Archos 605 WiFi (160GB)

September 24, 2007 08:47
Mediocre
1.0/5
You have to pay for functionality to the point of insult!! everything costs you extra. Plug-in's  you have to pay. Browser  you have to pay. Want to download the TV Guide listings? Buy the DVR Station and you find out that the TV Guide Listing's is only free for the first year, after that guess what? You have to pay. Case that comes with the unit is completely useless, you may as well wrap it in a single piece of tissue paper, but guess what? You can pay for a half decent case from the company (the 604 came with a good case)
Everything about this product, including it's marketing, was designed to milk you of your hard earned $. Everything! You really hard to believe how far they went until you buy the product. Even really simple things like not including necessary parts with accessories you purchase.
Customer Service: really really poor, if you have a problem with your shipment, like i did, they'll give you the complete run around and out and out lie to you. Oh sorry sir the product you ordered isn't in stock (that's not what your web site says) Oh sorry sir we just shipped it, you should have the tracking number soon, but days later you still doesn't have a tracking number, and when you call up you get another Rep end up saying the same thing - Oh sorry sir we just shipped it, you should have the tracking number soon. You'll have to threaten to cancel your order before you get any action, and even when i pressed the rep, he suggested that if i cancelled my order it may be subject to a 15% restocking fee even though they haven't even taken it off the shelf and shipped it yet. WTF?
Having used the product for a while now, while is a pretty good device, it cost me a lot more $ (Cost me over $650 all in) then i feel it was worth, and all the nickel and diming and really slimy customer support all left a really bad taste in my mouth, such that i can't recommend buying it on the principle of it. Wait 6-8 month's until the competition from more reputable companies catch up.

- acatspaw

September 9, 2007 02:42

4.5/5
Really a 9.3

I have owned and or used multiple mp3 players over the years (Creative, Archos, Irvier, Ipod, Sansa...) and I have never been so pleased with a purchase. The Archos 605 has it all. I have owned the Archos 605 for a little over a week.
Screen and UI:
The screen quality is very high and is higher than what I have seen on any other player currently on the market. The screen shows amazing detail and the coating for the touch Screen is great because it decrease glare. The touch screen is very responsive and UI is simple through the touch screen and slight less easy through the buttons on the side but having both touch screen and side buttons seems to aid in navigation and makes this the easiest player I have ever used.
Video:
The videos are clean and clear. Amazing quality and since you are able to adjust videos to multiple sizes screen you are able to see videos in great quality. Also when you highlight a video in your browser the icon gives you a preview of your video which is a great little touch and the Archos 605 is filled with little extras like this.
Music:
The music interface is great and with the touch screen you get amazing search capabilities similar if not better that the ipod. The sound quality is good but I do wish the volume could be higher, but I also tend to play my music a little too loud anyways.
Photos:
The screen quality assists any displaying your pictures in the best possible way. Touch screen gives you an easy way to zoom in and out and to go from picture to picture. You can also save your pictures to the main screen and you can even zoom into a particular part of a picture and save that. You can play music during your slide shows which has multiple transition effects and you can download and save pictures from the internet (web browser plug-in needed).
Content Portal:
Archos comes with its own content portal which you do not need to purchase the web browser to connect to. The Content Portal gives you content where ever you can find wifi. You get cinema now which allows you to buy or rent movies, TV shows, music videos and Daily Motion which is like youtube and is free. And other providers are on the way.
Wifi and Web:
Connecting to your wifi is easy and you can also connect your network and stream music, video, and pictures to your player. The web is a fun and easy to use but you will have to buy a plug-in to utilize. The touch screen is easy to use, and the screen quality makes it very easy to read pages without zooming in, you can also double tap on any screen and enlarge a page. The pages load at a decent rate and you can view pages like youtube (that run on flash 7, future firmware upgrades will allow for higher levels of flash) and view the videos on full screen. The Web Browser is a plug-in so it will cost extra but I figure if I did not want a web browser and I had one I would dislike having to pay for one, especially when I could have saved the built in cost of 30 dollars.
DVR:
The DVR is easy to use like all Archos players to have owned. I purchased the travel adapter, so I just plugged in the AV into my TV and pressed recorded. Record quality is very high and process is very easy. The DVR function is great because you can copy anything on TV and take it with you on the go. But it should be known that the Travel DVR does not come with a charger.

