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Archos 504 80GB Portable Digital Media Player and Recorder (500870)

Archos 504 80GB Portable Digital Media Player and Recorder (500870)Brand: Archos
Category: CE

List Price: $399.99
Buy Used: $109.00
as of 9/8/2010 23:18 CDT details
You Save: $290.99 (73%)



Used (4) from $109.00

Seller: twelc
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars 68 reviews
Sales Rank: 40659

Color: Grey
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Hard Drive Size: 80
Display Size: 4.3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 5 x 1 x 3
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.

MPN: 500870
Model: 500870
UPC: 690590508705
EAN: 0690590508705
ASIN: B000HAVWUA

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

Features:
  • Lightweight and portable digital video, movie
  • Photo viewer with easy-to-use
  • Compatible with MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA music files
  • Uses high-speed USB 2.0 for both file transfers and charging
  • Lets you play music through a stereo or videos over your TV via an optional docking station

Accessories:


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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
ARCHOS 500870 AV504 Portable Digital Video Recorder (80 GB) Stores up to 200 movies, 600,000 photos or 40,000 songs with 80 GB hard drive; Features high-quality video on a 4.3" color screen; Records from a TV, VCR, DVD player & cable box or a satellite receiver with an optional ARO500856 Digital Video Recorder Station; Plays multiple video formats including MPEG-4, WMV2, protected WMV2 in DVD quality ; Reads H2643, MPEG-24 & VOB4 files with optional plug-in; Views & displays JPEG photos & slide shows with music & transition effects on TV; Reads PDF documents & plays MP3, WAV, WMA & protected WMA files AV504 Portable Digital Video Recorder (80 GB)

Amazon.com Product Description
With the Archos 500870 504 80GB 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 make 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 226 regular movies or 58 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 800,000 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 40,000 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 80 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.


Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 68
1 2 3 4 5 6 ...14Next »



5 out of 5 stars Very Impressive Device   October 9, 2006
Buckwheat (usa)
24 out of 25 found this review helpful

I've had the good fortune of owning 3 generations of this device. Starting w/the AV320, then the AV500, now the 504.
In my opinnion, this device is not a 100 out of 100, but pretty darn close.
I got the 80g version from Amazon for the great price of $359.00 - a real bargain.
I've converted a bunch of DVD's on my computer using iriverter, and just dragged and dropped them onto the player. Done the same with my music and photo files. All transfers were speedy and easy.
The device works great for all 3 functions. The video is bright, sharp and seamless on the 4.3 in screen. Audio sharp and clear. Pictures brilliant. You can watch a slide show w/effects while palying tunes.
Only minor drawbacks: Totally worthless carrying sack, lack of video codecs native to machine.
Navigational buttons take a little getting used to, but not bad at all once you get the hang of it.
I can't wait till the dock becomes available and I personally am not bothered by having to spend a few extra bucks to get it.
$359.00 for a player of this caliber is more than worth it.
I could go on and on, but I'll just say - I love this player.



5 out of 5 stars Another Archos Success   September 22, 2006
Doggymcnuggets (Bedford, IN USA)
22 out of 24 found this review helpful

I purchased the 80GB 504 as an update to the Archos Gmini 400, which was a pretty awesome device itself. The 504 is great. Unlike certain other fine products (Ipod, Toshiba), the 504 is really a dedicated video device, with a huge screen that takes up most of the front real estate on the unit making the most of portable video.

The 504 handles video, audio, and photos wonderfully. The screen is beautiful and vibrant and the interface is simple and effective. I love the ability to customize the desktop appearance with personal photos and color settings. Playback of video is smooth and I've had no problems with sound/video sync or file compatibility. The operating system is pleasingly quick, especially when viewing photos. A nice improvement on the 504 from my Gmini is the ability to view photos while listening to music. The audio quality is very good. It is worth noting that the CNET review mentioned poor audio quality as a downside, but Archos has issued a firmward upgrade that made noticeable improvement of audio quality.

Archos has taken a new approach with their pricing and design of the 504, primarily through requiring additional accessories for full functionality (audio and video recording, USB host functions, etc). While some have complained about this, I like it. The base units are priced very attractively. The previous generation 100GB Archos AV500, for example, records video out of the box but sells for closer to $500. With the 504 I can spend $350 on a wonderful video/mp3 player with a big hard drive and spend another $100 later for the optional DVR station. I think Archos has taken the right step by offering consumers flexibility-a great base unit is now available for much less, but the full range of functionality is available to those who want to spend more.



