Shop RadioShack for Great GiftsArchos 705 WiFi (80GB)
Manufacturer: Archos Part number: 501013
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Archos 705 WiFi is the biggest, baddest PVP on the market. What you get in screen size, however, you pay for in portability and picture quality.
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CNET editors' review
Archos 705 WiFi (80GB) price range: $230.00 - $1,468.00
- Reviewed by: Donald Bell
- Reviewed on: 02/22/2008
- Released on: 12/01/2007
The good: The Archos 705 WiFi is a portable video player with a gigantic screen, killer audio, video, and photo format support, an attractive user interface, Flash games, wireless movie rentals, and one of the best Web browsers on a mobile device. Unlike other Archos models, the 705 WiFi includes a QWERTY keypad remote control, built-in AV output, and USB device hosting.
The bad: The Archos 705 WiFi is just too big for daily use. It's also heavy, the screen resolution could be sharper, there's no tactile control for volume, and the Web browser costs extra.
The bottom line: Archos 705 WiFi is the biggest, baddest PVP on the market. What you get in screen size, however, you pay for in portability and picture quality.
In the world of portable video players, there are swift little cheetahs like the Apple iPod Touch, midsize workhorses like the Cowon A3, and then there are breathtaking mastodons like the Archos 705 WiFi. If you take your gadgets extra-large, the Archos 705 WiFi offers a boatload of entertainment in a sturdy design priced at $399 (80GB) and $499 (160GB).
Design
With its 7-inch, widescreen display, the Archos 705 WiFi is an intimidating, metal-clad gadget that is equally useful for playing videos and clubbing assailants--seriously, this thing is enormous. Unlike its fifth-generation kin (the Archos 405 and the 605 WiFi), the face of the Archos 705 WiFi is utterly devoid of buttons, relying on its touch screen to take care of everything from menu navigation to volume control. Headphone output, power adapter input, and buttons for power and TV output are located on the left edge of the Archos 705 WiFi, leaving the right and top edges bare. The bottom edge of the Archos 705 WiFi is packed with ports for USB transfer, USB hosting, and Archos' own proprietary jack used for accessories such as the company's DVR Station, FM receiver, and battery extender. Flipping over the Archos 705 WiFi, you'll find a metal fold-out kickstand for hands-free use and a removable battery pack (replacements run $29).
Features
The majority of the features found on the Archos 705 WiFi are identical to the excellent ones found on the Archos 605 WiFi (the recipient of a 2007 CNET Editors' Choice). Packed within the 705 WiFi's giant metal husk are a music player, a video player, a photo viewer, a PDF reader, a Wi-Fi video rental portal, and an optional Flash-enabled Web browser (Opera), as well as optional widgets such as games, weather, an RSS newsreader, and more.
It's tempting to call the Archos 705 WiFi simply an overgrown version of the 605 WiFi, but in truth there are some critical differences--both good and bad--between these two PVP powerhouses. Aside from its larger screen, the Archos 705 WiFi distinguishes itself from the 605 WiFi by including built-in TV output (composite through headphone jack), an outstanding QWERTY keypad remote control, USB hosting for transferring media from external drives and digital cameras, built-in stereo speakers, and a replaceable battery. On the downside, the 705 WiFi lacks the 605 WiFi's hardware controls (especially useful for quick volume changes), pocket-worthy size, and a crisp, more colorful screen.
The Archos 705 WiFi is a portable video player, first and foremost, and it does not disappoint when it comes to movie playback. Out of the box, the Archos 705 WiFi is capable of playing MPEG4, AVI, WMV, and DIVX video files up to DVD resolution. For an extra $20, you can also purchase a plug-in for H.264 video playback and a separate plug-in for MPEG2/VOB video playback. In a perfect world, the 705 WiFi would support all of these formats out of the box, but it's only a small inconvenience to buy the plug-ins a la carte. Once you're actually playing video, you can bookmark, resize, and skip through your movie with ease.
While its imposing size makes the 705 WiFi one of the least-portable portable music players available, its sound quality and breadth of music features equals that of most of our preferred MP3 players. For those of you pulling media files from both a Mac and a PC, you'll be happy to know that the 705 WiFi can boot in multiple USB modes, both MSC and MTP, allowing it to work as both a drag-and-drop hard drive and a Windows Media Player device.
