Archos 704 80 GB WiFi Portable Digital Media Player

Reviews of Archos 704 80 GB WiFi Portable Digital Media Player

1.) Media Brick with a Pretty Face
Reviewed by: Torgo-San Tulsa
Rating:

I like this player a lot. 3 minutes out of the box I was connected the home WiFi. 2 minutes later it found my Infrant ReadyNAS (ReadyNAS NV+, 1.0TB (4 x 250GB pre-installed Seagate Barracuda ES SATA HDD), X-RAID, 256MB memory, Silver, SFF desktop NAS) and was streaming MP3s and video to the player flawlessly.
Size:
It's thick and heavy. It has a similar footprint to a Sony ebook reader, but much deeper and heavier. It's just about as wide and tall as a DVD case, but again, much deeper (almost 3/4 of an inch deep).
Formats:
I do not have any media formats that this won't play. I did purchase the optional .VOB codec from the Archos site. It plays my WMV (including DRM stuff), Divx, AVI, MP3(all kinds).
Accessories:
It comes with a nice woven nylon case and a 120V power adapter. It has headphones (with inline volume) and USB in and USB out.
Connections:
It has audio out (headphones), power, USB (mini in, mini out, two Archos plugs for docking and that's it. Everything else needs a dock to work.
Screen:
The touch screen is vibrant and very bright. I have big fingers so I do better with a stylus for controls. The high resolution is amazing.
Sound:
The speakers are "OK" but headphones could be louder. I took this on a plane yesterday and the included headphones were not loud enough to hear over the engine noise. I had to use my Sure E5c headphones to hear anything on videos and MP3s (Shure E5c Sound Isolating Earphones).
Internet:
It comes with Opera and surfing was fine. A great device for webmail or shopping (it comes with am eMusic 50 free MP3s certificate). I will take this (instead of a laptop) on my next vacation.
Sync:
The platey can snyc (USB) as a Windows Media Device or a USD hard drive. I love that option (it asks you each sync).
Issues:
1. I would have liked a place to "plunge" the stylus in the device for storage (the case has a tiny pocket).
2. I would have liked Svideo out without buying a dock.
3. Audio out should be louder.
Wishes:
1. I would love to see this use a bluetooth phone as a DUN to the hit the net.
2. I would love to have and SD Card reader on board to help move media on the road.
Other Issues:
1. Be careful with Unbox video. The resolution of this player far exceeds most mobile players. One of my goals was to start buying Unbox videos instead of ripping my DVDs all the time. Problem: the "mobile" size of Unbox video looks very poor on the screen (please try an inexpensive one for yourself)due to low resolution. And Unbox does not allow you to sync (no snyc rights) the larger video that you download. So I have a video that I "bought" that I cannot use on this device because the low version looks so bad, and the high-res version has DRM restrictions that won't let it play on the 704 Wifi. Not terrible, but it will keep 704 owners from renting or buying from Unbox for sure.

2.) Archos did it again
Reviewed by: Steven G. USA
Rating:

This is a great device. As previous reviews mentioned, it took me less then 2 minutes to get on the internet, check weather and read the latest news on the BBC. The browser works a lot better then I expected.

Displaying pictures is extremely fast, even large jpgs of 4-5 MB load under a second. This was for me the main purpose as I often do extensive trips where I take lots of pictures. Bringing 30-40 1gig memory cards is just not practical nor is bringing a heavy laptop.

I had no problems playing DIVX files and jumping to the middle of the movie was extremely fast, better then my current PC. The sharpness of the screen could be improved a bit, but it is far better then my old AV400 (which I am replacing because it only has a 20GB HD) and above all it is nice and large.

There are a few things I wish they would fix/add.
1)viewing PDFs is slow since only one page is loaded at the time, even for very small PDF files.
2) No way to view or type up a quick text file
3) The device is Linux based and has a browser, so I wish they would release some limited utils/games for it. A text/notes editor, Sudoku, solitair... Or at least allow the user to point to the 704's drive to pull up self made web pages.

Oh and I almost forgot, it played my MP3s flowlessly.

I can't wait for my next vacation trip and really test it out!!!