5 out of 5 stars Good PMP!   November 2, 2006
L. Stanton (Chugiak , Ak)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

I purchased the 504 80 gig a week ago now and I think it was worth every penny to me. I like having a good amount of storage capacity to store video and music for my business trips. The 504 has everything I need.

Music playback is exceptional to me. I was able to transfer over my collection of music without a hitch. I love that I can hook this player as a mass storage device and not have to rely on windows media player to sync and transfer stuff.

Video playback is great. With a little conversion to a playable format everything works good. I have Tivo so I transfer alot of shows to my computer so that Windows media player can do the converison for you. There are other options for this if you look around a bit. I can't wait for them to release the mpeg 2 plugin for the 504 that will really cut the conversion time of files.

Pictures look exceptional as well. Not much needed to be said about this aspect of the player.

The two cons that really comes to mind in my week of use is that it should have come with an AC adapter supplied and the case that came with it is useless. The case can only be used for carrying the device. You can't do anything with the player in the case.

Overall this player is exceptional in my opinion.



5 out of 5 stars DRM Tips   January 15, 2007
Captain D (Fort Hood, TX)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I recently bought the Archos 504, the DVR station and the extended life battery. I also closely researched several other models and brands (604, Cowon A2, and Creative Zen). What won me over to this model was the removable battery, the large hard drive capacity and the ability to not only listen to music, watch videos, but also read PDFs. Although I will say I have not been successful with Adobe when attempting to register a new device for protected e-book files. I tried transferring a protected PDF but was not able to view it on the Archos. Hopefully, they will come out with a firmware upgrade or Adobe will wake up and recognize more devices soon.

While I love the Archos itself, I have had problems with using Windows Media Player (both 10 & 11) to transfer music and video files that I have bought online, despite the PlaysForSure deal. I stumbled upon one suggestion that the music files needed to be played at least once through on the computer I bought them on to get the DRM license acquired (music was bought on MusicMatch & Urge). I spent a few hours letting this music play through. Although sometimes the music (on the computer) would only play a few seconds and jump to the next song (as though it couldn't get the license), if I went back and restarted the song that stalled, it would be successful the secord or third time, and then play all the way through. I deleted all the music off my Archos from my problematic first sync and then started the process all over again. This time (after letting the music files play through), the music transferred over and played on the Archos without errors.

Also, with the DVR station, I haven't figured out how to use Yahoo TV to schedule shows to record yet (the directions are a bit sketchy). I have, however, been able to use my cable box DVR, from TimeWarner digital cable (a Boston Scientific model, I think) to record shows. Once I have recorded them, I can select the "Record to VCR" option, hit record on the Archos videocorder screen while its docked and it will retrieve the pre-recorded show. The transfer was slightly faster than the actual length of the show, but not by much. Also, you can manually schedule a recording on the Archos itself, which would avoid the extra step of transferring a pre-recorded show and just record in real time when the show is scheduled. I haven't done that yet, but will try it soon.

I have not tested the battery life (normal or extended) but fully expect it to be plenty sufficient (between both batteries) for my upcoming trans-Atlantic trip when I deploy.

I am thrilled with how easy it is to use in the hard-drive USB mode and transferred family pictures quickly and without any issues. I also like being able to select your own color scheme and wallpaper.

While I have read some complaints about the screen's viewing angles, I think they're superb and easy to see from the side or tilted.

Also, one other thing to realize is that the USB cable is proprietary, so I'm not sure how you could accomplish using it as a USB host without involving the DVR docking station.

Overall a great, multi-functional product!!



5 out of 5 stars So far...IT'S GREAT   January 24, 2007
BobDes (NY)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This unit is great. Nice heft to it. Does not feel like a cheap platic toy.
The size is pefect and while it is a bit too big for my pants pocket, it does fit.

The picture and video quality is perfect. The films do not lag or pixelate in the least bit. Very smooth and easy instructions that will soon become second nature to navigate. Files are loaded with a very easy drag-n-drop feature. The photo viewer and slideshow are very nice as well.

The only negatives I have is that the sound is horribly low (even at full volume) you will HAVE to use earphones or buy an small external speaker at Best Buy for a couple of bucks. Also, in order to play VOB files you MUST download a CINEMA plug-in for $19.99 from the ARCHOS web page. Very easy to install and set-up. I just don't understand wy this wasn't part ofthe program to start with. Kind of cheesy on their part.

Overall, if you love to watch TV or movies...you'll really like this unit. I haven't recieved my TV dock yet, so I can't comment on that.

So far...I am really enjoying this. :-)


Showing reviews 1-5 of 68
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