Archos 405 2GB > Reviews > You get what you pay for - So buy the next one up!

Author's product rating:   

Sound Level	Excellent
Instructions	Helpful / Easy to Follow
Value for Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Music quality, size, design
Disadvantages:	memory, video quality, no docking station

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

On my daily commute to work I found that my ipod simply wasn't cutting it anymore in terms of staving off the boredom, and I couldn't bring myself to read the free Metro as it has the journalistic quality of a nursery newsletter - produced by the children. Therefore a solution was needed. What could be better than watching TV on the way to work?? I tried the ipod video a while back and sold it again within 2 months as it was so infuriating. Then I happened upon Archos, problem solved...

I wanted to go for the 605 Wifi model (£300) but finances dictated otherwise and I opted for the "baby" model - just over £100 for half the spec - the 405. Both models are part of Archos' 5th generation portable media players (Pmps). The 405 is basically a lower spec 605 model without the Wifi. As the majority of my usage would take place on the underground I decided that I did not require internet access and so the 405 would do me fine…

The lesson that I have learnt from previous experiences - and this one - is that when it comes to technology it is not always the best option to go for the cheaper option. I shall explain why this is the case with the 405…
Firstly the memory. The 405 only comes with 2G built in flash memory (about enough for 2 movies / 20,000 photos / 1000 songs). There is a SD card slot which means theoretically you could buy a 32gb memory card and up the memory exponentially. However, with cost a factor in my purchase then I didn't want to start having to add extras. Plus bear in mind a 16gb memory card can set you back up to £100.
With this in mind I was deeply upset when I discovered that I would have to purchase a docking station (best part of £50) in order to record from the TV to the device. As I said earlier my main reason for buying this device was to watch TV while on the move and straight away I was paying an extra £50 for the priviledge.

Having shelled out on this I have to say that the picture quality of the device reflects the fact that the unit was just over £100 to buy. The first problem is that the screen is a traditional square format rather than widescreen which causes whatever you're watching to appear boxed up and a little cramped in comparison to watching it at home on the widescreen. The picture quality too is not great. While video playback is smooth and fast, the low resolution (320x240) screen does not offer any substantial quality. Even when viewing images the quality is less sharp than I would have hoped for.
With videos, the only default supported formats are WMV and MPEG4. If you want to watch higher quality videos such as podcasts or dvd-quality videos (MPEG-2) then you have to download the codecs. These cost 15 each! Whilst I like Archos as a general rule and think their products are durable and sleek looking, this idea of having to spend £15 to get a specific format add-on is a bit of a con.

The 405 does not come with a kickstand and so while I am watching media on the train this is not a problem but at home it can become tiresome to hold it or have to prop it up against something.
The navigation keys on this device are not the easiest to use. The 605 has a touchscreen facility as does the new Itouch and so again with more expenditure you will get the quality and ease that this capability provides. Mastering the 405's navigation system is not an easy task.

There are a lot of bad points to this player. However, to be fair there are a share of positives to be had. The player offers up to 5 hours of video playback time and up to 16 hours audio.
If you purchase the docking station then you have the ability to connect the player up to a TV and play media through that which is a nice touch.
The design is sleek as I have come to expect from Archos and the dimensions are excellent (99.6x78x13.2) which means this really can fit in a pocket. It only weighs 146g as well so the "portability" is excellent.
The main plus for this little player is the quality of the audio. Bass is excellent and tunes sound crisp and sharp. To get the best out of it though you will need to dispose of the standard headphones that come with the player in favour of something with a little more quality (again at a cost).
Functionality-wise, whenever you browse the library, the player stops playing the current song. This is particularly frustrating.

A conclusion is difficult to come to on this product. I have a lot of negatives but that is in comparison to its bigger brother, the 605. As a product unto itself, for just over £100 you are getting an expandable pocket media player with music, video and picture capabilities all in a small frame. Personally I would recommend you save the pennies and opt for either an Itouch or the 605 which offer countless more features such as notably wifi, touch screen and much bigger memory. If you do opt for this model then take into consideration the hidden costs of the docking station, extra memory and codec add-ons.

In the box: Archos 405 portable media player, headphones, USB cable, DVR Station Gen 5 adapter, protective pouch, quick start guide, and legal/safety notice.