Archos 404 (30 GB) Digital Media Player

This little known maker of hard drive based multimedia players has been cutting edge and ahead of the game since the first introductroduction of hard drive players, when ipod introduced its first hard drive based player with a non removable battery, archor released the slightly larger jukebox WITH the removable replaceable battery, and now unsurpassed streamlined entertainment. The 404 retails currently retails for around 220$ thats 30$ cheaper then the popular competitor Ipod video but this player proves that the rule you get what you pay for can be entirely wrong. This player sports a huge lcd, nearly unsurpassed format compatability and a beautiful alluminum casing that is to say the least scratch resistant. The player natively plays Divx, Xvid, WMV9 right out of the box and drag and drop convenience which to many audiophiles is a VERY important feature as opposed to the software dependant competitors but for the few that prefer the streamlining of playlist syncing, well you can do this to. One of the major hurdles in hard drive players offering drag and drop interface was the innability to play DRM content but not with this player, this problem was solved by offering the WMP10 sync option. Unfortunatly the unit does not include a wall adapter but it charges surprisingly fast on a standard 2.0 USB hub and the battery offers a slightly above average battery lifetime at about 10 hours full volume and bass boost enabled and about 3-4 hours video. If there was something to hate about this player is the costly extras to unlock some of the players interesting extra features such as the optional DVR station which currently retails for about 70$ but hey the docking station offers a huge upgrade to this player including multiple inputs and outputs for video, audio, and even data including a very slick host input which comes in handy for those thumb drives and card readers, and although it does not yet support any hard external hard drives at the moment it does show promise for this in the future, this combined with the intuitive remote interface would make a incredible set top replacement for TIVO(R) and DVD recorders as there is virtualy no monthly costs or discs to buy or scratch. This player also acts as a programmable scheduler which automatically tunes your digital cable box or vcr and records at a set time so that if you work strange hours like I do you don't have to miss that episode of your favorite show. This player supports VOB and AC3 audio for a 20 odd dollar firmware upgrade but any way you look at it the mpaa has made this illegal so if you were to copy your dvds it makes more sense to encode in Divx which plays natively on the player and it also supports podcasts for about the same price but if you have experianced this players vivid 16 million color screen then your less likely to be interested in content designed for the Ipods inferior 65 thousand color screen. All in all BUY THIS player if you are shopping for an affordable portable multimedia player that gives you more bang for your buck and make sure that you do the free firmare updates.

Hello, and welcome to my review of the Archos 404. I have other Archos reviews of their Jukebox 20GB,AV500,504 160GB, and 506 WiFi, please view them as well. I have much knowledge of Archos and their outstanding products. Their the 1st company to introduce a 20GB,100GB, and 160GB mobile storage, as well as WiFi and Touchscreen onto a MP3 Player, excusing say a Blackberry or Palm Pilot.

Pros: Small size, Quality just as good as the others in the 4 series (404,504,604) Same interface and menu design, Firmwire upgrades, decent price
Cons: Small size, battery life, storage size.

When I saw this on eBay, I went stright to Archos's main page to see more, I was corious about this, just to find out that it had two older brothers in the series. Here we go:

Size
100 x 78 x 15 mm – 3.9” x 3” x 0.59”
So about 1/2 the size of the 504 or 604, smaller isn't always better. Due to the smaller size, you end up with shorter battery life (Which is already small to being with) and videos seemed crammed on a small screen. It also cuts down how much can be stored on the hard drive. It's understandable that technology is making things smaller these days, but with the 404, it has a 30GB to boot, thats the same size as the 604 and 604 Wifi.

Battery
I really don't have to explain too much here, like in all my other reviews, Archos needs improvment in this area. This model isn't any expection since it's even smaller.
Videos can play for about four to six hours
Music can play for about 12 hours or less
*Changing the screen brightness in the options and how the hard drive works will give you some added hours of playtime

Audio/Video Playback
I'm getting sick and tired of repeating what they can or can't play so I'll simply list

Can
Video: AVI, MPEG-4,WMV (Through a download:(h.264 codec(OGM,MKV), and .VOB)
Audio:MP3,WAV,WMA (Though a download: ACC,AC3,OGG, Vorbis)
I must note, through a download also means $20.00 and a download. h.264 is a video format that allows for a special kind of video formats to be played, for the most part it means Dual audio files and .VOB, which allows DVD's to be played. Wish Archos didn't charge for this though.

