Is Archos 604 Wifi a Good Multi-media Player?

The Archos 604 multi-media player is available in two variants, 30GB and WiFi. Apart from the WiFi web access capability of the latter, the two players have common features. Therefore, I will discuss the WiFi model in this article.

The true test of a multi-media player is in its capacity to do all of several things.
So, in deciding whether this is a good product, let me first consider whether it is versatile enough. This device plays digital audio and video content, apart from displaying digital photos, on its built-in LCD screen. You can also display its visual content on a bigger television screen, or play its audio content on your home and car stereo players.

It is also a digital video recorder, has WiFi capability, and can perform many other functions when it is used with various accessories.

You can use it to record from television and other devices, and store and play back recorded content, in standard popular formats, either on its inbuilt screen, or on your TV.

Using the recording adapter the Archos 604 is able to record in MPEG-4, from various sources, including cable, satellite and DVD. MPEG-4, MP4, WMV9 play backs are possible, as well as WMV file formats. But MPEG-2 isn't possible. H.264 and MPEG-2 files can be played on the Archos 604 WiFi model if one downloads plugins
Storage in MPEG-4 video compressed format is allowed by the memory of the Archos 604 which amounts in effect to more than a hundred hours of recorded video stored.

This player has the ability to access the internet, easily and quickly. Moreover, it can get audio and video files, with good processing speed, from the Internet, using the Opera web browser. It also has an adobe reader.

This device employs a docking station for digital recording. It has connections which allow it to play audio on your car audio system. It comes with a special docking station that you can use on the go, during a trip. A special helmet transforms the player into a camcorder useable with a digicam. Its other features include several headphones for WiFi use, a GUI, with a context-sensitive menu, an audio playback screen, a photo thumbnail page, and a TV scheduler.

The player has a scratch-resistant brushed metal casing, a 4.3 inch LCD screen, and a battery with a life of 18 hours, including 4 hours of video. The battery is removable. On the downside, the screen is a bit small, especially if you want to read web files. You may need to buy an external memory device to augment the 30GB memory. The player does not support some popular video formats, such as MPeG2. It comes with very few free accessories. It does not have backlit buttons. This will cause problems when you wish to operate it in the dark.

However, when you weigh the positives of this player against these negatives, it is a real winner, especially as its price is relatively low, for the value it delivers.