Лучшие клипы

We ran across other video-related shortfalls. During our many attempts to watch YouTube videos, an error continually popped up asking us to download the latest version of Flash. When we attempted to do that, another error message told us “the content is not supported on the device.” Thinking this was an error on our part, or perhaps a randomly flawed device, we decided to search online to see if anyone else appeared to be having the same problems. They were, and in large numbers. Looking through multiple message boards, it seems lots of Archos 5 users are encountering difficulty accessing YouTube, CNN videos, and content on many other free video sites. Some videos embedded within sites, such as those on Perez Hilton, played without a hitch, but this happened with only about one out of every five videos we attempted to play. We spoke with an Archos rep who claimed that the current Archos 5 model supports Flash Lite and that full Flash support will be available sometime in the first quarter of 2010.

Music quality was comparable to that of an Apple iPod Nano, and within the Options screen we could toggle between speaker presets. While listening to The Posies’ “I Guess You’re Right,” the Live preset took on a raw sound, the Techno one sounded muted, Jazz emphasized the cymbals, and Classic highlighted the vocals. We could easily make a playlist with a few taps through the Options tab. One cool feature within the music function is the option to listen to FM radio either locally or worldwide through Web radio via Wi-Fi. Using Web radio, we quickly found out that some Parisian electronica is pretty great and Belgian college kids listen to some strange tunes.

We were able to add PDF files to the Archos 5 using the proprietary USB cable, and Microsoft Word documents displayed with exceptional clarity and readability. Ironically, only one of the five PDFs we loaded actually displayed. It looked fine, but we're frustrated that the others would not show. We like that the ThinkFree Android app, which was necessary to read the document, kept it in the same Microsoft Word format. (Unfortunately, this meant we had to zoom in to read and pan the screen constantly to read the full text.)

More disconcerting: The Archos 5 frequently froze when we attempted to perform simple tasks, such as use the browser or click through music files. When it froze, we held down the power button until we were given the option to reboot, which we had to do every time to get the device running again.

Getting a full charge on the battery takes about an hour, but the Archos 5 gets uncomfortably hot while charging. Once charged, Archos claims the device will last up to 22 hours with music playback and 7 hours with video playback. With our light usage, playing some music and some video, and browsing the Web, we found ourselves charging it every other day.

A few available accessories can make the Archos 5 experience richer. Outputting photos or video to a television requires the $49.99 Battery Dock. A high-definition software plug-in is available for $20; it enables clear and unlimited 720p video playback from WMV HD, MPEG-4, and MPEG-2 formats. Another optional addition is the $139.99 DVR Station. This provides ultimate connectivity with a television, enabling recording and content transmission to the Archos 5 and vice versa.

Many of these additional accessories overlap in features. For example, the DVR Station functions as a "permanent" fixture for your TV, meant to remain conveniently connected for quick access. The DVR Snap-On ($79.99) functions similarly to the DVR Station, but it's more portable and does not play back in HD. There is also the Mini-Dock ($14.99), which allows the unit to be charged from a wall outlet while also providing additional output options via ports, while the aforementioned Battery Dock performs like the Mini-Dock with the addition of an external battery to provide longer battery life (up to 5 hours). These optional accessories would surely make this a well-equipped device for anyone with a large library of movies and pictures on their computer, but we’re disappointed that they (or their aggregate functionality) aren’t just included in the base price.