Can only record in black & white?

The Archos 404 attaches to the TV using either a DVR Station or a special AV cable. The AV cable uses a special small audio-style mini plug on one end to the standard red, white and yellow composite video connectors on the other.The docking station can record from and playback to the TV. The DVR Station 5 uses S-Video and red/white RCA plugs for connection to the TV. Optionally you can use the yellow/red/white composite connections instead. Hook it up similarly to a VCR, input from the cable box to the input of the DVR Station and output of the DVR Station to the input of the TV.

http://www.archos.com/support/download/manuals/connection_guide_dvr_station_v1.1.pdf
http://www.archos.com/support/support_tech/manuals.html?country=us&lang=en

Remove the DVR station from the box, and attach the DVR adapter plate (found in the
DEVICE box); it is correctly attached when it clicks on.
-Take the Black Audio/video Marked "output" cable, and insert the connections into the corresponding coloured sockets, yellow>yellow, green> green etc. Make sure they are
inserted into the TOP row on the back of the DVR Station "Marked Out". The remaining
black connector should be plugged into the SW socket, which can be found underneath
the orange socket on the back of the DVR station. (If after setting up your ARCHOS the
picture is very green remove the black cable from the SW socket)
-Plug the SCART connector into the SCART socket on your TV set. These are usually
marked AV1, AV2, or Ext 1, Ext 2, L1, L2, Line in 1, Line in 2, Aux 1, Aux 2, make sure you
select the corresponding channel above (ie AV1 AV2 etc) on your TV set when you turn on
the TV.
-Attach the UK plug adapter to the Mains charger, and plug the charger into the DC-In
socket on the back right of the DVR station. Turn the mains on at the socket.
-Insert the powered off ARCHOS unit onto the DVR station, the unit will now power on,
and ask if you want to 'Switch to TV out', select 'Okay'. The 'TV output configuration' set
up will load up. Select 'Okay'.
-TV connection: When your DEVICE is connected to the optional DVR Station you need to
select the type of video output (Composite, S-video, component, RGB, HDMI etc), based
on how you have connected the DVR Station to your TV and what possibilities your TV will
allow. For the cables supplied and the instructions aboce you will need to select either
RGB or Composite. Use the arrows to go through the options and select either RGB or
Composite.
-TV Standard: this should be set to PAL (Europe). Select 'Next'.
-Now you need to test the settings, select 'Okay', the ARCHOS home screen should now
be visible on your TV set. If you have nothing showing on your TV, scroll through the
AV/Ext channels, the channel will correspond to the AV/Ext socket you connected the
cable to on your TV set. Use the ARCHOS remote to select 'Okay'; you have now set up
the output connection settings for your DVR station.
-You may need to adjust your output from the ARCHOS to match your TV, from the "TV
Format" options. Use the arrows on the ARCHOS remote to select the format of your TV
screen, so the ARCHOS unit outputs the correct picture size (ie 4:3 / 16:9 etc). Use the
arrows on the remote to select 'Next'.

The dvr station must sit in the middle of the signal transfer from the box to the tv, so connect the Xbox to the dvr station and then connect the dvr station to the tv. You will have to enaure that the DVR station is always powered on so that the signal will pass through it. to record simply select the record option on the 604

Hi awillis98 this is Mike Houston of DISH Network, with the Archos DVRstation there will be a USB connection from the device to the DISH Networkreceiver, one the DISH receiver has recognized the external hard drive you willsee pop-ups on the screen that will walk you through the steps to configureyour Archos device. I will send a link to help with the setup for the externalhard drive. http://www.dishnetwork.com/SupportSection/setup-ehd

You have posed a very good question with a very complicated answer. There are two things you MUST have in order to do what you are asking:
1) Your "docking station" cannot be the Archos mini-dock, b/c the mini dock has inputs only. Your docking station must be the Archos DVR Station - Gen 5.
2) You have to have a digital cable box, FIOS, or digital satellite box.

