Archos 5 60GB review

Many MP3 players can also handle video, but it's often a poorly implemented afterthought.

The Archos 5 is designed for the job, hence its 800x480 pixel display. Nearly five inches across, it's larger and clearer than that of any other portable video player we've seen.

Movies looked impressively bright and rich. The Archos can be rested on a table using a flip-out kickstand, and thanks to the LCD's wide viewing angles, two people can watch together in comfort. The 60GB hard disk is enough for many hours of entertainment, though it's a shame there's no memory card slot for adding even more storage.

The 5 supports a wide range of video standards, but Archos charges extra for MPEG2 and the increasingly popular H.264: the necessary software plug-ins cost 30 Euros (about £23). The 5 can also play music in MP3 and WMA formats, but you'll have to buy yet another optional plug-in if you need AAC. Inevitably, you still can't play iTunes' Protected AAC tracks - they're exclusive to iPods. The supplied headphones need more bass, but otherwise sounded good enough. Our Windows Media Player playlists worked fine.

The Archos lasted over 22 hours when playing music, which compares favourably with dedicated MP3 players. Playing video, the battery gave up after four hours and 24 minutes - plenty for a film, but some players, such as the iPod classic (admittedly with a smaller screen), go for twice this long.

Impressively, the 5 has integrated WiFi, so it can play music and video stored on a networked computer or media server, or download tracks from the Internet at a WiFi hotspot. You can even browse the web and check your email. The large display acts a a touchscreen to control functions; it's not as responsive, accurate or as satisfying to use as the iPod touch, and doesn't recognise multi-touch gestures, but it works well enough.

The Archos 5 isn't cheap, and its battery won't keep video playing throughout a long trip, but it's the best portable video player we've seen.

Author: Alan Lu