Actually, the 604 WIFI they're talking about here only comes in 30gb.
And delay up to 2 seconds is ricockulous.
sdsdv10: you're absolutely right. I guess the last time I was searching for a replacement to my 40GB iPod there were fewer options.
Although the built-in HDD is a definite bonus above my Nokia 770, I'll still be sticking with what I have for portable web browsing: 800x480 is far superior to 480x272.
Here's a link to a fun little video overview of the Archos 604...
http://www.neo-fight.tv/2006/10/episode_079_archos_604_med...
I noticed a limited release. Will the full release be say, the 17th?
Does the opera Browser have Adobe Flash?
I'm debating between the Archos 604 wifi and the nokia n800 internet tablet. I like the hard drive and the PVR possibilities of the Archos, but i wonder if the browser is very good. Any advice?
Well, I've had my archos604 for a few days now and I can't even transfer my mpeg2 video files from my sony digital camera without buying more plugins. I can't record off my satellite unless I buy a docking station, and there's really nothing special about it. After spending 570 cdn at best buy I think I've spent enough. I'll be returning it tomorrow.
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