Archos 604 review

Making your way through episodes from your favourite TV series' is a great way to make boring journeys fly by.

The only problem is that carrying a laptop around with you wherever you go is a bulky solution, and unless you have a generous supply of batteries, it's also a short-lived one. After all, there are few laptop batteries that can endure a two-hour Hollywood blockbuster without creating their own premature cliffhanger ending.

This is where the Archos 604 steps in. It's a portable multimedia player that can play video and audio files from its internal 30GB hard disk. Even with the screen on full brightness and the volume on full, it can manage four and a quarter hours of video playback.

Getting suitable video files on and off the Archos is easy thanks to the supplied USB cable, which also charges the player. You can either drag-and-drop files, or use the 604 in MTP Media Player mode, which allows Windows Media Player 10 to automatically convert incompatible files to a format the Archos can play.

If you've been tempted by the video capabilities of the new iPod, but found its screen too small, then you'll love the Archos' generous 4.3in screen. Its 480 x 272 resolution matches that of its stablemate, the AV500. The screen is bright and image quality was great with vibrant colours - our test clips from Lost looked particularly good. The glossy screen was aggravatingly reflective under bright lights, though.

First impressions were great and the 604's brushed metal exterior and reassuringly weighty build ooze quality. But it's not just a pretty face and the solid, flex-free body feels more than capable of withstanding a life on the road. We weren't so enamoured with the supplied soft carry case, which although good enough for fending off scratches, just isn't robust enough to protect the sizable colour screen.

The 604 is better than the AV500 in several areas - the image quality and ease of use are markedly improved, and its even a few quid cheaper. However, the loss of video recording without buying the optional DVR docking station is a real shame.