3.) Great for the flight trips...
Reviewed by: Mads Hansen
Rating:

This is the best entertainment you can imagine in an airplane. Much better than the little screen I used before on my Ipod Video. The perfect choice for everybody who travels. Only remark is that there is no place for the stylus in the machine, so I am quiet sure that I have to buy severel of these during the next periode;-)

4.) Great Video Player
Reviewed by: M. Simpson N.C. United States
Rating:

I have had this Archos Video Player for about 1 month now and am completely happy with it. I have been using DVD decrypter to strip copy protection from DVD's that I own and compressing them with Gordian Knot to about 700 Meg in size in DIVX format. Given the 80GB hard drive installed that equates to over 100 movies on a very nice 7 inch touchscreen display. The sound quality is very good and volume is acceptable for airline or auto use. I also purchased the optional video adapter that lets you view video on TV as well as use the internal hard drive like a digital video recorder (DVR) both work exceptionally well. I would recommend purchasing a extra battery for it since while using it for video the battery pack only lasts about 4 hours, I havent measured the battery life with MP3's. MP3 and WMA playback is very good as well (I purchased mainly for video play while traveling). The only drawbacks I have come to find is that the wifi link only works with a unprotected Wireless network, and the internet browser that is included is Opera, which is sometimes difficult to use for those used to Firefox or Internet Explorer. Other than those two drawbacks, this is a fantastic video player that I thoroughly enjoy and find it a much better value that the Creative Vision W or the Apple Ipod. ps....I have now had this player for 3 months and am as still pleased with it as the day I purchased it. I have been reading some complaints that people have been having over the size of it. If you are only looking for a MP3 player this is not the device for you. If you want a device that has a fantastik large 7 inch picture with great sound, there is no better device. It does weigh in at about a pound, but is much lighter than lugging a laptop around while traveling...plus the wireless internet is a godsend on short trips so I can leave that laptop at home. I have had absolutely zero issues with this player and have over 100 high quality movies loaded on the hard drive. The one and only thing I think archos coul dhave improved on is an even larger hard drive option. Other than that...you cant beat this portable video device.....Dont buy and Apple IPOD....Buy this!

5.) love this thing!!
Reviewed by: darkicenix nj usa
Rating:

all i can say bad about it is its big but yea i love it

6.) This product is Awesome!!!
Reviewed by: Daniel R. Dell Cartersville, GA USA
Rating:

It does everything it says it will and more. I would recommend this product to anyone who is looking for more in a media system. I did have to download a couple of things from archos to get it to play vob files and some mpg4 files and that cost me $30 for the bundle pack, but I knew ahead of time I would have to do that before I purchased the product. Anyway, please buy this product you won't regret it!

thanks,

Daniel

7.) A Great Device
Reviewed by: J. Matthews Texas and Russia
Rating:

I travel to the other side of the pond every month and this thing is great! It does everything they say it does. I do agree that pdf files are slow to view, and it will not completely replace your laptop for surfing the internet. Everything else is great. I took it on an 11 hour flight from Dallas to Zurich and in between their two movies, and meals, found that battery life was just about right. I was able to watch two movies on the device, listen to some music, and still had some power left over. It did take about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours to recharge when I got to Zurich. The charger is variable voltage so it works with 110 or 220V. I even hooked it up to a PAL tv and am able to view and record. It will only let you view protected movies on it's screen though. I downloaded a program from CinemaNow on the internet to my laptop which said it would play on 3 devices, but I can't watch it on the 704. Their website claims compatability up to the 604.

I even had to deal with customer service a little. When I bought it, I bought the 704 from Amazon and the docking station from WalMart. It sort of worked at first and then did some weird things. The 704 would quit recognizing it was in the dock. Now I've read the stories on here about their customer service and hoped I wouldn't have to use it. I e-mailed Archos, and thought this is great, I have to wait two days for a reply. After the first day I got impatient and called them. After sitting on hold for maybe 5 minutes I spoke with someone for whom English was their first language and very quickly was told my problem was the docking station. I took that one back and the second one worked like a champ. Then I got the reply to the e mail telling me the same thing.

Overall a great product which does everything I expected.

