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Archos 404 30GB Portable Digital Media Player (500868) | 
 enlarge | Brand: Archos
Category: CE
List Price: $299.99
Buy New: $244.99
You Save: $55.00 (18%)
New (2) Used (5) Refurbished (1) from $145.00
Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 6018
Color: Grey
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Hard Drive Size: 30
Native Resolution: 3.5
Display Size: 3.5
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 4 x 1 x 3
MPN: 500868
Model: 500868
UPC: 690590508682
EAN: 0690590508682
Release Date: September 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Lightweight and portable digital video, movie, music player and photo viewer with easy-to-use, intuitive controls and a bright 3.5-inch TFT LCD screen | | • | 30 gigabyte hard disk lets you store up to 15,000 songs, 300,000 pictures, or 85 movies, or any combination thereof | | • | Compatible with MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA music files, JPEG, BMP, and PNG picture files, and MPEG-4 and WMV video files | | • | Uses high-speed USB 2.0 for both file transfers and charging, and includes a rechargeable Lithium-Ion polymer battery with up to 12 hours of music and 4 hours of video life | | • | Lets you play music through a stereo or videos over your TV via an optional docking station, weighs only 6.75 ounces, and measures approximately 3.9 x 3 x 0.59 inches (W x H x D) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
"Convergence" is a more and more popular word in the gadget world: devices that can provide the functionality of multiple unrelated electronics products. Too often, gadgets with too many bells and whistles often prove confusing instead of versatile, but the Archos 404 is an ambitious, palm-sized device that may well surprise you. This slim, sleek unit is only a little larger than a pack of cards, but it plays and records video, audio, and image files--and, with the help of the optional Archos DVR Docking Station, it's capable of recording TV and movies from a variety of video sources.
 The bright, 3.5" TFT LCD displays up to 16 million colors.
Take a product tour using Windows Media Player | Form Factor and User Interface
Looking at pictures from the literature on the Archos 404 before receiving it for review, I expected a relatively large and unwieldy form factor--but once out of the box I was pleased to see it's less than four inches across, or about the size of a man's wallet. It will certainly fit comfortably in a jacket's inside pocket or the back pocket of your jeans, though some may find it a little too thick to fit easily into a front pants pocket. The device is sturdily built, with buttons that don't jiggle or stick. And though this is a hard-disk-based device, I was able to wave it around and shake it lightly without any interruption or skipping during audio/video playback. Those who found themselves turned off by the occasional "jiggle factor" of disk-based iPods shouldn't run into any problems here.
The interface itself is fairly straightforward, forgoing the animated visual pizazz of similar SanDisk and Samsung players in favor of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) similar to a Windows PC desktop: arranged icons of shortcuts to the player's main functions, as well as to a directory-style file browser. (Note: feature icons become greyed out if the feature isn't currently availiable, such as Video if your don't have any videos loaded onto the player.) You can set the player's wallpaper to anything you like--if you have the (sold separately) Archos DVR Docking Station, you can even pull single frames off of live television to use as wallpaper with total ease.
Navigating this interface isn't always completely intuitive, however. The vertical row of buttons down the right side of the player take some getting used to, as each button has two functions for the left and right side. "OK" and "Menu" in particular occasionally seem to be interchangeable, other times not, and it's not always immediately apparent which button is required to navigate to the desired goal. Though it takes a little longer, I found it generally preferable to use the directory-style navigation, going straight to the desired files rather than navigating by function, and I think anyone used to the iPod clickwheel scheme may find it easier as well.
Playing Audio and Video
Simply put, the Archos 404 plays audio and video extremely well. The 3.5" screen is bright and crisp with a wide viewing angle, and the compressed MPEG-4 video files look great in the player's native 320x240 resolution. You can watch video in broad daylight, which can't be said about many portable devices that are even designed solely for video playback.
Audio sounds fantastic, as the player will support up to 320kbps audio compression in nearly every conventional format, as well as most subscription music and video download services. (iTunes is not supported.) Though the external speaker is not very loud even at full volume, you can really crank this baby up with a pair of headphones on. The unit comes with a pair of earbuds, but while they do the job, as with most portable players on the market you'll want to pitch these for a higher-quality pair before too long. Unfortunately there are also no audio equalizer presets, but the native levels are well-balanced enough that one would be hard-pressed to complain. I listened to both loud rock and jazz and had no complaints with the sound quality of either.
You can continue to browse your photo collection or hard drive while music is playing. Playback will stop if you start a video file.
