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Archos 405 2 GB Portable Media Player (Silver)
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| Price: | $209.95 |
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Ships from and sold by Electronics Club
5 new or used available from $67.26
Average customer review:
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #44521 in Consumer Electronics
- Color: grey
- Brand: Archos
- Model: 500954
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: 3.00" h x 1.00" w x 4.00" l, 1.00 pounds
- Display size: 3.5
Features
- Play all your digital entertainment: movies, TV shows, photos, and music
- Record your favorite TV shows
- Add expandable memory with the built-in SD card slot for SD, mini SD, and micro SD
- Bright 3.5-inch color LCD screen (480 x 272 pixels)
- Watch on your home theater TV
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description The Archos 405 lets you enjoy all your digital entertainment straight from the palm of your hand in an incredibly robust and portable device. Less than 1/2 inch thick, the pocket-sized Archos offers expandable memory with its built-in 2 GB hard drive and amazing video playback on its high-quality 3.5-inch full-color screen. Other great features include mass storage capabilities and photo viewing support.
 The Archos 405 lets you enjoy all your digital entertainment straight from the palm of your hand. View larger. |
 The device comes with photo viewing capabilities, supporting JPEG, BMP, and PNG files. View larger. |
For added video playback versatility, the player is compatible with MPEG4, AVI, and WMV video files. You can also record live TV or schedule a recording by using the integrated TV program guide available with the compatible DVR station (sold separately). The player features robust music playback features, too. On-board music file playback capabilities support MP3, CBR, VBR, WMA, protected WMA, and WAV files. To help round out the player's multimedia superiority, the Archos even comes with photo viewing capabilities. JPEG, BMP, and PNG files are 100 percent compatible with the player, and the player can pull up PDFs for portable review -- an ideal means to take bigger documents or e-books in PDF format on the road with you.
Because of the Archos's USB 2.0 compatibility, a variety of different media files can be quickly transferred to the device. Charging the device can also be accomplished with an active USB connection. Other great features include mass storage capabilities, automatic firmware downloads, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. With an advanced Li-Poly battery, the player supports up to 16 hours of continuous music playback and 5 hours of continuous video playback. Weighing in at a scant 4.2 ounces, the Archos generation 5 405 measures 3.9 by 3.07 by 0.5 inches.
 New Dish Network plug-in for the Archos 405. |
New Dish Network Plug-in
With a new plug-in, you can transfer recorded movies and TV shows from your Dish Network set-top box directly to your Archos 405. Play back Dish Network-recorded movies and TV shows on the go or on TV--in DVD quality.
Multi-language is supported. The plug-in is compatible only with Dish Network STB models 622 and 722.
What's in the Box
Archos 405 portable media player, headphones, USB cable, DVR Station Gen 5 adapter, protective pouch, quick start guide, and legal/safety notice.
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(1) On average; based on 3.5 mins/song & 64 kbits/s WMA, on 1000 kbits/s MPEG-4 audio/video encoding and 1h30/movie (for near DVD Quality), on JPEG, VGA | ||||
Customer Reviews
An exercise in frustration
I bought the 405 in September and the docking station shortly thereafter. To record t.v. you need the docking station and to download a proprietary t.v. program guide using the company supplied Archoslink software. The problem is that you can't download the tv program guide due to some defect in the Archoslink software. Archos has only told me that they have referred this problem to the engineers but I have heard nothing for a month I am not sure if this problem also effects the WiFi versions, but I would definitely not recommend buying this item until they have worked things out. Even then, the interface it very confusing and difficult to use particularly from the machine. The navigation is not at all intuitive and even once you learn the quirky system you still make a lot of mistakes at is that poorly designed.
The company web site shares the software's poor design. For example to download the Archoslink software you need to search create an account with the serial and model numbers of both the machine and the docking station, and then confirm you information and search around for the software. The web site does not save your log in and when you click on a download the archoslink software link it takes you back to the log in page. The website has not have a search function and the software is not under the downloads link where you would expect it.
The device also seems quite limited in they format of files it will play. You even need to purchase a codex to common types of files and many are not supported. There seem to be a number of similar devices out there that make a better choice. Do not be fooled by what at first seems like a low price for such a device. The added cost of the docking station and the necessary codex software significantly raise the cost and the time it takes to set up and frustration to use really add up.
Great Player...Great Price
First, I bought the 405 because I did not want to fool around with a hard drive (the 405 has a 2GB internal flash drive and an SD slot for adding memory) and I did not want to fool around with wifi. Hard drives that get moved around alot break and wifi for small devices tends to be unreliable.
That said, so far (one week) I'm very satisfied with this player. The screen (3.5") is easy to read. I use Microsoft Explorer to click-and-drag music files (whole albums and individual songs) onto the flash drive. You can sync with Windows Media Player, but it seems like an unnecessary hassle.
I understand the complaints of the other reviewers. The advertised DVR should work. But, unfortunately, the more complicated inexpensive electronics get the more likely they'll disappoint.
I also bought the mini dock...it allows you to plug the thing into the wall outlet to charge, you can hook up an external portable hard drive to hold more files, and you can patch out the picture on the screen to your tv.
For $129 and another $29 for the dock I'm very happy. I haven't downloaded any video files and don't know if I will. The ones they included (dumb unit info) play fine.
By the way, I posted a similar review a few days ago. I found out later that it wasn't posted because I wrote where to find SDHC cards cheap.
Nice inexpensive music player
I've had this unit for a month and on the whole, I like it. I paid $129 for the unit plus an 8GB SD card, which (added to the 2GB in the unit) gives me a total of 10GB on board. The sound is very good, and unlike hard drive based units, it will grow in capacity. When the 16GB cards come down in price, it will become an 18GB unit, and when the 32GB cards come down in price, it will become a 34GB unit. Other reviews complain about video recording issues, and maybe they're right, but I didn't buy it for that. I bought it for music playing, and an occasional movie on a long trip. I haven't done any movies yet, however. I think the interface is "quirky" but I'm used to it by now so that's not an issue. I also think it could be lighter, since it has no HD, but I would buy it again.
