Archos 605 Wi-Fi Review
The 605 is Archos’ new fifth generation flagship PMP that crams nearly every feature one could want into a PMP. They have even offered a few different capacities including a flash version with expandable SDHC memory that can add up to 32GB of flash memory when those capacities become available. The 800x480 pixel screen with a 24bit (16.7 million colors) screen looks fantastic at any viewing angle.
It sounds like the 605 is the ultimate PMP. Well… almost. While the 605 has a thorough feature set and performs very well, the interface needs to be completely overhauled. Archos, fire your interface designers and start over, then I may be able to call the 605 the ultimate PMP.
Read on for the details...
- Quick Look
- Capacities: 4GB Flash + SDHC Slot, 30GB, 80GB, 160GB
- Size: 122 x 82 x 15 mm (4GB / 30GB), 122 x 82 x 20 mm (80GB / 160GB)
- Weight: 150gr (4GB), 190g (30GB), 260g (80GB / 160GB)
- Screen: 800x480 pixels, 4.3'' TFT LCD, 16 million colors – Touch Screen
- Video Support: WMV, DivX, XviD, MPEG4, (H.264 +AAC*, MPEG-2 AC3 5.1*Optional Plugin)
- Audio Support: MP3, WMA, WAV (AAC*, AC3* Optional Plugin)
- Photo Support: JPEG, BMP, PNG
- Battery Life: 17 Hours Audio, 5.5 Hours Video
- Recording: Video (MPEG4 640x480 @ 30FPS), Audio (WAV)
- Transfer Protocol: MSC/MTP User Selectable
- Other Features: Wi-Fi (802.11g), Opera Browser (optional), PDF viewer
Accessories
Included
The 605 comes with just what you need to get started: the player, earbuds, two styli, a protective pouch, a proprietary USB cable, Wi-Fi connection software, and a quick start guide.
Available
DVR Station ($100), Travel DVR Adapter ($70), Battery Docking Adapter ($50), Mini Docking Adapter ($30)
Design
Archos has never been known for their designs; I am not even sure they have a design department. Substance over design is a one way to go about it and that has been Archos’ mantra since their conception, but it would be nice to have a little something better than “whatever they had lying around.”
The player is pretty heavy and feels like a solid brick of electronics, but by the same note it feels almost fragile. Now there are some differences in the varios types. The flash memory version predictably feels lighter and more durable. However, when comparing the two, it is very evident that there is a hard drive in the hard drive version. You can feel and hear the hard drive spin up and down as it accesses data, giving it that more of a fragile feeling as previously explained. Compared to the previous 604 the build quality is a step down.
The buttons on the right side of the player are plastic and feel flimsy. It feels that if you press too hard they will snap. There is also lots of space under the buttons; you could easily catch a thread, corner of a table, a protective case on the edges of those buttons, possibly ripping them clear off.
The best way to describe the design’s look and feel is: clunky.
User Interface
The interface is what really turns me off to the 605 and Archos products in general. There is great technology here and very thorough set of features, but the interface is cluttered and not very well thought out. It will take a good amount of time to get used to the interface and even after weeks of use you will still find yourself pressing the wrong buttons.
Buttons
The buttons vertically aligned on the right are not very intuitive, being that we are used to having directional buttons clearly defined and laid out as up down, left and right in a “plus sign” pattern. How Archos lays the typical directional setup a non typical three rows or two. For those who are counting that’s two buttons too many. The two extra buttons further complicate the setup by adding a page up and page down to the mix. When every other device uses a standard directional setup, the Archos directional set will throw you off.
What would have been a better solution without changing the design is to add a 5 way directional “joystick” much like Cowon uses or Creative uses on the Zen V. Above it you could place a back button as well as a menu button. The volume buttons should be moved to the top right of the player opposite of the power on the same side.
Touch Screen
The 605 has an awesome asset, the touch screen. Unfortunately it is not well used. Many functions can be easily executed with your fingers, but some functions are frustratingly hard to press such as the left menu buttons. This “Archos interface” was built years ago when touch screens were not available; now that a touch screen is part of their flagship PMP, they need to revisit and better integrate the touch screen into the user interface. A good way to approach this is to design the entire interface so that the touch screen will stand on its own, building function buttons large enough for your fingers, perhaps even getting rid of the side tactile buttons and going strictly touch screen.
Screen
The 800 x 480 pixel 16.7 million color screen looks fantastic. Colors are true and refresh rate is smooth. Viewing angle is not an issue since you can view it at more or less any angle. It is nice and bright for pretty much any indoor setting, but it will wash out in bright sunlight. That is expected with most PMPs. The screen really is great and there is nothing bad to say about it. However, if you wanted to get picky It could use some antiglare coating.
Battery
The player is rated with a battery time of 17 hours for music and 5.5 for video. As for real world tests battery times fell an hour or two under the manufacture stated times.
It is disappointing that Archos did not make the battery replaceable. It would have been nice to pop in a new battery on an overseas flight or long road trip. There is the next best thing: a battery dock that will set you back $50. Not the best solution but it works.
Plug-ins
At first I thought that plugins were a good idea since you pay for only what you use. However, the plugins add up very quickly. To get the full use out of the 605 you will need to spend another $70 on the plugins below. If you do not purchase the web browser two of the icons on the home screen become completely useless.
Here are the current available plugins:
- Video Podcast – H.264, AAC ($20)
- Cinema Plug-in DVD, MPEG2, AC3 ($20)
- Web Browser ($30)
Web Browser
The Archos 605 browser works very well and renders nearly all of the sites the way they are supposed to. The screen scales nicely to fit the site on the screen, also allowing you to zoom in and out. When browsing sites with flash video such as YouTube, the browser will automatically force that video to full screen. It is a great feature and looks good at full screen. Multiple pages can be opened at once showing in tabs at the top of the screen.
The browser does exactly what it is intended to do and very well at that, but it is slow and is rather difficult to use with your fingers or the right buttons. Stylus works fine, but no place to store it on the go.
Widgets
Widgets were not available at the time of testing the 605. A message pops up on the screen saying they will be available soon and only for those who have purchased the web browser. So again, you plan on spending another $30 for the use of widgets.
“The ARCHOS Widgets plug-in is planned for release in the fall of 2007. This free plug-in will give access to many great utilities (Calendar, weather, games, etc.) for those who have purchased the Web Browser plug-in.”