 Easily transfer media from your other portable electronics
devices to your Archos | Creating Your Own Audio and Video
The Archos 404 can take pictures with its 1.3 MP camera, though this is easily the player's weakest feature. With no flash or optical zoom, this probably won't ever be your go-to digital camera, but it's suitable for daytime outdoor shots when your normal camera isn't at hand. The camera function and photo library are easy to use at least, and pictures turn out crisp and stable...and the 30 GB hard drive will hold all the 1024x768 digital shots you can take.
There's a pinhole-sized mic on the bottom of the Archos 404 to either record audio or to work with the camcorder, which are technically seperate functions. The audio recording function takes some experience to get comfortable with, but once you get used to it it's a great substitution for a typical voice recorder. To test this function I recorded about 15 minutes of dialogue with a friend with the player sitting about arm's-length away, on a porch in front of a busy street. Despite the ambient traffic noise, the resulting audio file was crisp and distinct, and I had no trouble transcribing anything from the conversation. For recording a lecture or an interview, the Archos is just about perfect.
As a camcorder the Archos is decent, but again doesn't quite measure up to a dedicated video device. Files created with the camcorder feature are in MPEG-4 video format. Audio as just mentioned is generally very good, and picture quality is satisfactory as long as you're outside on a relatively bright day. I would not recommend trying to record video in low-light situations--there's an option called "Brighter" in the camcorder and camera menus which is supposed to increase the light sensitivity, but using it had no noticeable effect when I tried it and low-light video turned out rather poor. However, in sufficient light the picture is stable and motion blur isn't a problem, so as an impromptu method of recording vacation video or similar material the player won't disappoint.
The Bottom Line
As a piece of convergence hardware, the Archos 404 performs most of its tasks very well, only falling short in regards to the camera-related functions. Still, under the right conditions the camera/camcorder is adequate, and those looking for a portable and economical way to achieve the functionality of several popular electronics devices will likely be very pleased with the Archos 404. And with 30 GB of space, you've got plenty of space to store audio, video, and photos: you can record a class lecture, watch a movie on the plane, take photos of your pets, record some spontaneous video of your friends goofing off, and listen to your entire music collection and still have plenty of disk space left over.
Best of all, with the Archos DVR Docking Station this truly becomes a piece of convergence hardware, as it adds the ability to record live television turning it essentially into a mini-TiVo. Once the 404 and the docking station are connected to your TV, you're ready to record television in MPEG-4 format, play previously recorded programs, or watch video files from your computer on your television, all with DVD-quality picture and sound. Connected to the docking station, the Archos 404 can even pump out 5.1 surround sound if you download a separate MPEG-2 plug-in.
Nestled within the 404's main menu page you'll find icons for a TV Scheduler and VideoCorder. Using the TV Scheduler interface, you'll find it simple to set times and dates for the programs you'd like to record, and the VideoCorder helps work out the rest of the details--negotiating with the DVR Station and preparing the system to capture your entertainment preferences.
What's in the Box
Archos 404 portable media player, headphones, dedicated USB 2.0 cable, DVR station adapter, protective pouch, quick-start guide, and legal and safety notices.
Amazon.com Product Description
With the Archos 500868 404 30GB Portable Digital Media Player you have all the entertainment you need at your fingertips, in a package that approaches iPod size. The perfect companion for everything from long trips to short bus rides, from going to parties to just hanging out around the house, the Archos 404 lets you not only take your favorite music, movies, and moments with you, but helps you make new favorite moments wherever you happen to be. With a screen size surface twice that of similar size PMPs (portable media players), the Archos 404 ensures you can thoroughly enjoy movies and videos. This unit uses a bright, 3.5-inch TFT LCD display with over 16 million colors to provide you a crystal-clear, sharp picture with a 4:3 aspect ratio and 320 x 240 pixels of resolution, as well as an intuitive GUI (graphic user interface) for easy-to-use navigation. The Archos 404 not only plays your videos and movies, but lets you store up to a whopping 85 movies on its hard drive in either MPEG-4 or WMV formats at up to DVD resolution. You can also purchase and download optional plug-ins from Archos' website that will allow you to play H.264 and MPEG-2 formats up to DVD resolutions as well. Not only is the Archos 404 a portable video and movie player, but a high-resolution photo viewer as well, complete with features such as zoom, music, and transition effects. You can easily download photos from your PC, or transfer