Archos Mini Dock for 405, 605, and 705 Players

Reviews of Archos Mini Dock for 405, 605, and 705 Players

1.) Worth it for the faster charging alone!
Reviewed by: Gadget Girl Alexandria, VA
Rating:
I love my Archos 605, but playing video chews through the battery and it seems to take forever to charge via USB. If you plan on using it for video or internet you definitely want to add this accessory. It's very small and portable - yet charges the unit much faster. I think I could play video out to a TV or transfer files between a PC, camera, etc. I was on the fence to purchase this, as I will be getting the DVR dock as well. I'm glad I did because this is a great every day charger and great for travel.

One thing to note is that the Archos will not stand up straight while docked. The picture is a bit confusing. It's designed to allow you to use the kickstand and watch a video while charging, which is nice.

It ships with a mini-USB / USB cable (non-proprietary) and also AV cables. The USB cable is very short, maybe 12" or so. Very glad I chipped in the extra $30 or so for this item.

2.) Faster charging is just the beginning...
Reviewed by: Marino Shauye
Rating:
Call me cheap, but I didn't want to pay for the DVR dock. I just wanted something to charge my Archos 605 that was faster than USB-to-computer, which would take a ridiculous number of hours to accomplish.

Enter the Minidock.

This thing is specatularly small: 3" wide x 3/4" tall (at its tallest point) and 1 1/2" deep. Also very light. It comes packed with an AC adapter with different plug adapters for various parts of the world (the standard US one is in the mix), a USB cable, and an A/V connector (with headphone jack on one end and RCA connectors on the other). Don't bother looking for a manual or instructions, because you won't find one.

The dock itself has a plug that connects to the Archos (so the Archos sits nicely on top) and the left side has mini and full-size USB connections. The right side has the AC connector, and A/V out connector. Its small size doesn't lend it as a stand, but if you use the kickstand on your player, it will still stand up nicely with the dock attached.

That's what's in the package. Now here's what it can do:

CHARGING
Charging is MUCH faster with the minidock. About 4 hours to fully charge from a low battery. And yes, you can connect to your computer while charging with no problems.

CONNECTING
You can use the mini-dock to connect to your computer or mass storage device. The two USB connector options come in very handy. Your file transfers will be much easier.

WATCH VIDEO ON YOUR TV!
The coolest feature (besides faster charging) is the A/V out. Although you won't be able to record to the Archos like the DVR dock, you can PLAY videos from your Archos on your TV. Hook up the A/V cable, hit the TV/LCD button on top of the player, and voila! The Archos becomes a video player for your big screen TV!

This minidock has plenty of features to expand your Archos without putting a dent in your wallet. It's worth it, worth it, worth it.


3.) A must have for an Archos 605 owner
Reviewed by: The Head Geek Texas
Rating:
If you own an Archos 605, at some point you will start to realize that it's not really charging over USB while you are watching movies. In fact, it will eventually shut down while you are watching a movie even while still attached to USB. It's not enough to truley power the device.

The ARCHOS MINI DOCK solves this issue, and also adds a lot of very nice features like TV out, and the ability to plug in external drives and drag and drop files to and from the archos (my 2GB flash drive works great with it, for instance!) and syncing is fast as well. Plus, you can STAND IT UP WHILE IT'S CHARGING AND WATCH MOVIES (something you can't do with the USB cable, which always bothered me).

All and all, a purchase you won't regret for a second.

4.) Absolutely Necessary
Reviewed by: Matthew Villegas
Rating:
After purchasing the Archos 605, you are hopelessly low on money. If you have $30 and you cannot afford the DVR station (or even if you have to wait a week for your next paycheck), get this. This is the perfect solution to charging and its small size makes a perfect travel companion. The USB host feature works extremely well with any mass storage device. You can use a USB flash drive to hold extra music or movies and watch them directly using the mini dock. The TV out feature also works well. If you have any TV problems, the problem has nothing to do with the dock or the Archos 605 unit but rather the TV. The TV image usually will not look as crisp as the Archos 605 screen but the larger display is nice. Avoid viewing photos though because most TVs flicker when displaying the photo images. It is a very nice feature that you can use a standard type b mini usb plug when connecting the Archos 605 to a computer rather than the proprietary usb. This mini dock truly is absolutely necessary for any Archos 605 or 405 owner mainly because of the included power supply, small form factor, and a standard usb connection.

