Archos recently introduced a new line of portable media players, including the 404 (30gb), 504 (40gb and 80gb), and 604 (30gb). All three models are currently available through the web, and we've seen the 504 at some B&M retailers like CompUSA and Target. A 160gb version of the 504 is supposed to show up pretty soon, and a WiFi-enabled version of the 604 is coming later.


They all share a shiney new design but we were disappointed to find that codec support was still limited to MP3, WMA, and WAV audio along with WMV and MPEG-4 SP videos. Same as their last model, the AV500. The basics are there but we want more choices these days, modern codecs like OGG, FLAC, AAC, H.264, and AC3.

Archos did pledge to support some of these formats through downloadable plug-ins (software), to be made available at some point in the future. However, there was a catch: upgrades would have to be purchased separately.

As much as that sucks, at least they delivered. The first plug-in was posted this week. At Archos.com you buy the Video Podcast plug-in which adds support for H.264 video and AAC audio in .mp4, .m4v, and .mov containers. A firmware update is required, and there's new firmware version available for all 3 models.

The price? 20 Euro ($25 USD). Ouch. While some of that surely goes to licensing costs, we're guessing that a good chunk of it goes right into their pockets. Of course, you certainly don't have to buy it.

A second upgrade in still in the works, the Cinema plug-in. This one will add support for MPEG-2 and AC3 in .vob, .mpg and .ps (?) containers.

Archos.com Plug-ins