DVR ($70-$100)
If you have used a TiVo, Windows Media Center, or any other DVR on the market you will be very disappointed by the 605’s DRV capacities. First off, you will need to spend $70 on a travel adapter or $100 for the dock in order to get this capability out of the 605. If you chose not to purchase either of these for DVR capabilities, one icon on your home screen becomes completely useless.
Configuring the dock with the cable box and the TV was a pain, but even once it was set up the interface was very difficult to use even with the given remote (only included with the $100 dock) on a big screen TV. The DRV dock has no tuner; this means that you will need a cable box in order to output video signal to the 605.
The dock has component output but only has composite and s-video input which is fine, though when you hook it up to your HDTV it will not pass though the signal from your cable box to the TV through the DVR station. It will only pass through if you are using composite to composite or s-video to s-video.
The bottom line is that the DVR capabilities are not even close to modern DVRs and is small step above a VCR. Don’t get me wrong, recording quality is great, but it is just difficult to use and difficult to set up.
Wireless Streaming
Wireless streaming is one of the best features on the 605. Basically you have access to any and all or your video, audio, and photos over your wireless network. You can be anywhere in your house and browse your collection of media. You can also have the player hooked to your TV and stream large video files from your computer with ease.
Configuring wireless streaming was as easy as turning the player on. I took the player out of the box, turned it on, and Windows Vista immediately saw the device and asked if I wanted to give it access to my files. I clicked yes and it was ready to go. Windows XP was not as easy, but still as easy as installing a piece of connection software.
All the files on your computer show up just as they were on the device itself by selecting the networked computer that appears in your library. Wireless streaming is a fantastic feature to have and works especially well if you picked up the 4GB flash version of the 605.
Content Portal
The content portal allows you to download paid for content to 605. It also offers free content from various providers. The annoying aspect of the content portal is you have to register your player on Archos’ site to get it up and running. This meaning you must fill out all of your contact information and jump though a few registration hoops. What is also a little troublesome is that it mentions that you are registering for a “free one year subscription.” So does this mean that after a year the content portal ceases to function unless you pay for another subscription? That is not clear, but not too unsettling since I’m already feeling squeezed by all the other plugins and accessories I’m being charged for.
The performance is not that great either. It is not so much as the download speeds, but the screen redraws lag as well. It’s a common theme throughout the player; it may just not have enough processing power to handle hi-res screen.
File Browser
The file browser is not quite what you would find on your desktop but it is relatively simple with a slight learning curve. The file browser is fully featured, allowing you to move media, delete media, and even create new folders. This is a very welcome feature not found on many media players.
USB Host
USB host is handy for transferring media or even pictures from a camera, but the problem is you need to purchase an adapter, setting you back at least $30. This feature worked just as expected. I was able to transfer files using the file browser back and forth from every MSC(UMS) device including flash drives, hard drives, and other MSC MP3 players.
Photos
The big hi-res 16.7 million color screen works very good for viewing pictures. Unlike many other MP3 and PMP with smaller, lower color screens; you would be proud to show off your pictures on the 605. It is not too far from showing them off on a laptop.
Much like a photo viewer you have on your desktop, photo viewing is probably the most extensive you would find on any PMP. Photos are organized in a very large matrix making it very easy to browse.
Audio
Just like the rest for the 605, the audio interface is cluttered and will take quite a bit of time to get used to. All of the features are there - they just feel as if are haphazardly laid out.
The 605 has really great playlist management support as well as bookmarking support. Playlist management will allow you to create an unlimited number of playlists as well as manipulate the track order all from the device itself. Bookmarking is handled by a simple single press of the press of an icon on the left menu.
Built-in Speaker
The built-in speakers are nice for when you don’t want to plug in and when you are sharing with friends, but they sound weak by comparison to other players with built in speakers. Compared to the Zen WAV, Sansa Connect, and Samsung K5 they sound very tinny. It will be okay for watching video, but if you listen to music is it very fatiguing and will quickly wear on your ears.
Sound Quality
Sound quality is lacking to be blunt. The entire sound spectrum lacks clarity, more noticeably in the highs and lows. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who rocks some expensive phones. The sound quality will suffice for the majority of uses and will only disappoint the more discerning enthusiasts.
Video
This is one of the Archos 605’s strong points. Video from every file type looks great and scales nicely, even when dealing with YouTube videos from the web browser. Nearly everything I threw at it such as DivX/XviD worked quite nicely. Though there were a few that did not, since it used an AAC audio stream, purchasing the $20 plugin then allowed it to play.
Conclusion
The Archos 605 has a fantastic set of features and to this day is one of the more hardcore PMP with nearly all the bells and whistles. However the 605 suffers from a serious usability issue. The tactile navigation buttons on the right take some time get used to and the touch screen is rather difficult to use with your fingers. The 605 needs a serious user interface overhaul. This is a shame since there is nothing else on the market that that matches its extensive feature set and beautiful highres screen.
I am also coming away from the 605 with a bitter taste of being nickeled and dimed on plugins and accessories. The 605 is competitively priced, but once you add $30 for a TV out adapter, $70-$100 for DVR capabilities, $30 for a web browser, another $40 for video codecs that should have been included in the first place, you pockets will start to empty.
The bottom line is the 605 could be “the ultimate PMP”, but it needs a complete overhaul of the interface, making it more usable to the average consumer. I would only recommend this PMP for someone with above average knowledge of experience with gadgets and computers. It is definitely much less user friendly than what is on the market, but that said, it will make a very nice match for the portable video enthusiast.
Pros
- No video transcending needed
- Solid set of file support
- Great screen
- Very good video playback and scaling
Cons
- Outdated and not a user friendly interface
- Almost half the functionality requires you to spend more money
- Clunky design
- Interface can be slow especially on hard drive versions
- Must register product to use content portal
Purchase
The Archos 605 is available at many B&M stores, but you can also find it on Amazon
Comments
john on October 15, 2007 3:12 PM
Hi,
Thanks for the great review. One of the reasons I'm looking at this player is to use it as a monitor for my digital camera. A lot of digital cameras have a composite video out. Does the 605 have a means of accepting a composite video in signal?
Hope you can help.
