Archos 705 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (80 GB)

Reviews of Archos 705 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (80 GB)

1.) Pleased with Archos 705
Reviewed by: Rob Moore San Jose, CA
Rating:
I got this for Christmas (after a number of hints to my wife!) and was playing with it as soon as I got it, and the DVR attachment. I wanted it mostly for travel but also wanted the DVR functionality and the ability to watch movies or view pictures on my TV screen.

I like this model over the 605 because when I watch a video or movie, I don't want to have to peer at a 4.5" screen. The seven inch screen makes all the difference.

I have to say it lives up to my expectations 100%! (Even my wife's impressed!) I put four or five DVD's on it, in both the DVD native format and condensed MP4 formats and they all look good, although the native DVD formats have slightly better resolution when viewed on the TV screen. I got the 160GB version because DVD's typically use up 3-4GB in their native format. I have over 50GB of movies on it at this point so it looks like a good decision.

I bought the plug-in's I needed and they downloaded flawlessly and I had no problems at all with them. One plug-in I bought was the browser and I haven't used it that much but it does work and will be useful when traveling if I don't have my laptop with me.

The DVR functionality works fine, although you have to make sure that the IR port on your cable box can "see" the IR port on the DVR adapter. This might be a problem if you have your equipment stacked vertically on a shelf. I haven't found a decent way to reflect the light from one IR port to the other but I'm still working on it.

Streaming from my home PC seems to work fine - I've watched a few movies that way. Occasionally it will act jerky but I assume that it's something to do with my wireless network because I've fixed it by rebooting the computer the video was streaming from. Viewing pictures works fine and doesn't have any problems.

I like the case that comes with it. It's not leather like some of the aftermarket cases, but it protects the unit and stores the stylus and that's all I really need. I also like the remote control, which works well and does exactly what you'd expect. (If you buy the DVR accessory, you'll find that it comes with a remote as well so now I have a spare!)

Cons:
1. The touchscreen works as advertised but needs a firmer press than most.
2. The menu system is conteXt sensitive and so you have to learn where things are to take best advantage of it.
3. The manual could use some improvement in organization and readability. There are menu items that aren't mentioned and the organization leaves you looking through page after page until you find what you want.
4. Paying extra for the plug-ins sort of rubs me the wrong way but not enough to matter.
5. It's NOT an iPod .... but who cares. I like it better!



2.) 705 Rocks
Reviewed by: Xan77 Boston, MA
Rating:
I just got a 705 Archos (160g) and I'm loving it so far. It's a really beautiful piece of machinary. Everything works really well so far and i love the touch screen. I had read some review somewhere where a guy said the touch screen doesn't work?? I have no idea what he was talking about. Thinking he never read the directions, which clearly say that you have to tap certain icons once to highlight them and then tap again to open them. You don't need to have a stylus but i can see how it would be helpful when web browsing because you're getting a regular full page view of the internet so some links are small (again, you're getting a regular full page view of the internet not some mobile version like a blackberry!). I find that a pencil eraser works pretty good, whatever's laying around honestly. The device seems very sturdy and well built.

I have an ipod and i plan to keep using that for music mostly. It's a little too big to use for everyday music listening. I would have gotten the 605 if I wanted to completely replace my ipod. I primarily got the 705 for movies and web browsing. I'm going on a month long trip and i think it will be wonderful to have while traveling. Portable DVD's players are now pretty much extinct! Also it will be great to have an internet link on the road that actually works well and is easy to navigate. Folks that travel a lot will love this thing. I also really like the kick stand which is a really smart idea because who wants to hold something the whole time you're watching a movie?

The Wi Fi has worked great so far. I bought the DVR accessory but haven't set it up yet. It looks pretty simple although I don't intend to use it as a dvr per se, I'd really just like to transfer movies from the archos to the TV.. although who knows, maybe I'll end up doing the opposite too!.

If you're torn between the 605 and 705 like I was last week, and you really want to be able to enjoy movies and videos and the internet then I'd go with the 705. The screen is the perfect size to watch.


3.) Dish Network Fans....The 705 is your answer!!!
Reviewed by: Chris Cook Texas, USA
Rating:
Hello Dish Network Fans! I just purchased the 705 to replace the PocketDish player which I have had in the past. The 705 is an excellent and easy to use media player for Dish Network DVR models 722 and 622. (The 722 is HD DVR).
As soon as I opened the box, all I had to do was download the DISH NETWORK PLUG-IN which is FREE for Dish customers at the Archos Online store plug-in section. After downloading the plug in, you simply connect the USB cord (Supplied free by Archos in the box) into the Dish Network DVR usb port and the Dish DVR automatically detects the Archos 705 device. The screen then prompts you to "Manage your device" at which point you can send all of your saved television programs, movies, etc. from the Dish Network DVR to the Archos player. The USB transfer is incredibly fast with several hours of t.v. programming easily transferred in just a few minutes. The playback is incredible. This is truly a "Plug and Play" device as far as using this media player to watch Dish Network progamming on the go.

Now for the negatives (Nothing in the world is perfect). I have read several recent negative reviews as far as the cost of additional plug-ins, etc. The Dish Network plug-in is free so that should not be a problem. I do not use my Archos player for the internet so I cannot comment of browser speeds etc. What I can tell you is this: My Archos player automatically detected my home wireless network and downloaded the Dish plug-in without having to spend any money on the opera browser plug-in.

Another negative is obviously the battery life. With the addition of a car charger this will help to conserve the limited battery life. The screen is vibrant and sound is adequate.

In conclusion, if you want a portable Dish Network device to watch your saved television/movie programming, then this is the device for you. Dish came out with the PocketDish players (manufactured by Archos) a few years ago but they have been sold out for some time and were slow to transfer programs. There is a press release on the Archos website from December 2007 announcing the partnership from Dish Network and Archos. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the 705 and find it a great bargain with regards to pricing.

4.) Great Media Player
Reviewed by: Jeff Chesser
Rating:
This is a really great media player. I had some difficulty at first connecting to a wireless internet connection, but I finally got it to work.Surfing the web is fast and easy. It does freeze up occasionally but restores itself when you turn it off and on. With the DVR docking station it is very easy to transfer dvds or shows from cable to the unit. It says 160 gigs of memory but it actually has only 145 or so. I guess the demos and operating software take up the rest of the space.The touch screen and the small wireless keypad are both fantastic. The unit is a liile large so it isn't all that great if you just want to listen to music, but the large screen is great for viewing videos.There isn't alot of content to download on the archos content portal, but when you can transfer dvds and shows from cable tv you don't really need to buy alot of downloaded movies. If you are looking for a great device to carry your movies around in and surf the web wirelessly on this is the device for that. Also customer support is very helpful when you have any questions or problems.

5.) Versatile device, but has a learning curve
Reviewed by: Michael Brydon Vancouver, BC Canada
Rating:
This device is extremely flexible and can do many things well. The reason I bought it, however, was to avoid having to carry around DVDs for the kids in the car, on vacations, and so on. Of course, transferring commercial (that is, encrypted) DVDs to any device requires a bit of trickery. Many use programs such as DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink to rip video files off their DVDs to make backups (any one with kids knows that making backups of fragile, easily scratched DVDs is less a question of intellectual property rights than one of economic common sense). The Archos 705 will play these ripped files using the Cinema plugin (which you have to purchase from the Archos site). I am okay paying extra for the plugin (see the caveat below); however, the problem I encountered (and many others also, judging from other postings around the Internet) is that the volume level for ripped DVDs was too low to be useful, even with better headphones (not recommended for those with three young kids) and an auxiliary headphone amplifier (recommended since it gives you multiple headphone jacks for multiple kids).

Based on my experience to this point, it seems the best answer is to transcode the ripped VOB files (from the DVD) using software that allows you to increase the volume in the process. I know this sounds like a lot of effort: Not only is the whole world of codecs and framerates complex, but it the transcoding process itself is very time consuming--creating a high-quality copy can take several hours depending on your computing horse power). However, until we can transfer videos directly to the device (I am not holding my breath), some level of effort is going to be involved. Plus, the transcoded files can be (if you want) much smaller than the VOBs on the DVD.

I have had good success using Jesterware's DVD Ripper Professional to rip, decrypt, and transcode commercial DVDs on Windows. Note, however, that the software is not free (roughly $30). Think of it this way: You can buy transcoding software instead of the Archos' Cinema plugin because the transcoded AVI files play without a plugin.

For those who care, I have had even more success with DVD::Rip on Linux (which is, of course, free). Indeed, DVD:Rip plus MediaTomb (an open source streaming program for Linux) makes the Archos 705 a truly incredible little device. For example, I can store hundreds of gigabytes of music and video on a Linux server (visible to iTunes through Samba, by the way) and stream it all wirelessly via MediaTomb and the Archos "Universal Plug and Play" feature to any TV or stereo in my house (you can also do this using Windows Media Player 11 on a Windows server, of course). Then, if we are going on a trip, I can copy a subset of my digital content to the Archos' hard drive.


6.) wonderful Product
Reviewed by: Graham J. Partington Raleigh, NC
Rating:
This is my third Archos video player, after the superb AV320, even better 404, and now the supreme 705. I have the 80gb unit, which is sufficient for me. I also have DishNetwork and found the fast direct transfer form my DVR to work very well. One drawback is that it does not support the transfer of HD content. I hope that this will be resolved soon.

I am a road/air warrior. My 705 allows me to effortlessly pass the boring hours in the air watching or listening to what I want, and not the garbage that is provided by the airlines. In addition, the latest AV upgrades in Marriotts, and others, allows me to connect to full size video and audio. I rent $1 movies from Redbox at my grocery store, record them in one day and return them.

I have used the Opera web browser with ease. So what if it is another $30. Go buy the new iTouch 32 gb, get limited recording function, Apple AAC music files, no DVR capability and pay $499! My 705 was $369 from Amazon (free shipping), $55 for a refurb DVR station from Archos and a $30 web browser for a whopping 80 GB storage and a 7.5 inch screen! (Don't get me wrong I love Apple - I have an iMac and a Macbook).

My slight disappointment is the battery life. Close to two hours, with no facility to recharge in flight, unlike the 404 that could be powered from my laptop. In addition, the screen resolution seems to be inferior to my 404. I wonder if I have either a defective unit, or it is a function of its size and touchscreen. I will be contacting Archos later, but fear they will want me to send it back to them and lose all of my current content. Touchscreen is a little hard, but it does work. It's overkill for audio, but I have a mini MP3 for those purposes.

Superbly built, with a nice carrying case, I would highly recommend this unit.

7.) A multi-media powerhouse!
Reviewed by: PRKilduff Massachusetts
Rating:
The list of what this video player can do has been well stated in previous reviews. So let's get to the good stuff! First and foremost, I received my 705 WiFi very quickly. That said, I opened the box to find everything neatly boxed and easy to find. This baby does everything and for the most part comes with everything you need to start experiencing your music and videos in a whole new light. Connecting to my home network was a breeze! DETAILED instructions are provided within the unit. They are easy to read and understand. While I was playing around with the device, my wife configured Windows Media Player. She does not dabble nor care much for electronics. However over the years I have ripped alot of her music into WMP and felt she should help setup this new toy. Within minutes we were listening to our favorite tunes, wireless. Granted the OPERA web browser isn't all that fast but it is adequate and better than my cell phone browser! I would recommend any and all of the plugins that interest you. I have the web browser, video enhanser, Dishnetwork plugin (free) and the Widget plugin. All were easy to download and install. Oh yeah, being able to record movies from my satelite dish...PRICELESS.

