Customer Reviews
poor video quality, makes it a quick 2 day return 
2008-04-09
i bought this instead of the 605 because it came with a keyboard and had a 7inch screen, but after two days im returning it for a 605. the reasons im returning it so quickly are; the touch screen is not as responsive as i was hoping for, i found myself tapping twice most of the time, the browser is slow for wifi, i didnt expect speeds like my computer but i felt like i was using the internet on my phone, and the main reason for the swift return, ONLY 260,000 COLORS! the video was horrible, i tried watching half baked on it and chappelle looks like he was drawn with pastels. the device didnt have enough colors so shadows, tents, and shades of colors all appeared to be the same color. the 605 has 16MILLION colors which i do suspect to be enough. the subpar video quality make a great product a dud,
i would not recommend this product to anyone.
PATHETIC Sound Levels!! Really Sub-Par! 
2008-03-19
So far, I am VERY unhappy with my Archos 705 Wi-Fi!!!
I can't believe how LOW the volume settings are!
Even if I use an external headphone amp (mine is called a Boostaroo), the volume is way too low!!
Put is this way: If I am on an airplane and eat anything crunchy, like a pretzel, I can't really hear the dialog!
And as for a "theater-like experience" -- forget about it!!
I have spent a great deal of money so far for my unit -- nearly $500 for the unit itself, $100 for the DVR station, $100 for extra batteries (my flights for work are almost all over 12 hours) and hundreds for downloads and driver add ons. For all that I have spent so far, I could have purchased a mini-PC!
But I DO like this unit -- and I DO want it to work better!!!
The features and navigation is very good -- as is the picture quality.
But the sound level is so low that I just can't enjoy this thing at all.
Shame on Archos!
It Gets you on the Accessories 
2008-03-17
The following review was written by my 13 yr old son, B.
The Archos 705 is a great product. I was about to get the 704 when I saw that this was cheaper. A lot of people say it's pretty neat when they see me with it. However, before buying it you may want to consider these:
-Price: So far, I've spent a total of $500 on it. I bought the actual Archos 705 (80gb) for $370, the Gen 5 DVR Station-which you can currently buy for $0.01 on ebay ($12 shipping)- for $80, (also, the 705 will work on the Gen. 4 DVR Station too) the $30 Web Browser Plug-in, and the $20 Cinema Plug-in. I will probably buy more accessories including the $30 704 battery that works on the 705 too, the last $20 Plug-in, and maybe some of the $10 games.
-You should buy an accessory: If you don't buy any of the accessories, then you will only be able to listen to some of your music (I tried syncing the Archos with iTunes and only some files would play without a certain plug-in), be able to put photos on to it, and I think you will be able to put videos on it. (You don't order the Plug-ins, you download them straight onto your computer.)
-Scheduled Recordings: You can easily program the Archos 705 to automatically record shows onto your Archos. It works really well because you can leave the house and it will record your stuff. You don't have to worry about leaving it on all day, it's not bad for it and the Archos and it doesn't get hot. You can schedule recordings once, daily or weekly. Also, you can title the video (using the keyboard on it or the one on the built-in remote) so then it will automatically title it for you if it's daily or weekly. The recorder can easily record videos on Demand. Unfortunately, the TV has to be on while recording and it won't automatically change channels for you. However, while recording, you can turn the volume on the TV all the way down. Remember that it does record the TV guide (if you use it) which may block part of your view. And, you must have a cable to record and a special cable for recording stuff from your iPod (you can't sync videos on it form iTunes.) Regardless of some things, it's basically a portable Tivo.
-The Touch screen: The touch screen is a little bit difficult to use. You have to use the tip of your nail. It's not as easy as the iTouch's even though the Archos comes with a 2 styli. The screen itself is 6" by 3.75".
-The Resolution: It doesn't have a really sharp image on the videos that you record on to it with the optional DVR Station. However, it is pretty good (definitely not as bad as the videos on youtube.)
-The Web: The Archos 705 will pick up a WiFi signal from about the same distance that a Mac can. You can easily type in your Web Code address and it will remember it for you. You can also open more then one tab at the same time on it and easily change back and forth through each. It comes with a remote that can act like a mouse (it even shows a little arrow.) Youtube works really well, but I don't know if/how to save videos to your Archos. The Web is a little slow, but it works really well. Google Docs can act as Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and even excel on the Archos. Note: unfortunately, it's not built for online games.
-The DVR Station: When you buy the $80 DVR Station, it comes with the same remote that Archos 705 comes with. This remote is $15 on the Archos website so, since you have 2, it's kind of a waist of money. The DVR Station also comes with an AC adapter-again, the same one that comes with the Archos 705- too. This adapter could cost up to $30. You can plug the adapter into the Archos or the DVR Station and it will power both so you don't need the second one. If these extra accessories didn't come with the DVR Station (Gen 5), then the cost could possibly be as low as $35.
-It's better than most: I think that the Archos 705 is better than the iTouch, mainly because you can record stuff on to it, where on the iTouch you have to buy everything on iTunes. Like the iTouch, the Archos 705 has stores on it that you can rent (videos only) and buy videos, and songs. The iTouch may be smaller and may have a slightly better touch screen, but I think the Archos 705 is better overall a mainly because of how you can record videos onto it. In fact, the Archos 605 "beat" the iTouch in a comparison article (on the Archos website.)
