Archos 500856 DVR Docking Station for Archos 404/504/604 Media Players

by Archos

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4 x 1 x 3 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000HAQUFC
• Item model number: 500856
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Review The Archos DVR Docking Station comes ready to work with an Archos Portable Media Player 404, 504, or 604 right out of the box. Together, the two products along with your television can turn your living room into a complete leisure library of media, or it can integrate seamlessly with your home set-up--not to mention travel with you.

A Total "Hub" Solution for Your Digital Media

One of the truly useful aspects of this docking station is the way it works with all your media technology. Sure, it’s loaded with the cables, inputs, and outputs to work with the Archos player and your TV, but it’s also got a pair of USB ports: one Mass Storage Class (MSC) and one Picture Transport Protocol (PTP). Using these ports, you can hook up a separate camera or USB drive to share pictures, video clips, or audio files between your Archos player, your computer, and your television. That's right: it's not just a hub for your Archos player, but for nearly any USB-compatible portable electronics device. You will, however, always need to have the Archos player docked in order to use a separate camera or portable hard drive, as the player's navigation screen is what's used to access the other devices.

The DVR dock connects directly to your TV or other tuning device so you can record your favorite programs, movies, game shows and sporting events and then take them on the road. Or, if you prefer, you can do the reverse: download and import media from your PC to your player and watch it on your television. The DVR dock records and transmits near-DVD-quality content in 720x480 resolution, so although the picture looks good, be aware that it arrives in 4:3 format and not widescreen 16:9.

The dock supports component connections, S-Video, RGB or YPbPr, and AV switches for real versatility. See connection details

Integrates Seamlessly With Your Home Theater

Within five minutes of having the Archos DVR Docking Station completely unpacked I had it connected to my home theater setup and playing video files on my television. With inputs/outputs for component video or S-Video cables, it's just a matter of inserting the station "between" your DVD player or VCR and your television in your cable connection setup. Despite the fact that no two components in my home theater are the same brand, I was genuinely surprised at how easy it was to get the Archos docking station fully integrated and functional with my home theater setup.

Just take the "saddle" that's included with whichever compatible Archos portable media player you have and lock it onto the dock, plug the player into the station, and prepare to get up close and personal with the back end of your television. For input connections, this docking station features an analog stereo audio input, both a composite and an S-video input, inputs for both A and miniB USB connectors, an IR remote control, a serial port, and a DC power input. For outputs, this docking station has both an analog stereo and a SPDIF audio output for 5.1 channel surround sound (you must download an MPEG-2 software plugin to your Archos player to use this feature), a component video output, an S-Video output, an RGB (S), and a YPrPb video output, and an AV switch output. There's a ton of versatility here for a product with such a small "footprint" of just over 6 inches across.

Intuitive Interface With Included Remote Control

You navigate the docking station by means of the Archos player's regular menu: a Windows-style desktop of icons for the player's various functions with the option of browsing the hard drive's directory structure directly. This can be done using either the player's own buttons situated vertically down the right side of the player, or you can use the remote control included with the docking station. You can also either navigate on the player's own screen or, by hitting the "LCD/TV" button on the side of the Archos player, navigate the same menus on your television.

If you have any previous experience with your Archos player and how its buttons work, you'll find the remote control to be surprisingly intuitive. Whereas I occasionally found the player's native buttons to be confusing, I never had a moment's trouble using the remote to navigate for files, play video, change playback formats, or anything else. The remote is a cinch to use, and is definitely a point in the docking station's favor.

Records Video With Ease

To record live television, your TV has to have native video outputs--something that is mostly found only on recent flat-screen HDTVs such as Plasma or DLP. I'm still behind the times with my CRT TV so although I was easily able to schedule the device to turn on and record a program using the "TV Scheduler" function, I couldn't actually capture it without the outputs on my particular TV. However, connected as the station was between my DVD player and my TV, I had no trouble at all playing a DVD of home movies and capturing it to the Archos player. So even if you don't have the latest and greatest in HDTV technology, you can still find the Archos docking station to be quite useful if you want to create digital copies of your VHS tapes, say, or take your conventional media library on the road.

The Bottom Line

As an accessory to your Archos media player, the Archos DVR Docking Station adds an incredible amount of functionality to an already-compelling piece of convergence hardware. The Station is incredibly easy to use, takes up very little space, and is easy to integrate into simple or complicated home theater setups. Adding digital video recording as well as home theater playback of digital music and video files to a device that's already a camera, camcorder, voice recorder, and portable media player, and you've truly got a complete digital media solution for both at home and on the road.