For an extra $30 (money well spent) you can round out the Archos 705 WiFi's media features with a Web browser capable of playing Adobe Flash content (unlike the iPod Touch). Need to type in a password or a URL? The 705 WiFi's touch screen presents a responsive, iPhone-esque QWERTY keyboard. The Archos 705's Web browser also displays Flash-based videos from sites such as YouTube, Dailymotion, and CNET in full screen. Those of you who'd prefer not to buy the Web browser can still take advantage of online movie rentals using the included Archos Content Portal feature, which offers a great selection of mainstream movies from Cinema Now, that can be downloaded directly to your device for as little as $3.99.
While you're shelling out cash, for another $99, Archos offers a hardware accessory called the DVR Station that unlocks the 705's ability to act as a sophisticated digital video recorder. By docking the 705 in the DVR Station and connecting it to your television, the 705 effectively becomes your home entertainment system. Another benefit of the DVR Station is that it provides an easy way to display content on your television (over component, composite, or S-Video), allowing you to browse your music and movie collection, flip through photo albums, and even surf the Web from the comfort of your couch, using the included remote control. If you're not interested in using the 705 WiFi as a digital video recorder, you can probably content yourself with using the composite AV output built into the 705's headphone jack (a feature lacking on the 605 WiFi).
Performance
Whether you consider the Archos 705 WiFi big and beautiful or a monstrous absurdity, there's no question that it's a niche product. Its size alone makes the Archos 705 WiFi unsuitable for daily commutes, workouts, or any situation where you don't feel like carrying a separate bag for your PVP. During our time with the Archos 705 WiFi, our favorite uses included watching movies in bed and connecting it to a TV for browsing music and the Internet using the remote control. Archos also sells a headrest mount to transform the 705 WiFi into an in-car entertainment system for dreary road trips.
From an audio perspective, the Archos 705 WiFi doesn't dazzle, but it certainly meets our expectations. Both the customizable five-band equalizer and independent Bass Boost controls err on the side of subtlety, but we think they offer just the right amount of sonic sculpting without mangling the sound into an overprocessed mush. (The same sound-enhancement features apply to movie audio playback.) Considering that the 705 WiFi is aimed squarely at movie buffs, we would like to see a cinematic 3D sound-enhancement feature like the one found on the Cowon A3.
The Archos 705 WiFi's battery shares the same disappointing lifespan as the 605 WiFi, which is rated at 15 hours of audio and 5 hours of video. Unlike the 605 WiFi, however, the 705 includes swappable battery packs that you can stock up on for portable movie marathons. Considering that the 705 WiFi's screen size and processor demands nearly match that of a full-fledged laptop, we feel compelled to cut Archos some slack on battery performance.
Final thoughts
The majority of people are going to find the Archos 705 WiFi's size to be complete overkill. Still, it's hard to reconcile the fact that we ranked the Archos 705 WiFi lower than the smaller, less feature-filled 605 WiFi. When it comes to portable devices, however, less is usually more, and the 705's substantial girth places it well beyond the pocket-size sweet spot. Despite its gigantism, we still believe the Archos 705 WiFi makes an excellent portable video player for those of you who like your technology plus-size.
User reviews
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One Big problem
by scosgt on February 27, 2008
Pros: Big screen, plays .vob files
Cons: Has a defect they won't fix so far
Summary: This is a slam dunk video player, BUT...
The 705 (at least the 80 gig model) has a serious defect:
When playing videos, every time the hard drive spins up ...Summary: This is a slam dunk video player, BUT...
The 705 (at least the 80 gig model) has a serious defect:
When playing videos, every time the hard drive spins up to load more data, the video pauses for up to one second. This was a known issue on the 604 and 704, and they released firmware updates on both to correct the condition.
I am on my second unit, the first being replaced with a new unit on RMA, and BOTH have the exact same issue. I have been calling Archos every day to report the problem and get some action. So far, they seem to just be ignoring it. So don't buy until you see a firmware update where they address this issue, or this player will drive you NUTS. Every 4 to 6 minutes there is a one second "freeze" while the disk cache is filled. Very very annoying.7 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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vs the I-touch
by quistoman on May 28, 2008
Pros: best of the best, easy to use.
Cons: software you'll want you'll have to pay for.
Summary: I had a I touch and ended up getting a refund because I don?t think I should have to ?crack? software on a item I paid for to make ...
Summary: I had a I touch and ended up getting a refund because I don?t think I should have to ?crack? software on a item I paid for to make it useful. Ive never looked back other than in pity of I-touch owners, still even ?cracked? I-touch pails in comparison to this players ability and price.