8.) Great "wow" factor!
Reviewed by: Mackharder Austin, TX
Rating:

This thing is freaking amazing. The screen is beautiful and every time I whip this thing out on an airplane and cycle through a choice of like 30 movies, they want to know where to get one. The battery life is pretty good. The capabilities of this thing are real cool and the touch screen is fantastic. The internet needs a little work. It is a little better than surfing the web on a Sony PSP, which isn't very fun. I got the separate DVR dock and that works pretty well too, but haven't used it a ton yet. When using it to watch movies on your TV the movies do not look or sound super great, I guess they could have looked a little better, but even DVD quality movie files look kinda crappy and you have resize a couple times to see which one looks best. In the end, though, I didn't get this to watch movies on my TV, I got it for a portable media powerhouse, and with 80 GB, it is certainly that.

9.) Excellent all round media experience.
Reviewed by: Huck Eulyrrhia
Rating:

This machine is a fantastic time-shifter DVR - I can take my essential TV viewing (or favourite Divx and Xvid videos) to work with me, watch programmes and movies on my 50 minute commute to work, and again at break times. I am so up to stream on my favourite TV programmes as a consequence of the Archos.
I also do a lot of photography, and it is great to use as backup - the Wifi is powerful enough to upload to your favourite website. Ideally it would support viewing of the RAW image format, but if you shoot (as I do) with JPEG simultaneously selected, the JPEG's effectively act as thumbnails which the ARCHOS cannot generate from the RAW format.
MP3 and WMA format music are supported, plus AAC anc AC3. The onboard speakers are a tad tinny, but effective. An equaliser exists to make optimum use of the sound. On a plane, and in a car, use of headphones with gel attachments allows you to push the sound deep into your ears, thus excluding any engine hum or annoying announcements.
Recording from TV - and playing back video/music - could not be simpler if you take the docking-station accessory. The DVR portion of the 704 records direct to Divx 4.0 format. The file-sizes it produces are approximately twice the size of Xvid (so, I reprocess afterwards, to get more onto my 80Gb, but in general, no post-processing required). However, as it compresses video to Divx on-the-fly, it is the fastest and most direct method of making small and manageable, high-quality, digital .AVI files. This is what makes it so compelling in keeping yourself current with your TV viewing - as I often leave it on overnight: it has its own infrared Satellite-Box channel changer, so you can record any programme, from any channel on your digibox, directly into the ARCHOS.
Managing the files is a cinch - in the docking-station, just set to USB File Server, and use it as an external drive on the computer to which you have it attached; or, set it to synch with Windows Media Player - this process it will quite happily spend the night doing whilst you sleep.
The touch screen is quite accurate, requiring something more pointy and sharp than a finger - but quite often, if you have forgotten the supplied stylus, a finger-nail just does the trick.
It has an incredibly large screen for a PMP. Which is great imho - 800x480 - and exceptionally clear if you use PAL or NTSC formatted video. I have heard that video with a resolution smaller than the screen can look poor, which is only to be expected. There are new products on the market now to allow much easier carrying of this giant (it fits neatly into my bag for work, but I have to select a large-pocketed garment when I do without the bag). The neat pouch can sometimes be unwieldy, and a strap is a good idea - I have seen such a product, and it can now neatly hang over my shoulder, should I want it to.
Firmware tweaks attempt to deal with one or two minor niggles - one being that it can randomly lose all sense of date and time, thus completely trashing your auto-recording setups (!!!), and once in a while, it stops recording on its own, and then resumes again just as randomly. Its a small price to pay for what I can only call a stunning multimedia experience - for my use, the wifi is just enough - newspaper headlines, email, and uploading/downloading of media files. I am not overly bothered by not being able to MyTube, but apparently the 705 has taken care of that. Oh, and if you raid Project Gutenburg for all those free books, you can store them, and read them, in Adobe's PDF file format.

10.) Works much better than expected
Reviewed by: Farshooter Redmond, Washington United States
Rating:

I orignally purchased this as a companion to my A504 so I can watch videos from a further distance while at a hotel (I travel A LOT). The first thing I learned is that the screen is a fingerprint magnet so using a stylus is the best bet. The included stylus is okay (one extra is included) but I've been using a pen/stylus combo that works just as well and isn't as liable to get lost. The case is acceptable, but could use a little more rigidity for my taste.

Video clarity is pretty good; not as good as the A504 but it is still decent with less glare than the A504. The screen is also nice and bright and can be seen under most lighting conditions (except direct sunlight which I encountered while flying to southern California recently). I was also happy with the embeded speaker volume as it didn't need to be jacked up 100 to be heard in a mildly noisy room like the A504.