You will be recording from your cable, satellite, or FIOS box instead of directly from your TV. Hook the red, white, and yellow cable from one of the red, white and yellow outputs of your cable/sat/FIOS box to the specialized adapter of the DVR Station (make sure your Archos 605 is properly docked inside). Here is a link to the connection guide if you don't have it:
http://www.archos.com/support/download/manuals/connection_guide_dvr_station_v1.1.pdf

Once the connection is set up, you must follow the exact directions printed on pp.11-15 of the DVR Station user manual - it will require downloading several pieces of software. My only reccomendation is that you make sure that the Archos 605 is fully charged before proceeding, b/c if it loses power during the process, you may ruin your mp3 player. Here is a link to the DVR Station user manual:
http://www.archos.com/support/download/manuals/english_user_manual_dvr_station_gen5_v3.pdf

If you have followed the instructions exactly, you will be able to schedule your recordings to your Archos 605.

There are two catches that I noticed with this player - 1 major and one not-so major:
1) Not-so major: Your subscription to the TV guide that enables you to schedule recordings will only be free for 1 year
2) Major: The DVR Station forces you to choose between an NTSC and a PAL format when choosing a TV standard for playback. PAL is only for Europe, so never select it under any circumstances. NTSC is shutting down on February 17, 2009 - in a little more than a month. After that time, you may not be able to display the recordings that you have made to your TV itself.

Good luck!

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

Archos 605 Wifi w/ Archos DVR Station Gen 5

You have posed a very good question with a very complicated answer. There are two things you MUST have in order to do what you are asking:
1) Your "docking station" cannot be the Archos mini-dock, b/c the mini dock has inputs only. Your docking station must be the Archos DVR Station - Gen 5.
2) You have to have a digital cable box, FIOS, or digital satellite box.

You will be recording from your cable, satellite, or FIOS box instead of directly from your TV. Hook the red, white, and yellow cable from one of the red, white and yellow outputs of your cable/sat/FIOS box to the specialized adapter of the DVR Station (make sure your Archos 605 is properly docked inside). Here is a link to the connection guide if you don't have it:
http://www.archos.com/support/download/manuals/connection_guide_dvr_station_v1.1.pdf

Once the connection is set up, you must follow the exact directions printed on pp.11-15 of the DVR Station user manual - it will require downloading several pieces of software. My only reccomendation is that you make sure that the Archos 605 is fully charged before proceeding, b/c if it loses power during the process, you may ruin your mp3 player. Here is a link to the DVR Station user manual:
http://www.archos.com/support/download/manuals/english_user_manual_dvr_station_gen5_v3.pdf

If you have followed the instructions exactly, you will be able to schedule your recordings to your Archos 605.

There are two catches that I noticed with this player - 1 major and one not-so major:
1) Not-so major: Your subscription to the TV guide that enables you to schedule recordings will only be free for 1 year
2) Major: The DVR Station forces you to choose between an NTSC and a PAL format when choosing a TV standard for playback. PAL is only for Europe, so never select it under any circumstances. NTSC is shutting down on February 17, 2009 - in a little more than a month. After that time, you may not be able to display the recordings that you have made to your TV itself.

Good luck!

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

I had the problem that the record feature was not available in or out of the docking station and therefore i could not record. Archos connector on bottom of unit senses a change in the resistance of the device it's docked with and knows if it's the DVR station or not.

Turned out to be a hardware fault - i had to RMA both the Archos and the docking station (while in warranty) and Archos fixed it/them.

That may not help you much.

PS: I think i zapped my DVR station with static one day and that might have been the original cause.

Not sure if this will help you or not, but I have a 404 and was having issues with the scheduler changing the channels for me also. Then I realized that it is a infrared transmitter - the same frequency as a remote I realized what I was doing wrong - Your archos station must be facing the cable box that it is turning on. I had my archos on top of the cable box and it was not working - but when I turned the cable box and the archos station to face each other - so the signal can transfer - it worked just fine. Hope that helps!

went to avforums.com

I HAVE A SKY+ BOX ALSO , AMSTRAD MAKE ON BACK, TRY SETTING IT TO DIGITAL RECEIVER INSTEAD OF SAT RECEIVER, THEN SELECT THE MAKE PACE, THEN CODE NO 8 ( B676 ) THIS DID TURN OFF MY SAT RECEIVER BUT THEN ACCIDENTALLY SCREWED UP THE NEXT STAGE AND I CAN NOW NO LONGER TURN THE SAT BOX OFF,

BUT YOU MAY HAVE MORE LUCK, IF YOU DO NOT SCREW THE NEXT STAGE UP, BEST OF LUCK