Overall the Archos is the best PVP out now. Everything functions at a high level. Other bonuses are you can also connect the Archos as a Hard Drive (which I have always preferred) or allow Window Media to manage your files. The Archos can view PDF and while I do not buy music for I tunes the Archos can play AAC files and there is a plug in to play video podcast I may get in the future. I like the idea of buying plug-ins instead of having features I would not use but have to pay for. I would have preferred that the battery life was better but it is also not terrible. I have always dislike proprietary connections and that is a big minus in my book but since most players if this capacity have it now, I guess it is just the way thing must be. I would have also liked a built-in FM turner. I also hear the internet radio will be coming out later this year. I do not see how anyone can still be interested in other players that are in the PVP market  Apple (including the new touch), Creative, Cowon and all other challengers have a lot of catching up to do.

- cjohnbrown

October 1, 2007 08:54

4.5/5
Okay, the skinny....I have owned an AV500 100gb for almost 3 years...dropped it, banged it, abused it...still ticking without a hitch. The 500 came with everything...TV Dock (to allow DVR function), cables etc...do I use the DVR function??...no, never intended to. Now comes the 605...
Consider the 160gb HD!! More than any other PVP. Until Flash memory jacks to this level, anticipate more storage = larger size..go figure. I would not even think of buying this to record TV stuff for archive purposes or replaying back on a TV screen. The few times I used the DVR function on my 500, I recorded for the purpose of watching it on the UNIT!! Looks awesome that way.
Sound?....plug it into my Sony 500 watt receiver...better than playing CDs in the changer... don't have to shuffle thru stacks of CDs looking for the right one..it's all at my fingertips. Once again, I didn't buy either the 500 or 605 thinking I could pull it out of the box and listen to it in a trainstation without headphones/external speakers! It's a microspeaker...sounds awesome over my car stereo system and my home entertainment system.
I've read the other reviews...I can't see any circuitry via the front of the device..yes the back does have slight play while working..so does my 500..I can live with that. I would NEVER buy a commercial item such as this to record video for WORK! Common sense...go professional! Extras, ya wanna talk extras...the AV500 100gb went for $650 folks! 100gb, no SD, no WiFi, no Stand & no touch screen. I've seen the 605 160gb for $350 already! That leaves almost $300 to buy accessories. The mini docking adapter charges the unit quickly and sends video out...all I really need...$30 My cable company supplies the DVR for the family...much more convenient, no charge, and better Res. The cost of extras is all relevant. It allows you to customize for your needs and keeps the unit cheaper.
Service has always been an issue with Archos..think they'd have learned by now. On the flip side, they have pretty much led the way in regards to PVPs. Fortunately, I've never needed support and have never purchased a unit directly from them...why would I when the units can be found elsewhere for cheaper?? I recommend SquareTrade for anyone leary about service requirements or repairs. Everyone has their recommendations....all I can say is go get a job as a developer or engineer and design what you want.
I have my entire music collection on my Archos. The video side is 50/50. Some on Archos, some archived on external HDs...by the way..I can hook up my Archos directly to and swap out videos...no need for a laptop or PC...as Austin Powers would say.."I Thank You." Although I do not promote this due to legal reasons, it is possible to d/l a movie...no conversion, no anything...plop it on the Archos and it plays. 99% of my movie collection is from DVDs that I own and are now in the closet since the quality of my converted movies are as good as the DVD on playback via the Archos.
Bottom line for me...great for traveling...I used to drive 90 miles one way to work. My daughter loves it and yes, I do have SpongeBob and other cartoons on it. Now she uses my 500. Great portability as entertainment and file transport. Expandability with SD capability. Okay battery life. I never have to pay hotel movie fees any longer. I'm used to the interface so there was virtually no learning curve for me. Hint, to extend battery life a short while longer, tone down the screen brightness. It only cost me $120 for extras but I got a whole lot more than with my 500...$370 for the Archos = $490. Quite a savings over my previous unit. I love it and will continue to stick with Archos. Hope this helps, and oh, as stated in a previous review...don't post if you don't own.
-J

- TMT904

September 5, 2007 05:50

4.5/5
After waiting for a zillion years (for the wifi ipod launch) i gave up and started looking for alternatives, and then i opted for archos. Its been just a day of usage i can say that this IS the BEST, in fact Archos is one step ahead of ipod. Steve jobs has finally announced the wifi ipod launch details. But wait its just 8-16 gb and that is just peanuts.