Cheers,
John
EnzoTen on October 15, 2007 3:33 PM
Yes it does have composite in, but you need to purchase the Travel DVR or DVR station for $70 and $100 respectively. =/
john on October 15, 2007 4:30 PM
Thanks for the speedy response! So have you been able to try hooking up a digital camera to it to see if you can use it as an external live view monitor? In your opinion would this work? Don't worry, I won't hold you to it! :)
Keep up the excellent coverage on all DAPs. The Apple coverage on other sites can get tiring at times.
Cheers,
John
EnzoTen on October 15, 2007 5:44 PM
I am able to display video input from any composite source with the DVR station (and i assume the DVR portable dock as well) by going into the DVR setup and going to the record tab. It will monitor the source and record it if you press record.
However, there is a problem in that the backlight will go off after a maximum setting of 90 seconds. There is no way to keep the backlight on.
Alex M on October 15, 2007 6:40 PM
its smaller in every dimension than my zvw. slightly. and lighter for the hard drive. the 30gb considerably and the 80/160 a bit. but the screen looks good. but ill settle with my player. user removable battery is good. and i don't care for a web browser.
Alex M on October 15, 2007 9:32 PM
oo i c the pics now...its got a kickstand nice...but another thing important to me is the backlit keys.
Jim T on October 16, 2007 12:43 AM
I own both the Flash and 80 GB models of the 605. I previously used an AV500. I do not have a problem with the interface. Maybe my experience with the AV500 (buttons only, no touchscreen) helped. The 605 probably won't win the interface of the year award, but I have found it to work fine (again maybe used to Archos interface style on AV500), and have not needed the stylus at all.
The AV500 was packaged with the DVR cradle, and cables which was nice; however, it was much more expensive than the 605. The extra video /audio codecs, and browser that you buy for the 605 were not supported at all on the AV500. I would like to see a second SKU for the 605's that included the cradle, all plug-ins etc. in the box.
I do love the screen, do not have the same issues with the interface that you do, and have found Opera, combined with the larger screen, to be a better browsing experience than the Safari on the Touch, which I also have. The finger scrolling on the Touch gets old very quickly, I use the buttons on the 605 with Opera. Yeah, the buttons can be improved, but at least it has buttons.
The built-in stand is a great addition for me since I was always looking for something to lean the AV500 up against so I could watch it.
Olphus on October 17, 2007 5:11 AM
I wish there was a 505 - the same features as the 605 but smaller.
Jim on October 17, 2007 10:00 PM
I beleive this still suffers from the 4Gb file size limit imposed by the fat32 file system. I wish they had used NTFS. A 160Gb hard drive should not have this limitation.
Jim on October 17, 2007 10:00 PM
I beleive this still suffers from the 4Gb file size limit imposed by the fat32 file system. I wish they had used NTFS. A 160Gb hard drive should not have this limitation.
transws6am on October 18, 2007 1:43 AM
Do some studying on Archos. Anyone that has owned one, will tell you that they are full of bugs and defects. Even worse, their tech and customer support is horrid. They will deny everything. Even worse, most of the bugs are beyond their techs comprehension. So if you want fixes for the small bugs, you might see a firmware fix in about 6 months. Anything major that can cripple it (like the Archos 704, which stops its TV recordings about 30 minutes short everytime) they will just deny and do nothing about. Archos flat out sucks. Trust me. I have delt with this company numerous times. Each time I just thought I got one of the bad ones. Turns out that is like 95% of them. Save yourself the heart ache.
Charbax on October 18, 2007 1:45 AM
fat32 is the only one that works safely with Linux that is on the Archos and that works fine as a plug-and-play device detected as an external hard drive on any OS.
Although I agree Archos can improve the Interface and design, it's a subjective thing. And how much better can you make a file name listing interface, where you click on the file you want to play? I think iPod Touch interface is more flashy glittering animations around the only thing that matters, list those files and let user click on the file that should play. There is nothing mysterious about an interface. As for all the more advanced parts of the interface, those bring functions that no other player has, so you cannot really say that another player does that interface better since no other player has those features.
Olphus on October 18, 2007 3:48 AM
Will the 4GB limit, hmm, limit the possibility of a 4.45GB DVD rip?
Also, in the amazon reviews it is mentioned that the volume is too low and that you have recode files with higher gain..is this true.
Olphus on October 18, 2007 3:50 AM
edit: I meant the 4GB limit of FAT32 not flashcard size.
Jim T on October 20, 2007 2:52 AM
I think you may be confused about the free one year subscription. You mentioned the subscription was for the Archos Content Portal. The only time I saw free one year subscription when registering was for the graphical TV program listing that you can download directly to the 605 via WiFi. After a year, there is a charge to continue the listing. If you do not subscibe after a year, you still have the manual scheduling option. Although the basic scheduling is very VCR like, I find it much easier to schedule a program with the graphical listing. It is very intuitive, and reminds me of my TiVO. I did not see anything about a one year subscription when registering for the Content Portal.
I agree with Charbax's comment about not comparing other device's interfaces with the 605 since the other devices do not have the same feature set. I also have not experienced any problems with the left menus even though I have relatively big fingers.
I have seen several posting about Archos' quality control. I have owned 3 Archos devices prior to the 605's, and never had problems with any of them. All were used almost daily.
I have a rather extensive blog posting about why I like the Archos 605 better than the iPod Touch for my device needs.
http://www.jimtravis.com/gadget.html#archos
spoooon on October 22, 2007 5:22 PM
The volume level is pretty subjective. Most of my DVD rips were plenty loud enough to listen to using the external speaker, though I had to turn the volume almost all the way up. Using headphones, it's not a problem. MP3s are loud enough at around 60% or so.
As far as size of DVD rips, as far as I know, there is a limit to 4GB. I've been encoding my VOB files into DIVX (around 1GB in size). I bumped it up a little for movies like The Ring, where there are a lot of darker scenes.
Jaynetics on October 22, 2007 5:54 PM
"Do some studying on Archos. Anyone that has owned one, will tell you that they are full of bugs and defects."
I had a Gmini XS200 and it was probably the most stable piece of portable electronic gadget i ever owned.
