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Archos 404 - 30GB Slim Portable Multimedia Player | 
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| Brand: Archos
Category: CE
Buy New: £150.00
New (1) Used (1) from £90.00
Rating:  17 reviews
Media: Electronics
Fragile: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 7.1 x 2.7
MPN: Archos 404 30GB
Model: Archos 404 30GB
UPC: 690590508613
EAN: 0690590508613
Release Date: August 29, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Screen size surface twice that of similar size PMP | | • | Reads all standard video formats in full DVD resol | | • | DVD-quality video playback on TV with optional DVR | | • | Records directly from TV in high-quality MPEG-4 wi | | • | Bright 3.5in LCD with 16 million colours |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
ARCHOS presents the ARCHOS 404, an ultra slim and compact Portable Multimedia Player to enjoy and store all your digital media content in the palm of your hand. Featuring a large 3.5?? TFT LCD color screen, the ARCHOS 404 boasts a 30 GB hard drive for storing up to 85 movies, 300 000 photos or 15 000 songs. it is the ultimate PMP to enjoy music, videos and photos on the move. Transform your ARCHOS 404 into a digital video recorder to record directly from any analog video source, such as a TV, VCR, DVD player, cable box or satellite receiver by simply plugging it into the optional DVR station. The ARCHOS 404 is the perfect companion for people on the move! The ARCHOS 404 is the perfect companion for people on the move: its 30 GB hard drive capacity allows you to store up to 130 hours of video5 encoded with a PC, the equivalent of 85 movies5. Play them on the built-in 3.5" LCD color screen or playback on TV in high resolution up to 720 x 576 (DVD quality) with the DVR station. Play a large variety of video files, including MPEG-41, WMV2 and protected WMV2 and read MPEG-4 AAC/H.2643 (.MP4 QuickTime files), MPEG-24, and VOB4 with optional software plug-ins (available on this website). The ARCHOS 404 also offers many more functionalities such as slow motion, adjustable screen size, video editing and even a video bookmarking function. Record TV or external video sources Transform your ARCHOS 404 into a Digital Video Recorder with the optional DVR station. Record TV or most video sources such as satellite/cable box, VCR, DVD player6 or camcorder in MPEG-4 format1. Set up the DVR station by connecting it to the external video source; simply slot in your ARCHOS and record instantaneously or make scheduled recordings with the included infrared receiver that controls the external video sources. Turn your ARCHOS into a camcorder Use your ARCHOS as a camcorder and enjoy your personal videos, anywhere?anytime: - connect most
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| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 Archos 404 - 30GB Slim Portable Multimedia Player February 17, 2007
Herts Review (Herts UK)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I got this for my 40th and have been very impressed with it.
You can play MP2 and vob files on this player but you need a codec from teh Archos website to play them which costs between 13- 14 due to euro fluctuation.
one gripe about playing mpg2 and vob files is that it runs the battery down quick. to prolong battery life you need to convert video to mpg4.
the other gripe is that it does tell you how to convert video to mpg4 as it comes with no software. you have to go to the Archos website to download 3 programs. I have Ulead Videostudio 10+ which can make MPG4 videos,but they are unplayable on this machine. the conversion software is free.
if you have ipod tracks you can purchase another codec for the same price as indicated above.
i did my research and i believe this is much better than the IPOD video 30gb.
The other plus is that it has a very large viewable screen compared to the IPOD.
also you can buy teh DVR docking station. this allows you to record from telly to the player in MPG4 direct. you can also use it as a DVR for your TV as well.
it cant play copy protected files.
All in all a pretty useful piece of lit for the price.
Best media player on the market June 29, 2007
Suzanne Lines (rugby,uk)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I got this media player on tuesday 26th, the screen is bright and very clear if you dont want to pay for the software you can easily download a file converter and just convert them in to (avi) files as they work.Charging time is different but on average ive had to charge it for 10hrs for a full charge.Brilliant for oragnising music and easy to acess. The one downside is when you lock it the volume keys arent so then can easily be pressed changing the volume whilst listening to your tracks or films.
WARY ABOUT BUYING THIS? April 13, 2007
Jack (Nr. Oxford, England)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have had three ipods and I find them easy to use, and the fact that they sync so easily with itunes is a huge bonus for me as all my music is in itunes as well as my movies and podcasts.
However, ipods always semm to break just after their warranty has expired, and battery life goes down to almost unusable. Because of this, I decided that I would go for something different.