One thing I would like to clear up is the battery life, I got maybe 2 hrs of use out of my I-touch max and that?s because I played video?s and/or used other apps than just the music player, the battery life was horrible so with that in mind the battery life on this is really not bad at all, if it beats out the competition in batt life, memory, functionality, and ease of use what?s left? OH yeah price and it beats I-tough hands down in the bang for your buck category.
You will have to pay for the software but at least its useful and if it means you don?t have to use i-tunes you should jump for joy as that program is one big headache of a music/video player.
It really is superior in every way but it is larger as well, not that the little bit of extra size is bad when you have the best resolution for the size in a hand held out there, but if its just too big dont worry they make a Archos 605 WiFi as well and its just as superior to other hand helds media players as the 705. I got this for the van so our kids could watch movies on the go and we can still use it for music e mail and whatever the next best thing we found that could do all that in a car costs 2000.00 yeah no joke 2000.00 and it dose do more (barely) right now but with the right software it wont so this was the obvious choice for a media player that we can take down the road.
This player will DL all your media and you wont even have to convert it if you?re not concerned about space, I never keep a ton of full length movies on it but I could, and with skype and all the different IM apps out there like I said sky?s the limit!3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Exactly what I was looking for!
by djdybwad on February 25, 2008
Pros: Large screen, good touch-screen controls, seems to do it all
Cons: Battery life is marginal for a two-hour movie, Opera needs some work on ease-of-use
Summary: I really love the Apple iPod Touch, but the screen is too small for my eyesite. The Archos 705 and it's predecessor the 704 offer a large screen for ...
Summary: I really love the Apple iPod Touch, but the screen is too small for my eyesite. The Archos 705 and it's predecessor the 704 offer a large screen for those who really want to watch a movie without eye strain.
The 705 acts just like an external hard drive as far as Windows Explorer is concerned. You can drag-and-drop from your PC to the Archos.
You can also use Windows Media Player to keep your PC and the 705 in perfect sync.
In addition to photos, music and video, I also backup my company files onto the Archos. No, I can't run my applications here, but my backups are safe.
I purchased the 705 to allow me to surf the web while watching my TV. Standard web pages are very readable but response is slow. I wish it used an "N" wireless connection instead of a "G" connection.
The pop-up typewriter allows the user to use a finger to point out the letters in a URL search or in an E-mail. The response is too cumbersome to write a novel, or even a one-page E-mail.
Battery life has been about 20% than I expected from the Archos specifications. It has a five-element battery life indicator, but the last two elements display for only minutes on the screen and then it's time to power off.
I purchased the Opera browser which works OK. A "back" button (previous screen) needs to be put into the top browser bar, instead of having to click on menu>navigation>back.
I do carry the Archos 705 back and forth to work every day in the supplied case, and I'm 95% pleased with it.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A good decent PVP
by Marcsr453 on February 25, 2008
Pros: Good screen, good web browser and apps.
Cons: Begs for other apps and a PIM
Summary: I had the 704 and it was decent, but according to Archos own customer service, the machine was limited in its capabilites and would not be supported as the new ...
Summary: I had the 704 and it was decent, but according to Archos own customer service, the machine was limited in its capabilites and would not be supported as the new 705 PVP came out. I was lucky enough to return my 704 for a new 705. The 705 is better in that you can use widgets with it and flash programs. The flash program and widgets allows you to play some games and some useful applications, such as a calendar, caluclator and other widgets. Still it could use a really decent PIM. There are some people in the Archos community who are trying to create a hack for this and some have been successful in getting Qtopia to run on their 605 and 705's. Archos naturally frowns on this, and is not being helpful. As for the size, there are many people out there who do not like squinting at the small, matchbox screens of the iPod, and other supposely PVP's. The 7 inch screen on the 705 is perfect for travelling and playing games. The screen's resolution could be better, but not by much. The only thing I would really like to have with this is a larger keypad. while the one that comes with it as a remote is way ahead of anything else, I have big fingers and would like to see some larger keys, or be able to use one of those foldable keyboards.
In all, the 705 is a great machine that does what it is suppose to and more. The browser and other plug-ins are worth the extra cash, because they add extra funtionality to the PVP.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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BEST PVP PLAYER ON THE MARKET
by THE COMPUTER HEALER on February 25, 2008
Pros: TOUCH SCREEN REALLY WORKS
Cons: dvr cost $99
Summary: if you want a pvp here you go. the cons of this player are stuff it really should'nt do.
ie, $30 web browser. do you really need another gadget ...Summary: if you want a pvp here you go. the cons of this player are stuff it really should'nt do.
ie, $30 web browser. do you really need another gadget that surf's the web? if so then you could probably afford $30.
