Archos 704 80 GB WiFi Portable Digital Media Player Review

Average Reviews:

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

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


Amazingly compact at 7 by 5 inches, the Archos 704 WiFi is also easy on the pocket with a weight of just 22 ounces. Wide Touch screen
The Archos 704 WiFi features a wide, high resolution (800 x 480) 7-inch color touch screen that allows you to navigate through menus easily with a stylus or even a fingertip. The size of screen enables a great visual comfort.
WiFi
The integrated 802.11g wireless interface is perfect for those who want to access their media wherever they go, including surfing the Web, sending and receiving email from Web-based mail applications, and connecting the device to a home network to transfer files or play content directly from the network.

With 704 WiFi, you can set it in your living room, hook it up to your home entertainment system with the optional DVR Station, and wirelessly stream movies and music stored on your PC.
Video player
The Archos 704 WiFi is the perfect companion for people on the move: its 40/80 GB hard drive capacity allows you to store up to 50/100 movies encoded with a PC. Play them on the built-in 7-inch LCD color screen or playback on TV in high resolution up to 720 x 576 (DVD quality) with the DVR station. Play a large variety of video files, including MPEG-4, WMV and protected WMV and read MPEG-4 AAC/H.264 (.MP4 QuickTime files), MPEG-2, and VOB with optional software plug-ins (available on this website). The Archos 704 WiFi also offers many more functionalities such as slow motion, adjustable screen size, video editing and even a video bookmarking function.
Record TV or external video sources
Transform your Archos 704 WiFi into a Digital Video Recorder with the optional DVR station. Record TV or most video sources such as satellite/cable box, VCR, DVD player or camcorder in MPEG-4 format. Set up the DVR station by connecting it to the external video source; simply slot in your ARCHOS and record instantaneously or make scheduled recordings with the included infrared receiver that controls the external video sources.
Turn your ARCHOS into a camcorder
ARCHOS allows you to transform your device into a camcorder by connecting most digital cameras to your Archos 704 WiFi, or by connecting the optional high resolution helmet camcorder. The Archos 704 WiFi records video directly on its 40 GB hard drive in MPEG-4 format, up to VGA resolution (640 x 480).


The Photo Wall shows thumbnails of all your stored photos. Photo wallet
Transfer your photos directly from a digital camera with the USB 2.0 Host interface. Store and view up to 800,000 photos (JPEG, PNG and BMP formats) and display slideshows with music and transition effect. Manage your files and folders directly on the device for a better mobility. Enjoy the large size of the screen and the cool sleek design of the product to display the Archos 704 WiFi in your living room and use as digital photo frame.
Music Player
Store up to 40,000 songs on the hard drive and play most popular music files such as MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA files. Easily organize songs with the enhanced ARCLibrary and customize your view by artist, album, type of music, title, year, and create your playlists without having to use a computer. Use the voice recorder to store notes quickly for a later use.
Charge and sync
Charge your Archos 704 WiFi with the included power adapter. Purchase, download, subscribe to or rent protected video and music content from online stores on your PC, and, using the high-speed USB 2.0 interface, the Archos 704 WiFi will easily auto-synchronize this content with Windows Media Player 11 each time you connect it to your PC, or convert your Windows Media Player 11 library content to one of the many compatible formats (MP3, WMA, WAV, protected WMA, MPEG-4, WMV and protected Windows Media Video).
What's in the Box
Archos 704 WiFi, headphones, USB 2.0 cable, USB 2.0 host adapter, DVR Station saddle, 2 styli, remote control, power adapter/charger, protective pouch, QSG, legal and safety notice

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