The possibility of streaming multimedia content from a computer running iTunes to a HDTV set is what made the Apple TV famous, but the design originating in the Cupertino labs has some very serious flaws, which have prevented it to enjoy a reasonably high level of success. However, it would seem that Archos has learned from Apple's mistakes and has managed to come up with a product that combines streaming capabilities with recording functions and multiple playback options, the end result being a device simply called the Archos TV+.

Although the Archos TV+ is one of the first WiFi DVRs to hit the market, this particular feature is hardly its most important selling point. Thus, beside being able to connect wirelessly to a network and downloading movies, TV shows and music from the ARCHOS Content Portal, the TV+ can also be used for streaming digital content from the PC to the TV. Furthermore, the device allows users to sync the recorded TV shows to their Archos portable media players at high speed.

One of the most important selling points of the Archos TV+ is its extended level of versatility, as this thing practically works with anything one might think of, provided that the correct software is purchased, downloaded and installed. Thus, with the proper plug-ins, the Archos TV+ can be used for playing MPEG-4 and WMV files, H.264 up to DVD resolution and AAC sound, MPEG-2 up to 10 Mbps (up to DVD resolution) and AC3 stereo sound.

Furthermore, its audio playback capabilities include stereo MP3 decoding at 30-320 Kbits/s CBR & VBR, WMA, Protected WMA and WAV (PCM/ADPCM), but the device also offers the possibility of playing back AAC and AC3 stereo audio and 5.1 sound files. It also integrates a photo viewing function (JPEG, BMP, PNG) and can even function as a PDF viewer.

As mentioned in the title, the Archos TV+ could represent a pretty serious contender for the Apple TV simply because it comes packed with most of the features its Apple-designed counterpart lacks. Thus, beside the characteristics mentioned earlier, the DVR provides an onscreen recording guide, 640x480 video recording quality, a QWERTY remote control, the Wi-Fi and Ethernet interfaces that can be used for on-demand video downloads from CinemaNow, an Opera web browser with Flash video support for all the Flash-based video sharing websites out there and much more.

The Archos TV+ is available for now in two "flavors", one incorporating an 80 GB HDD and retailing for $249 and another providing 250GB of storage space and selling for $349. These price points are low enough for most categories and consumers, and I must admit that should it have supported cable-to-PC streaming, this would have probably been the ultimate multimedia device.

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