Video & Audio out are just as good as the A504 while using the DVR station. One little nitpick would be the adapter for the DVR station could be a little deeper to make the connection more secure.

PC connection is very good as you can use a cable from another AX04 unit or a standard USB mini-plug with the choice to sync as a Windows device or use as a hard drive. I generally use it as a hard drive as the files I transfer are all Xvid or Divx and I don't want WMP11 to re-code my files. The only gripe here would be the lack of USB charging. All other 4th generation Archos units are USB chargeable, but this one isn't.

Using the unit as a web tablet was a real suprise. I didn't think that I would use it in that capacity very often, but I found (on a recent trip) that I could do almost everything on the web with the 704 that I can do with a laptop. It came in very handy during a recent conference where I needed to get to some .PDF files off my corporate website to show a customer. It isn't the fastest unit in town, but it works quite well in a pinch. I've found myself using it at home with my wireless connection almost as often as I use my laptop. One thing I would like to see is the ability to connect a small keyboard for data input as trying to write an email using the onscreen keyboard is a bit of a pain. Also, trying to access streaming video off of a webpage is an effort in futility.

Battery life is very good for a unit this large. I turned it on and let it run through my video folder (at brightness level one which is the default and at 75% volume) and it took just over 4 1/2 hours to deplete the battery. I haven't noticed if using the WiFi drains the battery any faster but it doesn't seem to.

All in all, I am very happy with the unit. I'm a huge Archos fan (except for their customer service, but I digress...) and I look forward to getting the spare batteries as soon as they are available.

11.) I-Pod ??? I don't think so!
Reviewed by: Tech Savy NY, NY
Rating:

I've eagerly waited for a device that could do all the things the 704 says it can do. And believe me I've had all the devices out there. 1st gen I=pod to Video I-pod and the Archos 704 Wifi blows them away. If you are a true techie like myself you'll have to agree that nothing comes close to this little baby. The screen is excellent especially if you have Divx files, not to mention that it can handle almost any video file out there with the plugins of course. Mpeg, VOB, WMV, Divx and even Apple Mp4 files without a hickup. I used to own the Archos 504 but when I saw this baby, wow was I sold. Connecting to my home wireless network is a breeze and using it as a file server took a bit longer than I expected, but once I was up and running it was easy! What I'll be looking for next is the ability to watch streaming video or music and then I'll die happy! In a nutshell, an I-pod is nice to have if you're just into music and paying for one at $299 is not the best way I like spending my money. I hooked it up to my plasma and it was like renting a DVD movie, clear and sound was pretty good. I also hooked it up to my LCD projector and was surprised that the quality was also good.

12.) Great movie and picture viewer to take on the road
Reviewed by: Sing Omaha, NE United States
Rating:

Love the machine, it is great to take on the road to watch movie and share photos with friends and family. Battery will last on an oversea flight especially if you bring a spare. The WIFI is quite good although it is somewhat difficult to navigate around. One advantage of this machine is that you can hold it in your hand when you watching a movie or pictures, it hardly emit any heat and the machine doesn't feel hot. Easy to transfer movies from cable or computer. The only deficiency is that not everything is in one box, you have to buy some essential separately.
I appreciate that they are trying to keep the price point down but it is inconvenient to buy the items separately especially since most retailers do not carry accessory. Also this is not a great MP3 player because the machine is too big. The case that came with the machine is ok but I would recommend it add a simple belt loop at the back. The earjack connection needs improvement because sound quality is not very good on a plane even with a noise reduction earphone. Battery is adequate and not too pricy which I appreciate.

13.) Cool for recording kids shows and in-car viewing
Reviewed by: mar7aib Santa Monica, CA USA
Rating:

I've been using Archos since the AV400 for the same purpose: get rid of the "Are we there yet?". the touch screen is cool but not so if you had to use your finger instead of the stylus; you'll really have to press hard and get your finger prints all over the screen. You'll have to purchase the DVR cradle before you could record from TV. The timed recording is good too, but the new Generation 5 that's almost available on the market now has a feature that enables you to record a specific show from the Program Guide.

