Shop RadioShack for Great GiftsArchos 5 (250GB)
Manufacturer: Archos Part number: 501129
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- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Archos 5 boasts an improved screen size, image resolution, and sound quality over its predecessor, but its Web browser and Flash media playback are disappointing for a product marketed on the strength of its Internet media capabilities.
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CNET editors' review
Archos 5 (250GB) price range: $219.99 - $299.99
- Reviewed by: Donald Bell
- Reviewed on: 09/25/2008
- Updated on:11/26/2008
- Released on: 08/19/2008
The good: The Archos 5 portable video player offers a large, high-resolution touch-screen display, Wi-Fi, music playback, photos, Flash video and game compatibility, a PDF reader, Mac and PC compatibility, built-in speaker, integrated kickstand, and optional DVR, GPS, and 3G capabilities.
The bad: The Archos 5 requires a proprietary USB cable for charging and transferring content, the glossy design is quickly marred with fingerprints, older Archos accessories are incompatible, some applications are still in beta, and you'll need to pay extra to activate many of the player's more desirable features.
The bottom line: The Archos 5 boasts an improved screen size, image resolution, and sound quality over its predecessor, but its Web browser and Flash media playback are disappointing for a product marketed on the strength of its Internet media capabilities.
Editors' note: The following review has been updated to reflect product firmware updates that have increased battery life, improved system stability, and expanded audio format support. The product rating has not changed.
The Archos 5 is a beautiful touch-screen media player offered in several high-capacity models (60GB, 120GB, and 250GB). Archos made a splash with 2007's 605 WiFi, an Editors' Choice winner and one of the first portable media players to offer a full Web browser along with a host of video and music playback features. The features we loved in the 605 WiFi are still here in the Archos 5, but there are some notable drawbacks that prevent the product from realizing its potential.
Design
Archos is promoting the Archos 5 as a Wi-Fi Internet tablet, but its chromed plastic enclosure and 5-inch touch screen look more like a luxury GPS unit. In fact, for an extra $129 you actually can use the Archos 5 as a relatively sophisticated in-car GPS system. Unlike its predecessor, the 605 WiFi, the Archos 5 is controlled almost entirely by its touch screen, with the exception of a power button and volume rocker on the top edge of the device. A 3.5mm headphone output is located midway up on the left edge, making the gadget more awkward to hold than the 605 WiFi. Thankfully, a built-in kickstand folds out from the back of the Archos 5 for hands-free viewing.
The Archos 5 measures 5 inches wide, 3 inches tall, and 0.5 inch thick (or 0.75 inch thick for the 120GB and 250GB versions), making it not much bigger than the 605 WiFi. Despite its similar size, Archos was able to squeeze an extra half-inch of screen onto the Archos 5 by removing the redundant physical controls found on the company's previous players and placing the integrated speaker on the right edge of the device instead of the front.
Another surprising design change from Archos is the use of a glossy-coated screen instead of the matte, antiglare screens that have been a hallmark of its previous products. Combined with the Archos 5's glossy, reflective enclosure, Archos has created an ideal breeding ground for fingerprints and smudges.
Another small, but significant design feature that distinguishes the Archos 5 from previous Archos PVPs is the use of new proprietary dock connection. We've given Archos some flack before on its use of a nonstandard connector for its USB cable, but the upshot of the unique dock connection has been its compatibility with Archos accessories such as battery packs, FM tuners, video cameras, and AV docks. The introduction of a new dock connection on the Archos 5 has severed its compatibility with existing Archos accessories, with the exception of the in-car GPS cradle. Archos is busy making new accessories for the Archos 5 (including the new Archos 5 DVR Station); however, early adopters have only a few options currently and users looking to upgrade from older models may feel some resentment over replacing their existing accessories.
Features
The Archos 5 has plenty of features to brag about, including music and video playback, a photo viewer, Opera Web browser, Flash 9 video and game support, a PDF reader, e-mail support, and an integrated video download store. You also get optional support for digital video recording and output through the latest Archos DVR Station, and support for 3G and 3.5G HSDPA wireless connections through the use of USB modem dongles offered by your mobile carrier.
