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Archos 504 40GB Portable Digital Media Player and Recorder (500869)

Archos 504 40GB Portable Digital Media Player and Recorder (500869)

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Brand: Archos
Category: CE

List Price: $349.99
Buy New: $198.96
You Save: $151.03 (43%)



New (6) Used (1) from $198.96

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 15 reviews
Sales Rank: 17926

Color: Grey
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Hard Drive Size: 40
Native Resolution: 4.3
Display Size: 4.3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 5 x 1 x 3

MPN: 500869
Model: 500869
UPC: 690590508699
EAN: 0690590508699
ASIN: B000HAVWR8

Release Date: September 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Features:
  • Lightweight and portable digital video, movie, music player and photo viewer with easy-to-use, intuitive controls and a bright 4.3-inch TFT LCD screen
  • 40 gigabyte hard disk lets you store up to 20,000 songs, 400,000 pictures, or 113 regular movies or 29 DVDs, or any combination thereof
  • Compatible with MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA music files, JPEG, BMP, and PNG picture files, and MPEG-4 and WMV video files
  • Uses high-speed USB 2.0 for both file transfers and charging, and includes a removable, rechargeable Lithium-Ion polymer battery with up to 17 hours of music and 5.5 hours of video life
  • Lets you play music through a stereo or videos over your TV via an optional docking station, weighs only 11.15 ounces, and measures approximately 5.1 x 3 x 0.9 inches (W x H x D)

Accessories:

  • Archos 500856 DVR Docking Station for Archos 404/504/604 Media Players
  • Archos DVR Travel Adapter
  • Archos Helmet Camcorder (500876)
  • Archos Portable Speakers
  • Archos 504 Stand Case Black (500907)

Similar Items:

  • Archos 500856 DVR Docking Station for Archos 404/504/604 Media Players
  • Archos Docking Adapter Kit (500879)
  • Archos 504 Stand Case Black (500907)
  • Archos DVR Travel Adapter
  • Video Cables for Archos 404 504 & 604 Series

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Product Description
With the Archos 500869 504 40GB Portable Digital Media Player and Recorder you have all the entertainment you need at your fingertips, in a package that stays ultra portable. The perfect companion for everything from long trips to short bus rides, from going to parties to just hanging out around the house, the Archos 504 lets you not only take your favorite music, movies, and moments with you, but helps you create and have new favorite moments wherever you happen to be.

With a screen size surface three times that of similar size PMPs (portable media players), the Archos 504 ensures you can thoroughly enjoy movies and videos. This unit uses a bright, 4.3-inch TFT LCD display with over 16 million colors to provide you a crystal-clear, sharp picture with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 480 x 272 pixels of resolution, as well as an intuitive GUI (graphic user interface) for easy-to-use navigation. The Archos 504 not only plays your videos and movies, but lets you store over a whopping 113 regular movies or 29 DVD-quality movies on its hard drive in either MPEG-4 or WMV formats, at up to DVD resolution. You can also purchase and download optional plug-ins from Archos' website that will allow you to play H.264 and MPEG-2 formats up to DVD resolutions as well.

Not only is the Archos 504 a portable video and movie player, but a high-resolution photo viewer as well, complete with features such as zoom, music, and transition effects. You can easily download photos from your PC, or transfer them directly to the 504 from your digital camera via the optional docking adapter. This unit is compatible with JPEG, BMP, and PNG file formats, and can hold up to 400,000 photos at a time, depending upon file size and what else you are storing at the same time. The Archos 504 can even read and display PDF documents for on-the-fly work situations, although it may not implement all PDF features.

For those times when you can't afford the distraction of watching high-quality videos, the Archos 504 can be your music player, storing and playing up to 20,000 songs so you can keep working, walking, or doing whatever you need with your own private soundtrack. This unit displays the track, artist, album, and album cover of whatever you are playing, and supports stereo MP3 decoding from 30 to 320 kbps CBR and VBR, as well as WMA, protected WMA, and WAV (PCM/ADPCM) formats. Furthermore, the Archos 504 can play AAC music files, and AC3 stereo sound files with the additional of optional software plug-ins that can be purchased and downloaded from Archos' web site. And just in case inspiration strikes or you want to make sure you don't forget something important, this handy media player lets you make voice recordings through its built-in microphone, or via the optional DVR travel adapter or DVR station through a stereo line-in jack in WAV format.

