Product Description

Store up to 40 movies, 300,000 photos or 15,000 songs with the 30GB hard drive. Enjoy high quality video on a 4.3" color screen. Easily navigate menus with touch screen capabilities. Take it on the go with the built-in WiFi module and internet browser. Turn your ARCHOS 604 into a DVR: Record TV from a TV, VCR, DVD Player and cable box or satellite reciever on your ARCHOS with the optional DVR Station

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26729 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: Grey
• Brand: Archos
• Model: 500872
• Released on: 2006-09-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 3.00" h x 1.00" w x 5.00" l, .56 pounds
• Hard Disk: 30GB
• Display size: 4.3

Features

• Lightweight, portable digital video, music, and photo player with 4.3-inch TFT LCD screen
• 30 GB hard disk stores up to 15,000 songs, 300,000 pictures, or 40 movies
• Supports MP3, WAV, WMA, protected WMA, JPEG, BMP, PNG, MEGP-4, and WMV formats
• High-speed USB 2.0 interface for transfers; rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
• Measures 5.1 x 3 x 0.65 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 9.05 ounces; 1-year warranty

Amazon.com Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description With the Archos 604 30 GB portable digital media player and recorder, you have all the entertainment you need at your fingertips in a package that approaches iPod size. The perfect companion for everything from long trips to short bus rides, and from going to parties to just hanging out around the house, the Archos 604 lets you not only take your favorite music, movies, and moments with you, but helps you make new favorite moments wherever you happen to be.

The unit's 4.3-inch TFT LCD display delivers a crystal-clear picture.

With a screen size surface three times that of similar size PMPs (portable media players), the Archos 604 lets you thoroughly enjoy movies and videos. This unit employs a bright 4.3-inch TFT LCD display with over 16 million colors to deliver a crystal-clear, sharp picture, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 480 x 272 pixels of resolution, as well as an intuitive GUI (graphic user interface) for easy-to-use navigation. The Archos 604 not only plays your videos and movies, but also lets you store up to a whopping 85 movies on its hard drive in either MPEG-4 or WMV formats at up to DVD resolution. You can also purchase and download optional plug-ins from Archos' website that will allow you to play H.264 and MPEG-2 formats up to DVD resolutions as well.

Connections include a USB 2.0 interface, a dedicated DVR connector, a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack, and a TV output.

Not only is the Archos 604 a portable video and movie player, but a high-resolution photo viewer as well, complete with features such as zoom, music, and transition effects. You can easily download photos from your PC or transfer them directly to the 604 from your digital camera via the optional docking adapter. This unit is compatible with JPEG, BMP, and PNG file formats, and can hold up to 300,000 photos at a time, depending upon file size and what else you are storing at the same time. The Archos 604 can even read and display PDF documents for on-the-fly work situations, although it may not implement all PDF features.

For those times when you can't afford the distraction of watching high-quality videos, the Archos 604 can be your music player, storing and playing up to 15,000 songs so you can keep working, walking, or doing whatever you need with your own private soundtrack. The unit displays the track, artist, album, and album cover of whatever you are playing, and supports stereo MP3 decoding from 30 to 320 kbps CBR and VBR, as well as WMA, protected WMA, and WAV (PCM/ADPCM) formats. Furthermore, the Archos 604 can play AAC music files and AC3 stereo sound files with the additional of optional software plug-ins that can be purchased and downloaded from Archos' web site. And just in case inspiration strikes or you want to make sure you don't forget something important, this handy media player lets you make voice recordings through its built-in microphone, or via the optional DVR travel adapter or DVR station through a stereo line-in jack in WAV format.

Touch screen LCD lets you navigate through menus with a fingertip or stylus.

The Archos 604 is fully compatible with DVD-quality VOD (video on demand) and online music stores, allowing you to purchase and download new music and movies directly online rather than having to transfer everything from more traditional media sources. This media player can also record directly from TV in high-quality MPEG-4 with stereo sound via the optional DVR station, so you can take your favorite television shows with you wherever you go. And if you are at home, the Archos 604 can play back any of your movies or recorded TV programs on your television itself, also through the optional DVR station.

The Archos 604 has a built-in 30 GB hard disk, so you have plenty of space for anything you need, and includes a high-speed USB 2.0 connection for transferring files. The 604 also offers Wi-Fi capability that lets you more easily transfer files to and from your Archos media player and other Wi-Fi enabled devices or computers. This unit features a 3.5-millimeter stereo headphone jack mini-jack and TV output, dedicated connectors for hooking up optional adapters or the DVR station, and a built-in kick stand for convenient table-top viewing. The 604 also features a music playback time of up to 16 hours, and a video playback time of up to five hours on its built-in LCD display, all with its internal, removable lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery that charges via computer through its USB port, or more quickly with the optional docking adapter or DVR station.

The Archos 604 is compatible with both PCs and Macs with a USB port and Linux, Windows ME or higher, or OS X or higher, and requires Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher and Windows Media Player 10 or higher for use with PlayForSure video and subscription services. This media player allows firmware updates to be downloaded via www.archos.com, weighs approximately 9.05 ounces, and measures approximately 5.1 by 3 by 0.65 inches (W x H x D).

What's in the Box
Archos 604 portable media player and recorder, headphones, dedicated USB 2.0 cable, DVR station adapter, pouch, quick-start guide, legal and safety notices.

Customer Reviews

Well made device, very pleased
I have had this product for several weeks now. I thought long and hard about which type to buy (I finally settled on Archos as the manufacturer) and went with the 604 WiFi due to the size (704 is too large for what I wanted) and cost (the 604 without WiFi was about the same price).