$20 plug-in for extra movie file types.
there's no shortage of file conversions on the web and better yet most of them are free.
also a screen that size can tget much shaper with the touch screen interface without jeopardizing weight. remember its supposed to be portable.
if the size is just to large for you. i've been able to hold my archos 405 in my hp ipag's belt case with no problems.and my 605 has its own archos case but fits like a pda would on my belt also.
i would take time to knock archos for their dvr add-on. i'm a techy guy so i understand price points are price points but this is a pvp player that records. so for that price this should come standard now. i never complained because the dvr complimented the price point for users who didnt need the function. now for $599 i feel like this is a no-brainer.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Steer Very Well Clear Numerous Faults
by Garringtons on August 30, 2009
Pros: Looks great and very professional
Cons: After my 3rd replacement still cannot get it to work correctly,all with the same faults!!
Summary: Major Issue 1:Constantly keeps locking up either when scrolling through pictures or listening to music.The only way out is to dump the power and restart...very annoying,very ...
Summary: Major Issue 1:Constantly keeps locking up either when scrolling through pictures or listening to music.The only way out is to dump the power and restart...very annoying,very time consuming.This has been the same on all 3.
Major Issue 2:Device corrupts while attached to either pc or laptop.The 705 on all occaisions was disconnected in the correct manner from the pc or laptop only to find when re-attaching either device can no longer 'see' the 705...your then completey stuffed.7
Issue 3.On boot up of the device it starts to confirm a file update even though you havnt been connected to pc or laptop to add new files - only to find all your information ,music or pics have mysteryiously gone.!!!
It looks great but after my 3rd im ready to kill the wife, strangle the dog ,and chop all my fingers off!!!!Way too many issues...THE DAMN THING JUST DOSNT WORK.
DO NOT BUY AND STEER WELL CLEAR>
over and out :( -
DO NOT BUY THIS JUNK
by roverboy8 on August 21, 2009
Pros: AFTER THE PATHETIC CUSTOMER SERVICE, I CAN'T SAY THERE ARE ANY PROS
Cons: HORRIBLE VOLUME LEVEL, LOUSY CUSTOMER SERVICE
Summary: What a piece of garbage. First of all, the volume is so bad that all the way turned up you can just hear it, not loud or even capable of ...
Summary: What a piece of garbage. First of all, the volume is so bad that all the way turned up you can just hear it, not loud or even capable of being loud, second, the thing locks up so much, you'll spend more time removing the battery and resetting it than you will enjoy it, and third, the customer service is horrible,they are a bunch of rude people who think, people like being talked down to. my player stopped working within one year and after sending it back for repairs, they told me to buy another battery for $72 dollars are they would give me a 15% discount on a new one. why would I want to buy a new one in only one year. I am not normally so upset over any purchase but please take it from me, you'll be very sorry if you purchase this mp3 player.
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Great product and does what it should, did nd Cust Se
by tperkins07 on December 27, 2008
Pros: Great Machine, quick boot up, my two year old could use intreface and it travels great
Cons: did have set up issues, but custumer service helped me out every step of the way
Summary: GREAT VALUE, huge view screen, wipes IPOD Touch off the map. my two little girls travel with this and we plug it into our cars sound system it is like ...
Summary: GREAT VALUE, huge view screen, wipes IPOD Touch off the map. my two little girls travel with this and we plug it into our cars sound system it is like they are at the movie theatre. When I found i was frustrated with the product and wanted to throw it out the window i found it was my ignorance(isnt that always the case)
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Slow Response, Clunky Interface and Awful Support
by teedo on October 9, 2008
Pros: Wifi, Onboard Speakers, Ok Screen Resolution
Cons: Everything is extra, Slow processor, Touch screen stinks. Customer support is a nightmare! It was made in France and the support agents in the states know nothing they have a direct line to support in france.
Summary: Where to start??? The response time for the Touch screen is slow making typing time consuming. Customer Service is one of the worst I have ever experienced. EVERYTHING IS EXTRA! ...
Summary: Where to start??? The response time for the Touch screen is slow making typing time consuming. Customer Service is one of the worst I have ever experienced. EVERYTHING IS EXTRA! For the money this thing is awful. Save your money and look around!