PROS:
- clear screen, touch screen
- good sound
- good battery life (enough for a 3-hour trip)
- ok WiFi reception (if you were desperate to go online!)
- good portable backup
- all functions are easily accessible by remote control
- records and plays in multiple video formats (AV series used to only record and play AVI)

CONS:
- nowhere to place the stylus when docked
- you need to buy a DVR docking station to record from TV (not needed in the old AV series)
- very slow PDF reader (takes forever to load the user manual)

14.) It works great, but it takes little time to figure out.
Reviewed by: Fortunecookies168 San Francisco
Rating:

I like it because the bigger screen and the WiFi. You have to spend $20.00 for the Plug_in software and down load to your desk top. I use compress zip folder to open it and transfer to the DVR player. ( make sure you have the power and the USB plug in at the same time) after the finish transfer unplug the USB cable and the DVR should update the file immediately. Enjoy allyour MPEG movies. The decking station is half of the fun to enjoy your movies on the go.

15.) Good Archos
Reviewed by: mhalawadi Kuwait
Rating:

Excellent Video viewer. Little on the high price, but good.
Too bad the set didin't include all the needed accessories which you have to buy seperately.

16.) Better than a Ipod
Reviewed by: CA FOX Compton, CA
Rating:

The Archos 704 is just like a ipod almost. I love the bigger screen and being able to transfer my recorded shows from my dvr is great. Only draw back is it is taped in real time and not a direct transfer. I put all my music videos on it because it is to hard trying to watch them on a small ipod.

17.) Very Cool
Reviewed by: Teresa Maryland
Rating:

This is a cool product. Easy to use, great sound, and color. With docking station it can record directly from your tv. The only problem I am having is getting movies on it from my computer. I have not tried to call anyone about it.

18.) Good device overal, mediocre WiFi performance
Reviewed by: shooter OKUSA
Rating:

I have to rate this device just about slightly above average.

It supports only 16 millions color, so some of your higher color pictures might not display correctly. Large files (>4MB) take a couple seconds to load. Photo viewer software is similar to the iPod's, all of your pictures are shown on screen and you have to scroll around to find the one you are looking for. I wish Archos let us organize the photo to folder on screen (you can do this, but not through the viewer).

7" screen is great for web surfing, if you have a decent wifi signal like at home. I tried it with some public network, and while it can detect the networks, it could not connect at all and this is the deal killer for me. If accessing the internet is what you want, this is not really for you. Especially you can buy a laptop now for less or just a $100 more.

Video player is good. I have no complaints there.

I will wait for the 5th generation. However, I believe this is the only Archos that comes with 7" screen. If you don't care about wifi capability, this Archos is definitely for you.

19.) Archos 704 pretty picture but . . .
Reviewed by: IsaacRobot Pawling, NY
Rating:

Pretty picture and a smooth Video Player but .. it's still a brick (weight) of a Portable Media Player.
Archos 704 color screen is absolutely gorgeous, vivid color in all angle of views. Its touch-screen technology is flawless for a handheld with 7" color screen. Interface takes some practice but as is with anything else- different. The truly shining feature has to be getting-the-DVD-into-the Archos 704. Simple and quick for you to get going on a train or plane or automobile. WiFi is somewhat slow but it's handy when you need to get to the email. Opera built in browser can be better, a lot better. Music as smooth with MP3 but unlike iPod where Apple owns the iTune. If you're a big fan of DVDs or have long commuting, this is it. It's the one.

20.) Customer Service IS NOT Archos
Reviewed by: gopherindian California
Rating:

When you call Archos 'Customer Service', you are getting a contracted call center. Their reps tend to answer calls for a variety of 'clients'. They also take calls for iPOD and MS Zune. The reps are given binders with VERY LIMITED information on any given product. That's why it's easier for them to just have you send the product back to them since they really don't have any staff 'experts'. If anyone sounds remotely like they know what they're doing; they're not Archos reps (there are none), these are just senior call center employees. SO you see they really don't have any PAID Archos technicians. The product is mass produced so the service provided is likewise.