5.) Great item!
Reviewed by: trippnote New Whiteland, IN
Rating:
This really opens up what you can do with this player. I like being able to charge it quickly, and the size of it makes it easy to take along. I also like being able to connect it so easily to other USB devices.

6.) Work for me
Reviewed by: shooter OKUSA
Rating:
I don't care too much about recording fromm TV or cable (I have DirectTV and the DVR station doesn't really work with it), so I returned the DVR station and bought this mini dock. I use it mainly to transfer pictures from my camera, and it works really well. You don't need to plug in power if you only need to transfer pictures, so you can travel without the AC adapter. I have not tried to see how fast charging function is, but expect it to be decent. This is a must-have item.

7.) Does It's Job
Reviewed by: Manuel Lopez Brooklyn NY
Rating:
It wont make you a cup of coffee and it wont rub your feet after a long day, but it will provide an easy portable way to connect your player to your (or a friend's) television. It also provides the ability to charge your player from an electrical outlet. So am I disappointed that it wont do the NY Times crossword with me? A little but that's not why I bought it. It does it's job period.

8.) Great Experience
Reviewed by: A. Campbell MS
Rating:
This is the best buy I've made since I got my Archos 605 80 GB for Christmas. I was not willing to shell out the money for the DVR station right away, so I opted to get this instead and I am more than pleased with the performance and the price. Anything is better than charging via USB - painful.

p.s. The small size caught me by surprised - well I guess the name 'mini dock' is appropriate.

I recommend this product!

9.) Fit my needs exactly
Reviewed by: - yo Jersey City, NJ
Rating:
I bought this for 2 principal reasons: first, I wanted to be able to charge my unit if I was on the road and without a laptop. The mini dock accomplishes this and more; in addition to charging without a laptop, it also charges it loads quicker than it would normally, so that's a plus. Secondly, I bought it to be able to play through external speakers on a TV (mainly for audio, but video works as well). The mini dock also accomplishes this very well. I had no need to record from a TV, so I opted not to get the full DVR dock.

I am still disappointed that Archos charges extra for extra features as charging directly from the wall and displaying images on a TV (my old Archos Gmini400 did both of these right out of the box), but I guess that's the general direction that the market is headed these days. With this in mind, the $30 that this costs is a good investment if you have no need to record from a TV source.

10.) Great Item!!
Reviewed by: Rita Francis Windsor Mill, MD United States
Rating:
This is a great product. If you have a Gen 5 Archos, and do not want to buy a DVR station, this item is for you. The Mini-Dock QUICKLY charges your Archos device. A really cool feature of the mini-dock is that it allows you to connect your device to your television to view movies, or play music, etc. Great buy, get it quickly!

11.) Great Add on
Reviewed by: Trudie Hughes New Berlin, WI USA
Rating:
I love this mini dock. It is the easiest thing to pack for trips and I can watch my movies on any TV as well as on the Archos 605. It comes with connections for other countries as well, so it is good for the world traveler as well.

12.) Great device!
Reviewed by: M. Harker Kalamazoo, MI USA
Rating:
The Mini Dock is great. It lets you connect your archos to a TV
easily, while also giving the option of charging with the AC adapter.
You'll be able to alter your output video size as well (widescreen,
full frame, etc). I've used it for hours and it works perfectly and
looks great on the TV. This does not let you record from the TV, but
for the price it's a great add-on for your Archos. Mine is a 605, btw.


13.) Worth the Money/ A Must Have for Archos 605 Owners
Reviewed by: Allen Palenske Kentucky
Rating:
In short this product does what it says, a charger, a USB input & a Video out port. It's a lot smaller than it looks in the picture. It's great for viewing videos & pictures on your big screen TV. [...]. Worth the money.