-Other: You should take the time to read the 80 page built-in owners manual. You have to register your Archos online at the Archos website in order to put any of the Plug-ins onto it. There is a headphone jack on the side. The Archos 705 is easy to use and has a lot of handy things on it (such as the 8 Widgets.) It automatically shuts off after 1-9 mins (under settings) except for when recording, and can be put on standby for quick start-up, or it can completely shut off. You can easily change the background picture on it too. The speakers aren't the best, but the work pretty well. It also comes with a small carrying case similar to the iPod. Unfortunately, the files are a little bit hard to manage but you can rename and delete them on the Archos. It also has a hold button.
I rated the Archos 705 4 stars mostly because of its price. However, I think that it's definitely worth getting. Lots of people who see it say they want one. It's much better than my Gen. 5 iPod. Although I have had to take out its battery sometimes because it froze, it's still very good. The Archos 705 is almost like a small computer with its WiFi (with google docs), videos, music, photos, and even better than a computer in a way because you can record stuff onto it. I would definitely recommend this.
Good, but a little funky 
2008-03-11
The main thing we use it for is WiFi browsing. The Opera browser is a bit too stripped down, so that it's awkward. There is very little documentation, and the touch screen is a bit temperamental.
We'd still buy it again.
Versatile device, but has a learning curve 
2008-02-08
This device is extremely flexible and can do many things well. The reason I bought it, however, was to avoid having to carry around DVDs for the kids in the car, on vacations, and so on. Of course, transferring commercial (that is, encrypted) DVDs to any device requires a bit of trickery. Many use programs such as DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink to rip video files off their DVDs to make backups (any one with kids knows that making backups of fragile, easily scratched DVDs is less a question of intellectual property rights than one of economic common sense). The Archos 705 will play these ripped files using the Cinema plugin (which you have to purchase from the Archos site). I am okay paying extra for the plugin (see the caveat below); however, the problem I encountered (and many others also, judging from other postings around the Internet) is that the volume level for ripped DVDs was too low to be useful, even with better headphones (not recommended for those with three young kids) and an auxiliary headphone amplifier (recommended since it gives you multiple headphone jacks for multiple kids).
Based on my experience to this point, it seems the best answer is to transcode the ripped VOB files (from the DVD) using software that allows you to increase the volume in the process. I know this sounds like a lot of effort: Not only is the whole world of codecs and framerates complex, but it the transcoding process itself is very time consuming--creating a high-quality copy can take several hours depending on your computing horse power). However, until we can transfer videos directly to the device (I am not holding my breath), some level of effort is going to be involved. Plus, the transcoded files can be (if you want) much smaller than the VOBs on the DVD.
I have had good success using Jesterware's DVD Ripper Professional to rip, decrypt, and transcode commercial DVDs on Windows. Note, however, that the software is not free (roughly $30). Think of it this way: You can buy transcoding software instead of the Archos' Cinema plugin because the transcoded AVI files play without a plugin.
For those who care, I have had even more success with DVD::Rip on Linux (which is, of course, free). Indeed, DVD:Rip plus MediaTomb (an open source streaming program for Linux) makes the Archos 705 a truly incredible little device. For example, I can store hundreds of gigabytes of music and video on a Linux server (visible to iTunes through Samba, by the way) and stream it all wirelessly via MediaTomb and the Archos "Universal Plug and Play" feature to any TV or stereo in my house (you can also do this using Windows Media Player 11 on a Windows server, of course). Then, if we are going on a trip, I can copy a subset of my digital content to the Archos' hard drive.
don't do it! 2008-06-30
bought and had to return. Volume was miserably low during video play back, could barley hear on airplanes. Archos service was terrible, plugins cost too much, video playback battery life too short, internet browser too clunky and ridiculously slow.
Amazon return service was great, still fighting Archos for refund on plugins.
A multi-media powerhouse! 2008-06-03
The list of what this video player can do has been well stated in previous reviews. So let's get to the good stuff! First and foremost, I received my 705 WiFi very quickly. That said, I opened the box to find everything neatly boxed and easy to find. This baby does everything and for the most part comes with everything you need to start experiencing your music and videos in a whole new light. Connecting to my home network was a breeze! DETAILED instructions are provided within the unit. They are easy to read and understand. While I was playing around with the device, my wife configured Windows Media Player. She does not dabble nor care much for electronics. However over the years I have ripped alot of her music into WMP and felt she should help setup this new toy. Within minutes we were listening to our favorite tunes, wireless. Granted the OPERA web browser isn't all that fast but it is adequate and better than my cell phone browser! I would recommend any and all of the plugins that interest you. I have the web browser, video enhanser, Dishnetwork plugin (free) and the Widget plugin. All were easy to download and install. Oh yeah, being able to record movies from my satelite dish...PRICELESS.