Can Not
Video: MP4,DivX,XviD
Audio: Lossless, Flac,ACE,Ape

I don't see why Archos can't simply allow you to Drag and Drop codecs into a folder that regularly updates itself or through Firmware upgrades, I mean they have a Plug in for iTunes, a PMEG4 Translator, Virtual Dub,WMP Reader, and Acrobat Reader, so why not something like a Codec Reader? It would alot easier on the users.

I think if this thing had a bigger Hard drive, maybe even 50GB or 75GB with Touchscreen like the 604 WiFi has, this could be an awesome product. The price isn't too bad either, but due to the smaller size hard drive, thats probably why this unit is clocked at $299.99 Retail or $254.99 on eBay, with some other Price comparison sites like PriceGrabber.com, Bizrate.com,tigerdirect.com and Newegg all averaging about $255 to $269

This is a fairly decent model, but not for those who need to hold their whole DVD collection or Discograhies, I'd suggest the 504 160GB
For those who want a more Blackberry/PDA/Palm Pilot feel, I'd suggest the 506 WiFi w/TouchScreen

And this has been my review of the Archos 404 30GB.

A couple of years ago I picked up an Archos 604, I loved that device until I sold it December 2007 after Urge sold out to Rhapsody. I didn't "feel" like redownloading all of my tracks, so I sold it on eBay.

I thought the 404 would be a better replacement for it since it had the same 30 GB hard drive and identical user interface. Better in theory was the matte-finish screen on the 404 - the 604 had a shiny screen which could be annoying in high-light settings. My thoughts were wrong.

First, the screen's matte finish on the 404 is overshadowed by a significantly smaller screen than the 604. Movies that are viewed in the 4:3 format are OK, but 16:9 viewings are really too small.

Also, not having a user-replaceable battery is annoying on long flights where no USB port is available for in-flight charging. No spare batteries apply here as it is not removable. Also absent from the 404 is the kickstand that was on the 604. The kickstand allows you to view the screen without having to hold it. As a fix, I have found you can use the unit's leather holster by folding the screen cover all the way back and snapping it with the clasp, creating a support. No big deal.

Lastly on the cons, however not Archos's fault necessarily, is that it cannot be used on either Napster or Rhapsody's "to-go" subscription services. When Urge was available, I used their "to-go" subscription without problems - it was "Plays For Sure" compliant. Apparently, none of the Archos models are compliant. The only way to load playable music on it is to either rip CD's to it or to buy tracks (you still MUST burn them to a CD before loading them to the device). I have a really hard time buying tracks for $0.99. $14.99/mo for unlimited downloads is significantly better then $0.99/track!

On the pro side, 30 GB can hold a lot of movies and music. It can also hold my MS Outlook contacts, photo library, and I can use it as a document viewer, which comes in handy for storing work documents that I need quick access to such as price lists or other documents. It can also be used as an external portable hard drive. Multi-purpose device.

It's also a much smaller size/weight than the 604. However, this smaller size sacrifices the screen size.

Here are 8 reasons why you should consider this older model:
1) No need for proprietary software. Just drag and drop.
2) Not tied to a particular computer. Works with any Windows, Mac or Linux box.
3) Has a BUILT-IN MICROPHONE. Not too sensitive, but fine for voice notes. None of the other Archos models have one and many other media players don't.
4) Bright, crisp screen that's actually big enough to see.
5) Has a BUILT-IN SPEAKER. For times when you don't want to fiddle with headphones. This is rare. And VERY convenient.
6) Solid build quality.
7) Lithium battery can be replaced by user. That's pretty rare these days.
8) Plays more video file types out of the box than most, and others if you add software (but you can do without the others).

The Archos 404 Camcorder model also has a low-res camcorder function. Not spectacular, but works quite well. I'd get the camcorder model over the regular one if price isn't in the way. Otherwise the 2 models are just the same as far as I can tell.

What it doesn't have:
1) This is not a touchscreen model. The buttons are excellent, though. I also have a 605, and find myself using both buttons and touchscreen on that.
2) This does not have WiFi. If you need that, get the 604 wifi, 605 or one of the newest internet models.
3) This does not have built-in FM. Nor do the 405 or 605 or many other brands.
4) It's not widescreen (16:9). It's the standard 4:3 screen.

The Archos 404 is just slightly larger than an iPod and has a much larger screen. It is detected as a removable hard drive so you can just drag and drop your files (no need for crappy software like iTunes or Media Player to sync with your device. The bad: buttons do not light up you you must use tactile feeling to operate the device in complete darknes.