Despite the manufacturer's protest that Archos 5 shouldn't be categorized as a mere portable video player, video playback is the Archos 5's strongest feature. Out of the box, the Archos 5 offers support for AVI, WMV, MPEG4, and Flash video content with no transcoding necessary for videos sized at or below 640x480. Although Archos makes no mention of it, we were happy to see that DRM-protected WMV videos from Amazon's Video On-Demand service played on the Archos 5 with no problem. For an extra $20, you can outfit the Archos 5 with a high-definition software plug-in to enable 720p video playback from WMV HD, MPEG4, or MPEG-2 files (including VOB and DivX formats). To play h.264 videos, you'll need to throw another $20 at the Archos 5 for a Podcast media plug-in, which also enables AAC audio playback.
The music player of the Archos 5 is essentially identical to the 605 WiFi, although the design is more elegant. By default, the music player supports MP3, WMA (including DRM-protected files), FLAC, Ogg, and WAV files (with format support for AAC available as a $20 plug-in). You can also set up the Archos 5 to stream music over Wi-Fi from nearby computers or stream conventional Internet radio stations (sorry, no Pandora). During playback, the Archos 5's music player displays album artwork, allows for your music library to be sorted by ID3 tags, and gives you the ability to bookmark long files such as lectures and audiobooks. A five-band graphic EQ is included, but the 605 WiFi's independent bass boost setting is not.
The Archos 5 is clearly more than a portable video player, but it is no more deserving of the Internet Media Tablet moniker than Apple's iPod Touch. Like the Safari Web browser used on the iPod Touch or iPhone, the Opera Web browser included on the Archos 5 provides an above-average mobile Internet experience, but there are some blind spots. Because the Flash 9 support on the Archos 5 exists outside of the Opera Web browser as an independent application, many Web sites and services are incompatible. During our tests, we found that simple Flash video sites such as YouTube worked fine, while sites such as Hulu, CNET TV, ABC, and Comedy Central, stalled the browser or played only the preroll advertising associated with the video.
Flash-based interactive online radio stations such as Pandora, Slacker, and Last.fm suffered similar fates, loading incompletely or not at all. For all of the complaints laid against Apple for not offering Flash media support on the iPhone or iPod Touch, Apple's use of dedicated applications offers users a workaround for streaming content from many of the services mentioned above.
An e-mail application is also included with the Archos 5, however, at the time of this review the e-mail program launches with a disclaimer that it is still in beta development. Beta may be an understatement, considering we could never successfully send or receive e-mail without witnessing an error message or complete crash of the application. We easily setup our POP and Gmail accounts using the Archos 5, however, sending and receiving e-mail is a little slow and browsing large volumes of e-mail isn't pretty. That said, if the Archos 5 wants to earn a reputation as an Internet tablet, it shouldn't ship a product with an admittedly half-baked e-mail application.
Performance
Video playback on the Archos 5 is stunning. The 800x600 resolution display on the Archos 5 is bright and crisp, rivaled only by the Cowon A3 when it comes to clarity and color. We're not thrilled with the decision to ditch the matte, reflection-fighting screen of the 605 WiFi, however, the glossy screen does make the Archos 5 a more attractive-looking product.
Audio performance is improved slightly over the 605 WiFi, with noticeably better detail, volume output, and stereo imaging. An assortment of EQ presets are included, along with a custom five-band EQ and balance controls.
The overall snappiness of the Archos 5 user interface is much better than previous efforts, because of the 600MHz ARM Cortex processor at the heart of the system. Applications launch faster and the lag time of the touch-screen keyboard is noticeably better than the 605 WiFi.
Unfortunately, the increased processor speed and screen size of the Archos 5 could take a toll on battery life. Archos originally estimated the Archos 5's battery life at a pitiful 12 hours of audio and 4 hours of video, however, a firmware update (version 1.1.01) promises to nearly double battery life up to 22 hours of audio and 7 hours of video. We'll update this review with battery drain results from CNET Labs once testing is complete.