I love it but products never work as they show or advertise. 2008-05-23
This is a great device. This can play almost any type of media file including AVI, MP3 WMA and many others if you pay archos for them. I however haven't bought extra decoders and plug-ins from them yet, because it can get really expensive. It does not come with any software for your computer, you must use your own software that you have, or bought, or download, or something.
The main problem I think with this is the sound. Yes the sound reproduction is good but the volume is WAY TOO LOW even with the volume turned up all the way. No, I'm not deaf and yes, I know you have to turn the volume up all the way on the headphones themself that come with it. When I talk headphones I mean earphones or earbuds. This will not work with large headphones. Still even when I use other headphones the volume is just too low. Now, it can actually be loud though depending on what you listen to like good quality recordings of (rock, pop, rap and other stuff I don't like) and if you're not in a loud place, but for what I like to listen to such as classical recordings you'll miss a lot because you can't hear it. Forget about using this device in the city, a car or in other loud places. I haven't purchased isolating headphones yet but it may help a lot with this. Still if I compare the volume to other MP3 players such as the Toshiba Gigabeat and the creative Zen the volume is less than a third of what theirs are. Even the new models of the 705 have this problem (and all of archos players for that matter). Archos claims they did this to protect your hearing and to comply with international law. Maybe they did, but it's still a shame.
The second problem although in no way as big as the first is the battery life. Even reviewers here claim 20 hours of audio. Well, they simply haven't tried out the product and timed it because you will really get no more than eight hours of audio with the wifi turned off the screen to 20 seconds and hardly any messing around with it. Doesn't matter the bitrate or the format of the audio, it's all the same. No, there isn't anything wrong with my battery or unit, it's just the way it is. I do have a large 2X extended life battery 704 battery (supposed to work with 705 and it's not made by Archos) coming from an amazon merchant and I hope this remedies the poor battery life I'm getting. I have heard though that this battery is large, sticks out and is hard to fit. I haven't tried it much for video but I was able to watch an hour and a half video on it and it took off half of the bars from the battery indicator. So, if the indicator is right, and it seems to be, you should be able to get two and a half hours of video(gotta say less than three). Funny how audio playback doesn't last many more times then that. in Comparison to other products that I use for audio my Sony CD MP3 player that runs on ONE AA lasts 13 hours and the Gigabeat lasts six and the Zen four. All these have great volume levels too.
The thrid problem with this is you have to keep buying more. Now I haven't bought a whole lot yet, only a car adapter, a 2x battery and a fanny pack so I can take it hiking but just getting this means you're going to spend at least a 150 more just to get it to work right. The web browser is an extra 30 bucks and you must buy that if you plan to use the interweb on this thing. Not to mention the extra decoders that you must buy to play certain formats such as AAC(don't know if it's supported actually), MPEG2 and 4 and such.
I did buy this mostly for music and to take hiking. There is a problem though, this thing is big and heavy. Basically think about something the weight of a brick and thinned out into almost a one inch thick tablet. Another problem is this has really no places to hold on to it, it's just a slab. The solution?, a large fanny pack. Just put the screen lock on to keep from it doing stuff when that thing bounces around in there. There is yet another problem with that thought that can drain it's already mediocre battery life even more. Any touching of the screen will turn it on, even when it's locked, it just won't do anything. So you got to make sure you put it in a good spot and try not to bounce around too much or touch the fanny pack.
Still, it works better and has more features(even if you have to buy them) than any other media player I have ever owned. Just be aware of these things if you decide on the 705 or any Archos products.
Update: well I returned this product to Amazon and I'm hoping for at least most of my money back. Why would I return a product I thought was good? Well after more use the more I realize this thing is not worth it. The sound volume is just too intolerable, it really is that low. It also sounds pretty bad, just a lot of hissing and wind blowing sounds with all headphones(earbuds and earphones). The battery life for music is terrible and it's a big and heavy battery yet it still has a short life. Then there's the plug-ins, I had problems trying to purchase them and Archos is no help. Plus it is almost as big and heavy as my computer yet it costs more and does less.
Love it!! 2008-05-12
I've had my Archos 705 for over a month now and love it. I also like the big screen (others may not). I have the 80 gb and have already run out of space so if you like recording movies get the 160 GB. Now I don't have to boot up my laptop every time I want to watch a movie. Archos is very convenient and holds over 30 movies!!
On the down side the volume on play back is not that great and I had a hard time listening to my movies on the plane. I'll try a good noise reduction headset and see what happens. Also on the downside is all the extras you have to purchase.
Overall, I like the convenience and have no regrets purchasing it.
Almost perfert 2008-05-04
I have other Archos products and I am a stong advocate for these. I have been disappointed in two factors with the 705 WiFi. It has become a little less than very portable. It was very easy to carry around my 405 Archos but this Archos can not be placed in a pocket. I understand the larger screen and it is super to watch but to take this unit with me, it is like carrying around a purse (this bothers the male in me). Also I have a Sony Bravia HDTV which has many input connections but only an optical digital and a HDMI out. I can not record off the TV. I picked up an old VCR unit with a tuner which has RCA outputs so now it can record TV programs but this is limited by having to select a channal on the VCR first before the program can be recorded. It would have been nice to have the HDMI connection on this unit like the Archos TV unit possesses.
