Archos 404 review

Archos's 04 series of portable video players has many components, the smallest being the pocket-size 404. This is a fully fledged PVP with all the fixings and a 30GB drive, but this one measures only 99mm by 76mm by 15mm, and has an 89mm (3.5-inch) screen.

Though the 190g device doesn't record audio or video out of the box (you'll need to pony up either for the £62 dock or the £44 adaptor), it's still a nice deal at less than £200. The 404 replaces the popular Gmini 402, which is more compact but has a much smaller screen and no ability to record line-in video.

Design
The 404's main attraction is its compactness. It's comfortable in the hand and in most pockets, though it is just a tad too tall to get the ultimate grip on it. The 404's brushed-metal casing is extremely scratch resistant, though the overall design is boxy with sharper corners than, say, the iPod or the Cowon A2.

The 30GB Archos 404 next to the 30GB Archos 604. The 604 has a bigger and better screen, plus a removable battery and built-in kickstand. The 404 is more pocketable, but the placement of the headphone port on the lower left-hand side (and in the way) is unfortunate

The Archos 404 has excellent video capabilities with support for MPEG-4 ASP up to 720x480 at 30fps, WMV9 and WM DRM. There's no support out of the box for MPEG-2 or QuickTime files, but in our experience with the 404 and the bigger 604, many DivX files worked flawlessly (Archos will have MPEG-2 and H.264 plug-ins available soon). Video playback control is precise and responsive using the newly designed array of tactile buttons on the right side (lefties are out of luck). Some users will miss the older 402's Game Boy-style controls.

Each button is designed to be pressed in either the left or the right direction, including the special set of diagonal buttons that act as page-up/page-down keys when browsing and can skip/reverse about 30 seconds when playing content. Like the last version, the controls work in harmony with the GUI, with context-sensitive menus and submenus appearing on the expansive screen mapped to a specific button. The overall design reminds us of a sophisticated Swedish drum machine with its meticulous buttons and motion-filled on-screen interface. These buttons can be difficult to control blindly or in darkness.

Though no match for the 604's display, the 404's 89mm (3.5-inch) TFT anti-reflective display (320x240 pixels) is durable and scratch resistant and doesn't attract fingerprints (though you can get dust and other stuff lodged between the screen and the bezel). It's an ideal size for a 4:3 screen, as the rest of the body is so small. Next to the 604's 16:9 display, the 404's looks pixellated, and you'll definitely get the screen-door effect watching videos or viewing photos -- the 604's screen is much more smooth and colourful. You'll also get three lines of menu items (slightly more confusing) than the two on the 604. It's still a good display, though.

Features
The 404 plays MP3, WAV and protected WMA files and includes a voice recorder and a variety of audio EQs. The 404 boasts a built-in PDF document reader, a built-in mono speaker and an excellent photo viewer. Surprisingly, there is no FM tuner. We do like the fact that upon connecting to a computer, the 404 gives you the option of UMS (PC hard drive) or MTP (Windows device) modes. Transferring to and from a Mac (drag and drop) and Windows (autosyncing) was clean and quick.

What you won't get from the 404 is a built-in kickstand, a removable battery and the 16:9 widescreen of the 604, which incidentally costs about £80 more. There are many similarities with the other players in the 04 series, including the beautifully revamped and customisable GUI and general overall look and feel. You'll also have to contend with the proprietary USB cable and weak set of bundled accessories (no AC adaptor included, weak case and mediocre earbuds).