Archos PMP advice needed

[jamesy999]

Looking at the threads a few of you have Archos PMP's. Basically i was looking for a new MP3 player when i stumbled across the PMP's and i'm pretty impressed. I've done a little research but i'm still a bit green and was hopeing some of you could help me.

The Archos 5 and 7 are out off my price range so they're out. I looked at the 405 1st which is about the amount of money i initailly wanted to spend. Does this model have an AV out? or is the docking station the only way to display on a TV? Also it only has a resolution of 320x240 so does this mean thats the resolution that it will output to my TV? Also is it able to be connected to the internet through a wired router for downloads? or would i have to download onto my PC and then transfer onto the PMP

If i decide to go the full way and get a higher end model whats the difference between the 605 and 705? Is it just the screen? Would i be able to stream stuff from the internet onto my TV via my PC and a wireless router with these? Also whats the internet function like? I currently have the internet channel on my Wii which uses opera explorer, is it similar to this? ie quite restricted.

Many thanks.

 

[gmp]

We've got a 605 and and 705 and think they are great for what we want, but do have their limitations. We use the 605 for music (either in car, plugged into hi-fi, or headphones) and being able to show photos, homevids if we are visiting people. The 705 has been collared by my daughter as the bigger screen makes it ideal for watching films on long car/plane journeys. We also have got the direct audio/vid out lead that allows you to plug 705 into scart adaptor so you can watch films/have music while in hotels etc on hols.

Never really used in dock to record tv as found it easier to download stuff from iplayer etc and transfer via usb to archos. 705 sometimes used as a digital photo frame and occasionally used it via tv to show photos. The browsing function is okish for a quick look up of something but not satisfactory if you want to spend a long time browsing. You might get satisfactory results streaming audio via wifi but I doubt video work very well.

 

[jamesy999]

Cheers GMP. After much research and trawling the net, and your advice, i think i'm gonnna push the boat out and get a Archos 5. If i buy from abroad i should be able to get one for just over £100. Web browesing is one of the main things i want it for and as the 5 is dedicated to that it'll suit me better. Also i want the GPS function so that rules out the 705. I did want a high capacity hard drive but i think i'll have to settle for the 60gb. Oh well small price to pay.

 

[Marky1973]

Do you mean the A5 or the A5 Internet Tablet (or whatever the newer version is?)

I only ask as I have the normal A5 and have to say that the web browsing is not great. It is functional and useful in brief spurts, but it does suffer from crashes and long periods of use are a bit of a strain on the eyes. The keyboard function is nice, but not great for long text input and it is advisable to use a stylus with it for better accuracy....especially if you have sausage fingers like me!

I use it if I am out in a wi-fi hotspot, or if I am at home and can't wait for the wife to finish on Hot Uk Deals!

Its great for recording off the TV and for putting films on etc (digital copies with Blu rays look great) but the resolution will only ever be the maximum of the screen - so although you can buy add-ons for the A5 to play 720p files, you will need to output to a suitable display to benefit fully from them.

Music is great too....not had much success with Flac files, but MP3s sound fine once you ditch the supplied headphones and get a half decent pair.

photos look nice and display well on the TV at home

I have the 160gb version and that is more than enough to keep a back up of laods of photos, a few thousand MP3 as well as a regular, good choice of videos...

Having said that, I think the A5 screen is great and gives a really nice vibrant picture - and I have it set on the lowest back light setting to save battery. Watching films/recordings is probably my main use, alongside MP3 and, for that purpose, I think, with the massive memory, it does a fantastic job.

But I would not necessarily recommend it if it is mainly/only for browsing? I am sure there are better solutions to portable browsing?

Notheard much about the GPS function and some is not positive, but there is an Archos Fans forum which has some useful advice on it - just google Archos Fans Forum and it should come up.

 

[MarkTaylor]

I really wouldn't recommend buying a 5 for the GPS function. Many better cheaper solutions for that.

The cradle is the part that contains the GPS functionality not the 5 itself, but read a few reviews on the web then decide.

 

[jamesy999]

Thanks for the advice guys. I got my Archos 5 120gb about 10 days ago and i absolutely love it! Just bought the DVR snap on to go with it and i've been streaming films from my PC perfectly. The web browser is what i expected and perfectly useable. £150 well spent!