them directly to the 404 from your digital camera via the optional docking adapter. This unit is compatible with JPEG, BMP, and PNG file formats, and can hold up to 300,000 photos at a time, depending upon file size and what else you are storing at the same time. The Archos 404 can even read and display PDF documents for on-the-fly work situations, although it may not implement all PDF features. For those times when you can't afford the distraction of watching high-quality videos, the Archos 404 can be your music player, storing and playing up to 15,000 songs so you can keep working, walking, or doing whatever you need with your own private soundtrack. This unit displays the track, artist, album, and album cover of whatever you are playing, and supports stereo MP3 decoding from 30 to 320 kbps CBR and VBR, as well as WMA, protected WMA, and WAV (PCM/ADPCM) formats. Furthermore, the Archos 404 can play AAC music files, and AC3 stereo sound files with the additional of optional software plug-ins that can be purchased and downloaded from Archos' web site. And just in case inspiration strikes or you want to make sure you don't forget something important, this handy media player lets you make voice recordings through its built-in microphone, or via the optional DVR travel adapter or DVR station through a stereo line-in jack in WAV format. The Archos 404 is fully compatible with DVD-quality VOD (video on demand) and online music stores, allowing you to purchase and download new music and movies directly online rather than having to transfer everything from more traditional media sources. This media player can also record directly from TV in high-quality MPEG-4 with stereo sound via the optional DVR station, so you can take your favorite television shows with you wherever you go. And if you are at home, the Archos 404 can play back any of your movies or recorded TV programs on your television itself, also through the optional DVR station. The Archos 404 has a built-in 30 gigabyte hard disk so you have plenty of space for anything you need, and includes a high-speed USB 2.0 connection for transferring files. This unit features a 3.5-millimeter stereo headphone jack mini-jack and TV output, and dedicated connectors for hooking up optional adapters or the DVR station. The 404 also features a music playback time of up to 12 hours, and a video playback time of up to four hours on its built-in LCD display, all with its internal lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery that charges via computer through its USB port, or more quickly with the optional docking adapter or DVR station. The Archos 404 is compatible with both PCs and Macs with a USB port and Linux, Windows ME or higher, or OS X or higher, and requires Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher and Windows Media Player 10 or higher for use with PlayForSure video and subscription services. This media player allows firmware updates to be downloaded via www.archos.com, weighs approximately 6.75 ounces, and measures approximately 3.9 x 3 x 0.59 inches (W x H x D). What's in the Box
Archos 404 portable media player, headphones, dedicated USB 2.0 cable, DVR station adapter, pouch, quick-start guide, and legal and safety notices.
Product Description
Why just listen to music when you can watch videos as well - anywhere - on a sharp, bright 3.5" LCD with the Archos 404 Ultra-Compact Portable Media Player? DVD-quality video playback on TV with optional DVR Station Records directly from TV in high-quality MPEG-4 with optional DVR station Photo viewer with zoom, music and transition effects Music player displays track, artist, album, and album cover Fully compatible with DVD quality VOD and online music stores Video playback - MPEG-42 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution), WMV (MP@ML, up to DVD resolution). Optional software plug-ins - H.264 up to DVD resolution and AAC sound / MPEG-2 MP@ML up to 10 Mbps (up to DVD resolution) and AC3 stereo sound. Audio playback - Stereo MP3 decoding @ 30-320 Kbits/s CBR & VBR, WMA, Protected WMA, WAV (PCM/ADPCM). Optional software plug-ins - AAC3 music files / AC3 stereo sound files View photos in JPEG, BMP, and PNG formats Transfer photos directly from a digital camera with optional docking adapter Reads PDF documents (May not implement all PDF features) Voice recording through the built-in Microphone Optional DVR travel adapter or DVR Station - stereo line-in, WAV (IMA ADPCM or PCM) format. USB 2.0 High-Speed Device (compatible USB 1.1) - Mass Storage class (MSC) and Media Transport Protocol (MTP) USB 2.0 Host - Mass Storage class (MSC) and Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) (with optional docking adapter) 3.5 mm stereo headphone mini-jack and TV output (AV cable sold separately) Up to 12 hours music playback time or up to 4 hours video playback time Internal Lithium-Ion Polymer battery Charges via computer USB port, or faster with the optional docking adapter or DVR Station Dimensions - 3.9 x 3 x 0.59 inches / Weighs 6.75 ounces
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 Very bad customer service December 30, 2008
S. Baer (New York, NY (USA))
I loved the Archos 404, when it worked! The navigation is very clumsy though and not user friendly. The display is great. All together a good deal. (Or at least you would think that...)