I dropped it to stone floors 4 times, it even fell of my bike at maximum speed, being thrown into some mean rocks and completely ragged and dented and it still worked through another 3 years of daily usage.
micjordan12 on October 23, 2007 8:41 AM
Four days ago I bought 605 wifi 30Gb. But I wish I bought i-pod or orite pmp400. Without buying the plug-ins and cradle the standard device is almost useless. If you want to use it which is written on the box at least you should have to pay extra 160€. 299€ is device plus 160€ cradle and plug-ins plus 15€ usb charger (because there is no adapter in the box) total cost is 474€. It is over two times expensive than the other PMP's.
Jim T on October 27, 2007 1:56 AM
I do not recall a one year free subscription notice when I registered for the Content Portal. I did receive the one year free subscription notice when I registered for the free program listing service which can be downloaded directly to 605 via WiFi. The Program Listing allows you to select your programs from a listing customized for your location. It is much more graphical and a big improvement over the VCR like manual option.
I have a detailed blog entry on my personal blog (no ads, no spam) which describes why I prefer the 605 to the Touch:
www.jimtravis.com/gadget.html#archos
a on October 27, 2007 7:07 PM
"Without buying the plug-ins and cradle the standard device is almost useless"
oh really? so your the iPod you wanted to buy would do that stuff? I think it's great product, yes they charge for some of the premium abilities but overall it's still affordable for what it does. And with out any of the extra stuff its still a great PVP compared to others in the market
john on November 1, 2007 11:43 PM
I've ordered the 4GB Flash model over an iPod Touch for 2 reasons: Being able to record audio (with the travel adapter), and the SDHC expandability. Also, I was curious if you might consider disassembling one for us!
Craig on November 6, 2007 8:18 PM
I can't imagine how videos are on this version I have 604wifi and I love the quality. I never really had a big complaint on their GUI, it's different but not frustrating. The addons and plugins is what kills you, expect to spend the money sooner or later. Archos is not the best taking care of their customers. Many people have the 4th gen version hoping some issues would be fixed via software. The 605wifi is what the 604wifi should have been. So far no firmware updates just a shiny new version that is cheaper, better and bigger.
jpw on November 12, 2007 11:25 PM
Does anyone know of a way to have the 605's mp3 player work while viewing PDFs?
(Short of rendering them out to image files, ideally.)
John Doe on November 16, 2007 3:31 PM
are there any "hacks" for the Archos 605 WiFi system?
How customizable is the screen and everything?
What is with the Widgets? I heard they were due to come out this fall...which is just about over.
MikeD on November 17, 2007 2:48 AM
PDFs display very slowly so it's not useful for ebooks. No hacks thus far and the widgets require the Opera browser plug-in, winter doesn't officially begin until mid-December so it's still fall in the northern hemisphere.
I have to 30g and it's great fun and eye-catching whenever I use it in public. The interface is easy to learn but for most things I use the buttons which are even simpler. With the browser plug-in you can watch flash video you saved to the device in FLV format (youtube grabs).
mike on November 27, 2007 4:29 PM
I am leaning towards purchasing the 605. I do consider myself an audio enthusiast. I love the storage capacity and am planning on storing all my MP3s in there. I've heard/read reviews about weak headphone volume and lackluster audio quality. What audio specifications does Archos provide that will help me compare the 605's audio quality to other mp3 players? What are your thoughts about its audio playback?
Jerome on December 3, 2007 10:05 AM
Sound quality? It is Great! I connect it to my sound system using the DVR station using a SPDIF and the sound quality is great. Of course don't expect good sound quality trough the built in speaker and the head phone provided in their package is mediocre. But with the DVR, it's great. Image quality is great with the S-Video cable.
Jerome on December 3, 2007 10:06 AM
Sound quality... It is Great. I connect it to my sound system using the DVR station using a SPDIF and the sound quality is great. Of course don't expect good sound quality trough the built in speaker and the head phone provided in their package is mediocre. But with the DVR, it's great. Image quality is great with the S-Video cable.
foivosloxias on December 5, 2007 1:48 PM
I own the little Zen 8GB Flash and just bought the 605 30GB.The Zen is way much better in sound and menu friendliness. For example, with the 605 there is no way you can search by artist or album or anything else in the 30 gb music library... Zen has this basic and useful option. On the Archos you cannot delete a whole music album from within the music menu, you have to delete one song at a time !!! PDF viewer is useless... unless you want to read a couple of simple text and drawings pages. On the 605 I found that - while using headphones- switching to Spdif output from the sound setting menu, overides the EQ and boosts the default low level sound. Try it... Even better buy some decent noise isolating earphones -I use the Sennheiser CX-300- and they seem to gain 4-6db over other earphones.
Video performance on the 605 is great though you still have to buy some extra plugins or you can convert MPEG-2/VOB – 5.1 sound - AC3 files to wmv9 in order to watch them on 605. For people used to foreign language subs, SRT subtitles ARE supported but make sure that you set the proper language (eg. Greek) in the "Language-Country" menu so you can watch the right codepage characters (Greek). I do not regret buying the 605 -it looks and feels great!!!- but I find the Zen so much easier to carry around for every day listening and viewing music clips.
John Dale on December 13, 2007 3:51 PM
The Archos 605 Wi-fi is not a bad unit but the company sucks!! The unit has no place to put the stylus, you have to pay immediately for another 3 items to make it function. It does not have access to the web until you buy Opera, then it won't play VOB files for movies until you buy the cinema software. You cannot charge it quicker than many hours through a USB, it comes without any wall charger, you have to order a unit for $29.99 to speed up charging. Finally if you happen to live outside a big city anywhere in US or Canada and have a PO Box as your billing address they will not ship to you, you cannot pay with a VISA in that case, even if you purchased the item with the same VISA. Attempting to discuss these issues with the company is simply frustrating, the minions do not seem interested in your comments. They need to fire a bunch of people and hire some good PR and marketing employees, that actually might take notice of users concerns.
Jay Wood on December 13, 2007 3:55 PM
Great review. I just got off the plane with my archos 605 and watched 5 episodes of dexter. Great quality, great features and I even had my neighbor passenger saying thats cool as he listened to an mp3 cd player. Lame O!
I love it. Its great!
Woody on December 13, 2007 4:00 PM
Thanks for the review but I will have to disagree with some of your points. The battery life last at least 5 hours. The gui is easy to manage and no matter what product you buy you will always have to buy something to accessorize it with.