The Archos 504 is fully compatible with DVD-quality VOD (video on demand) and online music stores, allowing you to purchase and download new music and movies directly online rather than having to transfer everything from more traditional media sources. This media player can also record directly from TV in high-quality MPEG-4 with stereo sound via the optional DVR station, so you can take your favorite television shows with you wherever you go. And if you are at home, the Archos 504 can play back any of your movies or recorded TV programs on your television itself, also through the optional DVR station.

The Archos 504 has a built-in 40 gigabyte hard disk so you have plenty of space for anything you need, and includes a high-speed USB 2.0 connection for transferring files. This unit features a 3.5-millimeter stereo headphone jack mini-jack and TV output, and dedicated connectors for hooking up optional adapters or the DVR station. The 504 also features a music playback time of up to 17 hours, and a video playback time of up to 5.5 hours on its built-in LCD display, all with its internal, removable lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery that charges via computer through its USB port, or more quickly with the optional docking adapter or DVR station, or a separate optional power charger. The Archos 504 is compatible with both PCs and Macs with a USB port and Linux, Windows ME or higher, or OS X or higher, and requires Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher and Windows Media Player 10 or higher for use with PlayForSure video and subscription services. This media player allows firmware updates to be downloaded via www.archos.com, weighs approximately 11.15 ounces, and measures approximately 5.1 x 3 x 0.9 inches (W x H x D).

What's in the Box
Archos 504 portable media player, headphones, dedicated USB 2.0 cable, DVR station adapter, protective case, quick-start guide, and legal and safety notices.

Product Description
The Archos 504 40GB Digital Media Player has a large capacity and large screen Portable Multimedia Player, which supports all standard video formats in full DVD resolution. The bright, 4.3-inch TFT screen with 16 million colors, ideal for watching videos and viewing photos. Watch DVD-quality video playback on your TV with the optional DVR station. Also, record directly from TV in high-quality MPEG-4 with optional DVR station. PDF document viewer Audio recording - Voice recording through the built-in Microphone USB 2.0 High-Speed Device Interfaces (backwards compatible with USB 1.1) 3.5 mm stereo headphone mini-jack connections and TV output (Audio/Video cable not included) Battery life - Up to 17 hours Music playback time, up to 5.5 hours Video playback time on built-in LCD System requirements - Windows ME, 2000, XP or higher, Mac OS 10.3.9 and Linux with mass storage device support Dimensions - Approximately 5.1 x 3 x 0.9-inch, 130 x 78 x 23 mm / Weight - 315 grams, 11.15 ounces


Customer Reviews:   Read 10 more reviews...

1 out of 5 stars Not worth the hassle   March 25, 2008
The first one that I received did not work out of the box. It would not even accept a firmware upgrade. The second unit required 3 phone calls to technical support and 2 hours to get it to accept a firmware upgrade. After it would finally accept new music, there was a staticky hiss so loud that it drowned out the music on low volumes. The third unit accepted the firmware upgrade immediately so I was hopeful. It also had the hiss that was so loud I couldn't listen to music on it. I'm giving up and will now try another brand.


5 out of 5 stars Archos 504   January 12, 2008
Purchased this item as a storage solution for digital photos. The item is easy to use, allows easy acces to all photos, and provides a large viewing area for the photos. It is large enough to view the pictures without a magnifying glass, yet small enough for a woman to carry in her purse. It raises the term "Brag Book" to the electronic age.


5 out of 5 stars I really enjoy my Archos   November 20, 2007
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Love my Archos. I'm computer literate, but not really gadjet literate. This gave me some initial frustration when learning how to transfer content. Now I have my music, pictures, movies and tv shows on it, and I really enjoy using the archos. Especially on flights when I don't feel like reading.