What’s in the Box

The Archos DVR docking station, remote control, AC/DC power adapter, 2 x cables for RCA to RCA connection approximately 5 feet long, and a user's manual.

Product Description

Turn your ARCHOS (404, 504 or 604) into a full DVR. Record from TV and most video sources (satellite/cable box, VCR, DVD player, camcorder¿) in MPEG-4 format. Make scheduled recordings with the included infrared emitter that controls the external video source. Play back on TV in DVD quality (in video formats supported by your ARCHOS) through the composite, S-video, RGB or YPbPr video outputs.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to use but one minor complaint, March 19, 2007

By 

E. L. Nawrocki (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Archos 500856 DVR Docking Station for Archos 404/504/604 Media Players (Electronics)

I found the docking station to be very easy to use. It's great for recording TV or movies onto your player to watch later and the AVI format allows you to store lots of stuff. You can also set a timer to record TV shows like you would on a traditional VCR or DVR. The recorder even comes with it's own universal remote to use on your cable box or TV (I admit I haven't quite figured it out yet). Also, the station charges your player while you record so it won't die on you in the middle of recording a show. Apparently it will record up to 2 gig before making a new file which means it shouldn't break up your DVDs into more than one file. The station automatically formats protected media into special locked files. My only complaint is that copy protected files can't be played back on a TV or computer which can be annoying if you want to enjoy your saved DVDs on a normal sized screen. And it's tricky to rename those files on the computer because you can't open them to see what's what if they are protected. What does it mean? You aren't going to be able to share the movie watching experience on many files because of the protection. However, it's great for recording for personal use and you can even use it to entertain the kids in the car. I threw a couple of Spongebob's on my player via the station and my son was absorbed for the 40 minute ride to my parents. If you want to get the most out of your player you should buy this product.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for Archos 404, 504 and 604, June 11, 2007

By 

S. Sukumar (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Archos 500856 DVR Docking Station for Archos 404/504/604 Media Players (Electronics)

I bought this docking station for my 404 and have been using it for about 5 months. It is an extremely useful gadget.

It has got video & audio in and out sockets at its back. It also has composite video and s-video sockets. So you can choose between using one of them depending on whether you are connecting them to a TV, DVD Player, VCR, DVR etc etc. It comes with 2 pairs of video/audio cable.

It does have 2 USB ports. On the unit, one is the normal A type and the other is a mini USB. But the box does not have the USB cable to connect to your PC to download content into the player. The USB cable which came along with the player will not be useful while using the docking station. You either need to buy the USB cable seperately or use an USB cable which came with your printer or camera if it is compatible.

I was able to record TV programs into my Archos 404 and play them back in the TV through this docking station. The remote control provided makes it easy to operate the player from sitting in your couch in the living room.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Does what it is supposed to but seems overpriced, March 23, 2007

By 

barbandbob "web shoppers" (Bordentown, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Archos 500856 DVR Docking Station for Archos 404/504/604 Media Players (Electronics)

I love my Archos 604 media player and will only make reference to it in this review. Archos 604 30GB Ultra-Slim Portable Digital Media Player and Recorder (500860) However, this station works with other Archos Media players. I bought this unit to give me ultimate flexibility for recording and viewing. It works great, exactly as advertised, but for what it is (essentially a plastic box with various input and output jacks, 2 inexpensive RCA cables and a power plug), it should cost around $30 or $40 instead of $79 (which is why I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5).

First off, download (from the Archos website) and print the recording section in the the PDF user manual for the Archos Player you purchased since this comes with no user manual in the box, only a one page sheet on how the unit hooks into your entertainment system. The hookup is easy but setting up the recording function on the 604 player will require most of us to reference the manual. The two sets of RCA cables run from your satellite or cable box into the station and out to your tv. Next, put the battery in the remote and plug in the dock with the power cord and snap your Archos 604 in place. Using the remote, set up the unit to recognize your box to change channels (this is done onscreen on the 604 player; also make sure you have the right date and time programmed in the player.) That's pretty much it. You can record directly from the TV, your DVD player (or outside your entertainment system, from a portable DVD player.) If you don't have a cable or satellite box, you can hook the unit right into the TV if you have standard RCA jacks available. In essence, it works like a DVD recorder (or if you will, a VCR). So, depending on how hard or easy it is for you to set up one of those, you will find this a similar experience. This unit also has S and component video capability (the cables are NOT included) to facilitate the highest quality video input. You could also set it up to record music from your FM stereo receiver or your cd player. You can plug it into your tv and show home movies or your digital pictures (via a nice slideshow feature) loaded onto your 604.

Nifty, right? But still overpriced. I'd buy it again, though, because it definitely enhances the enjoyment I receive from using my 604.