Archos 604 WiFi

Pros: Touch Screen, web-browser

Cons: Everything else

Summary: Archos 604 (30 GB) Muiltmedia Player from HELL!!!

Problem 1: Playing .wmv video files

On the box it says you can play ".wmv" and "secure .wmv" files. WMV or Windows Media Video is one of the most common video files you will come across. So you'd figure this media player will play them right? WRONG!!! About 60% of the .wmv files I wanted to put on this media player would not be supported. Why? Because it said "Can not play this file .wmv8". I didn't even know there was a .wmv1, nevertheless a .wmv8. The only .wmv files that it will be able to play is .wmv9 or higher. And finding a way to covert .wmv7 or .wmv8 is like finding a needel in a haystack.. actually a needle would be easier to find.

Problem 2: Playing MPEG-4 (aka .mp4) video files

These video are what not as easy to find, but thankfully there is many programs (so times hard to find) that will convert moslty any video file to MPEG-4 (.mp4). So after searching the web, downloading, installing and uninstalling vairous conversion programs, I came across a free one. Which was fast and easy to use. So when I got a video converted, I put it on the Archos 604, Problem solved? Hell no, when I clicked on the video a message came up that read "You must buy a plug-in, to run this file"... ***??? It costs $9.99 I wasn't about to give my credit card infromation out to them. $10 US to play a video? What's next?

Problem 3: No flash

Yes, you can't enable flash on this player. So forget about going to YouTube or any other flash video player site.

Problem 4: Listening to music, while searching the web.


Two words "You can't".. for the price it was you'd think you can ATLEAST surf the web as you are listen to your music. You can if the music or web searching is coming from somewhere else other then this player. Otherwise you have to pick one. Surf the net or listen to music.

Problem 5: Battery life.

The battery life on the Archos 604 is the worst I have every seen in a product. $0.50 battiers would last LONGER. After fully charging this media player, I was able to watch about 10mins of video before the battery life was nearly drained. Seems to me like the battery life, needs life support.


Problem 6: Freezing

When I tried to view a video, it froze. No big deal, just hit the reset button right.. You'd think the reset button would be in a great place.. WRONG!!! You have to take the battery OUT in order to find the reset button, what good it is there. No battery, no reset. Taking out the battery deletes the purpose of having the reset button right?

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Now what's good about this product.

YOU CAN RETURN IT.