Customer Reviews

Archos 705 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (80 GB)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

On paper, this device is in a class by itself. It has the largest screen (7") of any similar media player, it has a 160gb hard drive, it has wifi, it has links to content portals (such as Cinema Now), it has a touchscreen interface and it is reasonably priced.

But, as is so often the case, paper specifications are meaningless if the user experience falls short. And for me, the device had significant flaws in many important categories, so that, when taken as a whole, it left me unimpressed and searching for another player.

First, the screen, while 7" measured diagonally, displays videos that are so grainy that they look like poor analog television. I ripped xvid files at high bitrates to test the 705, and in every case, the videos were grainy and blurry, not sharp or detailed. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the 705 has 260,000 colors and not 16 million colors that other players have (for example, the Cowon A3 and the Archos 605). While I realize that I cannot even see 260,000 colors, the number of colors does affect contrast and sharpness, and Archos would be well advised to update its technology. Furthermore, it seems counterintuitive that Archos would have fewer colors for a 7" screen, when the Cowon A3 and the Archos 605 have much smaller screens but 60 times the colors.

Second, the audio is only adequate. In direct comparisons with other players, the 705 had very low volume, a mediocre soundstage and only average detail.

Third, the hard drive froze so many times that I lost count. I was constantly resetting it, and in doing so, I had to re-input data.

Fourth, the touchscreen interface requires the supplied stylus for many functions. Using one's finger without the stylus is a frustrating experience, since the 705 is not sensitive enough to work only with finger prompts.

Fifth, the battery, while removable, worked only for 1 1/2 hours when I watched videos. The specifications state that the battery life for videos is 5 1/2 hours. These numbers are so disparate that I'm not sure under what conditions Archos tested the battery life for videos.

Lastly, the content portal, which could be a great source of streaming media, was clearly an afterthought. I tried to purchase videos from Cinema Now, and the search function rarely worked and in most instances, I was unable to purchase videos. I ended up having to purchase the videos from my PC and sync them to the 705.

In sum, the 705 did not suit my needs. However, I will watch it closely for future developments. Archos has a potentially great product here; one that no other manufacturer makes. It is indeed unfortunate that it falls short of its promising specifications.

The other reviews here do a good job of describing the capabilities/functions of the Archos 705 so this review is based more on why I find this device so useful. Whenever I go on a trip I often find that my standard portable media player isn't enough. I need photo storage for all of my digital pictures, and I need a web browser for checking email, looking up restaurants, etc. That means I usually end up taking my laptop, which is a real hassle in many cases.

The Archos 705 provides a fantastic alternative -- the 80 GB hard drive provides plenty of storage both for the music/movies I want to take along as well as for the photos I take while on my trip. The photo viewer is excellent, so it's great for going thru the day's photos in the evening.

I can also plug the device directly in the hotel room TV thru the composite jack and either check out my pictures or even watch one of the movies I've downloaded onto the device. No more being stuck with the horrible choices on the hotel TV.

And the browser really provides a very good, easy-to-use experience even if not nearly as fast as a modern desktop machine. In fact, if your hotel has free wireless, you can hook the Archos to the TV, browse to joox.net (or a similar web site) and stream full-length TV shows and movies directly to the hotel TV thru the Archos.

We also love this device for just browsing the web around the house or when in front of the TV since it's much easier to hold than our laptop.

All in all, I love my new Archos 705. I gave it only 4 stars for two reasons:

1) The OS for this device is that same as for the smaller Archos 605 device, which includes several buttons. As a result, some functions that should be easy (like moving "Back" in the browser) and which are activated using a single button press on the 605, must be done thru multiple taps on the touchscreen (since the 705 has no buttons). This could certainly be addressed thru a future firmware update.

2) The touchscreen has a bit of a moire effect on the image and text is not as crisp as on many touchscreens. I also own a Nokia N800 which has a much more clear/crisp touchscreen that's also more responsive. That said, the quality is certainly adequate, text is readable without a problem and images, videos are very watchable. The plus side is that the screen resists scratching very well without the need for a protector.

I received my Archos 705 in early January and have been pleased with it from the start. I purchased my unit from Circuit City online and, based on the many reviews I've read of Archos customer service, purchased a 2 year replacement warranty as well. Little extra money for insurance basically and there is a Circut City in every major city I travel to. I purchased the 705 instead of the 605 primarily because of my need to wear reading glasses and I don't intend to carry the unit around town with me to listen to music. I also like the appearance of the 705 over the 605 (personal thing I guess).

To start with, read the 81-page pdf instruction manual. It is pretty clear on how to setup and use the unit. I've read reviews that mentioned the unit only came with a 4-page instruction booklet. Not true. The pdf is on the unit itself and you can also download it once you have registered your product.