More about the product - absolulte fantastic resolution, good user interface and excellent wi-fi, not to mention the whopping 160 gb i can store my entire music / video collection

Yeah its a bit heavy compared to ipod but what the hell i dont mind as long as i have got a way better product. This is a absolute must have to people who like to carry their entire collection with them. Watching a movie is absolute fun. There is a very small problem this being a 160 gb drive you can always feel a small movement happening in the back side (thats when the hard drive is used)

Anyway i dont repent 'not waiting' from the wifi ipod since it is way to less storage capacity and sure this product beats the ipod hands down.

More details later

- prasad_dude

October 13, 2007 11:08
Terrible
0.5/5
I bought this device after reading many positive professional reviews. I became very disappointed as soon as I started using it. Here is why:

1- The battery life is poor. It only lasts for about two and a half hours. The battery in built in and cannot be removed so you cannot take multiple batteries with you to use on long flights.

2- Even though Archos claim you can download movies from the content portal directly over a WiFi connection, I could not use WiFi out of the box to connect to hotspots that require logins such as T-mobile. The content portal does not open the hotspot webpages needed to enter the hotspot userid and password. The same applies to pay by the hour hotspots. The WiFi connection does however work with my encrypted home WiFi hub.

3- I was only able to rent a single Cinemanow.com movie from the content portal. 6 other movies did not work. Cinemanow.com refused to refund the cost of the 6 movies saying they do not support the Archos generation 5 devices. They only support generation 4 (as of October 2007.)

4- One day, the device prompted me to download the latest firmware. As soon as I did that, many wmv movies stopped working. I could not revert back to the older firmware.

5- I tried several times to contact customer support via email but got no responses.

Stay away from Archos. Buy an iPod instead.

- mchouha

April 7, 2008 03:22

4.5/5
Many of the reviewers seem extremely upset at having to buy all the little extras. If you had read any reviews before buying it, you would have expected this, I know I did. It really just makes the base product affordable.

I bought this device as a way of taking my music with me wherever (it's absolutely perfect for this). Even though you have to buy an add-on to play certain types of video files (like iso), it still plays most avi and wma files out-of-the-box with no problems. And it's GREAT picture quality.

When I initially bought it (at a store in town), it stopped working 2 days later. After waiting about 1/2 an hour on the phone to talk with customer service, I got a pleasant customer service rep. He tried his best to help but nothing worked. Upon his suggestion, I simply brought the machine back to the store that I bought it from and exchanged it for a new one, no questions asked. I've had this new one for over a month now and it's working perfect; I haven't had a single problem since then.

I don't really care about the web browsing, yet, so I haven't tried it. I happen to like the fact that you can pick and choose what extras you want. I may end up buying the DVR dock, but I don't need it at this point.

The only extra that I think I'm going to get at this time is the battery dock for the extra battery life (which isn't too good - about 2 days - , but I knew this already from reading reviews) and to be able to attach the Archos 605 to my TV.

I LOVE this product: 160 gb; touch screen AND normal buttons; comes with a case (I had to cut a hole in the bottom for the headphones, but it's great other than that); comes with a stylus; it's a little big, but still fits in my pocket with the case (the HUGE screen is great for watching video on the go); AND, best of all, you don't have to have a special program (i.e. i-tunes or windows media) to synch it up to a computer.

I would take this product over the Apple i-Touch any day!!! In my opinion, the only thing that the i-Touch has over the Archos 605 is the interface. But, the interface on the Archos isn't really that bad, and it's equal or better than the i-Touch in all other categories.

9/10

- fcsquire

October 2, 2007 06:30

3.5/5
I was thrilled to see that Archos was now supporting MPEG2 and VOB files on their new 605wi player.

I even bought all the add-ons, especially, the MPG2 Decoder.

I tried dragging over some VOB and MPG2 files, but any file over 2GB would fail. I could sometimes get them to go, but overall, it would lock up the player.

I contacted technical support and they confirmed that the player does in fact have a 2GB file limit due to it being FAT32.

Its inconceivable that ARCHOS would create a large and roomy hard disk player that can play VOB/MPG2, have us pay more for that feature, but then wont allow a standard movie (which often exceeds 2GB) to be moved to it.

If anyone knows how to reformat the hard drive with NTFS and of course, keep all the supporting OS, I'd love to know

If you buy this product, you might have to wait like the rest of us for a hack that will allow it to play large video files.

For now, I am converting vids to WMV, which adds hours of converison time. It would great to have them in a non-compressed format.

