Archos 604 Review by LAPTOP Magazine

Archos has been tops in the portable media player market for a few years, and its latest product raises the bar even higher. In fact, the fourth-generation 604 is nearly perfect, with its beautiful 4.3-inch screen, sleek lines, and long list of features. If ever a PMP will tempt you, this is it.

While it’s no 5G iPod in terms of size, the 604 is about as small as you could reasonably expect for a device with a 30GB hard drive (enough for 85 movies) and such a large display. The device measures 0.7 inches thick and weighs a manageable 9.1 ounces. The anodized-aluminum construction inspires confidence, and we like the neat row of buttons on the side. Each one can be clicked to the right or left but not in the center, despite the apparent detent finger. Frequent flyers will love the built-in kickstand.

The 604’s glossy widescreen is stunning, bursting with more than 16 million colors and boasting 480 x 272-pixel resolution. We watched a variety of recorded videos and found that as long as the source material was up to snuff, the picture was ultrasharp and colorful. The 604 exhibited none of the contrast problems that plague the otherwise-good Creative Zen Vision.

Overall, the interface makes more sense compared with its predecessors, but the layout still has a vaguely Linux feel. It often took several button presses for us to determine whether we were coming or going in the unit’s menu structure.

Archos has removed nearly all of the accessories that came with the AV500, making direct TV recording with scheduling an optional $99.99 accessory. The good news is that the base price of the 604 is $150 cheaper than the AV500. If you decide to spring for this accessory, you’ll be able to output what you’ve recorded to any TV (using the optional $29.99 A/V cable) at DVD resolution and 5.1 surround sound.

For those who would rather download content, the 604 works with movies purchased from CinemaNow; Archos promises to support MovieLink and Vongo by the end of the year. If you’re downloading home videos or content from other sources, you’ll be pleased to know that the 604 supports every format under the sun, including MPEG-4, WMV, QuickTime, and MPEG-2. Battery life is acceptable; we managed 4 hours and 11 minutes on a video rundown test. That’s a bit lower than the rated 5 hours but long enough for a cross-country flight.

When it comes to music, the 604 has you covered, with support for MP3 and protected WMA files (among other formats), and the ability to display album art. Sound quality was acceptable with decent bass response, though there wasn’t much sense of space in the music. Compatibility with Napster To Go and all Microsoft PlaysForSure music services make this device a good choice for people looking for all-you-can-eat music along with lots of capacity.

You can also listen to tunes while you use the photo viewer, which includes zoom and transition effects. Once you’re running a slideshow, however, adjusting the volume requires several extra key presses. Digital photo enthusiasts who want to transfer photos directly from their digicams to the 604 can fork over $29.99 for the Docking Adapter Kit, which includes a USB host port.

It might seem like Archos is nickel-and-diming its customers when it comes to offering a fully featured PMP, but we expect most buyers will be happy without the plethora of accessories. Its beautiful screen, sleek design, and support for multiple file formats and content services make the Archos 604 our favorite video player.

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Archos 604

This drool-inducing Archos 604 sets the standard.

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