8.) 9out of10
Reviewed by: Kenny Thompson
Rating:
i own an archos 706. out of the box the volume is ridiculously low and the ear buds only fit people with giant ear holes (the french??). I purchased sony noise canceling headphones and a fifo inline amplifier and now i totally love my archos. I love it!!

9.) A great step forward
Reviewed by: bochini Doral, Fl.
Rating:
I owned an Archos Av700. I liked it but it had a lot of limitations. But this time Archos really made an improvement.
The Wifi connectivity, the web browsing (after paying for the Opera plug in) and the fact that this time every file I uploaded to the device was recognized and working perfectly , all what you could expect for such a device. The resolution also improved very much. I was amazed about the UPNP capabilities !! I use it a wireless media server too !!
No comparison with other device in the market.

10.) Awesome
Reviewed by: Mary Tennesse
Rating:
If you have a Dish Network DVR, this product is awesome, you can download the plug in at [...] and pull DVR shows directly to it. It was a lifesaver on the plane with my two year old, Dora and Diego on demand! 80G is way more than you get with an Ipod anything for the price. I have not had any issues, ordered a second for my husband who travels overseas a lot.

11.) I love this Archos!
Reviewed by: LoveMP3 Houston, Tx United States
Rating:
The Archos 705 is one of the loves of my life! I love this product. It has phenomenal capabilities. The picture quality is awesome and I am still amazed at the quality everytime I watch a movie. The volume is not as loud as others without the headset but it is perfect for watching movies in the office and not disturbing others so I am very satified. If I need to hear better I plug in the headset and the volume quality is awesome. I can't say enough about the Archos. They are #1 in my opinion. Outstanding machine, plays music, holds a lot of data, the widgets are awesome for surfing just about anything you want to know about. This machine is great!

12.) Awesome Video Player
Reviewed by: Michael Burchett Jackson, MS
Rating:
I reviewed several video players prior to purchasing the Archos 705 160 GB. Then once I chose the 705 I had to wait about 2 months to actually find one in stock (more time to see other options). I have nothing but the highest praise for this device. But it is not one to carry around everyday in your pocket. This is a big 7 inch screen and rather heavy but it is exactly what I wanted. I can put it in my briefcase or just use it around the house. If you know what your main reasons for purchasing this is, then you will easily decide for yourself if the 705 meets your needs. If it does, the product is very nice.

13.) Incredible device
Reviewed by: MW Miramar, Florida United States
Rating:
I had an Archos 604 30GB wifi for about a year, and then decided to move over to the 705 160 GB wifi for more memory and for the larger screen size. I was very pleased with the 604, and I am even more pleased with the 705. It comes with a wall charger, which the 604 did not; it could only be charged via a USB hook-up, which took forever. They both have their own case included, but the one for the 604 was made from leather and was very high quality. The one for the 705 is fabric and has a cheap feel to it, but does the job.

Yes, you will have to purchase plug-ins for full functionality, and yes, you will need the docking station to make full use of television recording. The Archos site does offer a free plug-in to download to enable the unit to work with the Dish network, specifically the 622 and the 722 models of DVRs from Dish. I have the 622 model and it works with it flawlessly. You simply plug in the 705 via the USB computer cable (supplied) to the front of the DVR and the gateway menu for transferring recorded shows magically appears. Everything on your Dish DVR is listed and you select the ones you want to transfer, highlight the start transfer, and you are on your way.

Two hours of recordings takes about 15 to 20 minutes to transfer, and you can watch other live programs or your other Dish recorded programs as this is taking place. How neat is that?

However, as a side note, I'm switching over to DirectTV in a few days (wife's insistence, long story) so I will be using the docking station for recording television from that point forward. I mainly got the unit to watch DVD movies when I travel anyway, so no big deal. I expect the docking station to arrive in a few days, and I also had one with my 604, so I don't foresee any major issues in going that route for any shows I want to record onto the 705.

This may be obvious to most, but I will mention that you cannot transfer anything recorded in high definition as the 705 will not accept it. You get a message to this effect on your television screen if you try to do this. As you can imagine, such a file would also take up a LOT of memory, so it's probably just as well. I believe this feature will eventually be available on the recently released 5 and 7 series (the internet media tablets), which offer as much as 360 GB of space, which you'll need every bit of if you load HD programs.

I should also mention that every program I have transferred from the Dish DVR is not so great regarding picture quality. The quality is fair, but not great. On the other hand, the picture quality of the DVDs I have transferred (once converted to .avi format via my PC) is, in my opinion, outstanding. The .avi files I transfer over also have subtitle capability, which I consider to be a great feature. A lot of software is out there to convert DVDs to this format, and after you practice with it a while it is really a fairly simple process.

Several reviewers have given the 705 a low rating because of low sound output. I believe recent firmware updates from Archos has corrected this, because I have not had the same experience. However, audio boosters are available to plug your headphones through if this is an issue for you, but admittedly this would be yet something else to lug around.

Lastly, to carry this thing and all of the odds and ends (charging cable, USB cables, headphones, etc) I have an REI Boarding Bag that works great. I use the Sennheiser PXC 250 Active Noise Canceling Headphones for trips via plane and they also work great, and have the added the benefit of being highly portable.

I am very pleased with the 705 and highly recommend it; I hope this review helps.


14.) I like it.
Reviewed by: Nabil A. Taha Helmetta,Nj USA
Rating:
Capable product but it needs too many expesive add-ons.Surfing the internet can alsobe challenging.

15.) Archos 705 WiFi
Reviewed by: D. Tuttle Wasilla, Alaska United States
Rating:
Archos 705 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (160 GB)
This product is what it has been represented as, a great player. The ability to connect to the network was a matter of pushing the icon,quick and easy.Working on learning the ins and outs so far so good.Being more mature I have not noticed a big resolution problem some seem to find.
Suggest this for those who like their own entertainment while traveling.Will look to aquire a DVR docking station for more flexibility in programing. The Web browser is a easy add on.

16.) Best portable player on the market!!
Reviewed by: JMTecho Australia
Rating:
Archos knows portable media. They are the Gold Standard by which all others should be measured. This device plays DVD movies ripped in the raw .VOB format. Amazing. You have to buy the plug-in to perform this, but it's wonderful they even offer the option. Videos, photos, music, GPS or streaming media from your computer to the TV. Outstanding. I also have the Archos 605 and it has all the same functionality as the Archos 705, but the 605 is more portable. Either way, you can't go wrong. It beats the pants off of the iPod.

17.) A Great Product
Reviewed by: Dalquan D. Fowler usa
Rating:
This product is just great. I will recommend it to anyone. The only thing that I would like for it to do is to go faster on the internet, but overall the product is a great product to buy.

18.) Great travel laptop replacement
Reviewed by: K & T San Fran Bay Area
Rating:
The other reviews here do a good job of describing the capabilities/functions of the Archos 705 so this review is based more on why I find this device so useful. Whenever I go on a trip I often find that my standard portable media player isn't enough. I need photo storage for all of my digital pictures, and I need a web browser for checking email, looking up restaurants, etc. That means I usually end up taking my laptop, which is a real hassle in many cases.

The Archos 705 provides a fantastic alternative -- the 80 GB hard drive provides plenty of storage both for the music/movies I want to take along as well as for the photos I take while on my trip. The photo viewer is excellent, so it's great for going thru the day's photos in the evening.

I can also plug the device directly in the hotel room TV thru the composite jack and either check out my pictures or even watch one of the movies I've downloaded onto the device. No more being stuck with the horrible choices on the hotel TV.

And the browser really provides a very good, easy-to-use experience even if not nearly as fast as a modern desktop machine. In fact, if your hotel has free wireless, you can hook the Archos to the TV, browse to joox.net (or a similar web site) and stream full-length TV shows and movies directly to the hotel TV thru the Archos.

We also love this device for just browsing the web around the house or when in front of the TV since it's much easier to hold than our laptop.

All in all, I love my new Archos 705. I gave it only 4 stars for two reasons:

1) The OS for this device is that same as for the smaller Archos 605 device, which includes several buttons. As a result, some functions that should be easy (like moving "Back" in the browser) and which are activated using a single button press on the 605, must be done thru multiple taps on the touchscreen (since the 705 has no buttons). This could certainly be addressed thru a future firmware update.

2) The touchscreen has a bit of a moire effect on the image and text is not as crisp as on many touchscreens. I also own a Nokia N800 which has a much more clear/crisp touchscreen that's also more responsive. That said, the quality is certainly adequate, text is readable without a problem and images, videos are very watchable. The plus side is that the screen resists scratching very well without the need for a protector.



19.) Worth the 5 month wait
Reviewed by: Michael Denver, CO
Rating:
I received my Archos 705 in early January and have been pleased with it from the start. I purchased my unit from Circuit City online and, based on the many reviews I've read of Archos customer service, purchased a 2 year replacement warranty as well. Little extra money for insurance basically and there is a Circut City in every major city I travel to. I purchased the 705 instead of the 605 primarily because of my need to wear reading glasses and I don't intend to carry the unit around town with me to listen to music. I also like the appearance of the 705 over the 605 (personal thing I guess).

To start with, read the 81-page pdf instruction manual. It is pretty clear on how to setup and use the unit. I've read reviews that mentioned the unit only came with a 4-page instruction booklet. Not true. The pdf is on the unit itself and you can also download it once you have registered your product.

I purchased the requisite add-on's as did many in most of the reviews I read. The instuctions to download and install the add-on's were clear and easy to follow. They installed with no problem. I even purchased one of the game packs (golf, poker, suduko) and it installed and plays as advertised. I had read complaints that the product did not have games available to download. Not true ($9.99 on the archos site).

As with any new product, it took me a few minutes to get the hang of how to navigate through the menu's and screens, but after about 30 minutes it was pretty easy to navigate. I like (and some don't) the fact that you have to tap an icon to select it, then tap it again to use the feature. This prevents you from accidently tapping the wrong menu option.

I watched and listed to all the sample content and then deleted it as I replaced it with my own. One thing I noticed was when I played any of the sample content using the product speakers, the volume was just fine. When I loaded all of my content, some played fine with the current volume settings and some I needed to plug in earphones to hear at an adequate volume. While I have my own earbuds and over the ear earphones, the ones that shipped with the product are adequate. I haven't "road tested" them yet listening through them on an airplane.

The user's guide recommends moving content to the Archos using Windows Media Player 10 or higher for best results. I copied and pasted all my content to my product using Windows Explorer. The archos shows up as another device and you copy and paste files. I found it easier to navigate to the Archos device, create directories under "Videos" that represented the genres of movies I watch. Once I created these, I copied my movies to the appropriate directory. Copied with no problem. I also copied my music files directly from my itunes music directory with no issues. Creating music playlists on the Archos is not as easy as with itunes, but I was able to do so without much effort. You also have the option to change album or song titles on the device as well as delete content if you no longer want it.

