- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 78 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Please Be Realistic!!"
Pros: Great Screen Res & touch screen, Huge capacity
Cons: No replaceable battery
Summary: Okay, the skinny....I have owned an AV500 100gb for almost 3 years...dropped it, banged it, abused it...still ticking without a hitch. The 500 came with everything...TV Dock (to allow DVR function), cables etc...do I use the DVR function??...no, never intended to. Now comes the 605...
Consider the 160gb HD!! More than any other PVP. Until Flash memory jacks to this level, anticipate more storage = larger size..go figure. I would not even think of buying this to record TV stuff for archive purposes or replaying back on a TV screen. The few times I used the DVR function on my 500, I recorded for the purpose of watching it on the UNIT!! Looks awesome that way.
Sound?....plug it into my Sony 500 watt receiver...better than playing CDs in the changer... don't have to shuffle thru stacks of CDs looking for the right one..it's all at my fingertips. Once again, I didn't buy either the 500 or 605 thinking I could pull it out of the box and listen to it in a trainstation without headphones/external speakers! It's a microspeaker...sounds awesome over my car stereo system and my home entertainment system.
I've read the other reviews...I can't see any circuitry via the front of the device..yes the back does have slight play while working..so does my 500..I can live with that. I would NEVER buy a commercial item such as this to record video for WORK! Common sense...go professional! Extras, ya wanna talk extras...the AV500 100gb went for $650 folks! 100gb, no SD, no WiFi, no Stand & no touch screen. I've seen the 605 160gb for $350 already! That leaves almost $300 to buy accessories. The mini docking adapter charges the unit quickly and sends video out...all I really need...$30 My cable company supplies the DVR for the family...much more convenient, no charge, and better Res. The cost of extras is all relevant. It allows you to customize for your needs and keeps the unit cheaper.
Service has always been an issue with Archos..think they'd have learned by now. On the flip side, they have pretty much led the way in regards to PVPs. Fortunately, I've never needed support and have never purchased a unit directly from them...why would I when the units can be found elsewhere for cheaper?? I recommend SquareTrade for anyone leary about service requirements or repairs. Everyone has their recommendations....all I can say is go get a job as a developer or engineer and design what you want.
I have my entire music collection on my Archos. The video side is 50/50. Some on Archos, some archived on external HDs...by the way..I can hook up my Archos directly to and swap out videos...no need for a laptop or PC...as Austin Powers would say.."I Thank You." Although I do not promote this due to legal reasons, it is possible to d/l a movie...no conversion, no anything...plop it on the Archos and it plays. 99% of my movie collection is from DVDs that I own and are now in the closet since the quality of my converted movies are as good as the DVD on playback via the Archos.
Bottom line for me...great for traveling...I used to drive 90 miles one way to work. My daughter loves it and yes, I do have SpongeBob and other cartoons on it. Now she uses my 500. Great portability as entertainment and file transport. Expandability with SD capability. Okay battery life. I never have to pay hotel movie fees any longer. I'm used to the interface so there was virtually no learning curve for me. Hint, to extend battery life a short while longer, tone down the screen brightness. It only cost me $120 for extras but I got a whole lot more than with my 500...$370 for the Archos = $490. Quite a savings over my previous unit. I love it and will continue to stick with Archos. Hope this helps, and oh, as stated in a previous review...don't post if you don't own.
-J
- 1 reply to this review
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First of all, I know this is not a tech forum section. However, I have not been able to get the answer I need in tech forums. You seem to have worked w/ the 605 extensively and I need to know if you have purchased the pod-cast plug-in to play h.264 files and if this plug-in makes the 605 compatible w/ PSP type .mp4 files? I want to purchase the 605 160gb, but I have ALOT of videos recorded in mpeg-4 w/ the .mp4 bextension for the PSP and do not want to have to re-encode. Any help would be aapreciated.
Where to buy
Archos 605 WiFi (160GB):
$269.99
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$269.99 | Yes |
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