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Best child Entertainment.
by fyeoms on September 30, 2008
Pros: The device is very easy to use, no heavier than todays dvd players. Very quick boot-up, swap out battery packs. Good quality screen and a sturdy devices to take some abuse. Too big? Nope, just try watching a movie on an i-touch.LOL
Cons: Locks up on occasion, but an easy fix. Need to buy pluggins for most desired feature :( Battery time is rated at 4 hours in video, um nope! Try 1-1.5 hours Battery isnt even a year old, so buy additional batteries. Needs a hand strap!
Summary: As crazy as this sounds we bought this for our 2yr old. For planes, cars and restaurants. Kids get bored, this is the perfect device. He can watch what ever ...
Summary: As crazy as this sounds we bought this for our 2yr old. For planes, cars and restaurants. Kids get bored, this is the perfect device. He can watch what ever he likes, even though he cannot read, he can see the thumb previews and determines if that is what he wants. I do not need to carry around a box of DVDs for him to scratch or for me to swap in and out constantly as with a regular DVD player. Those portable DVD players are generally crud and your lucky to get a year or two out of them. My son does a pretty good job with this and yes, he has dropped it twice. I caught it with my foot to slow down the impact. It keeps on working without any problems. A DVD players would of been messed up even with a foot catching it. You will want to get a flip casr for it instead of pulling it in and out of the OEM case. A car charger is also good to have, or you can use an inverter in the car. Our son is now 3 and uses the Archos like a pro. I think we are ready to install the web browser so he can go to some of his favorite website. This means we can use the computer ourselves without him asking to use it :) The touch screen is very easy to work with. Accessing any of the programs is easily done from the main. Storage is great and we only have the 80gb drive. Playing music viewing picture and even downloading picture to it from a camera to act as a storage device is easy.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Archos
- Part number: 501013
- Description: PRODUCT FEATURES: Record your favorite TV shows Enjoy the high resolution 7" touch screen (800x480) Stream and watch videos from your PC Download movies and music directly on your ARCHOS 705 using the ARCHOS Content Portal Internet enabled to surf the Web, share content, and access Web video sites (eg. Dailymotion or Youtube) Customize your ARCHOS with great accessories and plugins View, zoom photos and make slide shows with music and transition effects, for viewing on the PMP or on TV Listen to all your favorite music in more formats than in any other player
General
- Device Type Digital AV recorder
- Key Features Digital audio player, Digital photo viewer, Digital video player, External HDD function, Digital audio recorder, Video capture from external source
- Width 7.2 in
- Depth 0.8 in
- Height 5 in
- Weight 1.4 lbs
- PC Interfaces Hi-Speed USB, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
- Features PDF viewer, USB host function
Display
- Display Type TFT 7 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
- TV Standards Supported PAL, NTSC
- Display Features Touch screen
Memory / Storage
- HDD Capacity 80 GB
- HDD Form Factor Built-in
Still Images
- Supported Still Images Formats BMP, PNG, JPEG
- Photo Playback Modes Auto slide show
Digital Audio
- Supported audio formats MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Protected WMA (DRM)
- Supported bit rate 30 - 320Kbps
- Audio output Built-in stereo speakers
- Digital audio features VBR, Equalizer
Video
- Video Playback Formats WMV, MPEG-4
- Video Capture Supported Yes, via DVR station
- Video Capture Formats MPEG-4 SP
- Video Capture AVI - 640 x 480
Connectivity
- Connections Hi-Speed USB - Mini-USB Type B, Hi-Speed USB - Mini-USB Type A, Headphones - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Docking station
Power Adapter
- Type Power adapter
Battery
- Required Qty 1
- Rechargeable Battery Rechargeable
- Battery Enclosure Type Internal
- Technology Lithium polymer
- Capacity Internal - Rechargeable -Lithium polymer
- Battery Life Details Audio playback - up to 25 hour(s), Video playback - up to 5.5 hour(s)
Software
- Software Included Drivers
Miscellaneous
- Firmware Upgradable Yes
- Included Accessories USB cable, 2 x stylus, Carrying pouch, Remote control, USB host cable, Stereo headphones
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Product series
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Manufacturer: Archos
Specs: Digital AV recorder, 7.2 in x 0.8 in x 5 in, TFT 7 in - Color, MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Protected WMA (DRM), WMV, MPEG-4, 1.4 lbs
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Manufacturer: Archos
Specs: Digital AV recorder, 7.2 in x 0.8 in x 5 in, TFT 7 in - Color, MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Protected WMA (DRM), WMV, MPEG-4, 1.4 lbs
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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