21.) half cooked, half baked
Reviewed by: cracked PDA Hawaii
Rating:

Picked up this discontinued model for under $100. Great looking, solid build quality, feature -laden but only some of it works really well. They highlight this as a Wi-Fi media player, only thing is the Wi-Fi is pretty worthless. Pickup of available wi-fi is weak but the most lamentable thing is the supplied browser, Opera, which is slower than a snail, and hangs up or won't load some pages at all. Even when pages load, flash video and Java is not supported so you're miss a lot of content. So, if you do a lot of web surfing and looking at this as a travel device for that purpose, FORGET IT!
Now the goods - display is awesome on the 7" screen with 3 different brightness settings. Video on this unit is fantastic - you're never go back to using the tinny 4" or less screen video players after this. Likewise, photos look great and will serve as a terrific digital picture frame with the ability to play music in the background. With 80 GB storage, you have ample room for photos, videos, music. Transferring of all files from computer to this unit is a snap thru the USB connection and is decently fast too. The Archos is recognized as another external device when connected thru USB.
Battery life is about 4.5 hours for video on brightest setting. I would expect over 10 hours for music playing. So overall, not that good on battery life. Replacement batteries are about $30 from third party vendors. I got one and it works ok.
Forget about any type of support from the manufacturer. It's like this product never existed as the site only offers a software (firmware) update, couple of plug-ins you can buy, but not much of anything else.
So, if main use will be for video, photo, and music playback this unit is terrific. For internet - it's a pain not worth suffering thru.

22.) Will wait for next generation
Reviewed by: cutting edge oakland ca
Rating:

Not having as much fun with mine. There are 3 things I was looking for in the unit:

-photo viewer (connecting directly from camera)
-movie downloads
-internet access

I've been at it for 5 hours now, and still getting error messages when trying to view my photos loaded directly from the camera (this is not a recognized file type, will not play). I have a Nikon digital slr camera using JPEG formats.

More error messages when trying to access e-mail (Yahoo and company server). There is not a backslash key on the keyboard which I need to get into my company email (through outlook web access).

And lastly, it feels kind of clunky

I'm going to return it tomorrow, I just think it wasn't very user friendly.

23.) Not for the "not-so-tech-savvy" crowd....
Reviewed by: S.C. USA
Rating:

I wanted desperately to love this device (the ultra-cool big touch screen, the external speakers and the ample 80 GB hard drive) but after spending countless hours of trying to transfer music files with no success I am sending it back.
Also, after transferring my photo files onto this device, about a third of my images would show up greened-out with just a sliver of image showing. However, all the thumbnails showed up fine. That is definitely a defect in my particular device.
The Opera Web Browser is sluggish and the touch screen doesn't always respond to either your finger or the stylus. When you use your finger, the screen does that funny ripply effect. I imagine that after some time you could actually damage the touch screen by using your finger.
The PDF instructions of this device that I downloaded onto to my regular laptop are not as clear cut as they should be.
I will not say "don't buy this device" because I am sure that many of you can figure out how to make the best use of all the features of the Archos 704 WiFi. For those who are looking for ease of use, however, please give purchasing this machine a second thought.

24.) Not as advertised nor as easy to use as I expected.
Reviewed by: matho Auckland, New Zealand
Rating:

I bought this item because i'm on the road often and thought it would be good to record and watch TV in hotels etc - sofar I have not been able to get it to work on any TV.... in both USA and Europe. [tried at least 7 different TVs]

The wireless internet is very poor and the unit freezes often and just turns itself off - I have not been able to check my e - mail on any of my web based accounts as of yet.

To play just about any type of video you have to purchase additional software from the website.

I feel like I paid $500 for a big lemon.

25.) Garbage
Reviewed by: Jason J. Finn
Rating:

Let me start out buy saying that I have always been a huge Archos fan. This is my third one and it is GARBAGE. It arrived borken (from Archos). Instead of taking the broken unitback and sending me a new one, they insisted on trying to fix it. It came back still not working. I was told to wait 5-6 weeks for a firmware update, that would fix my issues. When the firmware did finally come, it did nothing to address any of my issues. So called them. Still wouldn't send a new one; wanted to try to fix it again. I paid, again, to have it sent out. Came back broken again. Keep in mind, each time you send it to their horrible tech and customer service, it takes 4-5 weeks to get back. So now I called them and told them I just want to return the item for a refund. I was told I was past my 30 days! hahahhaha. I told them I haven't had a working unit for 1 day and the only reason I have held onto the unit is because you guys told me your firmware would fix it. So I now have mailed the unit back a third time and it has been sitting in limbo with them for 4 weeks now. I ordered this unit the day it was released. It is now months and months later, and I still have no working item; even worse, the nest generation 705's will probably been weeks away when I finally do get a wroking unit. This customer support is pathetic. I am a huge backer of Archos, and I am telling people to avoid this company like the PLAGUE. They got to big to quick and can't keep up with what is going on around them. They don't care what their customers think as long as they haveyour money. You will hear a ton of people say that "mine works fine - I don't know what he is talking about". Trust me. Go to any Archos site dedicated to Archos, and there is just one horror story after another, talking about broken units and zero help in getting them repaired or replaced. If you happen to get on of these lemon units, the company will acts as if it is your problem and you must have done something to cause it. As stated...I have always been such a huge Archos fan and have heared the horror stories, but now that I am on their side of the fence, I know completely what they are talking about. STAY CLEAR OF THIS COMPANY. Purchasing anything from them is like putting $500 down on black in roullette -- you have a 50-50 chance of hitting with a winning unit, but if you don't your out %500. Because they will not give you your money back and it will pretty much become a second job getting it fixed (they put you on hold fo HOURS at a time - and then they eventually just let the phone system disconnect you. At which point you have to call over and get back into the waiting line - which will take hours again). Please do yourself a favor. Look at Cowon or some other company.

26.) It needs work
Reviewed by: Marcus Sr. Woodbridge, VA
Rating:

I got the 704 in August and while I really only wanted it to view my photos I found that it was a locked system, even though it runs on Linux. You can't add any programs or other software to it. It is suppose to have Adobe Acorbat on it but I can't get it to open. I have not been able to download a complete movie yet, it always cuts out after an hour to an hour and a half.

The biggest thing is when I contacted Archos Customer Support they told me that they would be no longer suppporting this model as it was hardware dependent and they would not be updating the firmware. The representative offered me a 15% discount totrade for a new 705.
The inital impression of the unit is great, but after awhile you will see that this is just a poor imitation of the real thing.

Don't buy the 704, wait for the 705 or wait for the 706!

27.) Extremely bad tech support
Reviewed by: Ahmed Shubbar Saudi Arabia
Rating:

It a nice device, but I would NOT recommend it. The construction and features are better than good and wifi is not very useful. But the horrable technical support kills this product. The screen on my device went bad displaying shallow (256 bit) colors and when I contacts support they told me to ship it to France, because I'm in the middle-east, at my expense which I did ($120) just ot have it returned back without fixing it. I didn't understand their justification (they're for factory defects and replacement and mine is a problem that needs fixing! Or are they just lazy?). Their prompt return of the device, unfixed, without contacting me still puzzles me. All this just to tell me to contact tech support through Archos website, again, just to have the same response from them, again. If you want ot buy one and take the risk, pray it never brakes, otherwise your will loose your money and get alot of headache from their bad support. And don't say it must be the French; Archos are responsible for the very bad service, wherever it may be.

28.) Poor Customer Service and Technical Support
Reviewed by: A. J. WIND Overseas client
Rating:

Be aware before buying this product that Archos has terrible technical support and customer service. While I originally really liked my Archos because of its big screen, it has proved to be a lemon, offering repeated problems in terms of battery life and the screen. Customer service has proved non responsive. After a catastrophic failure in June of this year I had to send it in with an RMA. They reported a hard disk failure, requested $150+ for repair out of warranty, and then returned to me a unit that is still not functional. They have not responded to repeated emails. I strongly suggest reconsideration of Archos for prospective buyers.

Features of Archos 704 80 GB WiFi Portable Digital Media Player

For the true video connoisseur, it’s the only WiFi-enabled portable media player with a 7” wide touch screen. The device features wireless connectivity that lets you play media files from your computer to its high resolution screen or to the TV, browse the Internet, and send and receive Web-based email.

More than just a Portable Media Player (PMP) with a bright 7-inch screen and the ability to store all your favorite movies, tunes and photos, the groundbreaking Archos 704 is also outfitted with Wi-Fi capabilities (802.11g). Through your home wireless network, you'll be able to browse through your multimedia library stored on any computer on the network. You'll also be able to connect to online video stores to download content directly and wirelessly to the 704 WiFi. It features an 80 GB hard drive (providing capacity for about 70 DVD-quality movies), a 7-inch bright LCD touchscreen, and integrated speakers. Additionally, when paired with the optional Archos DVR Station docking station, you can easily connect the 704 WiFi to your TV to watch movies and photo slideshows on a larger screen as well as turn the 704 into a digital video recorder (DVR) to take your favorite programs with you wherever you roam. It measures 7 x 5 by 0.75 inches and weighs just 22 ounces.