14.) Really like the mini dock station
Reviewed by: T. Despain Queen Creek, AZ
Rating:
I have been pleased with the mini docking station. It allows me to keep my Archos propped up while charging it and listening to my music, vs using the wall charger or USB cable for the PC, that has be laying flat down to plug into the bottom. I haven't tried using the A/V cables yet, but I am sure they will work nicely. Overall a great product for the price.

15.) Archos Mini Dock
Reviewed by: Diane M. Knights
Rating:
This is a must have if you buy the Archos product... Allow easy hookup to your TV, computer and also when connected will allow charging...
Great product...reasonably priced.

16.) Need to buy for ARCHOS 605wifi
Reviewed by: Hoang C. Tran
Rating:
Very comforable , easy to use, fast charging . MUST HAVE for ARCHOS 605 WIfi.

17.) So good I bought 2 - Archos Mini Dock
Reviewed by: Archos Fan USA
Rating:
Excellent device, much more useful than the full size version, which is too bulky to carry on your travels, VGA TV output is perfect for big screen viewing of all your avi's. Well recommended, and for the price all Archos owners need one (or 2, one for home, one for travels)

18.) Indispensible accessory for Archos "5" series
Reviewed by: P. Chesser Pensacola, FL
Rating:
I've had my Archos for over a year now and just purchased the mini dock. I wish I had bought this back when I first got my 605. My husband, a generous guy, bought me the DVR station when I mentioned that I needed an AC charging option for my player. After using it in the car and all day at work, the battery would run low. The DVR station was more than I knew what to do with, and has functioned as a glorified AC adapter for a year now. The DVR station was really too bulky to carry with me when I needed to travel or even going back and forth to work. This mini dock is exactly what I needed. It is compact and easy to carry along, and holds the charge on my Archos beautifully. Although I really haven't utilized the functions, it also seems to perform most of the functions of the DVR Station. For the lower price and compact, simple design, this is a great accessory to have.

19.) Archos Mini Dock 605 Wifi
Reviewed by: B. Lynn
Rating:
The device is great for charging the battery of the Archos 605 Wifi and it works equally as well when connected to a TV to watch movies. It is light weight and has a normal USB connector for transferring files.

20.) WORKS WELL WITH ARCHOS 605 SERIES
Reviewed by: shakman FORT MYERS, FL. USA
Rating:
THIS IS A MUST GET PRODUCT. IT WORKS WELL THE ARCHOS 605, AND IS VERY PORTABLE.

21.) Great for traveling!
Reviewed by: William McCurdy Winthrop, MA United States
Rating:
The Mini Dock is exactly what you need if you are going to be on the road with out access to USB power. The Archos 605 line of media players do not come with any other way to charge the unit other than USB, so you will need your PC to charge it. The Mini Dock not only gives you power, it has a mini-usb plug so you can attach cameras, computers, or any mass storage devices to your 605, plus a video out, so you can play your videos or still photos over a TV. I just wish it supported IR so you could use a remote control with it.

22.) Does what it says
Reviewed by: obe1k Kuwait
Rating:
Performs as advertised. You can use it along with the included cable to watch your Archos on a TV, as a USB host to transfers files from a thumb drive or portable hard disk (for NTFS files I needed to upgrade the firmware), you can trasfer files to a computer via a generic USB cable, and you can charge your Archos via AC outlet.

The only beef I would have with this, is that it won't charge the Archos when plugged into a computer using the generic USB cable (to charge via USB, the original cable is needed without the minidock). This would sometimes be handy if you know you're going to be near a computer, and don't want to carry the AC adapter or proprietary cable with you.

Otherwise, it works great.

23.) Nice traveling option for your Archos 605 WiFi
Reviewed by: Risky Jim Connecticut
Rating:
The mini dock is a nice charging option for your Archos 605 WiFi. The compact size is better than hauling the DVR dock. The charging is faster than the USB version, but it is in no way "fast". The unit took about 6 hours to fully charge from dead empty compared to the initial 12 hours on the computer connected USB. It is best plugged in when you go to bed so you can have a fully charged unit when you wake up. The 605 Battery life is not really the 17 hours as advertised. The life is about 3 hours on video and about 10 hours of all the rest. Still, even with the shorter battery life and longer charge times, it is a better device than the Ipod touch. My son has the Iphone and it sucks up battery life like it was turbocharged. Also it has only a 16 gig hard drive.