My unit broke about every 2 months. Repair was free through the Archos Guarantee, but it was very painful and included hours on the phone, the first hour usually until they answered the phone.
Their website is hardly functional (always asking you for your country, even when you are logged on with your address etc.) and doesn't provide any troubleshooting or other helpful info. Archos needed several weeks to answer my emails.
I had it now after the 4th repair. So extremely sorry guys, but I have other things to do.
 Cool stuff........................ September 6, 2008
Rejoy Mathew (kanjirappally, kerala, india)
hai friends,
this is a very coolest stuff i'm ever seen. because i got this stuff at $110 and that is new one too. this is a best deal i ever seen. this is advantage of this. And dis advantage of this is, some times the automatic sound system is not worked. i mean if i take head phone on archos 404, currently it display speaker picture but some times that display's head phone system and i need to hear speaker system i'm going to change headphone to speaker. this is only one disadvantage of this archos 404.
And friends ................
Good Luck and enjoy the music in Archos 404....
 Works well, but died after 8 months August 12, 2008
Eldho Thomas (Saint Louis, MO USA)
This is the second Archos product I have bought (the first one being Archos Jukebox). Both of them just died in about 8 months. Archos honored the warranty on the first one and repaired it, but this time, they just plain refused to repair it saying that the unit that I bought was a refurbished one and it only had 6 months of warranty. That wasn't true, but unfortunately I had no way of proving it to them. I had my original receipt that didn't say anything about it being refurbished, but Archos said that the seller where I bought it from, sells only refurbished Archos products. Again, it was not true because I can see new products from Archos displayed on the seller's website.
Anyway, my 404 is dead now. When it was alive, it was actually a good piece of player. Archos is one of the few players, which can just be plugged in to a USB port and accessed as a hard drive, without having to worry about having another software installed. That was the only reason I picked Archos. It is sleek. The display is good. Sound is clear and crisp.
One disadvantage:- It doesn't come with a charger. Out of the box, it needs to be charged with the USB cable from the PC.
Otherwise, it is a good product...if it doesn't die.
great media player for movie viewer June 4, 2008
J. lee (NJ)
I purchase this archos 404 3 month ago and yesterday I also purchased cinema plug in after I paid $19.99 from archos site. If you area watching a lot of movie file especially avi file you need this plugin.
Don't try to get cheap free program to convert. I spend 2 month to find all different convert program and some site show crack for plug in but don't trust that site. You will loosing membership fee around $4.95 but there is no crack avaible they are cheating on you. After I purchase this cinema plugin I really happy to watching all avi with Ac3 sound format and wmv file too. Screen is bigger than Microsoft Zune I also have this one too. But After I purchase Archos 404 I don't use zune any more because Zune has small screen and u have to convert file to see. Archos have bigger screen but only problem is viewing angle when u see the screen more than 40 degree from direct angle u will see screen is hard to see. I also purchased travel adapter 2 month ago. Purpose of this adapter is back up for my canon 870 camera memory card. By using this I can connect SD card reader to travel adapter then my archos 404 can catch SD card then I can trasfer all photoand movie file to archos then clean SD card. Archos hold 30 GB it works like external hard drive. If you are travel alot you need this travel adapter.
buy with this archos 404
1. Cinema plugin
2. travel adapter ( this adapter can read SDHC SD card as long as card reader read SDHC card there is no problem to use it)
Don't waste your time as I did. Buy these items.
Good luck.
 Safety issue with the battery and very poor customer service April 25, 2008
Oreste Prada (San Diego, CA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Archos can be added to the list of consumer electronics companies that will put faulty products in the market and then refuse to take responsibility for them.
I have experience with three of these units, only one of which is still functional. The first was a friend's whose screen cracked while the unit was in a protective case inside a bag. I realize electronics are more delicate than the average consumer product, but this thing was more sensitive than an iPod nano, which also happened to be in his bag and did not break.
The second unit I received as a gift and it worked well for about a month. I have to say, when it worked I liked it, with the exception of the really poor sound, which I crancked up to be able to hear anything. A few days ago I awoke to find my unit with the back casing distended like it was about to burst. I immediately unscrewed the back to release the pressure and found that the battery was inflated like a balloon. I put the unit in a sealed bag to make sure if it burst it didn't ruin anything else in the apartment. When I called Archos customer service, I was told by the goon on the phone that having unscrewed the back of the unit, despite the fact that leaving it as it was could have been dangerous, nullified the warranty. So now I am stuck with a month old unit whose warranty is useless.
Way to go, Archos. You've guaranteed I will never buy anything from you again.
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