I have not had occassion yet to see how long the battery will last playing video and audio files. I'll repeat something I read in another review that I also found to be true. When you turn the unit off you must press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds to turn the unit completely off. Otherwise it is in sleep mode and still uses some of your battery. There is also a menu option to turn the unit completely off under the settings option.

I'm thrilled with the quality of the video on this device. You have several options of how to display the video (e.g., full screen, original (such as wide-screen), fit to screen, etc.). I was also surprised to see that most of the music I copied over had the associated album art displayed on the Archos. I thought I'd have to live w/out that on this device.

The remote control is very handy. My 705 came with a remote and AC power adaptor (as did my Archos DVR unit - along with S-video cables and RGB cables). The remote allows you to navigate through all the features I have used by tapping on the device itself. It controls volume, brings up menu's allowing you to change device settings, etc. it also has a qwerty keypad allowing you to type in content using a keypad. I see this as useful primarily when browsing the internet.

You must register your product before you can browse the web (my experience anyway) since you must register then purchase the browser add-on. The home page on the browser is google. I've been able to easily access my gmail account. The browser is slow, but adequate. A keypad shows up at the bottom of the screen allowing you to tap in text. You can also use the keypad on the remote. While I can access the internet, I have not been able to access the Content Portal using the icon provided on the main menu. So if I elected to purchase a movie or music using one of Archos's partners, I would not be able to download the purchased content directly to the device. Since this is not a big issue for me, I haven't yet spent much time figuring it out and have not contacted Archos.

To use the wireless capability, you must first turn on wi-fi on the device. This is a simple menu item. For those of you (like me) who use a secure wireless network, you have the ability to access your network by typing in your passcode on the Archos device. Worked with no problem.

20.) A great player!
Reviewed by: Brad Love Maryland USA
Rating:
I read through all of the reviews of this player before I bought it, and if I were to sum up the other reviews, they were 50/50. I felt like I should give a little back so here is my experience:

Battery Life - I just don't understand what problem people are having with the battery life. When I got my Archos 705, I plugged it in overnight and then transfered some Xvid's the longest movie I had was 2.5 hours long. I unplugged the player and put on the movie, it made it through twice plus 30 minutes... so I got about 5.5 hours out of it (FWIW it was a letter boxed movie so maybe since there where black pixels use less power and make it last longer, I donno know but I thought I would mentioned it). I also picked up a "double" battery" that is twice the size with twice the juice. Watching movies/shows while flying across the country I never dipped below 50% power. On a side note why is there not an option to see how much power is left or estimated time?

Add Ons - Ok this is a gripe I can agree with I spent another $70 to get the web browser and 2 additional codecs. Seems pretty crappy that after spending $500 to get the player that I needed to spend anther $70 to get the features that I really wanted. Like I mentioned before i spent another $35 to get a "double battery" (we are planning to fly to Hawaii from the East Coast, seemed like a good investment). So in total I spent another $105 on things to get what I originally wanted.

Stylus - Ok perhaps this is just me, but there is not place to put the stylus on the player. The player comes with a case (nothing special) that has a little pocket in it. I just got back from a trip using it and when watching the player I just stuck it in my shirt pocket when watching videos and put it with the case when I was not it.

Video Quality - Maybe I have just have lower expectations, but I think movies look great (yes my eyes are fine). If anything when the size of the video was not close to the specs of the screen, it did not look awesome but that is my fault not the player. When I have ripped shows that are close to the screen specs, it looks great.

Web Browsing - I have not played around with this too much, but so far it looks nice. I will play with this more and report back... But it was no problem to get on my WPA2 wireless connection. Again with the screen, it looked really sharp.

Wow factor - I have to say, on every leg of my trip, people asked me about the player. If you are watching it in public space, expect to talk about it.

Touchscreen - So I have to agree a bit with the other reviews that the screen is not the most responsive (I have never played with an Apple Touch so don't really have a comparison). There are times when it seems a little "touchy" or rather "not touchy" where you have to press the screen multiple times to get it to do what you want. But really this is not the end of the world when watching videos since you so rarely need to touch anything when watching videos. When I was playing around to explore the machine it was annoying from time to time, but nothing to stomp my feet over. Note that it is very important that you read how to select things from the manual. Sometimes it is a double tap, sometimes a single tap, etc...

Volume - It is not awesome, I will agree with this. While watching videos I had it full on the player and almost full on my headphones... this was loud enough for me, but that is almost maxing it out to get there. Seems like it should get louder than it does.

What I have not tried - I have not played with the content portals, I have all my own content to move over on the machine. Games - you can pay money for games... I might get around to it, but really just like watching videos for it. I have transferred a few MP3s to it, seems to play nice but I already have an iPod Nano that I use for music.

Wrap up - I bought this player to watch videos, everything else is just gravy. I am not a video snob so 200k colors versus 16 mill, does not bother me at all, all I know is for what I watch it looks great. I hated bringing a portable DVD player around with DVDs and this is a very nice solution to that problem. I would gladly recommend it, with the cavet of spending the extra $105 to get the additional plug ins and the double battery... if you are not going to do that you might feel limited... I gave it 4 out of 5 stars since it is not perfect, but it really does everything that I bought it for, though there is room to grow and do these things better. Also I bought mine for $499. Not sure why this is currently priced $850....


21.) Play my media, baby!
Reviewed by: - CRob Wherever I go,, there I am
Rating:
The first one I ordered died within 3 days of receiving it... not good
I contacted the vendor and it took a week for them to reply with an RMA website.... VERY not good
I contacted Amazon 5 minutes after I mail Archos and I had an email from customer service within an hour stating that a new unit was on the way (shipped on Amazon's dime) and gave me instructions to package and return the bad unit. Amazon customer service RULZ!

Back to the unit... It's HUGE, it's awesome, does exactly what I wanted it to.. but has all the flaws that other reviewers stated:
-volume control is wonky and doesn't get that loud (it was hard to hear on a plane, but at the hotel was perfect)
-why do I have to buy the webbrowser and divx plug-ins to make the thing fully functional?
-battery life was good so far (bought extra battery just in case though)
-picture was crisp and clean, very easy to view (although not "high-def" but what do you want from something you're holding in your hand?)

Unit is great, Amazon is better! Thanks!

22.) Excellent product but not without its flaws
Reviewed by: anarmyof1 Belvidere, IL
Rating:
Pros: 1)Easy to use. The screens are very intuitive.
2)160 GB- lots of storage space compared to IPhone or ITouch
3)You don't have to pay for features that you won't use. Archos requires the purcahse of various plug-ins, ie, video podcasts, opera browser, video playback. Some might consider this nickle and diming you, but I like that they keep the initial cost down.
4)Features-this produst does just about everything you need in a portable media player. You can use it to watch movies, surf the web, listen to music, watch recorded TV shows, view photos and many other applications.
5)The product is well made. When you pick it up, it feels like it is solid and well constructed.


CONS
1)The touch screen is not in the same league as Apple's. You have to use either your finger nail or the stylus otherwise it will not work.
2)The screen could be brighter. Again, a step down from Apple's products.
3)The battery life is horrible. You might get 3 hours for video if you are lucky.
4)Customer service is only average. I called with a problem downloading shows off of Dish Network. I waited 20-30 minutes before receiving assistance. However, the gentleman I spoke with was very helpful.

Overall, I would highly recommed this product.

23.) It Gets you on the Accessories
Reviewed by: Connect2Books.org Atlanta, GA USA
Rating:
The following review was written by my 13 yr old son, B.

The Archos 705 is a great product. I was about to get the 704 when I saw that this was cheaper. A lot of people say it's pretty neat when they see me with it. However, before buying it you may want to consider these:

-Price: So far, I've spent a total of $500 on it. I bought the actual Archos 705 (80gb) for $370, the Gen 5 DVR Station-which you can currently buy for $0.01 on ebay ($12 shipping)- for $80, (also, the 705 will work on the Gen. 4 DVR Station too) the $30 Web Browser Plug-in, and the $20 Cinema Plug-in. I will probably buy more accessories including the $30 704 battery that works on the 705 too, the last $20 Plug-in, and maybe some of the $10 games.

-You should buy an accessory: If you don't buy any of the accessories, then you will only be able to listen to some of your music (I tried syncing the Archos with iTunes and only some files would play without a certain plug-in), be able to put photos on to it, and I think you will be able to put videos on it. (You don't order the Plug-ins, you download them straight onto your computer.)

-Scheduled Recordings: You can easily program the Archos 705 to automatically record shows onto your Archos. It works really well because you can leave the house and it will record your stuff. You don't have to worry about leaving it on all day, it's not bad for it and the Archos and it doesn't get hot. You can schedule recordings once, daily or weekly. Also, you can title the video (using the keyboard on it or the one on the built-in remote) so then it will automatically title it for you if it's daily or weekly. The recorder can easily record videos on Demand. Unfortunately, the TV has to be on while recording and it won't automatically change channels for you. However, while recording, you can turn the volume on the TV all the way down. Remember that it does record the TV guide (if you use it) which may block part of your view. And, you must have a cable to record and a special cable for recording stuff from your iPod (you can't sync videos on it form iTunes.) Regardless of some things, it's basically a portable Tivo.

-The Touch screen: The touch screen is a little bit difficult to use. You have to use the tip of your nail. It's not as easy as the iTouch's even though the Archos comes with a 2 styli. The screen itself is 6" by 3.75".

-The Resolution: It doesn't have a really sharp image on the videos that you record on to it with the optional DVR Station. However, it is pretty good (definitely not as bad as the videos on youtube.)

-The Web: The Archos 705 will pick up a WiFi signal from about the same distance that a Mac can. You can easily type in your Web Code address and it will remember it for you. You can also open more then one tab at the same time on it and easily change back and forth through each. It comes with a remote that can act like a mouse (it even shows a little arrow.) Youtube works really well, but I don't know if/how to save videos to your Archos. The Web is a little slow, but it works really well. Google Docs can act as Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and even excel on the Archos. Note: unfortunately, it's not built for online games.

-The DVR Station: When you buy the $80 DVR Station, it comes with the same remote that Archos 705 comes with. This remote is $15 on the Archos website so, since you have 2, it's kind of a waist of money. The DVR Station also comes with an AC adapter-again, the same one that comes with the Archos 705- too. This adapter could cost up to $30. You can plug the adapter into the Archos or the DVR Station and it will power both so you don't need the second one. If these extra accessories didn't come with the DVR Station (Gen 5), then the cost could possibly be as low as $35.

-It's better than most: I think that the Archos 705 is better than the iTouch, mainly because you can record stuff on to it, where on the iTouch you have to buy everything on iTunes. Like the iTouch, the Archos 705 has stores on it that you can rent (videos only) and buy videos, and songs. The iTouch may be smaller and may have a slightly better touch screen, but I think the Archos 705 is better overall a mainly because of how you can record videos onto it. In fact, the Archos 605 "beat" the iTouch in a comparison article (on the Archos website.)