Final thoughts
In the end, the Archos 5 is burdened by the same problems we found on the equally ambitious Cowon Q5W: the product promises more than it can deliver and it's expensive (especially after investing in software and hardware add-ons). Granted, the Archos 5 is much prettier than the Cowon Q5W, but compared with Apple's iPod Touch, the Archos 5's larger screen and deeper capacity aren't enough to recommend it over the iPod's superior interface, accessory compatibility, and Web browser.
If you're just looking for a portable video player with a large screen, broad file support and plenty of storage, don't overlook Archos' own 605 WiFi simply because it's a year old. The comparable Cowon A3 is also worth a look, if you can live without Wi-Fi in your PVP.
User reviews
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The best PMP on the market if you got the money.
by pachi72 on November 1, 2008
Pros: 1.4.8 inch touch screen at 800x480.
2. 250gb HD.
3. AAC support (pay extra but worth it.)
4. Great sound.
5. The best web browser on any Mp3, PMP player. Flash 8 and 9 support.
6. Easy to Navigate and great interface.
7. Kickstand.Cons: 1.Battery Life.
2. Its not Open source.Summary: This is the best Mp3, PMP player i ever owned and let me tell you, i don't regret spending almost 500 bucks on it.
I owned alot of mp3 ...Summary: This is the best Mp3, PMP player i ever owned and let me tell you, i don't regret spending almost 500 bucks on it.
I owned alot of mp3 players (ipod classic, Zune, Cowon D2) and they all had their cons. This does have it cons but its not as bad the as the others.
Avi movies looks soo good on this, almost feels like watching HD content.
I2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Suckered into buying another Archos product
by Dr_M_Bryce on April 6, 2009
Pros: Not many..
Very good picture quality and bright screen.
Large Storage capacity.Cons: -Software is very buggy. Sometimes the touch screen works fine, other times it doesn't register the touch & reboot is required.
-Wifi doesn't work on public networks
-DVR records only the current channel you are viewing
-Purchased plugins don't workSummary: Over all this is just a horrible product that I am very surprised has not had a massive recall. I know 4 other people who have the Archos 5 250GB ...
Summary: Over all this is just a horrible product that I am very surprised has not had a massive recall. I know 4 other people who have the Archos 5 250GB and we all are having very similar problems. The DVR functionality is a joke and the menu is completely counter-intuitive. The software quality is extremely poor; the user interface looks very nice, but the user experience is inconsistent. Sometimes it works other times it doesn't. The upselling of additional add-ons is also quite obnoxious. If Archos doesn't produce a quality product soon, I give them 2 years before they are pushed out of the market by a competitor that is more dedicated to producing a more stable and better functioning product.
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As for batteries...
by casaraku on March 30, 2009
Pros: nice large finger print screen...
Cons: Unlike PSP, you can not buy a new battery after it dies....the sales person at BestBuy said it could last up to a year and a half....If it was 99$ i might accept that...
Summary: There seems to be less and less toys that cannot use a rechargeable AA so they can sell more proprietory or no batteries at all...
Summary: There seems to be less and less toys that cannot use a rechargeable AA so they can sell more proprietory or no batteries at all...
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More mediocrity from Archos
by gmoneyinco on January 17, 2009
Pros: Nice display, great storage capacity.
Cons: Wifi is spotty at best. Questionable build quality. Archos support is a joke.
Summary: I really want to like this product but the quality control is pathetic. Archos support does very little to help the situation. Buyer must be aware of this fact when ...
Summary: I really want to like this product but the quality control is pathetic. Archos support does very little to help the situation. Buyer must be aware of this fact when purchasing an Archos product. There's a reason why Apple & Microsoft have the top selling devices in this category. Until Archos addresses their lack of customer support and satisfaction, they will never compete.
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Over priced....under performs.
by jvas2 on January 9, 2009
Pros: Nice screen....that's it.
Cons: Like CNET said Flash 9 doesn't work on most sites so full flash 9 support if bogus advertising. Expensive to own and even more expensive to operate with every extra add-on costing $20 a pop. No case included that is an extra $25.
Summary: Not worth it whatsoever. Three different plug-ins are $20 each just to get the stupid thing to do what you want. To buy a case $25 plus very expensive shipping ...
