Archos 5 Internet Tablet review

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet (A5IT) is the first device we’ve seen to run the Android mobile operating system that isn’t a mobile phone. It’s slim personal media player with a 4.8in touchscreen and wireless netowk wireless networking. All this means that as well as storing and playing media files, it can access media over a local network and stream content from the internet.

The primary reason for buying a large-screen media player over compact MP3 player is to watch video, and the A5IT doesn’t disappoint in this area. The screen’s 800×480 resolution results in tiny pixels that make images pin-sharp. Colours seem natural but a bit muted, and contrast is good. A sturdy metal kickstand folds out from the back of the A5IT so you can rest it on a table while watching. There is a built-in speaker, but its not very loud or clear, so an external set or headphones are essential.

Support for standard-definition Windows Media, and up to 720p MPEG4 and H.264 video is included. The player supports the basic AVI and MP4 containers, as well as the MKV container, which is very popular on file sharing sites. DVD VOB files and the associated MPEG2 codec, along with the 720p WMV-HD codec, are only supported with a plug-in that costs £12 from Archos’s site, although you could just re-encode such files into MPEG4 on your PC. Strangely, the Windows driver offers to convert any AVI or MP4 files to WMV format when copying via USB, which is unnecessary.

The quality of music playback is good, although we’d prefer to have physical buttons to control it so you don’t have to fish the player out of your pocket. It’s good to see support for the open source OGG codec, although for most people the WMA, AAC and MP3 support will suffice. Similarly, JPEG support is sufficient for most users, but BMP, PNG and GIF are also supported. It’s great to be able to flick through photos with your finger on the screen.

Thanks to Android, the A5IT is far more than just a media player. For starters there’s a decent web browser, which also gives you access to online content, such as YouTube videos. Unfortunately, the device is currently hamstrung by the lack of both Google apps and the Android Market. This will be fixed with a firmware update to Android version 1.6 in the near future, although Archos couldn’t give us an exact date on this. In the meantime, you’ll have to rely on the pre-installed apps and a limited selection at Archos’s own AppsLib application repository.

Archos has installed its own media playback apps along with a home screen widget. The latter gives you easy access to all the media on the device, as well as access to Archos’s own Media Club, where you can buy a limited selection of films and music plus access streaming media. There’s an FM radio, and you can even play downloaded Flash games by adding them to a specific folder. Media files can be streamed from UPnP servers across your wireless home network, and streaming HD videos shouldn’t be a problem thanks to the built-in 802.11n wireless network adaptor.

There are a number of docking devices available for the A5IT that can greatly extend its capabilities, including an extended battery pack and port extenders that let you output video via HDMI to a TV. There’s even a docking station that lets you record TV broadcasts directly to your A5IT. Thanks to its built-in GPS, the A5IT can be also be used as a satnav device. For in-car use you’ll need to buy the £60 Archos GPS In Car Holder With Region Maps. Alternatively, the new firmware should also provide Google Maps compatibility, but not the turn-by-turn directions, which are currently limited to the US.

The model we tested had 32GB of flash memory, but there are a number of alternatives. The most attractive is the 160GB hard disk model, which costs just £20 more; although it’s chunkier and heavier, and the hard disk will reduce battery life. 64GB flash memory and 500GB hard disk models are available, but these cost £369 and £349 respectively. If you’d rather have the robustness of an SSD, we feel that 32GB of storage, especially if you’re re-encoding your videos to the native resolution of 800×480, will be sufficient for most users.

A great screen, good music quality and Android combine to make this one of the most flexible media players we’ve seen. With Google’s apps and Android market due to come next year it will become even more powerful, but we’re holding awarding it full marks until that update is out and working. In addition, many people will be better off investing in an all-in-one Android smartphone instead, such as the HTC Hero, instead of carrying two devices everywhere.