-Other: You should take the time to read the 80 page built-in owners manual. You have to register your Archos online at the Archos website in order to put any of the Plug-ins onto it. There is a headphone jack on the side. The Archos 705 is easy to use and has a lot of handy things on it (such as the 8 Widgets.) It automatically shuts off after 1-9 mins (under settings) except for when recording, and can be put on standby for quick start-up, or it can completely shut off. You can easily change the background picture on it too. The speakers aren't the best, but the work pretty well. It also comes with a small carrying case similar to the iPod. Unfortunately, the files are a little bit hard to manage but you can rename and delete them on the Archos. It also has a hold button.

I rated the Archos 705 4 stars mostly because of its price. However, I think that it's definitely worth getting. Lots of people who see it say they want one. It's much better than my Gen. 5 iPod. Although I have had to take out its battery sometimes because it froze, it's still very good. The Archos 705 is almost like a small computer with its WiFi (with google docs), videos, music, photos, and even better than a computer in a way because you can record stuff onto it. I would definitely recommend this.


24.) archos 705
Reviewed by: whatsgoingon Philadelphia
Rating:
Before I give the cons I have to say this is the best PVP on the market. Although this is all I wish an Ipod was it's not something that can be placed in your pocket. It is big and bulky but with all the storage and the big 7 inch screen it's made to watch video. The DVR attachment is also a good feature and works great. No need to rent or buy a DVR from your cable provider as it plays through your TV. Now for my cons. This unit is a touch screen operation and one stylus is supplied but there is nowhere to store it in or on the unit or in the supplied case. Even the inexpensive PDA's have somewhere to store the stylus. I would imagine many will be lost along the way (they could always be stored behind your ear). Also they sync up the music library with Windows media player but the player itself doesn't look at all like Media player 11. It is somewhat boaring. Archos chose to use Opera operating system, why I'm not sure. They could have done better. All said not every player has everything (not yet anyway) but this one comes close. If size matter and you want a smaller PVP the 605 WI FI is just as good for about $100 less.

25.) Not bad... not bad at all :)
Reviewed by: camar0 Alamonte Springs, FL United States
Rating:
I mainly bought this device as i work the graveyard shift and needed something to occupy my time... had to go with the 160gb version because its 160gb, need i say more? lol...

pros:

1) plays xvid divx movies
2) wifi works, not the fastest but still decent
3) big screen
4) can change picture background and theme colors

cons:

1) sometimes unit will freeze when opening a file, usually it is a bad media file i guess? not sure but they work on PC but unit locks up... these were new encoded video files i was testing... only a small % didnt work
2) battery life isnt good, need a spare batter for plane trips
3) if the audio/video file doesnt have high audio, dont expect this unit to amplify it... the built in speakers are sub-average but work.... the headset is your best bet for higher sound...
4) need to buy cimena codec if you have AC3 files or some video formats..
5) need to buy web browser if you plan on using wifi
6) touch screen needs firm touch or use the pen that comes with it (better)

not tested: DVR functions

Overall i am still very happy with the unit even with the cons, for $449 shipped to the door by amazon, i would recommend this to anyone...


RECOMMENDED: get a warranty, i went with squaretrade, they have been really good in customer service and replacement/refunds


26.) I love it but products never work as they show or advertise.
Reviewed by: Aaron Breer
Rating:
This is a great device. This can play almost any type of media file including AVI, MP3 WMA and many others if you pay archos for them. I however haven't bought extra decoders and plug-ins from them yet, because it can get really expensive. It does not come with any software for your computer, you must use your own software that you have, or bought, or download, or something.

The main problem I think with this is the sound. Yes the sound reproduction is good but the volume is WAY TOO LOW even with the volume turned up all the way. No, I'm not deaf and yes, I know you have to turn the volume up all the way on the headphones themself that come with it. When I talk headphones I mean earphones or earbuds. This will not work with large headphones. Still even when I use other headphones the volume is just too low. Now, it can actually be loud though depending on what you listen to like good quality recordings of (rock, pop, rap and other stuff I don't like) and if you're not in a loud place, but for what I like to listen to such as classical recordings you'll miss a lot because you can't hear it. Forget about using this device in the city, a car or in other loud places. I haven't purchased isolating headphones yet but it may help a lot with this. Still if I compare the volume to other MP3 players such as the Toshiba Gigabeat and the creative Zen the volume is less than a third of what theirs are. Even the new models of the 705 have this problem (and all of archos players for that matter). Archos claims they did this to protect your hearing and to comply with international law. Maybe they did, but it's still a shame.

The second problem although in no way as big as the first is the battery life. Even reviewers here claim 20 hours of audio. Well, they simply haven't tried out the product and timed it because you will really get no more than eight hours of audio with the wifi turned off the screen to 20 seconds and hardly any messing around with it. Doesn't matter the bitrate or the format of the audio, it's all the same. No, there isn't anything wrong with my battery or unit, it's just the way it is. I do have a large 2X extended life battery 704 battery (supposed to work with 705 and it's not made by Archos) coming from an amazon merchant and I hope this remedies the poor battery life I'm getting. I have heard though that this battery is large, sticks out and is hard to fit. I haven't tried it much for video but I was able to watch an hour and a half video on it and it took off half of the bars from the battery indicator. So, if the indicator is right, and it seems to be, you should be able to get two and a half hours of video(gotta say less than three). Funny how audio playback doesn't last many more times then that. in Comparison to other products that I use for audio my Sony CD MP3 player that runs on ONE AA lasts 13 hours and the Gigabeat lasts six and the Zen four. All these have great volume levels too.

The thrid problem with this is you have to keep buying more. Now I haven't bought a whole lot yet, only a car adapter, a 2x battery and a fanny pack so I can take it hiking but just getting this means you're going to spend at least a 150 more just to get it to work right. The web browser is an extra 30 bucks and you must buy that if you plan to use the interweb on this thing. Not to mention the extra decoders that you must buy to play certain formats such as AAC(don't know if it's supported actually), MPEG2 and 4 and such.

I did buy this mostly for music and to take hiking. There is a problem though, this thing is big and heavy. Basically think about something the weight of a brick and thinned out into almost a one inch thick tablet. Another problem is this has really no places to hold on to it, it's just a slab. The solution?, a large fanny pack. Just put the screen lock on to keep from it doing stuff when that thing bounces around in there. There is yet another problem with that thought that can drain it's already mediocre battery life even more. Any touching of the screen will turn it on, even when it's locked, it just won't do anything. So you got to make sure you put it in a good spot and try not to bounce around too much or touch the fanny pack.

Still, it works better and has more features(even if you have to buy them) than any other media player I have ever owned. Just be aware of these things if you decide on the 705 or any Archos products.

Update: well I returned this product to Amazon and I'm hoping for at least most of my money back. Why would I return a product I thought was good? Well after more use the more I realize this thing is not worth it. The sound volume is just too intolerable, it really is that low. It also sounds pretty bad, just a lot of hissing and wind blowing sounds with all headphones(earbuds and earphones). The battery life for music is terrible and it's a big and heavy battery yet it still has a short life. Then there's the plug-ins, I had problems trying to purchase them and Archos is no help. Plus it is almost as big and heavy as my computer yet it costs more and does less.

27.) Great Product (Almost)
Reviewed by: A. Beck
Rating:
I purchased an Archos 705 (160GB) about two months ago and am just now getting around to leaving a review. Thus far, it has been a great product...NEARLY perfect.

The good:
Plenty of space...I have my Archos filled up with all the music, movies, photos, and games that I need.
The Archos plays nearly every file type. You are only really limited by the resolution.
The Archos is built very well. Feels sturdy in hand and can take some abuse. My Archos has fell off my bed onto a wood floor a couple times and hasn't missed a beat.
The Archos is beyond easy to use. It has a very slick dashboard and allows you to easily access your media.

Things that need to be improved:
1) This first one is HUGE in my book....Why they didn't include an external volume control is beyond me. There is an external control on the included head phones, but I like to use my noise canceling headphones so am stuck with using the clunky on-screen volume control. This BY FAR is my biggest complaint with the unit.
2) Overall volume output leaves a lot to be desired. Volume is great when using head phones, but when plugged into external speakers it lacks. It does get loud enough for a small room, but I use Bose Companion 3 Series 2 speakers to provide music in our airplane hanger and while other, smaller MP3 players (combined with the speaker volume control fill the hanger; the Archos does not.
3) The Archos does occasionally "lock-up" and needs to be restarted. I should also say that it didn't start happening until I loaded it up with flash games. It doesn't happen a lot, I would say probably once a week or so.

Overall this is a great product that I would buy again. I spend a lot of time in very remote places and the Archos allows me to relax to my own music and movies at night. I haven't got to test out the WiFi yet. I have purchased two extra Archos 704 batteries and they work for the 705 unit. If this unit had external volume control it would get 5 stars, but as is I am giving it 4.

28.) Almost perfert
Reviewed by: grasshopper man Superior, WI
Rating:
I have other Archos products and I am a stong advocate for these. I have been disappointed in two factors with the 705 WiFi. It has become a little less than very portable. It was very easy to carry around my 405 Archos but this Archos can not be placed in a pocket. I understand the larger screen and it is super to watch but to take this unit with me, it is like carrying around a purse (this bothers the male in me). Also I have a Sony Bravia HDTV which has many input connections but only an optical digital and a HDMI out. I can not record off the TV. I picked up an old VCR unit with a tuner which has RCA outputs so now it can record TV programs but this is limited by having to select a channal on the VCR first before the program can be recorded. It would have been nice to have the HDMI connection on this unit like the Archos TV unit possesses.

29.) Archos 705
Reviewed by: R. Baux
Rating:
The Archos 705WiFi is all that it is touted to be. Video and Music (audio) capacity and capability is perfect. Screen size in portable situations (airplanes, beach, etc.) is ideal. However, I had to download two plug-ins from Archos to run various video files at an additional cost of about $40. They can be obtained elsewhere more cheaply. The WiFi feature is adequate using an Opera browser but it does the job and is neat. The only bad feature is that my unit froze totally, no power, etc. and all Archos technical support proved fruitless. The unit has been returned for service. Bad battery, motherboard, incredible bad luck. Record of durability is average.

30.) Good machine, could be better
Reviewed by: Jared Lewis
Rating:
I like my Archos, but I don't like the terribad battery life. I love the storage capacity of this beast - I don't like the mediocre volume it puts out. The touchscreen IS easy enough to use with your fingers (despite what a few others have said in reviews) if you use the tip of your finger or the back of your nail. I don't keep up with a stylus well, so i just use the back of my index nail and it works just fine.

The picture isn't bad at all; if the battery life wasn't a joke it would make a great travel companion (which is why I bought it) to take instead of a laptop. As it stands now I have to find a power outlet after almost every 2 hours to give it some juice (when watching movies). I get about 8 hours of music out of it, which isn't terrible, until you look at the amount of time it should last.

The worst part about it is that the WiFi feature (using an Opera browser) is so slow you'd almost do better on an actual computer with dialup. I don't even use this feature even though I paid the extra $20 for the capability.

The best part? This baby plays almost any file type you put on it.
I gave it a 4 star because there isn't a 3.5 star rating.