- chaosmen

September 8, 2007 06:53

4.0/5
Great device if you have $500 to blow. This would be a 10 if it weren't for the nickle and diming by Archos. $30 for the Flash enriched version of Opera. Another $30 for the plugins. Another $100 for the plastic DVR cradle. Ouch!!

Now the good: GREAT user interface. Absolutely fantastic! Wonderful touch screen. And no matter how many times you touch it, it will not show smudges. Great sound quality. Throw on a pair of Shure SE530's and the sound is better than theatre quality. Quality built (although I would prefer a rocker mechanism to the up-down left-right buttons). 160Gb! What does the iTouch hold for virtually the same price? I think its 16Gb. What a total joke. This thing easily plugs into your TV with the $100 DVR cradle. The cradle is a necessity. It also charges the device in a fraction of the time it takes the included USB cable. It takes all night to charge it with the USB cable so plan on spending the extra $$$ for the DVR cradle. Movies look great on this thing! I can't image going any smaller than this to watch a 2 hour movie. It also plays a multitude of video formats (as mentioned above, extra $$ for the plugin though).

Summary: Great device! Easy to use. Very versatile. Great user interface and wonderful screen. Expensive when you add up all the necessities.

- ryork272

September 4, 2007 12:56

4.0/5
First, if you don't own it, don't write a review about it. It's annoying to read a user review only to realize they've never even used the device.

I've had the 160GB 605 for about 5 days now and have had a chance to use it fairly extensively. First impression is it's substantial. It just barely qualifies as pocketable and weighs quite a bit (the 30GB version is lighter), but overall I'm happy with the size. The screen is gorgeous and begs to be touched. And I'm not sure how Archos did it, but this thing completely hides fingerprints. They're virtually invisible. Videos look great and web pages look just like they do on my desktop. I also like the Content Portal concept, although the movies available are way too expensive. Hopefully that will change in the near future.

Now to the negatives. My first dissapointment is that the web browser only supports Flash 7. It does work great for a number of sites like Youtube, but anything requiring 8 or 9 won't work. I'm hoping for an update like the Nokia N800 recently got, but I'm not holding my breath. I have also been a little dissapointed with the battery life. It's not horrible, but I seem to get about 4 hours of video and charging with the included USB cable takes upward of 8 hours. I'll be buying the battery dock to hopefully alleviate both problems. And that leads to the next problem, everything costs extra. I spent $400 on the player, but have since spent $50 on plugins and will spend another $50 on the battery dock. That's $500 total and I still can't record with it. That's another $100. While this modular approach is good for those that don't need any of the extras, it's expensive for those that do. One last problem is bugs in the firmware. When I first got the device I upgraded the firmware and had a number of lockups. Archos has since released an even newer firmware and I find it to be much more stable, but it still locks up about once a day, usually when browsing the web.

After all that though, I still think it's the best PMP on the market right now. If Archos fixes the remaining bugs in the firmware and upgrades to Flash 9, I would give the device a 9. As it stands now I think it's a solid 8.

- jakep_82

May 6, 2008 09:06

4.5/5
I have an iPod 80GB Classic in which I had stored movies. But the screen was too small. I considered iTouch but way too expensive for the amount of available storage. I read about the Archos products. I almost did not buy because of the many negative opinions. I'm glad I went ahead and bought the Archos 605 Wi-Fi 160 GB. It was simple to set up to connect with my PC. The Archos works just like a computer...it attaches via included USB cable. I was able to drag and drop my mp4 movies (which I had converted from dvd's via Cucosoft ipod video converter) right into the Archos' "movies" file folder. I did have to purchase, from Archos, a plug in to play aac files but cheap.
The movies play great, picture is great, sound is great (by the way, the Cucosoft video converter has capability to jack up the volume up to 500% so that I have no problem hearing the characters talk, even during soccer games), there is no lag time like some opinions have stated.
I am purchasing a separate battery charger (cheap)because the USB charger included needs to be connected to a computer that has to be powered on--I like to hibernate my computers as much as I can. But the battery charger allows me to play the videos onto my television--ala iPod.
The touch screen is good, just need to double tap an item to open it, just like Windows files. The on screen menus take 5 minutes to get used to, as well as the really handy finger buttons on the right side of the machine.
I chose the 605 over the 705 because I think the 705 would have too many pixellation issues related to its viewing size and not enough resolution.
The music sounds good too...I use a music program with equalizer capabilities to increase everything so that the volume coming out of my iPod and Archos are loud enough even in crowds.
I do not use the Internet capabilities since I have a laptop which I prefer to use.

- Rizman