Overall archos is the shit. The price is right and the features are great. I love being able to watch youtube laying in bed and browsing around.
Matthew on December 15, 2007 6:57 PM
Good job on the review. Despite all the nuances of having to purchase the dock and plug-ins separately, I am still pleased with what the Archos 605 has to offer. I cannot wait until after the holidays so I can purchase the 30 GB model. I did have a few questions even after searching around for answers.
1) Using the composite cables to capture video and use the Archos 605 as a monitor, will the output composite cable connection to the TV still work? If so, does it show exactly what the screen of the Archos 605 shows, or does the video from the device work at full speed?
2) Are movies in AVI format supported? I would think so but I want to make sure.
That's all. Thanks.
Nick on December 17, 2007 7:33 AM
I just bought one my partner and now im worried she cant use it on xmas day, do i need to buy material stuff to make it work or software/plugins?
What i got includes
Earphones, ARCHOS USB cable, adapter for DVR Station Gen 5, sleeve
kp on December 20, 2007 6:13 AM
Could anyone comment on how large (roughly) a file is when you record, say, a 1-hour segment of television using the DVR? And how is the video quality? This feature alone is a huge selling point for me.
RailRide on December 27, 2007 11:20 AM
The DVR station will pass through whatever signal is fed into it (you may have to manually choose which port to output to --composite, s-video or component) until you decide to display the Archos' own screen on your TV. Haven't tried recording yet.
As for AVI files, it depends on what codecs are embedded within the container--.AVIs can have any one of a number of compression schemes all under the .AVI extension--some of them are compatible, some aren't.
YouTube-style .FLV files are playable out of the box without any add-ons, though I have found a handful of unsupported variations (probably from Flash 8 and above, but that's Adobe's fault).
http://forum.archosfans.com has a number of threads on most of these subjects.
Darren on January 1, 2008 5:48 PM
I recently bought the 504 40gb version & looking into the 605 160gb. The 504 apparently has 2 gb file limit & the 605 has a 4gb limit. This limits the size when ripping via clone dvd mobile. I have the dvr dock for the 504. With the adapter removed it looks as if it will fit the 605. This will save me some cash. Does anyone know if this will work?
isjamp on January 2, 2008 3:27 PM
A big negative is the inability to sync playlists from a media player to the device. The fact that one can create playlists from the device itself is not much help unless someone has hours and hours of time to spare and recreate what they already most likely have organized in their media player. While Archos released a firmware update and playlists titles will show up the contents of those playlists will still remain unplayable... Anyone found a solution?
Noah I Senzel on January 10, 2008 9:58 PM
sorry darren, as far as i know the dvr gets upgraded every gen so urs would work w/ 404, 504, 604 (maybe 704?)& the new one works w/ 405, 505, 605...
Taj on January 11, 2008 5:22 AM
I received an Archos 605 WIFI from Christmas and love it. Yeah the nickel and diming for extra accessories I could do without. I did find ways to access the browser without the plug in and play all video files by converting them to avi/mp3. Do a search for Archos forums to get more info. Any video converter will allow you to convert the file so the Archos will play it. I tried Xilisoft Video Converter which has a free download. The free version only converts 5 min of the video but it works. I ended up finding a code to activate the converter before I paid (which I was more than willing to do. The Browser work around is in the Cinemanow page. Go to it and try to play a trailer, you'll get a 404 error, click the download for Adobe Flash and up pops another screen. Look towards the bottom of the page for a google.com link. Click it and u can now browse the internet. You wont be able to watch videos on youtube but u can surf the web. After trying this out, I bought 2 of the plug ins (not the aac/h264 plug in.. don't need it cause I can convert). I hooked the thing of to the tv and great. Now if only I could figure out how to record/watch tv. My tv is not listed and I have everything (dvd recorder, vcr, & stereo system) plugged into one box (converter box for when u have more crap than u could possibly plug into the tv). I tried plugging the dvr station into both the box and the tv. I have cable but not digital, so no cable box. Still couldn't figure out how to record. I was expected it to work like the dvr/vcr and display the show on the tv. I guess I'll will have to try it when I upgrade to digital cable. The Free TV Listing subscription is nice. I use the Archos to find out what is on tv instead of waiting on the cable to scroll through them. I was able to watch movies/tv shows downloaded (& converted) on my pc & the archos on the tv while using the dvr station. The plug in made a big difference in the quality as I watched it before i bought the plug in also. I do wish I could just plug in * play off a usb stick. I believe that feature is only available when the Archos is on the dvr station. I love the Archos but it is a little difficult to adjust to the buttons and menus at first.
Monkboon on January 12, 2008 7:46 PM
I'm actually looking to sell my AV-500 in favor of the 605 Wi-Fi. What are you guys and gals opinion on this and why? Thank you, Monk....
Paul on January 22, 2008 5:59 PM
There are a couple of comments here about AVI being suported depending on the codec.
Is there a way of determining which codecs are supported, or is it just trial and error.
I have started converting DVDs using DVDFab to WMV (Zune) instead and this seems to work but I would prefer Avi if possible.
Christopher on January 24, 2008 5:19 PM
Avi is supported, as long as the video is MP4, XviD or DivX encoded and the audio is MP3. All in all, this is a fantastic machine, but the company does suck. It would be much better if it incorporated some features of the iPod Touch, and came preinstalled with all the plugins. I'd be willing to pay extra for the machine if I didn't have to fool around with plugins. It also would be better if it was thinner, if the screen was more scratch resistant, had anti-glare and was either designed to use fingers, or had a slot for a stylus. I also noticded a green tinge, like in the Matrix, if you didn't look exactly perpendicular to the screen. Although it isn't the biggest deal, it would greatly improve screen quality if that was looked at. Pre-installed games and wider Wi FI support would also be nice. (the WiFi isn't compatible with my b/g wireless system :( ). You'd think that companies would be a little smarter about things like this. The problems with this machine are fairly clear. Sadly though, since the company is lacking in several areas, they will come close but will never be able to make the ultimate PMP.