31.) Love it!!
Reviewed by: LB
Rating:
I've had my Archos 705 for over a month now and love it. I also like the big screen (others may not). I have the 80 gb and have already run out of space so if you like recording movies get the 160 GB. Now I don't have to boot up my laptop every time I want to watch a movie. Archos is very convenient and holds over 30 movies!!

On the down side the volume on play back is not that great and I had a hard time listening to my movies on the plane. I'll try a good noise reduction headset and see what happens. Also on the downside is all the extras you have to purchase.

Overall, I like the convenience and have no regrets purchasing it.

32.) I love this.
Reviewed by: D's Mom Woodbury, MN
Rating:
At first I thought I would be returning this...but after some patience I really like it. One thing that will really help when you are begining to use this is to make sure the battery stays charged. If not, you may think it is gliching out, but it really may be the battery. Also, it is dissapointing how it doesn't come with proper instructions, but after using it for a bit you get the hang of it. It synchs easily with my computer and the DVR station is pretty easy to use as well. It's lame that it doesn't come with it and you have to buy it separately though.

33.) I upgraded from the 4gig Archos 605, and I lovee this.... !
Reviewed by: Game Hound Kansas City, Mo.
Rating:
I started with looking in my Dish Network DVR manual about TV on the go, and that lead me to check out the Archos models. I bought the cheapest version I could get on here that still Worked with my DISH NETWORK, so I could take all my DVR recordings with me where ever I go.
That was the 605 4 gig model, it worked as advertised, but dont buy a 2GIG mem card and think it will add to the space available for storing Dish Network recorded TV, it wont. I liked everything about the 605, except the screen was small and there wass only enuff space for about 3.75 hours of DVR tv from Dish Network.
DESPITE all the negative Reviews on here saying that the screen displayed horrible images on the 705, versus the 605, I went for it, because of the 80GIG space increase alone.
I am very impressed with the display, looks AWESOME, just like a 7 inch version of the 605, and now i have 60 hours of Dish Network DVR TV space, I love it ! ** I only use this for Dish Network, nothing else, I constantly have over 70 programs recorded on my DVR, so copying it to this device and taking emm with me where ever I go is Sweet ! *I cant coment on the other uses for the 705.
AND ONE LAST THING ! with this, 705, Same as the 605 !!...The first time you try to TURN these on, is a Horrible Experiance, having done it twice now, just keep trying with it plugged up to A/C power, the 705 took 30 solid minutes of playing, and finally the start up window appeared ! and the 605 took just as long....
But well worth it for my needs,
.... beware you have to buy "plug ins" for almost everything you want to do, luckily the Dish Network "plug in" is FREE. I reccomend visting Archos's website first and find the product you are about to buy and price the "plug ins" you want...

34.) Portable dishnetwork movies
Reviewed by: Grandma TN
Rating:
Bought to transfer dishnetwork movies and tv shows. Use it in the car for grandchildren. Only complaint is short battery life. Would be lost without the car charger. Also great way to share media but found out cannot connect to Tv without the dvr stand. Think 605 might be a better choice because of direct connection with cables. Also the 605 has gps capabilities.

35.) Buying Add-ons and accessories from the Archos site
Reviewed by: sheraldon Oregon
Rating:
I have only had my Archos 705 for a short time but so far really like the capabilities I have been able to access. The unit is WI-Fi so obviously I would like to use it to browse the internet along with its other capabilities of music, audio books, pictures and movies. Even though it will connect wirelessly to my computer network or others that I get it near, you can't really do much with it until you buy the WEB BROWSER plug-in which costs $29.98. Not a huge cost especially when you figure once it's purchased you can use it anytime with no extra charges like you get with internet access on your cell phone (extra charge to use the service with cell phones but not on the ARCHOS. Very cool feature except it's been difficult (if not impossible) to purchase the web browser so far. (I haven't given up trying yet)The security system they use for their web site is very specific on information you set up on the web site has to match your card (visa, MC, etc.)EXACTLY right down to whether there are periods used and it's Case Specific. If you have a P.O. Box that shows up in the information on your card or if you mistakenly put it in your account info when you sign up, the systems rejects the purchase and after 6 tries, it kicks you off for 72 hours. Just be sure you have ONLY a street address showing for your ViSA (or other card) and be sure of the EXACT spelling and punctuation used before you place the order. Other than the glitch with the web site (you can order by phone also)I am very happy with the unit. It's a great size, has amazing graphics and nice battery life. All in all it the MP3 (PMP Portable Media Player) player for those of us who want more than just music. The price through Amazon was great....I got my 80 GB unit for $249 and the shipping was free. Great unit if I can just figure out how to get the ordering done for the extra "stuff" Thanks Amazon!!

36.) Wonderfull, BUT far short of 605
Reviewed by: PMD WiFi Crazy Wilmington, NC USA
Rating:
Love the 705! Only problem is I thought I was trading up from my current 605.
Unfortunately that was not the case!
First: What IDIOT came up with the idea that it was a good thing to go from the 16 million color capability in the 4.3" 605 to 260,000 colors on the 7" screen 705 (DAH!!)
Second: AUDIO VOLUME, I should say WHAT AUDIO. With all setting to max for sound the replay volume is almost un-hearable, the internal speakers are useless! Using my new Bose headphones I can just hear the sound, barley usable.
I finally came up with a solution, I bought an amplifier (I think any amp 25+ watt or better will work) and run the source audio through that to the 705.
Third: AUDIO CONFIGURATION FUNCTIONS. Bass Boost from min. to max settings when I'm listening, in a dead silent room (again with new $300.00 Bose CQ-2 headphones, or my Bose Triports), not one iota of difference. Same goes for the five preconfigured sound settings feature, in the custom mode using the 5 band equalizer settings all to min. or max sound exactly the same, listening as you are sliding one after another there is absolutely no change in the sound PERIOD...
I know it sounds bizarre to still say I love it but I do, but very much in "SPITE" of the ridicules downgrades from my, near, perfect 605 (I say near because the volume capabilities of the 605 are not great either, but usable)
Honestly, if "Wonderful" Amazon. com had not had their, usual, extraordinarily low price on this 705 it would be gone by now.
Fourth: Same old compliant everyone has about Archos, that being, when you buy a Wi-Fi capable - video player - music player etc., having, then, to go and buy "PLUGINS" to use these features, well I'll say "stinks", here, but you y'all know what I really mean (well it almost rhymes, and two of the letters ARE the same, right?)
By the way if anyone is thinking, maybe he just got a bad one, that is not the case. I bought and returned one because of the above stated problems, and the new replacement I received back had exactly the same problems, so it is not my 705 but the product itself
FIFTH: The last B...H I have is that the program guide feature they advertise has not been available for months and no one at Archos has a clue as to when (or maybe IF) it will ever be available again! All they have told me, for months, is to keep checking the NEWS marque on their web site and they will let everyone know on that if it starts working again. NO offer to send email to let me know when one of the features I paid for will be available.

37.) 705 wifi rocks !!!
Reviewed by: Kris Dibiagio
Rating:
i bought this item beacause i love new gadgets and have to say it is pretty awsome . pictures display very nice , music plays great altho speaker sound is a little low on some stuff and other stuff it is louder . movies , tv shows are awsome , i have a mini dlink 323 storage tank with 2000 gigs of movies ,tv shows, and music , what i noticed is if you connect to network storage through the movie button some stuff plays but vob files did not , so i played around with it for awhile and figured out if you clik on files from the home screen ,network , storage tank and go into movie with vob files clik on the first .ts file or vob presto it plays fine and when u navigate through your network from the files button it seems to play much more content than navigating from the movies button , little tip for newbies. yeah it could be a little faster on the web and there are some flash issues but this is one cool device , i bought the 605 wifi first didn,t know they had the 705 with the bigger screen and once i saw it i had to have it, the 7" screen is great , touscreen could be a little more sensitive sometimes you have to press a little harder , and the ease of use could be a little better , but i got my dvr and recorded die hard on to it and once u learn how to record on to it , its pretty easy, haven't hooked it up in my car yet but i have to try it soon , the price for what this bad boy toy can do i think is pretty fair considering the price of other similar devices out the and what they can't do or the tiny screen they have. it would have been nice to plug my phone modem into to acces internet like the new archos 5 can do but maybe in a firmware update who knows, before i saw these i bought a zune 120 got to tell u after seeing and using achos 705 wifi what a waste of money zune was for the price of 338 compared to what it does for that price . i mean archos plays most of the content out there and zune u have to convert just about everything , hope this helps some of u , i love my archos and will probably buy the arcos 5 or the 9 next , this thing is just awsome awsome awsome ha ha.

38.) a,l the gageteer
Reviewed by: sonygadgeteer pittsburgh pa
Rating:
3so far so good have had 705 since xmas pic quality is stunning sound is terible use good earphones add on wi fi internet is fun but slow internet radio is fun to have ease of operation is good. i still have a5 year old archos that still works but i also had 5 differant 605 wifi units that failed out of the box get extra insurance on any archos the differance in tech. in 5 years is astounding 705 is amazing if it keeps working without problems

39.) Archos 705
Reviewed by: Neeq College Point, NY United States
Rating:
Good product, except they make you pay for all the add-ons that where free on the 704 like the internet browser.

40.) handy digital video player
Reviewed by: Samuel R. Sides Western OK
Rating:
I bought this as my job requires me to be out on oil field locations for no less than 8 hours at time with with no more to do than stay a wake with the occational knap. I work all hours of the day so I miss my shows. I got this because the convient size with a decent screen and the dvr docking station. The speakers are loud enough to not require head phones. I would recommend this to a somebody with a kid so they can watch educational programming instead of pixar movies. Just record sesame street to the dvr and get a wallet so you can hang the archos form the back of your head rest.
The only real complaint that I have is that they advertise all the things it does but you have to spend 20-40 bucks to get each option. Internet browser, dvr docking station, and random plug ins.

41.) Archos 705 160GB Review
Reviewed by: P. Ramsey Portland, Oregon
Rating:
Pros: Good Interface, plays videos/Music(MP3,WMA) well. Surf the Internet and play videos from Online. Great for Long travels on a plane or in a car.

Cons: Tends to Lockup when it in Stand-by mode or Plugging in the USB Connections. If You don't Mind that, the system operates fine. The system isn't intended for slipping in your pocket to listen to MP3s.

I would have to say that I've been pleased with my Archos player. I just wish the operating system allowed the user to change icons or design. I'm sure that will happen in time.


42.) This Device Misses The Mark
Reviewed by: Maclen Hawaii, USA
Rating:
On paper, this device is in a class by itself. It has the largest screen (7") of any similar media player, it has a 160gb hard drive, it has wifi, it has links to content portals (such as Cinema Now), it has a touchscreen interface and it is reasonably priced.

But, as is so often the case, paper specifications are meaningless if the user experience falls short. And for me, the device had significant flaws in many important categories, so that, when taken as a whole, it left me unimpressed and searching for another player.

