Which is Better: Archos 605 or Creative Zen Vision W?

[twojakes]

I want to buy a portable media player but can't decide between the two. Can anybody help me out? Which is better: Archos 605 or Creative Zen Vision W?

[Agent_milo]

Well, it depends upon what you actually want. I was having the same dilemma until recently; I pit the same players as you did against each other. These are some factors which I considered.

Archos 605 WiFi
+Great Screen, no other PMP in this range can give you such an awesome video experience
+Touchscreen (would be great for WiFi)
+Good support for a variety of files
+No video conversion is required; simply drag and drop video files and you're all set
+Can be used as a Hard Disk
+Ability to read Flash Files, PDFs etc. I would use the PDF to read Ebooks, but flash wouldnt just cut it
-Unpolished Audio quality; it would suffice most users but if you're an audiophile, stay clear. I didnt mind it much though; the video perfomance kinda made up for it
-Volume is kinda low too
-Interface isn't to learn quickly; takes time learning all the shortcuts and menus
-Most of the features you'd think should have been included must be purchased separately, and that includes the charger too! But it doesnt matter as much for me, as I didn't opt the 605 for WiFi, DVR or anything. Be prepared to invest in a better set of phones though. What comes with 605 is utter crap
-Battery life is only average
-Non-Removable battery (which is a huge minus for me)
-Rather bulky, but not too much for me
-Worst Customer care I've ever seen
-Build quality has my suspicions, the buttons seem vunerable

Creative Zen's just as great too, but it has its own share of shortcomings.
+Great Screen that at times seem better than the 605; you'll only tell the difference when its kept side-by-side
Its 262k at 480x272 while 605 is 16M at 800x480
+Lots better audio quality than the 605, and bundled earphones are good too
+Supports lots of formats too, but Divx is pretty limited. 6 doesnt work
+Removable battery, which is a thing to have
+Easy to learn Interface
+Upto 16gb can be set aside to be used as flash drive

-Unbelievably bulky
-Divx 6 handicap
-Photos don't look as natural as it does on the 605, rather saturated. The screens considerably brighter than 605 anyway
-Hard buttons
-MTP device

Despit all the short comings, I'm for the 605, as stellar video on-the-go is what I want. Also being an MSC device, I can use it as a hard drive too. This is a matter of personal opinion, and naturally in the end, its all upto you.

Hope that helps,
Milad

[2nice]

Vision W is actually more comparable to the Archos 604, its just Archos issued the 605 WiFi follow-up while the Vision W is still Creative's only PVP still offered. Actually one thing though, both the 604 and Vision W have a glossy screen, while the 605 has matte finish because of its touchscreen, so some people like the former better despite the 605's higher resolution.

[Agent_milo]

True, it does have a less reflective screen than 605. But the resolution is nowhere near it. Like I said, these details are for geeks only; you'll tell them apart when kept beside each other. Most people wouldn't bother about these anyway.

605's screen is considerably dimmer though its bright enough to watch videos on a sunny day. I presume the brightness fault is due to the touchscreen layer?

Non-removable battery is a let-down. I wouldn't mind the battery life it they provided removable battery like the Zen W did.

[2nice]

but the removable battery is also one reason why the Vision W is bigger in every dimension, which in your list was a big downer. Still I do agree they should have kept the removable battery of the 604 but at least they have the extended battery option

also some stuff that was missed, the Vision W has a FM Radio, and the 605 WiFi has an optional web browser (the reason for the high res screen)

[Agent_milo]

Those extras don't mean a thing to me. I only use the player for watching videos or listening to music. They might claim their products can do other stuff, but it just wont cut it. I don't use FM at all, nor will i use the PDF/Flash feature, the web browser or the extra DVR thingy. I'm planning to invest in a USB host adapter; The idea of swapping out thumb drives seems interesting. Hope I can connect it directly to a camera.

Still wish the mains power adapter came with the player.

[2nice]

the AC adapter used to, but nowadays no one gives it anymore so it's not Archos's own downfall. And about the USB host, it was originally made only for Cameras and standard MSC device support was actually added later so you should be fine. I for one really would like an FM radio and yes not everyone needs the extra but really the web browser is one of the best for a portable device, better than most PDAs, so for people that do need it, it's a good investment

[Agent_milo]

Yeah, 2 years back a friend of mine bought the ZVM and he didn't get the charger. So, I guess its not a big deal.

I did see the browser. It's a good one for a portable device. But, its not practical for me because there are virtually zero hotspots in my region. Yes, there're some, like airports :P, which offer free internet access, but what's the use?

If there is a something that I might plan to purchase from Archos, it's the Cinema Plugin. It would be so cool, if we could just drag and drop .vob files and play of directly! No hassle!

[2nice]

no hassle but it sure does kill space fast compared to a Xvid file

[Agent_milo]

True, but convert a .vob file to divx and you'll see what I mean. Sure, you can save space but can you save the time taken to?

Drag and drop of divx/xvid files without converting is the main reason I like the 605. Vision W can do it too, but there's a slight limitation. Its not a big deal though.

[2nice]

Zens are all MTP, via their Explorer tool it imitates MSC but its not really MSC. Only Archos and SanDisk I know of to support real MSC

[dfkt]

As for MSC (and most everything else), the Cowon A2 or A3 should probably be among the best PMPs you could get.

[Agent_milo]

I used to drool over A3 until I realized Cowon doesn't sell their products here.

[dfkt]

"Here" doesn't qualify for most other people, I assume...

You hardly see Cowon players in any store (not even in the USA), they usually have to be bought online.

[Agent_milo]

That's stupid, then what about the offline world who don't know a thing about it? Cowon, what are you playing at? Don't you wanna sell your products?

[dfkt]

Well, the word spreads around... people know that they're good players. I bought both my X5 and D2 online, without having seen them in a store before. I don't regret either one of those, they're almost perfect for my needs... and way less hassle than Creative and better quality than Archos.

[musichound]

FWIW Cowon does sell their products in stores, but the only continent where there are no brick and motor sales is in North America.

[dfkt]

You can't buy them in B&M stores here in Austria as well... I don't know about Germany or the UK, but you certainly would find them in some South Korean stores.

[musichound]

While there are no B&M stores in Austria there are such stores in Germany. As for Great Britain, the cities that are listed are Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London.

And yes, there are certainly stores in South Korea.

[dfkt]

I know, that's why I wrote "can hardly be found in B&M stores" above... 3 cities for the whole of the UK doesn't really help most people there as well - considering you can buy iPods or Creative players in almost every corner store.