I purchased the requisite add-on's as did many in most of the reviews I read. The instuctions to download and install the add-on's were clear and easy to follow. They installed with no problem. I even purchased one of the game packs (golf, poker, suduko) and it installed and plays as advertised. I had read complaints that the product did not have games available to download. Not true ($9.99 on the archos site).

As with any new product, it took me a few minutes to get the hang of how to navigate through the menu's and screens, but after about 30 minutes it was pretty easy to navigate. I like (and some don't) the fact that you have to tap an icon to select it, then tap it again to use the feature. This prevents you from accidently tapping the wrong menu option.

I watched and listed to all the sample content and then deleted it as I replaced it with my own. One thing I noticed was when I played any of the sample content using the product speakers, the volume was just fine. When I loaded all of my content, some played fine with the current volume settings and some I needed to plug in earphones to hear at an adequate volume. While I have my own earbuds and over the ear earphones, the ones that shipped with the product are adequate. I haven't "road tested" them yet listening through them on an airplane.

The user's guide recommends moving content to the Archos using Windows Media Player 10 or higher for best results. I copied and pasted all my content to my product using Windows Explorer. The archos shows up as another device and you copy and paste files. I found it easier to navigate to the Archos device, create directories under "Videos" that represented the genres of movies I watch. Once I created these, I copied my movies to the appropriate directory. Copied with no problem. I also copied my music files directly from my itunes music directory with no issues. Creating music playlists on the Archos is not as easy as with itunes, but I was able to do so without much effort. You also have the option to change album or song titles on the device as well as delete content if you no longer want it.

I have not had occassion yet to see how long the battery will last playing video and audio files. I'll repeat something I read in another review that I also found to be true. When you turn the unit off you must press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds to turn the unit completely off. Otherwise it is in sleep mode and still uses some of your battery. There is also a menu option to turn the unit completely off under the settings option.

I'm thrilled with the quality of the video on this device. You have several options of how to display the video (e.g., full screen, original (such as wide-screen), fit to screen, etc.). I was also surprised to see that most of the music I copied over had the associated album art displayed on the Archos. I thought I'd have to live w/out that on this device.

The remote control is very handy. My 705 came with a remote and AC power adaptor (as did my Archos DVR unit - along with S-video cables and RGB cables). The remote allows you to navigate through all the features I have used by tapping on the device itself. It controls volume, brings up menu's allowing you to change device settings, etc. it also has a qwerty keypad allowing you to type in content using a keypad. I see this as useful primarily when browsing the internet.

You must register your product before you can browse the web (my experience anyway) since you must register then purchase the browser add-on. The home page on the browser is google. I've been able to easily access my gmail account. The browser is slow, but adequate. A keypad shows up at the bottom of the screen allowing you to tap in text. You can also use the keypad on the remote. While I can access the internet, I have not been able to access the Content Portal using the icon provided on the main menu. So if I elected to purchase a movie or music using one of Archos's partners, I would not be able to download the purchased content directly to the device. Since this is not a big issue for me, I haven't yet spent much time figuring it out and have not contacted Archos.

To use the wireless capability, you must first turn on wi-fi on the device. This is a simple menu item. For those of you (like me) who use a secure wireless network, you have the ability to access your network by typing in your passcode on the Archos device. Worked with no problem.

I got this for Christmas (after a number of hints to my wife!) and was playing with it as soon as I got it, and the DVR attachment. I wanted it mostly for travel but also wanted the DVR functionality and the ability to watch movies or view pictures on my TV screen.

I like this model over the 605 because when I watch a video or movie, I don't want to have to peer at a 4.5" screen. The seven inch screen makes all the difference.

I have to say it lives up to my expectations 100%! (Even my wife's impressed!) I put four or five DVD's on it, in both the DVD native format and condensed MP4 formats and they all look good, although the native DVD formats have slightly better resolution when viewed on the TV screen. I got the 160GB version because DVD's typically use up 3-4GB in their native format. I have over 50GB of movies on it at this point so it looks like a good decision.

I bought the plug-in's I needed and they downloaded flawlessly and I had no problems at all with them. One plug-in I bought was the browser and I haven't used it that much but it does work and will be useful when traveling if I don't have my laptop with me.

The DVR functionality works fine, although you have to make sure that the IR port on your cable box can "see" the IR port on the DVR adapter. This might be a problem if you have your equipment stacked vertically on a shelf. I haven't found a decent way to reflect the light from one IR port to the other but I'm still working on it.

Streaming from my home PC seems to work fine - I've watched a few movies that way. Occasionally it will act jerky but I assume that it's something to do with my wireless network because I've fixed it by rebooting the computer the video was streaming from. Viewing pictures works fine and doesn't have any problems.

I like the case that comes with it. It's not leather like some of the aftermarket cases, but it protects the unit and stores the stylus and that's all I really need. I also like the remote control, which works well and does exactly what you'd expect. (If you buy the DVR accessory, you'll find that it comes with a remote as well so now I have a spare!)