First, the screen, while 7" measured diagonally, displays videos that are so grainy that they look like poor analog television. I ripped xvid files at high bitrates to test the 705, and in every case, the videos were grainy and blurry, not sharp or detailed. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the 705 has 260,000 colors and not 16 million colors that other players have (for example, the Cowon A3 and the Archos 605). While I realize that I cannot even see 260,000 colors, the number of colors does affect contrast and sharpness, and Archos would be well advised to update its technology. Furthermore, it seems counterintuitive that Archos would have fewer colors for a 7" screen, when the Cowon A3 and the Archos 605 have much smaller screens but 60 times the colors.

Second, the audio is only adequate. In direct comparisons with other players, the 705 had very low volume, a mediocre soundstage and only average detail.

Third, the hard drive froze so many times that I lost count. I was constantly resetting it, and in doing so, I had to re-input data.

Fourth, the touchscreen interface requires the supplied stylus for many functions. Using one's finger without the stylus is a frustrating experience, since the 705 is not sensitive enough to work only with finger prompts.

Fifth, the battery, while removable, worked only for 1 1/2 hours when I watched videos. The specifications state that the battery life for videos is 5 1/2 hours. These numbers are so disparate that I'm not sure under what conditions Archos tested the battery life for videos.

Lastly, the content portal, which could be a great source of streaming media, was clearly an afterthought. I tried to purchase videos from Cinema Now, and the search function rarely worked and in most instances, I was unable to purchase videos. I ended up having to purchase the videos from my PC and sync them to the 705.

In sum, the 705 did not suit my needs. However, I will watch it closely for future developments. Archos has a potentially great product here; one that no other manufacturer makes. It is indeed unfortunate that it falls short of its promising specifications.

43.) Why bother?
Reviewed by: A. Bulychev
Rating:
I was tempted to get Archos 705, but got EeePC instead. The reason? Same screen, similar battery life, much lighter. All the functionality and connectivity of laptop and no need to buy all that software which adds A LOT to the unit's price (and supposed to be included in the first place). Through in the portable HD (WD Passport), and you'll have hours of movies and so much more!
Worked like a charm for my 3-week long trip.

44.) So much potential!
Reviewed by: Gadget freak Denver
Rating:
I just bought one of these (the latest in a list Archos devices I've owned), and while I really like it, there a few buts:

First, with previous devices you got pretty much everything you need in the box. You had to buy extra batteries and an auto adapter, but that's pretty standard. With the Archos 704 wi-fi, you need to buy a DVR station if you want to hook it up to your TV for another $99. Almost all of the connection ports are proprietary. It comes with a web browser, but if you want to take advantage of all the features, then you need to download the Opera plug-in for another $29. You can download movies from Cinema Now, but if want access to your past purchases, you need to download another plug-in for $19.

You can use it to play simple games, but you have to download those in packs, no ala-cart, for $9.99 each. Very reasonable, but it you only want one of the games, you're stuck with the whole pack.

This device would make a perfect ebook reader, but there's no software. I read on one of the blogs that you can transfer PDF of HTML books. I haven't tried this, but it appears there is no way to autoscroll or change size of fonts.

As for audio books, you can convert Audible books to MP3 formats with third-party software. It also does allow you to bookmark audio files. Audible tells me it has no plans to develop programming for this device.

Archos does make GPS model 605. How hard would it be to write software for use with an external antenna? It's a large device for a portable GPS, but no larger than most in-dash GPS units.

Lastly, from what I read on the forums, the Archos OS is so proprietary, that it's nearly impossible for third-party software developers to create new applications. Oh, and would an expansion slot be too much to ask?

Overall, I'm pleased with it and will keep it with the hope that Archos will consider some of these options, but I should have done more research into other devices to get what I really wanted.




45.) Great product, aweful strategy
Reviewed by: N. Larson Norwell, Ma United States
Rating:
Ok, product wise this blows away the iPod Touch, simply because the iTouch has almost no storage. I problem with this product is that you will need to purchase an additional $70 worth of software 'plug-ins' from Archos to do all the advertised features of the product, something Archos does not really advertise. After shelling out $500 for the product, at release, finding out after the fact I needed $70 in software to be able to use most video, browser, and podcast content, left me feeling swindled.

46.) A Little Dissappointing
Reviewed by: Jacek Bryniak Chicago, IL
Rating:
I was very excited when the product arrived in the mail. I was looking for a reasonably priced media player so that I could watch my favorite shows on the go or on my couch. One of the main reasons for buying this player is that it was compatible with Amazon's Unbox video.

Unfortunately I was disappointed with the product. Here are the reasons:

1. Very low volume. Most of the time I have to use earphones.
2. Low quality video. The resolution is bad and picture is grainy.
3. The unit heats up a lot. It is uncomfortable to hold because of this.
4. After about 3 hours of use I now have at least 1 dead pixel on the screen.

I give it 3 stars because it serves its purpose, and was reasonably priced. I will probably pass it along to my younger brother and try the new unit.

47.) Archos 705 160 Gb
Reviewed by: Young J. Kim
Rating:
Archos 705 is an over grown PMP which no longer fits in Portable Multi-Media Player category. It's rather bulky, clumsy, and heavy to transport/enjoy in casual manner. Just like any gadgets it has its very own limits and MANY glitches. It does crash more often than you want it to. The on-board connectors are rather flimsy as the docking station is not well designed to accommodate Archos awkward size, shape and design. The optional Camcorder is not a WOW case but it's just something close to a WEB cam quality. The quality of video is not an impressive one, sure the size of LCD is but the resolution is nothing more than a poor/clumsy TV output. In conclusion, it's rather an expensive toy which comes with expensive options for practical uses. The only thing that works marginally is Mp3 player and photo viewer up to certain picture sizes. It plays AVI files to a certain degree. If the image size is too big then it won't play. Other formats of videos can be played after purchasing the program online and WEB browser has to be purchase online to use as well. It a half baked potato...

48.) Fun to use and features as expected - not happy with touchscreen
Reviewed by: Tom Wind Princeton, NJ
Rating:
I have had the Archos 705 for 6 months now and I love the compatibility with my different media files - easy to load with movies and music. Remember that you have to buy add-on software packages on the Archos side after you buy the player to use the browser and all media formats...

Battery is good - though I have issues with the touchscreen. Sometimes painful to strike the right keys and buttons and this has gotten worse over the past weeks.

49.) Customer service is bad
Reviewed by: Angelo Tarantino Cali.
Rating:
I would recomend the Archos but the customer service lacks in every sense,If you call the cust/service no one will pick up!(I tried 3 times for more than half an hour each time)The e-mail response is a little better,it only took 6 days to get a response on my defective unit.they told me it would be weeks to wait for them to see if it could be repaired.It was only 4 days old but(i was told)thats thier policy.I called Amazon on sunday,u.p.s. picked up the defective unit on Monday,and on Tuesday u.p.s. dropped off my new player!Archos should take note on how Amazon does business. ANYDVD.com works verry well with Archos,I recomend you look at before you BUY the DVD add-on.

50.) Good, but a little funky
Reviewed by: Salin Low Canton, CT USA
Rating:
The main thing we use it for is WiFi browsing. The Opera browser is a bit too stripped down, so that it's awkward. There is very little documentation, and the touch screen is a bit temperamental.

We'd still buy it again.

51.) Test results and why I was disappointed
Reviewed by: too many tech toys Boston, MA
Rating:
I bought this device based on my good experience with the 605. The 705 had on paper looked like a great little device.


The test files I used are made from DVDs 720x400 at 257kbps 29 frames per second. I did my tests based on my typical usage... riding the subway. This required volume to be cranked to 99 and the Backlight to be turned all the way up. I used AVI files because that is what you can use without wasting money on the plugins

THE GOOD
-They use non-proprietary USB ports - a change from previous models
-This battery is user replacable... important since recharging eventually beats up a battery and because as shown below the battery life is not great.
-Hard drive is a respectable 160G.
-Case has a place to hold your stylus so you might take longer to lose it.
-There is a direct AC charger instead of trickle charging via USB as on previous models.

THE BAD AND UGLY.

-Nowhere to store the stylus on the unit itself.
-Even at volume 99 it was hard to hear on a subway. I imagine you would have similar problems on a plane.
-Even around the house you have to have the volume between 60-80.
-Battery life is horrible. They claim 5.5 hours in the specs. Using the settings above (necessary due to the VERY low output of the amplifier and the drakness of the screen) I got 2:02 and 1:59 on two tries after a full charge.
-The earphones leak sound, are mediocre, and fall off when you move around.
-It is a Wifi device with no browser unless you pay $29 for a plug in
-It is a video player that does not have much in the way of format support without another $38 for two more plug ins (no .mpeg-2, .vob, .mpg, .ps, .mp4, .m4v, or .mov)


All in all... as much as I liked their other products (in spite of the plug-in scheme) I would look for alternatives to this unit were I you.


52.) PATHETIC Sound Levels!! Really Sub-Par!
Reviewed by: Zatoichi101 Niagara Falls
Rating:
So far, I am VERY unhappy with my Archos 705 Wi-Fi!!!

I can't believe how LOW the volume settings are!

Even if I use an external headphone amp (mine is called a Boostaroo), the volume is way too low!!

Put is this way: If I am on an airplane and eat anything crunchy, like a pretzel, I can't really hear the dialog!

And as for a "theater-like experience" -- forget about it!!

I have spent a great deal of money so far for my unit -- nearly $500 for the unit itself, $100 for the DVR station, $100 for extra batteries (my flights for work are almost all over 12 hours) and hundreds for downloads and driver add ons. For all that I have spent so far, I could have purchased a mini-PC!

But I DO like this unit -- and I DO want it to work better!!!

The features and navigation is very good -- as is the picture quality.

But the sound level is so low that I just can't enjoy this thing at all.

Shame on Archos!

53.) PATHETIC Sound Level!! Really Sub-Par!!
Reviewed by: Zatoichi101 Niagara Falls
Rating:
So far, I am VERY unhappy with my Archos 705 Wi-Fi!!!

I can't believe how LOW the volume settings are!

Even if I use an external headphone amp (mine is called a Boostaroo), the volume is way too low!!

Put is this way: If I am on an airplane and eat anything crunchy, like a pretzel, I can't really hear the dialog!

And as for a "theater-like experience" -- forget about it!!

I have spent a great deal of money so far for my unit -- nearly $500 for the unit itself, $100 for the DVR station, $100 for extra batteries (my flights for work are almost all over 12 hours) and hundreds for downloads and driver add ons. For all that I have spent so far, I could have purchased a mini-PC!

But I DO like this unit -- and I DO want it to work better!!!

The features and navigation is very good -- as is the picture quality.

But the sound level is so low that I just can't enjoy this thing at all.

Shame on Archos!

54.) don't do it!
Reviewed by: John W. Indermaur FL
Rating:
bought and had to return. Volume was miserably low during video play back, could barley hear on airplanes. Archos service was terrible, plugins cost too much, video playback battery life too short, internet browser too clunky and ridiculously slow.

Amazon return service was great, still fighting Archos for refund on plugins.

