You may have bought yourself a lovely Apple TV (and for that you would be in a very exclusive club as they aren't exactly flying off the shelves at the moment) but if you haven't then Archos would like to flog its answer to Jobs' set-top box.

The Archos TV+ is Wi-Fi-enabled set-top box that combines a wireless media player that can record and play TV content. Not only that, the thing has internet access and can download movie from the Archos Content Portal. Also on offer are music and video streaming, file transfers, and somewhere to store and view photos and videos.

Media files can be transferred straight to a computer, PVR or media player. The Archos TV+ also lets you start watching a movie while it’s still downloading in the background, (which is handy as the internet isn't the best lace for streaming video at the moment). Archos claimed that a two-hour film takes around 10 minutes to download.

Also, it has to  be said that the device does support a good range of formats, such as MPEG4, WMV, H.264 and AAC sound (with an optional plug-in). However, missing from this list is DivX (why-oh-why!). On the back of the box are ports for stereo analogue, composite, S-video, RGB, Ethernet, USB, and HDMI connectivity. You can also record video in NTSC/PAL/SECAM to MPEG-4 SP, audio recording options include WAV (IMA ADPCM or PCM).

The Archos TV+ goes on sale today in two versions; the 80GB costs £180, while the 250GB version is going for £250.

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