Summary: Not worth it whatsoever. Three different plug-ins are $20 each just to get the stupid thing to do what you want. To buy a case $25 plus very expensive shipping costs. They used to include a case/sleeve before that is no more..now it's extra, extra upsell fees to the max!
Battery life is hardly impressive and low and if you want the battery dock that costs $50 BUT the shipping costs are $27!!! Yes. to ship that one battery to Ontario, Canada they want $27...what a rip off as usual from Archos for something that should cost no more than $8 to ship max. After ALL the costs are totaled together you can almost buy yourself a very nice small screen laptop that does everything you want and much more productive.
Don't believe the Internet Media Tablet hype. To contact customer support (1-877 300 8879) the average wait time on the phone is and I do mean AVERAGE is 50 minutes to 80 minutes on ANY given day, today I waited 55 minutes and after the LONG wait they hung up on me prior to even answering by disconnecting the call.....I was furious! As a kicker, they don't even have an email address for customers to contact them on their main website. Unless you're a reseller or distributor Archos doesn't want to hear from you. The email addresses they do provide are as they put it NOT for end users!!
Save your money, save your sanity and if you really, really want one keep all packaging and your receipt. Your chances of returning it are 95%. -
Best PVP for Video
by jamie1carlisle on November 7, 2008
Pros: Beautiful 5 inch screen and easy to use interface.
Cons: Extra charge for plug-ins
Summary: If you want the best PVP for watching videos on the go the Archos 5 is the answer. I have the 250 gig model and I'm still dumping tons ...
Summary: If you want the best PVP for watching videos on the go the Archos 5 is the answer. I have the 250 gig model and I'm still dumping tons of movies on it. This is the sexiest gadget I've ever owned. It just looks great and have not had any problems with finger prints except for the chrome at the back but hey no big deal. If the ipod is the mecca of music than the Archos 5 is the mecca of portable video players. Too bad you couldn't have them both together. I really don't surf much with portable gadgets but you can easily with the Archos 5 but this really is a video player first and it does a great job. Jamie
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Product-Just alright. Archos Support- does not exist!
by FOH_Dude on July 9, 2009
Pros: Good video resolution and storage
Cons: 1 OS is VERY rough..random reboots
2 Always more $ for plug ins
3 Using a defunct HD format
4 Audio quality is below average
5 Wireless is poor for public locations
6 Archos as a company: Does not return phone calls or emails for support.Summary: I had great hopes for this product even after reading some reviews... I work in the live concert industry as a front of house sound man and was looking for ...
Summary: I had great hopes for this product even after reading some reviews... I work in the live concert industry as a front of house sound man and was looking for a media player to play pre-show music for a 6 month tour. The archos 5 made it to month 2...A number of hours( at least 5) spent on hold for archos support...no result..tried to get an RMA number....no luck...finally decided that we would VERY destroy the unit in a very public manner with the final death of the unit being broadcast live to the 45 000 fans in the stadium on the concert video system (thanks Sam... I owe you for that product close up shot) The unit was jumped on by the band, then placed in a flame box for a final bake.
(crowd loved it)
The Archos is a slick looking unit....lots of features....huge storage...
Don't do it...save the money....wait for the new Zune or the new Sony due out the fall of 09....Sony and Microsoft at least pretend to care for their customers...I hope someday Archos learns about customer support...had they been more responsive, I would have delt with the little bugs and reboots (even in the middle of providing music for thousands) had I had the feeling that improvements in software were in the works... I would have stuck with it....now...I do it with a netbook.0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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My brother and I were all set to buy the Archos UNTIL!!
by paulcole33 on July 6, 2009
Pros: The only pro's I'm hearing is the screen.
Cons: The cons seem to be with Archos not just building a crappy product but not offering help when it comes to fixing the crap they've created. DO YOUR JOB ARCHOS OR YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE A LOT MORE CUSTOMERS.
Summary: After reading all the reviews we are steering clear of this devise. DO YOUR JOB ARCHOS OR YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE A LOT MORE CUSTOMERS. The glitz and glamor ...
Summary: After reading all the reviews we are steering clear of this devise. DO YOUR JOB ARCHOS OR YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE A LOT MORE CUSTOMERS. The glitz and glamor of the product looked great but after hearing what everyone who owns one says, I will not be buying your product. Sorry.