55.) Does not work as advertised
Reviewed by: Robert S. Anderson
Rating:
I was extremely disappointed in this device. The touchscreen does not work well by touch. You have to press way too hard. The stylus works but again you have to press hard. The screen will soon be scratched. There is no place to store the stylus.
I purchased and installed the Opera brower. The WiFi connects but is so slow it is impossible to use. I was never able to download a complete page or connect to the content portal. Tech support blames my 2.4Ghz wireless phone, said I would have to shut it down to use this device! I tried that and it improved the speed but not much. I was still unable to download anything. File transfer from the USB host is very slow as well. I bought this device in hopes of using it as a backup for digital image files in the field. It would take all day to copy a 4gig flash card to the 705. The copying process is very convoluted. I will return this device.


56.) Movies Suffer On This Unit
Reviewed by: Thomas A. Pulaski Tampa, FL USA
Rating:
Thanks to my purchase from Anazon I was able to get a full refund. I also purchased the Gen 5 Station to go along with the 705 and obviously. it too was returned. I purchased the 160GB Model. First things first...I absolutely loved it for its size, picture, wifi, and touch screen. BUT my main reason for it's purchase was to record DVD movies. It does by-pass the copy guard on new releases. Here is my reason for the return . . its "stutters" during playback meaning the picture freezes up, only for a minute split second as each segment is loaded for playback from the hard drive. As you watch a movies the picture "jerks/jumps" and that is very annoying. You may watch several minutes then all of a sudden th scene will stutter/skip several times!!! This is not a problem with the unit I purchased but with all 705's. I lter found this out after seeing what mine was doing and doing furthur investigation online I read allm about it from someone else. I have an older Archos Model 500 w/100GB and it is simular to the 605 and have OVER 100 movies on it and no problem. I bougt the 705 due to it's screen size being larger. With over 100 movies on my 3 year old 500 I know how to hook them up, record, etc. I gave it 2 stars: 1 for recording pictures and the other for music. I never tried the wireless or any other feature as I wanted to return it/refund within the 30 day requiremnt. So if you plan on recording movies and the jumping/flickering/sticky picture during playback is going to bother you take this into consideration.




57.) Good - exept for sound
Reviewed by: J. Stam
Rating:
Well, this thing does everything you'd expect it to do, exept for one thing: sound output volume is terribly low. I bought mine for entertainment for my kids on a road trip to the USA. For normally recorded mp3 or video: you'll hear aboslutely nothing on an airplane. Inside a moving car, you'll hear something, but you'll miss half. Headphones don't change that. It renders this product prettymuch useless for travel.

There are some workarounds, like completely re-encoding all your movies and mp3's and movies with a 3x higher level sound output, but that can compromise the quality. Besides, it's an annoying hassle you shouyldn't have to go through with an expected quality product.

Dissapointing.

58.) Archos 705 WiFi
Reviewed by: Desda Clark
Rating:
The 705 is just an average product. Archos business model is really messed up, probably owing to being a company foreign to the US marketplace. All the aftermarket "addons" are a ripoff in the way they are marketed. Several of the areas of their website are totally disfuntional.

The unit works well for movies, but the sound is not loud enough if there is any background noise. The internal amplifier just does not have enough power.


59.) Archos
Reviewed by: JJ Titusville, FL
Rating:
The battery does not last. I even bought a spare battery and it will not even charge. Very disappointing. I got it for traveling and it just does not last at all

60.) Volume is too low
Reviewed by: Chef Derrick
Rating:
I love the Archos 705 except I can't hear it. Also the fact that you have to pay extra for functionality that should come standard on a video player. I got the unit to play videos for my passengers while traveling in my car. There's an aux in on my car stereo, but when I connect the cable from the headphone out jack on the Archos to the aux in on my stereo, the sound is very very low. Both the car stereo and the Archos are turned up to max but you can barely hear the sound of the videos. Of course everything plays fine on my home equipment, there's nothing wrong with the files. --update-- I got the docking station for the Archos and it has audio outputs on it. I can power it in my car using an inverter to get 110 volt AC from the cigarette lighter socket. When I connect a cable from the audio out on the docking station to the car stereo, the volume is great! No problems at all. The volume issue is well known throughout the web if you google Archos and volume. Pretty sad to cripple such an otherwise decent device.

61.) too much features but..
Reviewed by: Guitars'n'Banging
Rating:
1- very POOR battery, 2- in the manual they claim it is hearing protection that the sound is set too low with this device (both while hearing with head-set and with its speakers), once we were trying to watch a movie with this thing but no can hear anything if someone coughs, some feature you'll have to buy them.

62.) Disappointing
Reviewed by: John D. Los Angeles, CA, United States
Rating:
I had high hopes for the Archos 705 160GB Wifi, and ordered it as a Christmas 2007 present for myself. The technical specs and capabilities of the player are quite impressive.

However, I was disappointed by the Archos "experience". Specifically:

1. The user interface and touch screen are very clunky. There's a noticeable delay when you switch between screens and menu options, making browsing cumbersome. The touch screen is not very responsive, and you sometimes have to select a menu option several times before it responds.

2. Although the Archos has the biggest display screen among MP3/video players, the display has a grainy quality and is not as sharp and smooth as comparable products.

3. Some software features that should be standard at this price level cost exta. The Internet browser and 2 video/audio codecs that you need to play many standard audio and video files out there are an additional $30 each.

4. Most disappointing to me was the poor battery life. I only got 2.5 hours of battery life when watching a video, which is unacceptable for a device that heavy and that expensive.

5. The maximum volume of the device is not strong enough.

All in all, I cannot recommend the Archos 705. I sold mine and bought the iPhone and the Creative Zen Vision W instead. Those two other devices have their weaknesses also (less space, smaller screens, etc.), but overall I felt that the user experience and value for money are greater.



63.) poor video quality, makes it a quick 2 day return
Reviewed by: Jose Luis Carcano III Gatesville, TX USA
Rating:
i bought this instead of the 605 because it came with a keyboard and had a 7inch screen, but after two days im returning it for a 605. the reasons im returning it so quickly are; the touch screen is not as responsive as i was hoping for, i found myself tapping twice most of the time, the browser is slow for wifi, i didnt expect speeds like my computer but i felt like i was using the internet on my phone, and the main reason for the swift return, ONLY 260,000 COLORS! the video was horrible, i tried watching half baked on it and chappelle looks like he was drawn with pastels. the device didnt have enough colors so shadows, tents, and shades of colors all appeared to be the same color. the 605 has 16MILLION colors which i do suspect to be enough. the subpar video quality make a great product a dud,

i would not recommend this product to anyone.


64.) Bad product
Reviewed by: Oswaldo Moreira
Rating:
After waiting 2 months for firmware updates that could solve some of the problems with the Archos 605, I decided to put an end on this so far bad experience.
At first glance, this product indeed presents advantages to its competitors but firmware is poor and it does not allow customers to have the type of experience promised by the manufacturer.
Please find below some of the problems I faced with this product which for my surprise are not being addressed by manufacturer based on several similar notes/complains I found on the internet.
- It freezes and crashes repeatedly;
- Cannot download movies or other type of videos online making the wireless connectivity almost worthless;
- Cannot listen music and browse or read a podcast (book/newspaper) at same time. A complete nonsense;
- Browser and plug-ins (flash) are outdated what prevents from watching sites with live-stream radio or TV.
- You cannot load application on your own and so any sort of upgrading must be incorporated within the firmware itself.
I just wished I had not bought this device and its accessories. I felt I had been stolen and with no other way to recover the money I spent because the product is so bad.

65.) I REALLY wanted this to be a great unit
Reviewed by: T. Sharpes
Rating:
I went ahead and bought this unit even though I read the reviews that said the sound was not very good. I thought the reviewers were just being picky. This unit is EVERTHING (and more) that you could want in a PVP but the sound is so faint on uploaded media that even with my Bose headphone I could barely hear the dialog in the movie. Looking back over the reviews I am wondering if this is a hit and miss thing because all of the real positive reviews say nothing about this low volume problem.

This unit is so far beyond the competition why did they cheap out on the sound ?? This is the best unit out there bar none but the low sound level is a KILLER for this unit.

Even after calls to the tech support (which were VERY helpful and friendly) they said it was just a "small problem" that they didn't anticipate would turn off the consumers so bad. Sorry, I paid over $550 for this with accessories and I liked EVERYTHING about this unit but COULDN'T hear it !! My trusty DVD player is too loud for me at ¼ scale - I couldn't hear this at full volume. What a shame !

I am very glad I bought this thru Amazon because the return was hassle free and fast but I would like to have been able to keep the unit and enjoyed it.

I hope Archos fixes this and gets a unit out with better sound - they will sell a billion of them. If not, I'm afraid all they will have is a billion of them returned in a pile on their floor.

To quote Maxwell Smart - "They missed it by THAT much !"


66.) Do not buy an Archos product!
Reviewed by: S. Kellogg Houston, TX, USA
Rating:
If I had it to do over again, I would never have bought an Archos product. And I certainly never will again.

The screen has gone opaque. It is slow in response. The device crashes about every other use. It is buggy; for example, it will only download podcasts intermittently. Almost every feature except playing music requires an outlay of $30 to Archos on their website to download the extra software (actually, it's preloaded, but they charge to enable it) or buy the proprietary cable/chord/interface. In short, the device is so frustrating and slow to use, you'd be better off just flushing your cash down the toilet.

Archos customer service is designed to be as painful as possible ... probably because they recognize that there are numerous issues with the product and if their customer service weren't painful, it would be perpetually swamped. And that if they were willing to give refunds, everyone would send in their Archos and get their cash back and they'd go out of business. I think their business model is to make something that looks good on paper, sell it to people, and then make it impossible to return so they can keep the cash. I guarantee they get no repeat business.

My advice to you: stay away from Archos!!

67.) Not a good exprience
Reviewed by: CJess "gadget guy" Ky USA
Rating:
Very disappointed with the 705, returned two units when both failed within two weeks, One stopped recording from the DVR station, and the replacement died when I attempted a reset. I own a 605 unit that I love, but I've had it with the 705

68.) Does not keep it's promises
Reviewed by: Andreas Gerber
Rating:
- Very bad support (their preferred and unique "solution" is "format the hard drive")
- You'll probably have to buy an additional couple of "plug-ins" for this device to be really useful for online use (watching MP4 movies, listening to internet radio or watch internet TV, etc.)
- expensive - at that price you can buy a nice little laptop that can do so much more
- batteries only hold for a few minutes when viewing movies online after only a few months usage
- weak sound from the built-in loudspeakers and even when using the head pieces that come with the Archos
- problems with frequent disconnections of the Wifi - making the device mostly useless for online use
Conclusion:
I won't buy Archos again.
Their products look good on paper but are rather disappointing in real life.

69.) I don't even know how this company is still in business
Reviewed by: Angry Consumer
Rating:
If you want to pay a ton of money for a product that will break within the first couple of weeks of ownership, then archos products are where it's at. If you like spending hours of time on the phone talking to incompetent representatives who say one thing, and don't follow through, then once again archos products are for you. If you are like most people, and don't want to waste your money, stay away from this company.