Cons:
1. The touchscreen works as advertised but needs a firmer press than most.
2. The menu system is conteXt sensitive and so you have to learn where things are to take best advantage of it.
3. The manual could use some improvement in organization and readability. There are menu items that aren't mentioned and the organization leaves you looking through page after page until you find what you want.
4. Paying extra for the plug-ins sort of rubs me the wrong way but not enough to matter.
5. It's NOT an iPod .... but who cares. I like it better!

I had high hopes for the Archos 705 160GB Wifi, and ordered it as a Christmas 2007 present for myself. The technical specs and capabilities of the player are quite impressive.

However, I was disappointed by the Archos "experience". Specifically:

1. The user interface and touch screen are very clunky. There's a noticeable delay when you switch between screens and menu options, making browsing cumbersome. The touch screen is not very responsive, and you sometimes have to select a menu option several times before it responds.

2. Although the Archos has the biggest display screen among MP3/video players, the display has a grainy quality and is not as sharp and smooth as comparable products.

3. Some software features that should be standard at this price level cost exta. The Internet browser and 2 video/audio codecs that you need to play many standard audio and video files out there are an additional $30 each.

4. Most disappointing to me was the poor battery life. I only got 2.5 hours of battery life when watching a video, which is unacceptable for a device that heavy and that expensive.

5. The maximum volume of the device is not strong enough.

All in all, I cannot recommend the Archos 705. I sold mine and bought the iPhone and the Creative Zen Vision W instead. Those two other devices have their weaknesses also (less space, smaller screens, etc.), but overall I felt that the user experience and value for money are greater.

I just got a 705 Archos (160g) and I'm loving it so far. It's a really beautiful piece of machinary. Everything works really well so far and i love the touch screen. I had read some review somewhere where a guy said the touch screen doesn't work?? I have no idea what he was talking about. Thinking he never read the directions, which clearly say that you have to tap certain icons once to highlight them and then tap again to open them. You don't need to have a stylus but i can see how it would be helpful when web browsing because you're getting a regular full page view of the internet so some links are small (again, you're getting a regular full page view of the internet not some mobile version like a blackberry!). I find that a pencil eraser works pretty good, whatever's laying around honestly. The device seems very sturdy and well built.

I have an ipod and i plan to keep using that for music mostly. It's a little too big to use for everyday music listening. I would have gotten the 605 if I wanted to completely replace my ipod. I primarily got the 705 for movies and web browsing. I'm going on a month long trip and i think it will be wonderful to have while traveling. Portable DVD's players are now pretty much extinct! Also it will be great to have an internet link on the road that actually works well and is easy to navigate. Folks that travel a lot will love this thing. I also really like the kick stand which is a really smart idea because who wants to hold something the whole time you're watching a movie?

The Wi Fi has worked great so far. I bought the DVR accessory but haven't set it up yet. It looks pretty simple although I don't intend to use it as a dvr per se, I'd really just like to transfer movies from the archos to the TV.. although who knows, maybe I'll end up doing the opposite too!.

If you're torn between the 605 and 705 like I was last week, and you really want to be able to enjoy movies and videos and the internet then I'd go with the 705. The screen is the perfect size to watch.

i bought this instead of the 605 because it came with a keyboard and had a 7inch screen, but after two days im returning it for a 605. the reasons im returning it so quickly are; the touch screen is not as responsive as i was hoping for, i found myself tapping twice most of the time, the browser is slow for wifi, i didnt expect speeds like my computer but i felt like i was using the internet on my phone, and the main reason for the swift return, ONLY 260,000 COLORS! the video was horrible, i tried watching half baked on it and chappelle looks like he was drawn with pastels. the device didnt have enough colors so shadows, tents, and shades of colors all appeared to be the same color. the 605 has 16MILLION colors which i do suspect to be enough. the subpar video quality make a great product a dud,

i would not recommend this product to anyone.

I went ahead and bought this unit even though I read the reviews that said the sound was not very good. I thought the reviewers were just being picky. This unit is EVERTHING (and more) that you could want in a PVP but the sound is so faint on uploaded media that even with my Bose headphone I could barely hear the dialog in the movie. Looking back over the reviews I am wondering if this is a hit and miss thing because all of the real positive reviews say nothing about this low volume problem.

This unit is so far beyond the competition why did they cheap out on the sound ?? This is the best unit out there bar none but the low sound level is a KILLER for this unit.

Even after calls to the tech support (which were VERY helpful and friendly) they said it was just a "small problem" that they didn't anticipate would turn off the consumers so bad. Sorry, I paid over $550 for this with accessories and I liked EVERYTHING about this unit but COULDN'T hear it !! My trusty DVD player is too loud for me at ¼ scale - I couldn't hear this at full volume. What a shame !