I travel with the 605 so the dock was important. I can watch movies going in both directions on the planes and I carry about a dozen or so movies when I travel. The Iphone ony gets about 2+ hours of charge on video (maybe one standard length movie). Plus the dock lets me watch my movies on hotel tv's with the video out feature.

24.) great product.!!
Reviewed by: Carl_0503 Shelley, ID USA
Rating:
Great for first time user if Archos 605 wifi,fast charging takes like 4hrs than plugging in usb that takes 8hrs.

nice tv plug-in cable (included) lets you watch your Archos on your tv

25.) Mini Dock
Reviewed by: JD California, USA
Rating:
This mini dock for Archos 605 works great! It's small and light weight. It can charge Archos without using a computer. I can use it to connect Archos to big screen tv. This is a must-have accessory for Archos 605.

26.) Archos Mini Dock
Reviewed by: Angry Saxon State College, PA USA
Rating:
Excellent for recharging the Archos quickly and interfacing with the computer. I would consider the battery dock if you are using it for travel play.

27.) Does what it says.
Reviewed by: Art Maryland, USA
Rating:

PRO:

Charges MUCH quicker (worth the price alone just for this)

Power adapter comes with connectors for different countries and USA.

Pictures, movies looks great on the TV screen.

Player can stand with Dock connected.

You can read from flash drives so no need to fill up your device.

Cons:

No recording (but you knew that - get the DVR if you need to.)

You cannot display both the small screen and TV at the same time therefore you can't use touch screen when displaying on big screen! This is a real disappointment, If you need to search a certain website to get that video stream you need to go back to the small screen - start the video - switch to the TV screen - watch - then small to get another... this can get annoying when trying to show a bunch of small clips.

No remote (DVR has this)

If you want to use your Archos when connecting to this for charging but you don't have it connected to a TV sound system you need to go into settings to turn on the builtin speaker from "auto" to "on" or else you get no sound.


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overall this was well worth the money. If you have a few bucks more you might want to invest in the DVR station even if you don't need recording as a remote could come in very handy.


28.) Tiny and convenient.
Reviewed by: Kevin R. Holder
Rating:
This item is a lot smaller than I expected it to be. I did have to secure it with some double sided tape but everything works exactly as I had hoped. I would definitely recommend this.

29.) Arfchos Mini dock
Reviewed by: tooljamman Wisconsin
Rating:
Like the size, shipping was fast, with good follow up. It did not transmit video to TV so I returned for a new one. The new one was shipped fast & easy too. It did transmit video to TV, but I had to wiggle connection each time. It seems to charge Archos well. Sorta wish I had put money towards DVR dock, but that wouldn't be as travel friendly.

30.) This is not an Archos stand
Reviewed by: Kriston Rehberg Fairfax, VA USA
Rating:
All the pictures suggested that this item stands the Archos 605 up on your table so you can watch it. Well, it does not do that. What it does to is provide a very fast charger that is much faster than your USB port, gives you A/V outputs for your TV, puts a mini-USB connector for normal computer access without a weird cable, and a special USB host feature. This last feature allows you to plug in USB drives and card readers into the Archos player and it will use them as if the Archos were a real computer, which is fairly neat, but given the 30 gigabyte storage and WiFi access to my uPnP server, is not necessary.

I recommend this for fast charging and for those weird people who like watching low-resolution video on their televisions. Unfortunately the Archos just flops around on this item and I feel deceived by all the pictures that imply this item is useful as an Archos holder, which it is not. On the bright side, the charging is indeed very fast, and the fact that you don't need that weird Archos USB adapter cable is a major advantage of this product.



31.) Mini Dock
Reviewed by: Craig Ford
Rating:
Does what its supposed to.

Good:
Great size, very small, very nice to travel with. Speeds up charging. Wasn't that expensive. Works well to deliver the picture to a TV.

