Archos704
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Archos 704 TV headed for France
GenerationMP3 reports that France is set to get its own version of the Archos 704 PMP, dubbed the Archos 704 TV, which'll boast a few notable additions and at least one notable omission. Sure to please folks in France the most are the two TNT tuners integrated into the cover of the device, which will let 'em pick up digital TV signals from the Télévision Numérique Terrestre service -- France's equivalent to Freeview. Unfortunately, that seems to have come at the expense of integrated WiFi, which has apparently been dropped from the device. Otherwise, the device looks to be virtually identical to the regular 704, with the same 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen and somewhat hefty 22 ounce carrying weight. If that trade-off works for you, and you live in France, you should be able to grab one by the end of June for 549€ ($736).
Archos 704 WiFi reviewed
We've already had our hands on Archos' 704 WiFi "portable" media player, but the thing's also been making the usual rounds, recently landing in PC Magazine's lap for a full review. All in all, they seem to have been pretty impressed with the player, especially by its big and bright 7-inch display and, of course, its titular WiFi capabilities. On the downside, they not surprisingly found the player to be big and heavy, and they were less than impressed with the need for a docking station (sold separately) to do any recording with the unit. That wasn't enough to stop the 704 from snagging a 4 out of 5 rating, however, with PC Mag saying that the player is "worth all of its $550 price."[Via dapreview.net]
More Archos 704 specs spilled
This one is just looking hotter every minute. According to a product page at Beach Audio which has seemingly jumped the gun -- though by how much is unclear, still no release date -- the 704 Mobile DVR from Archos has a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, sufficient for playing DVDs at full resolution. There's also an 80GB HDD, and the ability to stream video straight from your PC over WiFi. The wording is a bit unclear, but it sounds like the DVR functionality comes from a USB add-on accessory or dock. Beach Audio is quoting a rather odd $527.99 price for the unit, and we're still unclear on a few things, but what we are pretty sure of is that the 704 is going to be a major contender for your internet tablet / portable video dollar.[Via Generation MP3 and ArchosLounge]