I also prefer the removeable battery, which the 605 does not have. The 605 does allow you to stream video whereby the 604 doesn't, so if this is an important feature for you keep that in mind. Also, oddly enough, the 604 WiFi comes with the Archos browser already loaded, and it appears you have to pay extra for this with the 605.

Learning how to convert files took me a while, but I found a good software to use (there are several freebies out there) and through a bit of trial and error, I have it down to a pretty good routine now. I've put about four movies on it and they work fine, although one I may have to reload because the movement on the screen is a little choppy for some reason. Converting DVDs to .avi takes a while, so I usually do this in the background while doing something else. Transfering the file to the Archos only takes a few minutes.

I see many complaints about the fact that you have to buy extra accessories, which is apparently true for most any Archos PMP. You should, of course, do your research ahead of time and figure those costs in the final price before you make the decision to buy it in the first place. If you want any cables, the docking station, etc. add those into the total cost when you compare, presuming that whatever you are comparing it to has these already included. I have ordered the docking station but it has not yet arrived, so I can't comment on its usefulness (or lack thereof). I also bought the two plug-ins online at the Archos web site. I knew in advance that I would incur these costs in addition to the cost of the 604 if I wanted them. Considering the price I got if for on Amazon, though, I still considered it to be a good buy.

Several comments have also been made regarding the sound quality of the speaker. Well, of course it's bad! It is a tiny little thing on a faily small device, so don't expect thundering surround sound. All I use it for is to make sure that the movies I have transferred to it did transfer successfully with the sound. In that respect, it's pretty handy to have.

I plan to use this to watch movies while traveling by plane, and I think it is perfect for that purpose. It is heavier than I thought it would be and IMO it is not a good choice if you mainly want MP3. There are many lighter options for this with probably better sound quality. In no way would you want to go jogging with this thing; it's simply not made for that.

If you do decide to buy this device or another model, check out www.archosfans.com to get some useful tips on using it. For newbies like me in regard to file conversion, a great resource on this site is http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=8348, which guides you step-by-step.

All in all I have been pleased with my purchase and will probably buy a second one to give as a gift. I do recommend it.

EDIT 05/30/08: I have had this unit for about seven months now and continue to be pleased with it. I have it continually sitting in the docking station to charge and have learned how to set the timer. So, while in the docking cradle, it will turn on my Dish receiver, turn it to the correct channel, record the program and then turn the receiver off. You cannot transfer Dish recorded material to the unit, although you can do this with a free plug-in from Archos with the 605 or the 705 units. I am a bit irritated that Archos updated this feature for the 605/705 devices but not for the 604/704 devices, but such is life, I guess.

If I have any regret in buying it, it is that I didn't get the 80 GB or larger option instead of the 30 GB, but on the other hand this does make me delete those files I don't really need. It serves the exact purpose I wanted it for, though. When I travel, I now have a variety of programs to watch at my finger tips instead of being at the mercy of "AA Eye On American" every flight. It is one of the better buying decisions I've made.

Best PMP on the Market!
The only other Personal Media Player (PMP) that can compare to this one is the COWON A2. The Archos 604 WIFI is better then the A2 for 2 main reason. First, WIFI and an OPERA browser. Second, Removable battery. The A2's only real advantage over the Archos 604 WIFI is the battery life, but again it's not removable and will most likely fade over time. I have also heard people say that the 604's audio is inferior to an Ipod. Archos did have a few audio quirks in the past, but some firmware updates in October fixed theses problems. Also, Ipod does not exactly have "great" sound.

PROS:

1. Touch screen is a must have now. I have used other PMP devices without a touchscreen and faired okay, because I had no choice. Now that I have a touch screen there is no going back. This makes things so much easier to navigate it's not even comparable.
2. WIFI with OPERA browser. This has improved greatly with firmware updates. I find it very acceptable for a small WIFI device.
3. Video is incredible. Quality and performance is 5 star.
4. Audio is as good as any other MP3 player I have seen. I really believe that the quality of audio has much more to do with how your MP3 was encoded, rather than the player itself. Also, this unit can play the proprietary Apple stuff like H264 video and AAC audio with a $20 Apple plugin.
5. Photo viewer is beautiful and quick.
6. You can opt to buy all the extras if you wish. This helps keep the cost down.
7. Constant Firmware updates. Check the website regularly!

CONS:

1. Battery life could be better. You can buy an additional battery for $30.
2. Video screen has a very slight film over it to allow for a fingerprint proof touch screen. Not really an issue, but some have mentioned it in other posts.
3. No JAVA or FLASH support for the OPERA browser.
4. Video and Audio folders limit how you can organize your files.

I also have the DVR docking station. This is $80 to $100 extra, but well worth it. It works as a pass through device and is extremely easy to use and setup. You can use it to charge the device (AC adapter included) and record TV in MPEG4 format. Nice!

Overall, as you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of this new device. There are areas for improvement, but it is the best PMP on the market today!
I'm looking forward to a device that will do all of this and be half the size with 3 times as much HD memory, and incorporate a phone and a Windows environment to allow for Outlook email and MS office products, but this will come someday.

I found this at Sam's Club in December 2006 for $367.00.

Remember to go to the Archos website to get he latest firmware. They ship this with an old version of the 604 firmware

Awesome Player w/ Web Browser
After owning this product for 1 month I can say I'm very happy with the purchase I made. The webbrowser works really well, if your into weather like I am there are sites that do not use java for moving radar. Its great for watching video too, the viewing angle is excellent. Battery life is also great becasue you can watch a movie, and even another hour long TV show and still have hours of music listining time.The case that it comes with isn't the greatest but it keeps the player safe. I higly reccommend this product.