0 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Archos
- Part number: 501129
- Description: ARCHOS offers a concept: the Internet Media Tablet. The ARCHOS 5 is the flagship of the range, bringing the customer a way to enjoy Internet, Media and TV and so on in a handheld device. With its built-in capabilities, your Internet Media Tablet becomes the ultimate way to surf the web. The amazingly sharp and high-resolution screen lets you navigate effortlessly through the web just like you would on a PC. Browsing becomes almost seamless with the ARM Cortex processor and the Adobe Flash 9 video support. Surfing on a handheld device has never been so fast and smooth. The full email application lets you read, write, download and send attachments, and manage your contacts. The ARCHOS 5 features a very high capacity internal hard drive from 60GB to 250GB, in slim and sleek enclosures. You can thus download a vast number of music and video from the unique selection of renowned movie and music partners assembled in the Media Club. You can play movies in HD or DVD quality for the richest media experience on the go. Enjoy your ARCHOS content back on your TV, with the DVR Station. Schedule recordings in few clicks any TV program from you cable channels or your setup box, and choose when and where you want to watch them. Play back all your digital content from your ARCHOS 5 to your TV, even in HD quality, at 720p. With the TV Snap-on, Digital free TV is broadcast live on your Internet Media Tablet, wherever you are.
General
- Device Type Digital AV player
- Key Features Web browsing, Digital audio player, Digital photo viewer, Digital video player, External HDD function
- Width 5 in
- Depth 0.5 in
- Height 3.1 in
- Weight 8.8 oz
- PC Interfaces Hi-Speed USB, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
- Features PDF viewer, Flash games, E-mail client, Opera web browser, Adobe Flash 9 video support
- Localization United States
Display
- Display Type TFT 4.8 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- TV Standards Supported NTSC, PAL, SECAM
- TV Output Resolution 720p
- Display Features Touch screen
Memory / Storage
- HDD Capacity 250 GB
- HDD Form Factor Built-in
Still Images
- Supported Still Images Formats BMP, GIF, PNG, JPEG
Digital Audio
- Supported audio formats MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Protected WMA (DRM)
- Audio output Built-in speaker
- Microphone Built-in microphone
- Digital audio features CBR, VBR
Video
- Video Playback Formats WMV, MPEG-4, Motion JPEG
- Video Capture Supported Yes, via DVR station
- Video Capture Formats MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVI, WMV, H.264, Motion JPEG
- Video Capture - 800 x 480
Connectivity
- Connections Headphones - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, USB
Battery
- Required Qty 1 day(s)
- Rechargeable Battery Rechargeable
- Battery Enclosure Type Internal
- Technology Lithium polymer
- Capacity Internal - Rechargeable - Lithium polymer
- Battery Life Details Audio playback - up to 12 hour(s), Video playback - up to 4 hour(s)
Software
- Software Included Drivers
System Requirements
- Operating System Linux, MS Windows ME, MS Windows XP, Apple Mac OS X, MS Windows Vista
Miscellaneous
- Firmware Upgradable Yes
- Included Accessories USB cable, Cleaning cloth, Stereo headphones
Product series
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Manufacturer: Archos
Specs: Digital AV player, 5 in x 0.5 in x 3.1 in, TFT 4.8 in - Color, MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Protected WMA (DRM), WMV, MPEG-4, Motion JPEG, 8.8 oz
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Manufacturer: Archos
Specs: Digital AV player, 5 in x 0.5 in x 3.1 in, TFT 4.8 in - Color, MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Protected WMA (DRM), WMV, MPEG-4, Motion JPEG, 8.8 oz
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Manufacturer: Archos
Specs: Digital AV player, 5 in x 0.5 in x 3.1 in, TFT 4.8 in - Color, MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Protected WMA (DRM), WMV, MPEG-4, Motion JPEG, 8.8 oz
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Manufacturer: Archos
Specs:
Manufacturer info
- Archos
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Archos products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.archos.com
- Address:
3A Goodyear, Irvine, CA 92618 - Phone: 1-949-609-1400
- Email: info@archos.com
- Fax: 1-949-609-1414
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