We got our hands on the first of Archos' new Generation 5 devices, the updated 605, which features a better screen at a much better price.
Archos today introduced an entire new lineup of portable media players, including the Archos 605, which will be the first Generation 5 device to ship this summer. Available in three capacities, from a 4GB flash version to a 160GB model with a hard drive, the players have all the features of the previous Archos 604 Wi-Fi model, at a much lower price. When we reviewed the Archos 604, we balked at the device's $450 price tag, but the new model will cost a third less, retailing for $300.
Beyond the price cut and the slight slimming, the devices get an updated touch screen. The screen looks much better on this device, more like a hi-def television than the slightly washed screen we saw on the Archos 604. Icons have been improved to look a bit more 3D, and the interface overall has a cleaner, more accessible look. Archos also tells us that the touch screen film is thinner, which allows more sensitivity for the touch controls, though we'll have to take one for a proper spin to see how much of a difference this makes. Hardware controls on the device are unchanged, which is disappointing, because we weren't fond of the way the rocker keys line up down the right side of the screen.
Beyond the new devices, Archos is also offering direct access to movies and music with the Archos Content Portal. The Content Portal allows you to buy movies from CinemaNow, and features content from other video sites, including YouTube. Without the Content Portal, the device itself has a Web browser with Flash capabilities, so you can browse YouTube using the Wi-Fi connection on the device. We watched a video from YouTube that was being streamed to a hi-def television. Though picture quality on YouTube isn't great, we're happy to report that streaming videos looked very smooth. The only device that has come close to this performance is the Nokia N800, but that device stuttered greatly while playing YouTube videos, where the Archos player only seems limited by the quality of the video itself.
Archos offers a few ways to get video onto the new players. Besides the Content Portal, which is accessible via a Wi-Fi internet connection, we also watched the device stream media files directly from a couple PCs on the local network. Universal Plug 'N Play (UPnP) technology seemed to work well on the device, and looking for laptops connected to the network was a painless process. Movies streamed very quickly, with no stuttering, in 720 by 480 resolution. Archos will be offering a hi-def plugin later this year which will allow users to play full 720p content on a high-def television.
Which brings us to one of our issues with the devices. Archos has done an admirable job reducing their prices, and the 33% price drop is surprisingly deep. Still, many users won't be satisfied with the device without spending more for additional features, and these quickly add up. Web browsing does not come bundled with the device, it requires an extra $30 fee, which seems steep for an Opera-based browser. The DVR Station, required to record shows to the PMP, costs another $100. All other plug-ins, which are software-based and include Hi-Def video, Video Podcast playback, Widgets functionality and Real Video playback, cost $20 each. This was much less acceptable on the last-generation device, which cost much more. Still, Archos says that only about 45% of users wanted a docking station, but that means that nearly half of the people who buy the device are going to need to spend an extra $100 to everything they want it to do.
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