Gregg on January 25, 2008 6:42 PM
I purchased the 605 160gb version last fall mainly for the WiFi capability to stream my media from my pc. Immediately, I noticed an annoying static in my headphones when buffering the file. It was totally unacceptable when streaming video files and it only occurred when using headphones. I had to return it for that reason. Archos's only suggestion was to upgrade the firmware which I had already done. I've noticed a few other people have had the same problem. Has anyone here had that problem? I wonder if it's a design flaw with the larger hard drive. Also, another deal killer for me was the inability of the Opera browser to connect to my Media Center system via the WebGuide application to view TV, DVD movies, etc.
Normando H on January 26, 2008 3:03 AM
My archos was running fine for 2 months until it present the infamous code 102.Now,i tried to return it to Circuit City-no luck only 30 day warranty,Archos says that since i didnt buy the thing from them i got to deal with my retail.My numerous calls and email has render anything but a sour experince from a company i was just praising a month ago.
I you buy a 605 make sure it's thru them.
I'am about to open the archos and replace the defective hard drive myself since tech service is no help.Any useful info is welcome.
Mario on January 30, 2008 10:23 AM
The hardware is great, the software could be better. What is awful is costumer support. It starts by sending an email given on their website. An auto-reply follows telling you that the email address is no longer being used and gives you a web link. Then the web page to that link no longer exists! At this point I had to call on the phone and wait several minutes for an unmotivated (really) tech support agent. My device had warranty issues, so I sent it in. I never got a tracking number for the delivery back, as the system tells you, you have to call in and ask for it...All this because your device broke due to normal use! Give me a break, go back to Europe!
Sandeep on February 7, 2008 9:29 PM
I bought the 605 a couple of days back..and I just loved it!...Well UNTIL i found out how horrible was its battery..It takes almost 8-10 hours to charge completely(thru USB) from 0%..and the BATTERY LIFE is even more painful..It hardly lasts 3-4 hours.And irrespective if I am playing just the audio or video the battery just keeps draining.I dont know what to do now..as the purpose of being portable is blatantly defeated by the devices poor battery life.May be i got the one-off bad piece ??:(
Sigh..
Sandeep on February 7, 2008 9:34 PM
I dont have any other complains other than the poor battery life..But whats the use of a world-class player if it cant last as much as my travel?I am considering of selling this and buying something else..a new 80gb Zune probably? Its sad cause i just got it 2 days back and i absolutely loved its audio/video performance.
pat on February 10, 2008 9:57 PM
when turning on 605wifi the screen flashes,has latest fiemware
Matteo on February 19, 2008 7:00 AM
Hi, I bought 605 wifi 30 gb and I think is fantastic... good video quality, but I have a problem to recharge the battery, so I've to wait more than 60 hours before using it!! Is it normal? what's your experience?
Thanks
Gnathonic on February 20, 2008 12:59 PM
@Sandeep
Try the latest firmware:
(Version 1.8.03 - February 11, 2008
...
Bug fixes:
...
System: Fixed Hard Drive that would sometimes keep spinning in standby mode)(there were other fixes too but this is the only one the pertains to you)
Hard drives use quite a bit of power to keep active and if you are only getting about 4 hours on music either something is really wrong with your battery (but if that were the case you would not be getting 3-4 hours of video), or this was your problem and after the update you should be able to go for 14-17 hours (depending on format and encoding).
Gnathonic on February 20, 2008 1:00 PM
@Sandeep
Try the latest firmware:
(Version 1.8.03 - February 11, 2008
...
Bug fixes:
...
System: Fixed Hard Drive that would sometimes keep spinning in standby mode)(there were other fixes too but this is the only one the pertains to you)
Hard drives use quite a bit of power to keep active and if you are only getting about 4 hours on music either something is really wrong with your battery (but if that were the case you would not be getting 3-4 hours of video), or this was your problem and after the update you should be able to go for 14-17 hours (depending on format and encoding).
Vinny8458 on February 21, 2008 9:31 AM
I am having massive problems with mine. When i turn it asks me if i want to format the hard drive, 1. no, 2 fix 3 format. each one doesn't work and the reset button is no help. i have phoned the help line and you gueesed it send it back at a cost, cheers
Jero on February 23, 2008 11:36 PM
Decent product; crappy management. They obviously have some good engineering as this clearly beats the compition on many fronts. The best screen (800x480) on anything this size I've seen. Combined with the $30 Opra 9 web browser enabler, it makes a killer portable web appliance. Battery life is good browsing - aprox. 4+ hours. Charges OK with an external USB charger. Mine is a 4Gb Flash with a 8 Gb SDHC card ($32) and works nicely; lighter, cheaper and more rugged than the HD version.
Someone who knows what they're doing should take over this company, fire the management and go for market share. It's a standout product with the kids in charge. For example, while a PO Box is way more secure than a street address, if that's where you get your CC statements, you're SOL. No exceptions! "But I just want to pay for a download to enable something - please?" "Get lost, we're doing just fine without your biz; run along!"
For the brave, this runs Linux on its internal ARM processor and has a world of possibilities. Me, it's just fine the way it is. But, please, throw the bums out!
temp-poster on February 24, 2008 2:47 PM
Where do I start? I've had my 605 160g since Wednesday 20th February 2008.Now being an impatient geek I go thru all the functions ASAP.After initial perusal I decided to transfer via my laptop 11,379 mp3 files.This I did using the special USB to 605 cable.This was successful......after 16.5 hours!!! My old Creative JB3 60g receives similar amounts in around 5 hours.That was the 1st alarm sounding.Next my wifi networks were detected but would not connect.Archos support said it was a Mac fitering problem-it wasn,t after several hours it was a "windows wep key" corruption that finally worked correctly.It may still occasionally fail to connect.Next the 605 failed to show up as a drive on my laptop (A605E)-it corrected without my knowing exactly why this occured.Next a WMV video that I had downloaded via videoraptor from YouTube worked but with no audio-several times I installed it-several times the audio did not work-I shut the unit down and later rebooted and hey!! that audio soundtrack suddenly worked!!?? Now the real f....r,With all those mp3's the tag info is vital for searching and suddenly yesterday (23-2-08) with no warning all the tag info disappeared!!!I tried everything-no luck. So for the 2nd time in 3 hours I contacted by phone Archos tech support.I needed to go to the repair fuction and clear the temp file cache etc.So I did, a library rebuild takes place and this takes 45 minutes ffs.So after all this, last evening everything seemingly now works (Note:- I haven't tried recording yet-God knows what'll happen here.....lol).Now this morning I boot it up and check around a few videos all OK,wifi hook up OK,some photos OK then I go to my mp3's and ffs guess what?? No f.....g tag info.AAAGGGHHH!! I have 2 working days to decide to return this to Amazon under the 7 days terms or do I keep this damn thing and hope that yet another firmware upgrade may solve apparently tons of issues??(Current firmware is 1.8.05 21 February 2008 just 10 days after the last one!!-says it all I guess!-Note:-there are currently @least 8 or 9 firmware upgrades for the 605 160G). Do the Archos firmware and hardware engineers know what they are doing? This unit clearly has been released onto the market too early.Oh I forgot about irritating glitches @ the start of each mp3 (except after pausing)...while it finds the file on the drive-my 5 year old JB3 does not do this. Anyway folks I hope I haven't bored you! I might post some more failures soon-you never know...Best Regards to you all.
