Archos 404 and 604 media players
updated 09:30 am EDT, Mon August 14, 2006
Archos 404 and 604
Early news has surfaced about Archos' next generation of media players. The company, which was one of the first to release portable video players, is set to launch a new line of players in September. An early look at both models shows some common traits: both have a 30 GB hard drive, 15 hours of battery life (4 for video), and support for MP3/WMA/WAV audio formats as well as DivX/MPEG-4/WMV/XviD video. Curiously, Archos plans to offer support for AAC, MPEG-2, VOB and more for an additional price. Read about the differences and see full photos after the jump.
The main difference between the 404 and 604 is the screen: the 404 holds a 3.5-inch screen that runs at a 4:3 ratio of 320x240; the 604 uses a 4.3-inch widescreen display very similar to that of the PSP. There will also be some useful accessories, such as a DVR station that lets people record 640x480 video from any component, RCA, and S-Video inputs. In Europe, the prices will translate roughly to $420 for the 404 model and $480 for the 604.