70.) Archos 705 big problem they need to fix
Reviewed by: Bruce P. Markowitz
Rating:
This is a slam dunk video player, BUT...
The 705 (at least the 80 gig model) has a serious defect:
When playing videos, every time the hard drive spins up to load more data, the video pauses for up to one second. This was a known issue on the 604 and 704, and they released firmware updates on both to correct the condition.
I am on my second unit, the first being replaced with a new unit on RMA, and BOTH have the exact same issue. I have been calling Archos every day to report the problem and get some action. So far, they seem to just be ignoring it. So don't buy until you see a firmware update where they address this issue, or this player will drive you NUTS. Every 4 to 6 minutes there is a one second "freeze' while the disk cache is filled. Very very annoying. Makes it hard to sit down and watch a movie on it, and if you use the SPDIF output, it actually loses the audio for one second, it just goes silent.
COME ON ARCHOS ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
If you look at the firmware update history for the 604 or 704, you will see:

Version 1.6.20
-----------------

Improvements:
- Photo: allow to turn slideshow transitions off
- Videocorder & Audiocorder: audio gain is now from -12dB to +10dB
- Videocorder: Widescreen setting in now saved
- PDF: Added right to left language support

Bug fixes:
- Video: high bitrate VOB files with AC3 played jerky
- Video: fix video playback pausing for a second when buffering from disk starts

That last line above is EXACTLY THE PROBLEM WITH THE 705. THEY HAVE TO KNOW THIS EXISTS, SAME AS ON THE 604/704
SO FIX IT OR DON'T BUY THIS MACHINE.

71.) A Massive Dissapointment
Reviewed by: Still shooting with Film! Farmington Hills, MI USA
Rating:
As others have stated in their reviews, this thing is golden on paper. However that quickly falls apart when you actually get the device and use it. There are actually a lot of things that were disappointing with this device however I am going to make this simple and point out just one reason why you should absolutely not buy this. Its the fact that this display only capable of displaying 260,000 colors. Thats right 260,000 colors is not a typo. Its unbelievable but its certainly not a typo.

For those of you that dont have a lot of experience with this subject matter, lets just say that 260,000 colors is where monitor technology was at like 15-20 years ago. The human eye is capable of discerning a mind boggling number of colors and the smaller number of colors you use the worse its going to look. 260,000 may sound like a lot to some of you but trust me, its not. The vast majority of the displays being made today are capable of displaying 24-bit RGB or in other words 16,777,216 colors.

Some of the previous reviews have made the mistake of stating that the human eye might not be able of perceiving thiss many colors and that is in fact incorrect. The human eye is capable of seeing even more colors than 24 Bit RGB is capable of displaying. That is why HDMI 1.3 Deep color is being produced. HDMI 1.3 adds support for x.v.Color (which is the consumer name describing the IEC 61966-2-4 xvYCC color standard). HDMI 1.3 Deep color will be the very first display technology that is capable of displaying every single color the human eye can perceive.

The bottom line is 260,000 colors is simply an inadequate number of colors for a high quality display, in fact its not even close. Now if all of the displays in your house used 260,000 and that was what your eyes were used to seeing then it might not seem so bad however that just isnt the case. Your eyes are used to seeing millions of colors in regards to displays so going back to 260,000 is, well lets just say it is not going to look good at all. Its would be comparable to watching a VHS tape after years of watching DVD or Blu Ray and its simply unacceptable given where we are at technology wise. To be honest I still have a very hard time believing that someone actually presented the idea of using a 260,000 color display, yet alone that it was actually approved and put into production. It makes me honestly question this entire comapnies line of thinking and makes me wonder what else they skimped out on in regrards to these products.

I sent mine back immediately and I certainly cannot recommend anyone buy this regardless of how good it looks on paper. This is first and formost a portable video player and the display is simply horrible. There is really no need even going into the other disappointing aspects of this device. The display is horrible and that in itself should be more than enough reason to go elsewhere. I can only hope that Archos shows much better judgment in the future as again this is simply unacceptable especially for a devise whose main purpose is displaying video and for that I gave it a 1 star. If I could have given it a zero I would have.

72.) ok if you like silent movies
Reviewed by: rayk Norfolk, England
Rating:
I have fairly sensitive ears so I usually have to be careful with sound levels. Not so with this turkey! At its absolute top volume, you will barely hear a whisper from speaker or headphones. I've no doubt it does a lot of clever things - just a shame it is so useless at its primary purpose as a media player. Avoid like the plague!!!!!!!

73.) DO NOT BUY THIS
Reviewed by: roverboy8 las vegas
Rating:
What a piece of garbage. First of all, the volume is so bad that all the way turned up you can just hear it, not loud or even capable of being loud, second, the thing locks up so much, you'll spend more time removing the battery and resetting it than you will enjoy it, and third, the customer service is horrible,they are a bunch of rude people who think, people like being talked down to. my player stopped working within one year and after sending it back for repairs, they told me to buy another battery for $72 dollars are they would give me a 15% discount on a new one. why would I want to buy a new one in only one year. I am not normally so upset over any purchase but please take it from me, you'll be very sorry if you purchase this mp3 player.

74.) Do yourself a favor and don't buy ANY Archos product
Reviewed by: Technician Poulsbo, Wa
Rating:
I've come full circle, as it were. When I bought my first Archos, a Jukebox 10, it was fabulous. It did things that were just amazing, and had a 10gig internal hard drive. It lasted me for years and years, and then it finally stopped accepting the USB input.

So, with that sort of 'recommendation', I had no hesitation about buying another Archos product. I could not have been more wrong!

I purchased an Archos 705WiFi, and a DVR station. First, the plug ins. For some of the features, you have to pay extra for plug ins, which will run you about another $100 on top of the original cost. That allows you to surf the web, connect wirelessly, download Internet Radio and TV, and watch some movies you can't watch otherwise. Now, I knew that going in, and I didn't object too loudly, since I wanted those capabilities.

What I was unprepared for was unreliable operation, having to do system restores multiple times during the week, and even multiple times on some days! I wasn't prepared for the lag. For music, you can select Title, Artist, or Album, as three examples. Usually, I like to choose Artist, which then gives me all the albums, and then all the tracks. Choose Artist, and you have to wait 5-10 seconds before you can start choosing one. Choose it too fast, and the system locks up, meaning you have to shut it down, and restart it, possibly with a system restore. Once you get the artist, then you have to wait to get all the albums, another 5-10 seconds, and finally, all the songs in the album, and that's up to 30 seconds. It can, literally, providing I do everything correctly, take me 45-60 seconds until the time I can SELECT a song I want to hear. However, once I've loaded the album, it isn't that way for other songs on that album. BUT, if you do it wrong, the system locks, you have to turn off (battery removal and reinstall) and then boot up again.

Because this is a European device, all the sound levels are very low in accordance with EU regulations, so don't expect the SPL levels you'll get out of Japanese or iPod devices.

I no longer can recommend Archos, save yourself the trouble and buy something else.

Gary

75.) enormous disappointment
Reviewed by: Use Firefox Colorado Springs, CO United States
Rating:
It appears that Arcos has skimped to make this a cheaper model.

A MAJOR negative that the potential capacity is really a lot less than perceived.
This is due to the inconceivable absence of ANY expansion via SDHC cards or any other flash cards.

The greatly limits flexibility.

It is always an important idea to leave a considerable amount of empty space on the locked up, internal flash of the unit, as performance several degrades, as the internal flash fills up. As it gets around 70%, besides the performance issues, sort issues, there is a much grater chance of database and OS, issues, because of the needing of large work areas, that are not available.
Not allowing external expansion from SDHC, truly helps this situation.

I guess this also forces Archos customers to HAVE to get propriatary Archos units and drives to expand at all.

Skip this unit (however DON'T get a Ipod).

Jon

76.) Rip-off
Reviewed by: Daniel Hollywood, FL USA
Rating:
Get ready to spend additional money when receiving this, because the Web Browser is not available unless you spend an extra $29.99 to "activate" it and most movies won't play unless you buy additional plug-ins.

On their website, in the product description they specify:
With 80 GB of built-in memory, the Archos 705 Wi-Fi portable media player lets you surf, stream, download, and record movies for easy playback on its crystal clear 800 x 480 7-inch full-color touchscreen.
Surf the Web; share content; and view and post videos to Web video sites, such as YouTube

But after receiving the product, when I try to access the Web browser I am being told I have to purchase the browser for an extra $29.99.

I find the product description misleading.

77.) What a piece of junk
Reviewed by: Ed Sturgeon Bay, WI.
Rating:
It's A PIECE OF JUNK "BUYER BEWARE" DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE IT'S A PIECE OF JUNK


I received it and I charged it up. I downloaded about 30 movies on it. I go to play one of my favorite flick's and it tells me that I need a widget to play it. So I order the widget from Archos. It cost $30.00 . I download it and install it. It still don't work. I played with this piece of junk for a week trying to make it work, and still it tells me that I need a mpeg widget to play movies. What did I just pay for.

"BUYER BEWARE"!!!

After a week of screwing around I gave up and put it back in the box and put it where the junk that I have bought that don't work as promoted to. I bought this brick for $200.00 & have spent about another $200.00 trying to get to work, to no avail. Would I recommend it to somebody else, "ABSOLUTELY NOT". Save your money and buy a 32gbt ONDA 7" Monster. It cost $169.00 and works right out of the box, and you don't need to buy widgets. The Archos is back in the box, And the Onda is on my night stand.

78.) Very poor music player
Reviewed by: SS New Jersey
Rating:
The quality of music played back from Archos players is terrible. This should not be advertised as an mp3 player, it's that bad at music playback.

79.) Crappy product - inadequate customer support
Reviewed by: Tenny Kwan Singapore
Rating:
I had read about the 705 Wifi when it was first introduced in the rhird quarter 2007 and wasted no time in ordering it. But the unit I received had a bad screen; it would flicker yellow flashes intermittenly all over for no apparent reason. I emailed Archos customer support and was told to submit a RMA etc. However as I had brought the 705 back with me to the Far East, they told me to contact the nearest agent and that was that from their point of view. But there are no agents where I am posted to and the US office wouldn't help. In todays age of globalization, this is a joke and the unit was just less than a week old before it acted up. So forget it Archos; this is the last freebie you get from me and thanks so much for this paperweight!

80.) Pure Garbage.
Reviewed by: RezisluhA New York, NY (formerly London, UK)
Rating:
I received this for Christmas and was excited to try it out. The thing is you can't do anything with this thing straight out of the box! if you want to put your videos/movies on it you're directed to the archos website to purchase additional software for it to work. want to put your music on it? same thing, you have to buy additional software from archos! want to put photos on there? YOU HAVE TO BUY MORE SOFTWARE FROM ARCHOS. Basically out of the box you have a giant paperweight which can tell you the date and time.

all you pc weenies: next time you want to criticize Apple, shut the hell up! ipods and iphones work straight out of the box. you can put your own media on them and you never have to pay for plug-ins or drivers.

archos is a corrupt company.

Features of Archos 705 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (80 GB)

1.) Robust and portable 80 GB multimedia device with Wi-Fi;
2.) Download movies, TV shows, and songs via the integrated Archos content portal;
3.) Surf the Web; share content; and view and post videos to Web video sites, such as YouTube;
4.) Stream and watch videos from your PC;
5.) Record your favorite TV shows;

Package Height x Length x Width: 10.5 in. x 10.5 in. x 7.8 in.
Package Weight: 3.1 lbs.