Amazingly compact at 7 by 5 inches, the Archos 704 WiFi is also easy on the pocket with a weight of just 22 ounces.
Wide Touch screen
The Archos 704 WiFi features a wide, high resolution (800 x 480) 7-inch color touch screen that allows you to navigate through menus easily with a stylus or even a fingertip. The size of screen enables a great visual comfort.

WiFi
The integrated 802.11g wireless interface is perfect for those who want to access their media wherever they go, including surfing the Web, sending and receiving email from Web-based mail applications, and connecting the device to a home network to transfer files or play content directly from the network.

With 704 WiFi, you can set it in your living room, hook it up to your home entertainment system with the optional DVR Station, and wirelessly stream movies and music stored on your PC.

Video player
The Archos 704 WiFi is the perfect companion for people on the move: its 40/80 GB hard drive capacity allows you to store up to 50/100 movies encoded with a PC. Play them on the built-in 7-inch LCD color screen or playback on TV in high resolution up to 720 x 576 (DVD quality) with the DVR station. Play a large variety of video files, including MPEG-4, WMV and protected WMV and read MPEG-4 AAC/H.264 (.MP4 QuickTime files), MPEG-2, and VOB with optional software plug-ins (available on this website). The Archos 704 WiFi also offers many more functionalities such as slow motion, adjustable screen size, video editing and even a video bookmarking function.

Record TV or external video sources
Transform your Archos 704 WiFi into a Digital Video Recorder with the optional DVR station. Record TV or most video sources such as satellite/cable box, VCR, DVD player or camcorder in MPEG-4 format. Set up the DVR station by connecting it to the external video source; simply slot in your ARCHOS and record instantaneously or make scheduled recordings with the included infrared receiver that controls the external video sources.

Turn your ARCHOS into a camcorder
ARCHOS allows you to transform your device into a camcorder by connecting most digital cameras to your Archos 704 WiFi, or by connecting the optional high resolution helmet camcorder. The Archos 704 WiFi records video directly on its 40 GB hard drive in MPEG-4 format, up to VGA resolution (640 x 480).

The Photo Wall shows thumbnails of all your stored photos.
Photo wallet
Transfer your photos directly from a digital camera with the USB 2.0 Host interface. Store and view up to 800,000 photos (JPEG, PNG and BMP formats) and display slideshows with music and transition effect. Manage your files and folders directly on the device for a better mobility. Enjoy the large size of the screen and the cool sleek design of the product to display the Archos 704 WiFi in your living room and use as digital photo frame.

Music Player
Store up to 40,000 songs on the hard drive and play most popular music files such as MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA files. Easily organize songs with the enhanced ARCLibrary and customize your view by artist, album, type of music, title, year, and create your playlists without having to use a computer. Use the voice recorder to store notes quickly for a later use.

Charge and sync
Charge your Archos 704 WiFi with the included power adapter. Purchase, download, subscribe to or rent protected video and music content from online stores on your PC, and, using the high-speed USB 2.0 interface, the Archos 704 WiFi will easily auto-synchronize this content with Windows Media Player 11 each time you connect it to your PC, or convert your Windows Media Player 11 library content to one of the many compatible formats (MP3, WMA, WAV, protected WMA, MPEG-4, WMV and protected Windows Media Video).

What's in the Box
Archos 704 WiFi, headphones, USB 2.0 cable, USB 2.0 host adapter, DVR Station saddle, 2 styli, remote control, power adapter/charger, protective pouch, QSG, legal and safety notice

1.) Portable media player with 80 GB hard drive stores up to 70 DVD-quality movies;
2.) Integrated 802.11g wireless networking for connectivity to desktop PC, downloading videos from online stores;
3.) Bright 7-inch LCD touchscreen for input from fingers or included stylus;
4.) Plays MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA music files; also compatible with JPEG, PNG and BMP image files;
5.) Measures 7 by 5 by 0.75 inches; weighs just 22 ounces;

Package Height x Length x Width: 10.7 in. x 10.7 in. x 7.8 in.
Package Weight: 2.9 lbs.