I am very glad I bought this thru Amazon because the return was hassle free and fast but I would like to have been able to keep the unit and enjoyed it.

I hope Archos fixes this and gets a unit out with better sound - they will sell a billion of them. If not, I'm afraid all they will have is a billion of them returned in a pile on their floor.

To quote Maxwell Smart - "They missed it by THAT much !"

After waiting 2 months for firmware updates that could solve some of the problems with the Archos 605, I decided to put an end on this so far bad experience.
At first glance, this product indeed presents advantages to its competitors but firmware is poor and it does not allow customers to have the type of experience promised by the manufacturer.
Please find below some of the problems I faced with this product which for my surprise are not being addressed by manufacturer based on several similar notes/complains I found on the internet.
- It freezes and crashes repeatedly;
- Cannot download movies or other type of videos online making the wireless connectivity almost worthless;
- Cannot listen music and browse or read a podcast (book/newspaper) at same time. A complete nonsense;
- Browser and plug-ins (flash) are outdated what prevents from watching sites with live-stream radio or TV.
- You cannot load application on your own and so any sort of upgrading must be incorporated within the firmware itself.
I just wished I had not bought this device and its accessories. I felt I had been stolen and with no other way to recover the money I spent because the product is so bad.

I read through all of the reviews of this player before I bought it, and if I were to sum up the other reviews, they were 50/50. I felt like I should give a little back so here is my experience:

Battery Life - I just don't understand what problem people are having with the battery life. When I got my Archos 705, I plugged it in overnight and then transfered some Xvid's the longest movie I had was 2.5 hours long. I unplugged the player and put on the movie, it made it through twice plus 30 minutes... so I got about 5.5 hours out of it (FWIW it was a letter boxed movie so maybe since there where black pixels use less power and make it last longer, I donno know but I thought I would mentioned it). I also picked up a "double" battery" that is twice the size with twice the juice. Watching movies/shows while flying across the country I never dipped below 50% power. On a side note why is there not an option to see how much power is left or estimated time?

Add Ons - Ok this is a gripe I can agree with I spent another $70 to get the web browser and 2 additional codecs. Seems pretty crappy that after spending $500 to get the player that I needed to spend anther $70 to get the features that I really wanted. Like I mentioned before i spent another $35 to get a "double battery" (we are planning to fly to Hawaii from the East Coast, seemed like a good investment). So in total I spent another $105 on things to get what I originally wanted.

Stylus - Ok perhaps this is just me, but there is not place to put the stylus on the player. The player comes with a case (nothing special) that has a little pocket in it. I just got back from a trip using it and when watching the player I just stuck it in my shirt pocket when watching videos and put it with the case when I was not it.

Video Quality - Maybe I have just have lower expectations, but I think movies look great (yes my eyes are fine). If anything when the size of the video was not close to the specs of the screen, it did not look awesome but that is my fault not the player. When I have ripped shows that are close to the screen specs, it looks great.

Web Browsing - I have not played around with this too much, but so far it looks nice. I will play with this more and report back... But it was no problem to get on my WPA2 wireless connection. Again with the screen, it looked really sharp.

Wow factor - I have to say, on every leg of my trip, people asked me about the player. If you are watching it in public space, expect to talk about it.

Touchscreen - So I have to agree a bit with the other reviews that the screen is not the most responsive (I have never played with an Apple Touch so don't really have a comparison). There are times when it seems a little "touchy" or rather "not touchy" where you have to press the screen multiple times to get it to do what you want. But really this is not the end of the world when watching videos since you so rarely need to touch anything when watching videos. When I was playing around to explore the machine it was annoying from time to time, but nothing to stomp my feet over. Note that it is very important that you read how to select things from the manual. Sometimes it is a double tap, sometimes a single tap, etc...

Volume - It is not awesome, I will agree with this. While watching videos I had it full on the player and almost full on my headphones... this was loud enough for me, but that is almost maxing it out to get there. Seems like it should get louder than it does.

What I have not tried - I have not played with the content portals, I have all my own content to move over on the machine. Games - you can pay money for games... I might get around to it, but really just like watching videos for it. I have transferred a few MP3s to it, seems to play nice but I already have an iPod Nano that I use for music.

Wrap up - I bought this player to watch videos, everything else is just gravy. I am not a video snob so 200k colors versus 16 mill, does not bother me at all, all I know is for what I watch it looks great. I hated bringing a portable DVD player around with DVDs and this is a very nice solution to that problem. I would gladly recommend it, with the cavet of spending the extra $105 to get the additional plug ins and the double battery... if you are not going to do that you might feel limited... I gave it 4 out of 5 stars since it is not perfect, but it really does everything that I bought it for, though there is room to grow and do these things better. Also I bought mine for $499. Not sure why this is currently priced $850....