temp-poster on February 25, 2008 6:07 AM
Hello again,Further to my previous posting I would mention that when playing mp3's sometimes it would play then suddenly stop and the screen would go blank and the unit will freeze or a variant to this is that it will stop and suddenly the default ARCHOS screen would show and it would continue what seems to be a partial reboot.Another observation that I have made is that when starting a new mp3 it would play but initially no tag info shows up because there appears to be no full buffer function even tho the mp3 file name is shown (not the tag).A consequent delay of anything up to 13 seconds that I have witnessed so far (maybe more is possible) will arise and during this time no touch or button function works.In my previous posting I mentioned mp3 starting glitches.This appears to be a similar problem where the unit does not buffer a selected (or pre selected as in the queue mode) track and hence relies on the search to be effected via the HDD only.Either that or the onboard processor is to damned slow (or both!!).Does anyone know the type and spec of processor used? Have a great day and best regards!!
Hans on March 4, 2008 11:55 PM
To temp-poster:
I also have an issue with the tags. About half of my mp3s wont show up if I browse by artist, title or such, but if I were to look through the 'harddrive' method, more, yet not all, of the files will appear. I think this is a side effect of using the crappy windows media player library to sync with this machine. I have noticed that on my own pc, windows media player (version 11.0.5721.5230) will modify tag information within itself, but wont touch the actual files id3s. however, when i view the contents of my archos 605 via winamp (version 5.52) it is evident that the actual id3s of the mp3s on my 605 have been modified. WTF!!!! This id3 tag bullshit is also affecting the mp3s i keep on my phone! TMobile Wing, running windows mobile 6, with.... you guessed it, windows media player 10......
temp-poster on March 10, 2008 8:12 AM
Hello again, Further to my recent postings I decided to return the unit for a refund.For anyone contemplating purchasing items like this please consider Amazon because their returns policy and after sales attitude is excellent.I am now contemplating the purchase of a Cowon Q5 OR Cowon A3.The Q5 does everything I want (including hopefully fast access to audio files!) but alas the max capacity is 60g and it is rather expensive! I might get the Zune 80g as an interim video player until what I want arrives in a year or two! Bye for now......
Podge on March 26, 2008 7:15 AM
Iv been using the 605 for the past 3 months nd it is not worth the grief.The battery life is horrific.At best an hour nd a half of video playback.If it breaks down and try and get it replaced archos will not reinburse the 40 euro worth of plugins u put in.Compared to the 3rd generation V500 it has been a major letdown !!!
Podge on March 26, 2008 7:16 AM
Iv been using the 605 for the past 3 months nd it is not worth the grief.The battery life is horrific.At best an hour nd a half of video playback.If it breaks down and try and get it replaced archos will not reinburse the 40 euro worth of plugins u put in.Compared to the 3rd generation V500 it has been a major letdown !!!
James on March 27, 2008 4:01 PM
I'm thinking of purchasing an Archos 605 160gb and the only thing that is holding me back is the FAT32 hard drive with its 4gb limitation. Is it possible to convert the hard drive to an NTFS file system? the same way you can do with any other hard drive.
Garry Lee on March 28, 2008 3:46 AM
Review was interesting, but TOTALLY wrong in one respect. The interface, once you get the hang of it is fabulous and much less controlling than that of Apple. You can e.g. access your music through the file system and play albums that way. You cannot do that with Apple. You can put the music in by just dropping rather than using Itunes or some AWFUL software like that, that totally straitjackets you.
I'm delighted with this machine and have had several MP3 players, the oldest of which is a still perfectly funcitoning Archos 20gig jukebox, maybe 6 years or more old.
Aseel Fuad on March 29, 2008 11:23 AM
hi everyone
can anyone send me the web-browser 4 my 605 160g on my email ( aseel_f94@hotmail.com) because i dont have money 2 buy it
plzzzzzZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz
Aseel Fuad on March 29, 2008 11:25 AM
hi everyone
can anyone send me the web-browser 4 my 605 160g on my email ( aseel_f94@hotmail.com) because i dont have money 2 buy it
plzzzzzZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz
Darren on April 3, 2008 9:28 AM
I have an Archos 605 wifi (40gb)
this is a replacement as the 404 I had went wrong , when I tookit back they said it is no longer in production.Please beware if you have to replace you machine (wether its your fault or not)you will have to buy the plugins all over again.
Another thing to remember is that archos have appualing customer service , a 25p per minute helpdesk that takes you days to get through and lots of unanswered emails.I suggest you check out Archos customer services before you buy any product. So far I have spent about £90 on plugins and still no joy.
Kevin on April 7, 2008 11:54 PM
I was excited about this, but the reviews have scared me away. I don't want to have to pay extra for all the additional features. These will add up quick. Also, I hate poor customer service and it sounds like I wouldn't like the interface. That and it's just not very portable. I'm sure I'm leaving out some negatives.... Back to the drawing board. I'll probably look in to the 160gb classic... or a zune. I like the itouch, but the price to storage ratio is too much of a difference. *sigh*
Cool on April 10, 2008 6:46 PM
I came to this site because I guy said this product is better then the iPod touch. After reading reviews I would have to disagree with him. I have to admit the hardware in the 605 is good, assuming that it does what it is supposed to. But the iPod is backed with great support, games, and good batery life. Not to metion that it just looks beter. I have not owned the 605 or an other Archos product for that matter, but I do know that the are better products out there.