So I did my research and purchased a pmp120 iriver. As soon as I got the thing I realised how huge it was, and when I tried to use it, I found it was slow and annoying in every way. It was more like a portable hard disk that played music rather than a portable music player. I sent it back and continued scouting for the perfect device, smaller and more user friendly.
When I bought this I was delighted by the size. I had seen the AV500 and the 604 and they are both still huge for me as this is primarily an audio player rather than a video player.
The thing is light, and goes in your pocket, but has a nice sized screen and it is easy to navigate through. And I didn't even have to switch from itunes. All I did was got itunes to organize my folders so they are all done by artist so I can drag and drop them from my documents into the player.
If you are stuck with itunes, don't worry. It's not too much hassle at all, and this thing seems very sturdy and I'm sure will last longer than an ipod. The videos play nicely and the plugins work fine for me, even if it is a bit of a rip off that the videos play in a small preview box without the plug in, so the player can actually play them but archos still mug you out of 15 quid.
The headphones arn't great, but as a rule stock headphones never are. Just get a nice pair that are loud because max volume isn't that loud. And the speaker is poor, but when would you use it in a noisy environment?
This device IS portable, and it does everything an ipod can do, but will last you longer. It's a refreshing change, and it is much more customisable than an ipod because you can change backgrounds etc.
If you have doubts about buying this chances are you will be impressed with it. And if you're not, just break the screen and send it back (hehe).
Everything & More August 25, 2007
Marie Roberts (UK)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I have no idea what made me buy an Archos, but i thank my lucky stars, after having somewhat, awkward times with ipod/iriver/creative, i thought i needed a nice mp3, reliable, or else id go back to the stone age and buy a mini disc. After reading all these reviews i find that this make that is relativily unknown has much better reviews than any other make out there.
So i had 1week left before i went on a little roadtrip and i needed an mp3 because my iriver just broke down (Iriver H10 6gb lasted over 3years death by hot water and clumsyness) and i would of rathered buying a 30gb H10 but they seem to have dissolved. everythings going back to flash memory, and thats not the way forward (at least my flash philips didnt agree, kept loosing songs i put on there)
so i read all the specs, compared it to some of the 30gb ipods, and well, the ipods got nothing on this, specially seems this is roughly 50 cheaper.
anyway, heres the list of things i love;
Video quality (although 1 pixel has died =0)
Sound quality (the built in speaker sucks, but i didnt even know there was one...)
Memory (but hey, 30gb is quite average these days)
Customizable backrounds (can even pause a video and use that frame!)
Tv Schedule.thing.
The battery life is actually the same as my H10 yet that has hardly got a screen on it and less things to power, 5hours if you watch full video, i think thats an overstatement, i think its more 3-4hours
but i had 13hours (non-stop) out of it on a non-full charge
and the not so great
Having to purchase an upgrade to view .MPEG video files.(about 17-30)
Having to purchase a base to record everything (Average 50)
Lock doesnt Lock volume
The button used for lock is actually for turning LCD off
The cheap tacky base that came with it, its useless, its got a hole in the bottom to plug in and charge whilst watching but you cant because the base would be on the wire and thus unleveled
Only comes with a pc charger. means i had to take my flipping laptop on holiday just to charge my mp3... talk about de-evolution.
but those are just petty things once you compare it to the amazing quality.
though little advice, bring some form of LCD cleaner, mine hardly left my case yet the screen is grubby.
my verdict is obviously;
10 times better than ipod and any other mp3 on the market today. also its a nice price, unless you want that mpeg upgrade and base, then you'l be paying 200+ for it... then i say leave it. but the base isnt necessary if you dont want to record/display your movies on a tv, and the mpeg isnt necessary if you dont really need full length movies on there. i just have a family guys/american dads that i got in AVI format on there and they look amazing. and they are the only thing that actually sounds good through the built in speaker.
Great bit of kit December 10, 2007
The Gadget Man (Stockport, England)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Having used my Archos now for over six months all I can say is that it is my favorite gadget. I use it every day either recording something or playing something. I can carry around at least twenty films with me, how can I get bored?
If you want to convert from one format to another just look at sites like www.download.com you will find free software there to do the conversion. Although I am not a lover of Microsoft, Media Player converts any music or wmv files to the Archos without a problem.
The only real accessory I would suggest you need is the DVR station. This allows you to easily record from the TV, DVD or VCR. Yes sure if the data is right protected it remains right protected but still playable on the Archos this is how it should be. I record at least two films a week & can now remove the adverts before watching it (not explained in the manual).
If you are looking for the perfect gadget for a Christmas present don't delay buy this.
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