3 out of 5 stars Decent Value but Flawed   November 19, 2007
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Decent Value for what you get. Glad I didnt shell out the 300-400 bucks for it when it first came out. Yes, as other reviewers mentioned, to get all of the functionality that is advertised, you'll have to shell out more money. Also, as mentioned by other reviewers, the case that comes with this unit isnt adequate. The design is poor and wont protect the unit if you drop it.

This unit is best used if completely stationary. It freezes when moving, so not great for MP3's when on the move (walking at a fast pace). Obviously, because of its size and weight, AND propensity to freeze, not good for jogging.

Yes, there might be a static issue that some people have claimed causes the unit to shut down- I haven't experienced this. But another reason the unit freezes is that you are carrying around a laptop-hard drive (you can see it when you remove the battery).

These drives are designed to stop working when too much movement occurs. This is done to make sure that your hard-drive doesnt crash and you lose all of your information. If you know anything about hard drives, you know that this was a big problem with early hard-drive designs.

Not sure why they didnt just design these with solid state memory (the kind you see in most mp3 players- maybe cost related). At any rate, just be prepared to remove the battery and snap it back in, if the unit freezes.

The only other issue I've experienced is the unit freezing when I was recording a presentation(obviously the unit was stationary). It froze sometime during the recording. When I reset the unit, the data from the recording was corrupted and therefore lost. Yes, not pleased to learn this the hard way!

BUT, it does well to serve as a great portable media unit to use when in a car, on a plane, or to switch info back and forth from your PC to have on the go. Also, if you get the travel DVR unit and the additional cable to play on your tv, you can both record dvd's, tv programs, AND play stuff on your TV (but again have to shell out additional money). You'll also have to invest more if you want the proper codecs that let you play additional formats. BUT I'm cool with just having .AVI and MP3's for now.

In re to powering this thing up: Not a big deal plugging into my laptop at home or work. It powers up just fine. Not sure how well the "very hard to get ac adater cable" is, but you'll be fine without it. I think you can get a 3rd party one for around 20 bucks, but again you don't really need it in my opinion.

The sound from the speakers aren't great, but most portable units dont have great sound- that is if they even have external speakers at all. Make sure to get your own set of headphones, dont use the ones that come with the unit. The sound that is played from my personal headphones is adequate. Not supurb, but not terrible.

Also, you can buy an additional battery for the unit, which is nice. I havent had to need a replacement, as you would only really need this for really long trips.

Overall, not a bad price for what it does. Definitely some flaws. I would not purchase any of the more expensive models until I was sure these flaws were addressed.

You can get this unit from Walmart with the mini-dvr adapter for the same price you see here. If you want the most from this unit however, for another 80 bucks, you can get the full-sized DVR unit. But, it's not really all that travel friendly. Think I covered everything. Hope this review is helpful!






1 out of 5 stars STATIC SENSITIVE   October 17, 2007
 1 out of 2 found this review helpful

I bought an Archos 504 from Target a few months back. Right out of the box it was having boot errors. Basically, when hitting the power button, the LCD backlight would turn on, but there would be no actual activity. No boot screen, nothing. Probably because I was wearing shoes and in my car when I opened it? lol. I digged and digged through the manual to find any sort of hard reset. Holding down the power button for 15 seconds works. GREAT! A WAY OUT! ... Not exactly, because regardless of whether you do that when it is on OR off, after 10 seconds of being on, it turns itself back off; defeating the purpose of any sort of reset.

The hard reset worked ONCE, and I had it set up, watching videos on my TV via the docking station for a grand total of about 25 minutes. I go to my girlfriend's house for about an hour, come back and try to watch a video in my bed, holding the screen [no shoes or static conductivity of any kind]. It stays black again. This time, as many hard resets as I make, nothing happens.

So to sum it up, within 25 minutes of actual usage, the unit was toast. How or why, I can only imagine was a micron of static electricity, since I have run into that problem on previous occasions. I had also been previously told that there is no grounding between the entirity of the electronics and the metal casing. Who does that?

In other words, don't buy this item if you have ever static shocked anyone or any THING in your entire life, lol. Oh, and wear a static wrist band while using it or you may regret it.






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