Typed on an iPod touch
Archos 605 Owner on April 12, 2008 12:49 AM
Well I Own a 605 30gb WIFI and figured I'd throw my two cents in. First of all, you dont have to buy plugins again if youve bought them once thats absurd. Secondly Customer service is not great. I have had my device replaced twice since December. Both times shipping and handling were paid for and my plugins were reimbursed. Now a product breaking down twice is pretty shoddy but the one I have now has been working greatly as it should. originally the external speaker stopped working, so I sent it to the warehouse in Colorado, they sent it back and the screen was not working correctly. So I get pretty pissed off and tell customer service this is unacceptable they put me on with their supervisor and he tells me he will take care of it personally and to mark it "ATTN: "His Name"" and he will make the repairs and exchange himself. I sent it to them they sent it back in 2 days via UPS. I must say that I was happy with this second interaction and the fact that the supervisor took charge of my problems.
the product is awesome. The Iphone/touch looks way better. but as far as functionality and quality the 605 is a clear winner. compared to the iphone it can be sluggish, yes. but you have video out at near HD quality (meaning you can take a collection of 10-15 movies plus 15 gigs of music wherever you are and if you have a battery dock or other video out accessory you can watch it on any TV) Its a Personal Media Player pure and true. its more than just a cool user interface.
bootlager on April 12, 2008 7:29 PM
Hi, I currently have the 504 and I love it, but Im thinking of upgrading to the 605 for the newer features. Now on the 504 the back is easily removed to reveal a regular ol laptop hard drive. First I would like to know if anyone knows weather or not if this is the same for the 605 and if so, is it upgradable. Could I, say, buy the 30gb model and then clone the drive to a 160gb I allready have and pop it in and save some cash on that end? Or at least upgrade to a better HDD? The drive that came with the 504 is some low end toshiba drive. Id love to put in a seagate or wd with a higher rpm. Well any info anyone has would be greatly appreciated.
Jonathan on April 16, 2008 10:40 AM
I own the 30gb 605wifi. I am not buying the cinema or podcast plugins but bought the browser. I can't figure out how the hell to make avi movies work longer than 1 hour and 10 minutes or so. They play all the way through on my pc but won't on the archos. I called customer service and they said to try pocket divx encoder. I am using Any video converter and Cucusoft ultimate. Both of which work great but only for a freakin hour or so. Does anyone know the solution to this? I have tried divx, mpeg4 and another codec that all worked but not for the whole file.
paul on May 1, 2008 11:52 PM
I have the 605 30Wifi and on one hand swear by it for flights . .on the other hand -- battery life I'm clocking about 3+ hours with shows downloaded off my DVR.
I've even bought the extended battery which fully charged only seems to provide an additiona 1-2 hours.
I fly transcontinental US 1-2x per month and with the device + extended battery I always seem to 'just' make it.
In terms of bugginess -- horribly sensitve and I've had files corrupted more times than I can count.
It appears to be extremely sensitive when plugging/unplugging even with just the charger.
Currently -- I can only run DVR downloaded shows/movies as any additional files such as music will instantly corrupt my shows.
Conversely . if I have music then try to download DVR content . .my music becomes corrupted.
In any case .. I think I'm finding it's a necessary evil.
Barrie on May 6, 2008 3:14 PM
Sadly I have now had three 605s and 2 705s. They really are dreadful. The video is intermittent and "hangs". The disc drive on two 605s froze and had to be replaced. These units are some of the worst that I have ever used. Potentially they could be great but they have been under-tested and the after sales services from Archos is very poor. I will NOT be buying Archos again. Thank God they came from QVC who happily replaced and eventually gave me my money back!
PS I just Love my Ipod!
temp-poster on May 12, 2008 2:22 PM
Reply to Barrie (and further to earlier postings):-
I agree,potentially great units, but clearly not tested properly (witness all those firmware upgrades!) and is plain ole unreliable! (605 160g in my case).Maybe just maybe ARCHOS developers read these forums and might work to produce the best largest capacity and most reliable fully tested PMP available-maybe in a couple of years......
Best Regards.....
Oliver on May 13, 2008 2:40 PM
I bought an Archos 605 wifi just after Christmas 2007. I was excited to get it as it was so feature-rich that I didnt actually need to carry my laptop everywhere (being able to listen to music, watch videos and surf the internet). After receiving it, my first disappointment was the ridiculous amount of time it took to charge the battery using the included USB cable. I mean it *really* took a long time. well over 24 hours. I decided to buy the docking cradle as I wanted it to charge quicker and use the DVR functions and indeed it did charge it much quicker (from dead to fully charged in maybe 3 hours). I also purchased the helmet camera for making movies when I'm snowboarding (more on the camera below).
I experienced some minor bugs, mostly freezes. Also it did not enjoy the process of transferring all of my MP3 files (about 18GB) over. I had to break the load into many smaller groups (about 1GB each) to make it work.
Then the real problems came. I have already mentioned the freezing, i know. one day i dropped the player on my kitchen floor and since then the freezing has gotten 10 times worse, I cannot write more than a couple of GB to the drive TOTAL (I have had to reformat, which helped slightly, but now i cannot upload all of my files again). I know i shouldn't have dropped it, but these accidents are bound to happen with a portable device and quite frankly, it made existing problems worse, not just created new ones.
I am deciding what to do now, if replacing the drive is the way to go, or if i should just cut my losses and deal with it as it is. The WiFi function still works fine (although i did resent having to buy the browser. why was that not bundled with the device if it comes with WiFi capabilities?). I mostly use it for portable internet access and some (very limited) MP3 listening. I can only fit a few GB of data, so using it as a portable hard drive is not really an option.
regarding the helmet camera: DO NOT BUY THE HELMET CAMERA FOR THE ARCHOS 605!! the video quality is *terrible*, the picture was washed out and grainy, even in normal lighting conditions. the camera itself was much larger than i thought it would be and the way it connects to the base of the 605 was not secure or comfortable when in a pocket. the battery life while filming was also very poor. I was very disappointed.
I still have my Archos Gmini 402 camcorder, a device i was very happy with. I am actually about to replace the battery in that (i've had it for about 3.5 years and used it a great deal) and using that for my primary music device. the 605 will stay at home or in the car. it's not what I hoped for when I ordered it. I'm afraid that I must advise people to not purchase this product.