Bad:
Should not have been necessary, An AV cable should have been included with the original, we should be able to access and charge with a standard USB cable instead of the proprietary crap.
So far I haven't been able to charge using the USB connection on the Mini Dock.



32.) Archos Mini Dock for 405, 605, and 705 Players
Reviewed by: Asher Foa Tel-Aviv, Israel
Rating:
Its a good product. I like the fact that they provide a universal power adapter that allows me to use it with all kind of electric socket (110v/220v)
It is really annoying that I can't connect the Archos 605 WiFi to the dock while it is in its leather case, I have to remove the case if I want to dock it.


33.) archos mini dock
Reviewed by: peppermandy Hampton, CT United States
Rating:
Wanted the larger DVR dock but too many horror stories so I settled for the smaller one. Waste of money.

34.) Double Check the compatibility
Reviewed by: D. Tuttle Wasilla, Alaska United States
Rating:
Archos Mini Dock for 405, 605, and 705 Players
This is NOT compatible with the 705 WiFi player (straight from the Archos web-site) and direct from spending 75 minutes on hold only to find out that I did not read the Archos web site FIRST. Great product but not for my player. Check on the Mini dock for 604 as being compatible.

35.) Mini Dock for 705
Reviewed by: Desda Clark
Rating:
This docking station does not work with the 705 model, only the others listed. It was cheaper for me to keep it just for the extra charger than pay the shipping to have it returned. Links all over the web say that the Amazon site is wrong, but it still says it works with the 705.

36.) Archos Mini Dock for 405, 605, and 705 Players.......FALSE IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH 705 MODEL
Reviewed by: Todd
Rating:
Archos Mini Dock for 405, 605, and 705 Players.......FALSE IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH 705 MODEL

37.) Archos--great product..shabby support & software
Reviewed by: C. Wells
Rating:
Archos has always had great products, but they have always had incompetent support people and software. The item should be easy to use, but their software kills it. If they would put any effort into this part of their products they would destroy Apple and everyone else, but they haven't for at least 7 years and probably never will. If they would resolve this it would get 5 stars, but as it is, I wish I could give it a 0. They can't even give a functional web site.

38.) Archos Mini dock
Reviewed by: Edwin Choo Macon,Ga
Rating:
When I purchased an Archos 604 the site suggested a mini dock to go with it.This dock is for a gen5 player and will not fit a Gen 4 (604). However a Gen 5 DVR Station works with Gen 4 players although the remote will not work. (I could not find a Gen 4 DVR Station anywhere!)

39.) Can Not Use with My Archos 705 WIFI.
Reviewed by: FudTbear Niceville, FL
Rating:
This will not fit on my Archos 705 WIFI. So I am giving it to my friend who has the 605. I now have to decide to get another DVR Dock or the other mini adapter made for the 705 and 405. More research next time and don't get excited about the great price.

40.) Archos and Dock Returned!
Reviewed by: Get the I touch instead Atlanta
Rating:
I returned the dock and the Archo about a week after purchasing it. Couldn't get any tech. support at all from the company. Not worth the money.

Features of Archos Mini Dock for 405, 605, and 705 Players

Amazon.com Product Description With the Archos mini dock in your arsenal, you'll be able to conveniently connect any Archos generation 5 device directly to TVs, PCs, and most mass storage devices. In addition to offering convenient connectivity to peripheral devices for direct file transfers, the dock will recharge your generation 5 device while it's in the dock. Other great features include ultra-fast USB 2.0 connectivity for speedy file transfers, and video projector compatibility.

What's in the Box
Mini dock, power supply with US, EU, and UK plugs, USB cable, and A/V cable.

The mini dock allows you to connect any Archos generation 5 device directly to TVs, PCs, and most mass storage devices

Transfer content from your PC to your Archos, or simply charge the unit.

Connect storage devices directly to your Archos, or play back videos on your TV.

1.) USB HOST to exchange files;

Package Height x Length x Width: 9.06 in. x 9.06 in. x 6.06 in.
Package Weight: 0.93 lbs.